Sales Strategy Formulation and Go-to-Market Design

Introduction and Context

Sales strategy is the deliberate design of how an organisation creates, communicates, delivers and captures value through its selling activities. It translates corporate ambition and marketing choices into decisions about customers, offerings, channels, salespeople, resources, technology and performance management. A sales strategy is therefore more than a revenue target or a sales plan. It is an integrated logic explaining where the firm will compete, whom it will serve, how it will win and what capabilities it must develop.

Go-to-market (GTM) design is the operational expression of this logic. It specifies how a product, service or solution will reach selected customers and progress from market awareness to adoption, retention and expansion. In contemporary markets, GTM design may involve direct sales, partners, digital commerce, marketplaces, account-based marketing, customer success and ecosystem relationships.

A strategically sound sales system aligns four levels of decision-making:

1. Corporate strategy: the organisation’s purpose, growth ambition, portfolio and risk appetite.
2. Marketing strategy: market segmentation, targeting, positioning, value proposition, brand and demand generation.
3. Sales strategy: customer coverage, sales process, channels, account priorities, resources and objectives.
4. Execution management: territories, quotas, activities, pipeline, forecasting, incentives and customer outcomes.

Misalignment at any level creates waste. For example, a premium positioning supported by discount-driven sales compensation sends contradictory signals to customers. Similarly, a firm targeting small businesses through a costly field-sales model may create excessive acquisition cost.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

• explain the relationship between corporate, marketing and sales strategy;
• segment markets and select strategically attractive target segments;
• construct an ideal customer profile and buying-centre analysis;
• develop competitive positioning and a differentiated sales value proposition;
• compare direct, indirect, digital and hybrid channels;
• allocate sales resources using economic and strategic criteria;
• design a coordinated go-to-market plan;
• evaluate GTM performance, risks, ethics and governance; and
• apply these concepts to a realistic business situation.

1. Strategic Alignment: From Corporate Intent to Sales Action

Corporate strategy determines the broad direction of the enterprise: growth, profitability, diversification, internationalisation, innovation or social impact. Marketing strategy interprets that direction in terms of markets and customer value. Sales strategy then determines how relationships and transactions will be developed in chosen markets.

A useful alignment chain is:

Corporate objective → Marketing choice → Sales objective → Sales activities → Customer and financial outcomes

For example, if the corporate objective is profitable expansion into mid-sized manufacturers, marketing may select a vertical segment and position an analytics platform around operational efficiency. Sales may then adopt industry-specialist account executives, technical consultants and a customer-success model. Activities such as diagnostic workshops and pilot programmes should be chosen because they support the positioning—not simply because they increase the number of calls.

Sales objectives should be expressed in outcomes and, where appropriate, leading indicators. Common objectives include revenue, gross margin, new-logo acquisition, retention, cross-selling, strategic-account penetration, sales-cycle reduction and customer value. An objective such as “increase sales effort” is weak because effort is not necessarily value creating. “Acquire 30 profitable healthcare accounts while maintaining a gross margin above 45%” is more strategically useful.

Strategic fit and the resource-based view

The resource-based view argues that sustainable advantage depends on valuable, rare, difficult-to-imitate and well-organised resources. In sales, these may include trusted relationships, sector expertise, proprietary data, consultative capabilities, partner access and customer-success routines. A GTM design should therefore ask not only, “What do customers want?” but also, “What can this organisation deliver better than competitors, and can it do so repeatedly?”

A strategy that depends on capabilities the firm does not possess is an aspiration, not a strategy. Capability gaps may be addressed through recruitment, training, partnerships, technology, acquisition or a narrower initial target market.

2. Market Segmentation and Targeting

Segmentation divides a heterogeneous market into groups whose members share relevant characteristics or respond similarly to a marketing and sales approach. Effective segmentation is not merely descriptive. It must improve decisions about value propositions, coverage, service, channels and resource allocation.

Bases of segmentation

Business-to-business segmentation should normally combine firmographic variables with needs and buying behaviour. Two firms of the same size may require different solutions because one values integration and the other values rapid deployment.

