Artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing at an incredible pace. There is no doubt that an ocean of opportunities now exists, but navigating these opportunities can be challenging.
It’s like having an airplane but not quite knowing where to go. You have the ability to reach a destination quickly, but how to fly, why, and where to go are not always obvious.
That’s why Redpill Linpro’s project with GlobalConnect and McKinsey & Company was such a positive experience. We not only found a place to fly (a way to utilize AI), but we also opened the door for others to follow and land at the new destination we discovered (this implementation can be reused by many).
In summary, creative minds from GlobalConnect, McKinsey & Company, and Redpill Linpro came together to increase the frequency of new sales opportunities, acquire new customers, and boost revenue. Now, let’s take a closer look at how this collaboration-enhanced by cutting-edge technology-led to a success story that continues to unfold.
The business case
GlobalConnect is the leading provider of fiber-based data communication in the Nordic region. With over 30,000 km of fiber optic lines in Norway alone, it’s clear that many businesses and individuals are either near or already connected to this fiber network.
Most businesses, focusing on this segment of GlobalConnect’s target market, already have an existing internet provider in place. Companies rarely switch internet providers unless the service and pricing stand out significantly. And in a market with fierce competition, service offerings don’t always differ drastically.
However, if a company is in the process of relocating, the situation changes. Moving will force businesses to establish a new internet connection at their new location. Depending on the area, multiple fiber providers may be present and eager to offer their services.
From a sales perspective, it’s crucial to act early, build a relationship with a potential customer, and prepare a service offering to ensure that fiber internet is one less thing for them to worry about amidst the chaos of moving.
The companies involved, GlobalConnect, McKinsey & Company, and Redpill Linpro, combined their creative and technical expertise to develop a comprehensive monitoring system for all Google News sources (limited to Norway and Denmark for now). A script was created to scan news articles every five hours, searching for a variety of relevant keywords such as "new offices," "new premises," "relocation," and "startup" (the latter capturing all newly established companies, which likely haven’t set up a fiber network yet). This keyword list is regularly updated based on experience and insights.
Since this process can generate an overwhelming number of news articles, an AI agent filters the results. Through specific prompting (a term most are familiar with by now, essentially instructions for how the AI agent should handle incoming requests), the AI determines whether a news article is relevant.
The prompt can be highly detailed, for example: "If a moving destination is identified, check the address against GlobalConnect’s fiber network map to determine if fiber service is available.""If yes, retrieve company information (if available) from the «Brønnøysund Register» (Norway’s official business-register) and create a lead in the CRM system, assigning it to a sales representative who is notified."
The prompt is continuously refined and can be significantly more complex than the example above. The team works closely together to optimize the AI agent’s instructions.
Once this process is complete, the sales representative takes over and reaches out to the identified prospects.
Some might argue that AI could handle this outreach as well, and yes, to some extent, that is possible. However, human relationship-building skills remain superior to AI-generated interactions (despite prompting the AI to behave in a certain way, humans are humans, and machines are machines).
By automating the prospecting and research phase, sales representatives save a significant amount of time and can focus on the crucial final step, the actual sales conversation, which is often the most exciting and rewarding part of the job. Ultimately, this is what drives revenue for both the salesperson and the company.
A scalable concept
As the example illustrates, multiple systems are involved in the process, and the challenge lies in integrating them effectively. Redpill Linpro has deep expertise in this area, and together with GlobalConnect and McKinsey & Company, this idea evolved into a successful project.
Looking at the scalability of this concept, businesses can now monitor news sources (not just Google News, but also social media, forums, and other platforms) for commercially relevant events. This brings us into the business side of technology, which is just as crucial as the technical implementation.
Technology is not slowing down, it’s accelerating. That’s why having a fast go-to-market strategy is essential. Redpill Linpro’s consultants must be able to communicate effectively across departments to rapidly implement necessary technological solutions.
It is a major advantage when our technical specialists can understand business needs, especially in AI and prompt engineering, to ensure that the result delivers real value and isn’t just a gimmick. These days, many companies want to jump on the AI bandwagon, but without a clear purpose, it can quickly become a meaningless exercise.
We look forward to tackling new, exciting projects that leverage the strengths of both humans and AI.
And if you’re a business developer or someone who knows that responding quickly to different types of news could bring great value, perhaps you’ve just been inspired to take action!