Criteria for evaluating segments

A target segment should be evaluated using at least five criteria:

• Measurability: Can its size, needs and economics be estimated?
• Accessibility: Can the firm reach and serve it through feasible channels?
• Substantiality: Is the opportunity large or profitable enough?
• Responsiveness: Will members respond differently to a tailored offer?
• Strategic fit: Does the segment match organisational capabilities and objectives?

Additional criteria include competitive intensity, regulatory exposure, buying complexity, growth rate and lifetime value.

Segment attractiveness and strategic fit

A practical prioritisation method scores each segment on attractiveness and organisational fit. Scores should be based on explicit evidence, not managerial enthusiasm. A weighted score can be calculated as:

where S_j is the score for segment j, w_i is the weight assigned to criterion i, r_ij is the rating of segment j on criterion i, and n is the number of criteria. Weights should sum to 1, and ratings must use a defined scale, such as 1 to 5. This method is comparative rather than objectively predictive; its value depends on the quality of assumptions and evidence.

A firm may choose a single focused segment, several differentiated segments, a broad market or a specialised niche. Concentration can accelerate learning and strengthen positioning, but it also increases dependence on a limited market. Broad coverage can diversify risk but often requires more resources and creates weaker relevance.

3. Ideal Customer Profile and Buying-Centre Analysis

An ideal customer profile (ICP) describes the type of account most likely to obtain strong value from the offering and to be economically attractive to serve. It is an account-level construct, not a description of an individual buyer.

An ICP may include:

• industry and business model;
• size, revenue or employee range;
• geographic footprint;
• technology environment;
• strategic priorities and trigger events;
• current pain points and cost of inaction;
• budget and procurement characteristics;
• implementation readiness;
• regulatory or risk requirements; and
• expected retention, expansion and advocacy potential.

The ICP should be distinguished from a buyer persona. A persona describes a role or person, such as a chief financial officer or operations manager. The ICP identifies the organisation; personas explain the people within it.

The buying centre

Complex purchases involve a buying centre rather than a single buyer. Typical roles include:

• Initiator: recognises or articulates the problem;
• User: experiences the solution in practice;
• Influencer: supplies expertise or evaluation criteria;
• Economic buyer: controls or authorises economic resources;
• Decision maker: approves the choice;
• Gatekeeper: controls information or access; and
• Procurement or legal authority: manages commercial and compliance conditions.

Roles may overlap, and they may change during the buying process. Salespeople should map each stakeholder’s desired outcomes, concerns, influence, evidence requirements and relationship status. Treating the loudest contact as the decision maker is a common cause of late-stage failure.

4. Competitive Positioning and Sales Value Propositions

Positioning is the intended place of an offering in the customer’s mind relative to alternatives. A strong position is relevant to a meaningful customer problem, credible, distinctive and defensible. Differentiation may be based on performance, total cost, reliability, ease of implementation, service quality, risk reduction, integration, expertise or ecosystem access.

A positioning statement can be structured as follows:

For [target customer] facing [important problem], [offering] is a [category or solution] that provides [primary outcome] because [credible reason to believe]. Unlike [important alternative], it [distinctive advantage].

This is an internal strategic tool, not necessarily advertising copy.

Competitor and alternative analysis

The relevant competitor is not always a firm selling a similar product. Alternatives may include internal development, an incumbent supplier, a manual process, postponement or doing nothing. Sales analysis should therefore examine:

• direct competitors and their claims;
• substitute solutions;
• customer switching costs;
• implementation and integration requirements;
• total economic impact;
• proof, references and trust signals; and
• likely competitor responses.

A sales value proposition translates positioning into customer-specific economic and operational meaning. It should connect features to capabilities, outcomes and evidence. “Automated reporting” is a feature. “Reduces monthly reporting effort and gives managers earlier visibility of exceptions” expresses a potential outcome. The salesperson must validate whether the outcome is relevant and quantify it only when evidence supports the estimate.

A useful value architecture is:

Customer situation → problem or risk → proposed capability → measurable outcome → proof → commercial exchange

Overclaiming benefits damages trust and may create legal exposure. Value propositions must distinguish verified results, reasonable estimates and hypotheses requiring validation.

5. Channel Strategy and Go-to-Market Architecture

Channel choice determines how the organisation reaches, sells to, implements for and supports customers. The main options are direct, indirect, digital self-service and hybrid models.

Channel design should consider customer preference, economics, required education, implementation complexity, speed, control, coverage and conflict. A firm should not select a channel solely because it is familiar.

Channel economics

Important economic measures include customer acquisition cost (CAC), contribution margin, retention and customer lifetime value (CLV). A simplified periodic CLV model for a customer with constant contribution margin and constant retention is:

where m is contribution margin per period, r is the probability of retaining the customer from one period to the next, and d is the discount rate per period. The formula assumes constant margin, constant retention, no finite contract horizon and a consistent time period. It excludes acquisition cost unless CAC is subtracted separately. It should not be used uncritically when margins, retention or service costs change materially over time.

For example, if monthly contribution margin is $500, monthly retention is 0.95 and the monthly discount rate is 0.01:

This is a present-value estimate before acquisition cost. If CAC is $2,000, the simplified value after acquisition cost is approximately $5,916.67, subject to the model’s assumptions.

Channel economics should also include partner margin, onboarding, support, travel, implementation, returns, payment costs and opportunity cost. The cheapest channel per lead is not necessarily the most profitable channel per retained customer.

6. Sales Resource Allocation and Coverage Design

Resource allocation converts strategic priorities into choices about people, time, territories, technology, enablement and managerial attention. Common allocation units are geography, industry, account tier, product, customer lifecycle stage and buying potential.

A coverage model may classify accounts as strategic, growth, core or transactional. Classification should be based on potential and fit, not merely current revenue. A small current account may deserve attention if it has strong expansion potential, while a large but unprofitable account may require redesigned service conditions.

Capacity planning

A basic capacity estimate can identify whether planned coverage is feasible:

where N is the number of accounts or opportunities that can be covered in a period, T is available working time, a is the share allocated to customer-facing activity, e is effectiveness expressed as completed coverage units per customer-facing hour, u is an adjustment for utilisation or quality, and h is the required hours per coverage unit. The variables must use compatible time units. This is a planning approximation, not a forecast of revenue.

For instance, suppose a salesperson has 1,600 annual working hours, allocates 50% to customer-facing work, completes 0.25 qualified account interactions per hour, has a utilisation factor of 0.80, and requires 4 hours per account for the planned coverage standard:

The estimate indicates capacity for approximately 40 accounts at that coverage standard. Management should test whether the assumed interaction rate and hours reflect reality.

Resource allocation should balance short-term revenue with strategic learning, customer retention and future growth. Excessively rewarding only immediate bookings can cause neglect of onboarding, renewal and relationship quality.

7. Go-to-Market Planning

A GTM plan is a coordinated design linking target customers, value proposition, route to market, customer journey, operating capabilities, economics and measurement. It should answer six questions:

1. Who is the priority customer?
2. What important problem is being solved?
3. Why is this solution preferable to alternatives?
4. How will customers discover, evaluate, buy and adopt it?
5. What resources and capabilities are required?
6. How will performance and learning be measured?

Stages of a GTM design

Diagnosis: Analyse market conditions, customer needs, competitors, internal capabilities and constraints.

Choice: Select segments, ICPs, positioning, routes to market, account priorities and commercial model.

Design: Specify roles, processes, content, enablement, technology, partner responsibilities, service levels and customer handoffs.

Launch: Coordinate marketing, sales, operations, finance, legal, implementation and customer success.

Learn and adapt: Review evidence, identify friction, test improvements and revise assumptions.

The customer journey should be treated as a connected system rather than a funnel owned by separate departments. Typical stages include awareness, problem recognition, exploration, evaluation, commercial approval, purchase, implementation, adoption, renewal and advocacy. Stage definitions must be observable. “Interested” is not a reliable stage; “completed technical validation and confirmed economic sponsor” is more useful.

Metrics and governance

A balanced measurement system includes:

• Input metrics: qualified meetings, content engagement, partner-sourced opportunities;
• Process metrics: conversion between defined stages, sales-cycle duration, response time;
• Outcome metrics: bookings, revenue, gross margin, retention, expansion and customer value;
• Quality metrics: win rate by segment, forecast accuracy, implementation success and customer satisfaction;
• Strategic metrics: target-account penetration, capability development and learning velocity.

Pipeline coverage is often expressed as:

The ratio is meaningful only when pipeline is consistently defined and when historical conversion rates, deal size and timing are understood. A large pipeline composed of poorly qualified opportunities is not adequate coverage.

8. Technology, Data and Artificial Intelligence

Customer relationship management systems support account records, opportunity management, activity coordination, forecasting, service history and governance. Technology improves strategy only when data definitions, processes and accountability are sound. A CRM filled with inconsistent or duplicated records creates false confidence.

AI may assist with account prioritisation, next-best-action recommendations, conversation summarisation, forecasting and personalised content. However, predictive outputs reflect the data and assumptions used to produce them. Managers should examine bias, explainability, privacy, consent, data security and the possibility that automation may favour easily measured accounts over strategically important but less visible opportunities.

AI-generated messages require human review, especially where claims, pricing, confidentiality, regulated industries or personal data are involved. Organisations should define permitted uses, approval thresholds, audit trails and data-retention rules.

9. Ethical, Legal and Governance Considerations

Sales strategy affects customers, employees, partners and society. Important responsibilities include:

• truthful representation of capabilities, performance and pricing;
• transparent terms, renewal conditions and data use;
• respect for privacy, consent and applicable data-protection law;
• avoidance of discriminatory targeting or exclusionary algorithms;
• fair partner treatment and disclosure of commercial incentives;
• responsible use of scarcity, urgency and behavioural influence;
• controls against bribery, conflicts of interest and improper inducements; and
• accurate reporting and protection against manipulating forecasts or pipeline.

Governance should allocate responsibility for decisions, establish approval controls and monitor unintended consequences. Compliance is a minimum standard; ethical strategy also asks whether an action is fair, sustainable and consistent with stakeholder trust.

10. Illustrative Case: NovaFleet Mobility Platform

Background

NovaFleet, a fictional business-to-business software provider, offers a cloud platform that helps regional logistics companies monitor vehicle utilisation, maintenance and delivery performance. It has achieved early growth through founder-led selling but is now considering national expansion.

Problem

The company’s sales team pursues almost every logistics prospect. Marketing communicates a broad message about “digital transformation,” while salespeople discount heavily to close deals. Implementation resources are constrained, customer retention varies and the firm cannot determine whether direct sales or partners should lead expansion.

Analysis

Research identifies three potential segments: large national carriers, mid-sized regional fleets and small owner-operated fleets. Large carriers have substantial potential but long procurement cycles, complex integrations and strong incumbent suppliers. Small fleets have short buying cycles but low contract value and high price sensitivity. Mid-sized regional fleets show a clear operational problem, moderate integration requirements and a strong need for rapid implementation.

A preliminary weighted assessment uses four criteria: market attractiveness (0.30), strategic fit (0.25), accessibility (0.20) and service economics (0.25). Ratings use a 1–5 scale. The segment scores are illustrative:

For the mid-sized segment, the score is (0.30×4)+(0.25×5)+(0.20×4)+(0.25×4)=4.25. The score does not prove that the segment will succeed; it makes the assumptions visible and supports disciplined discussion.

Approach and solution

NovaFleet defines its ICP as a regional carrier operating 100–500 vehicles, with recurring maintenance costs, fragmented reporting and a manager accountable for on-time delivery. The buying centre includes the operations director, fleet manager, finance lead, IT manager and procurement.

The new position is: “For regional carriers seeking more reliable delivery performance, NovaFleet provides an integrated fleet-visibility platform that reduces avoidable downtime and improves operational control, supported by rapid implementation and sector-specific expertise.” Claims are tested through pilot customers rather than presented as universal guarantees.

The company adopts a hybrid GTM model. Direct account executives handle priority accounts and complex discovery. Certified regional technology partners provide implementation and local support. Marketing develops industry-specific evidence and diagnostic tools. Customer success owns onboarding, adoption reviews and expansion opportunities.

Accounts are tiered according to ICP fit, potential and readiness. Compensation is revised so that salespeople receive credit not only for bookings but also for gross margin and successful implementation milestones. A formal handoff process is introduced in the CRM, with defined exit criteria for each opportunity stage.

Outcome

After two quarters, NovaFleet reports fewer but better-qualified opportunities, a shorter average implementation cycle and improved first-year retention among the target segment. Large-carrier opportunities remain in a strategic programme rather than being abandoned, while the small-fleet segment is served through a lower-cost digital and partner route. Management continues to test the economics because the initial results are not sufficient to establish long-term causality.

Learning points

The case demonstrates that growth may require narrowing the target market, clarifying the ICP, aligning incentives, and redesigning handoffs. It also shows why a segment score is a decision aid rather than a substitute for market evidence. Successful GTM design is cross-functional: sales cannot compensate indefinitely for weak implementation, unclear positioning or poor data.

11. Challenges and Limitations

Strategic sales planning is vulnerable to several limitations. Segment data may be incomplete or outdated. Weighted scoring can create spurious precision when ratings are subjective. Customer needs and competitors change, making a previously attractive ICP less relevant. Attribution is difficult because customers encounter multiple channels and touchpoints. Forecasts may be distorted by optimism, political pressure or inconsistent stage definitions.

Channel conflict can arise when direct sales compete with partners or when digital pricing undercuts relationship-based channels. Over-segmentation can produce operational complexity, while under-segmentation can make the value proposition generic. Automation may increase efficiency while reducing human judgement or excluding customers who do not fit historical patterns.

These limitations require scenario planning, pilot programmes, win-loss research, sensitivity analysis, governance reviews and periodic strategy renewal. The best GTM plans are explicit about uncertainty and establish learning mechanisms rather than presenting assumptions as facts.

Best-Practice Checklist

A professionally governed sales strategy should:

• begin with corporate and marketing objectives;
• define segments using needs and economics, not demographics alone;
• distinguish ICPs from personas;
• map the complete buying centre;
• position against meaningful alternatives;
• select channels according to customer and economic logic;
• align territories, capacity, incentives and service capability;
• define measurable stage criteria and handoffs;
• integrate marketing, sales, implementation and customer success;
• use CRM and AI with data governance and human accountability;
• monitor profitability, retention and customer outcomes; and
• revise the strategy when evidence invalidates its assumptions.

Chapter Summary

Sales strategy formulation connects corporate ambition with customer-level execution. It requires alignment among corporate strategy, marketing choices, sales objectives and operational capabilities. Segmentation identifies meaningful groups; targeting selects those with attractive potential and strategic fit. The ideal customer profile describes the accounts most likely to receive value and generate sustainable economics, while buying-centre analysis identifies the multiple stakeholders involved in complex decisions.

Competitive positioning clarifies how an offering should be understood relative to direct competitors, substitutes and inaction. Channel strategy determines whether direct, partner, digital or hybrid routes can deliver value efficiently. Resource allocation converts priorities into coverage, people, capacity and incentives. Go-to-market design integrates these decisions across the customer journey and establishes metrics for performance, quality and learning.

Quantitative tools such as weighted segment scoring, CLV estimation, capacity planning and pipeline coverage can improve discipline, but each depends on explicit assumptions and reliable data. Technology and AI can strengthen execution when supported by sound processes, governance, privacy protection and human judgement. Ultimately, effective sales strategy is adaptive: it makes choices, tests assumptions, learns from customer evidence and reallocates resources toward sustainable value creation.

Key Terms

Sales strategy: An integrated approach for selecting customers, creating value and achieving commercial objectives through selling activities.

Go-to-market design: The coordinated plan for reaching, selling to, implementing for and retaining target customers.

Segmentation: Division of a market into groups with relevant shared characteristics or responses.

Targeting: Selection of segments that the organisation chooses to serve.

Ideal customer profile (ICP): Description of an account most likely to receive value and be economically attractive to serve.

Buyer persona: A representation of an individual role involved in a purchase.

Buying centre: The set of stakeholders participating in a business purchase.

Positioning: The intended meaning and relative place of an offering in the customer’s mind.

Value proposition: A statement of the customer value expected from an offering and the reasons to believe it.

Direct channel: A route in which the firm sells and manages the customer relationship itself.

Indirect channel: A route involving intermediaries such as distributors, agents or implementation partners.

Hybrid channel: Use of multiple coordinated routes to market.

Customer acquisition cost (CAC): The cost attributable to acquiring a customer, according to a defined measurement scope.

Customer lifetime value (CLV): The estimated present value of contribution generated by a customer over the relationship.

Sales capacity: The amount of qualified coverage or selling work that available resources can deliver.

Pipeline coverage: The relationship between qualified pipeline value and a revenue target.

Customer success: Organised activities intended to help customers achieve adoption and desired outcomes.

Channel conflict: Tension arising when routes to market compete for customers, margin or control.

Sales enablement: Processes, content, training and tools that improve selling effectiveness.

Strategic alignment: Consistency among organisational objectives, market choices, sales actions and outcomes.

Review Questions

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the relationship between corporate strategy, marketing strategy and sales strategy?
2. Distinguish an ideal customer profile from a buyer persona.
3. Identify four criteria for evaluating a target segment.
4. What roles may exist within a business buying centre?
5. State two advantages and two limitations of a hybrid channel model.

Long Answer Questions

1. Explain how a firm can move from market segmentation to a defensible target-market decision.
2. Discuss the role of competitive positioning in consultative sales and value communication.
3. Compare direct, indirect, digital and hybrid go-to-market models.
4. Explain how resource allocation, capacity planning and incentive design influence sales strategy execution.
5. Discuss the governance, ethical and data-quality issues associated with CRM and AI-supported selling.

Analytical / Application Questions

1. A software firm serves three segments with different market potential, service requirements and competitive intensity. Design a weighted segment-scoring model, justify the weights and explain how you would test the assumptions.
2. Using the CLV formula in this chapter, calculate CLV when monthly contribution margin is $800, monthly retention is 0.90 and the monthly discount rate is 0.02. Explain two limitations of the estimate.
3. Develop a GTM design for a fictional industrial-services provider entering a new region. Specify the ICP, buying centre, positioning, channel model, resource priorities, metrics and principal risks.

Multiple Choice Questions with Answers

Question 1

Which sequence best represents strategic alignment in sales management?

A. Sales activities → corporate objective → marketing choice → outcomes

B. Corporate objective → marketing choice → sales objective → activities → outcomes

C. Marketing choice → activities → corporate objective → sales objective

D. Sales forecast → corporate objective → customer needs → marketing choice

Correct Answer: B. Corporate objective → marketing choice → sales objective → activities → outcomes

Question 2

Which characteristic most directly distinguishes an ideal customer profile from a buyer persona?

A. The ICP describes an organisation, while a persona describes an individual role

B. The ICP describes a salesperson, while a persona describes a competitor

C. The ICP is used only in consumer markets, while a persona is used only in business markets

D. The ICP focuses on advertising design, while a persona focuses only on pricing

Correct Answer: A. The ICP describes an organisation, while a persona describes an individual role

Question 3

Which is NOT one of the five segment-evaluation criteria discussed in the chapter?

A. Measurability

B. Accessibility

C. Responsiveness

D. Celebrity endorsement

Correct Answer: D. Celebrity endorsement

Question 4

A business purchase involving an operations director, IT manager, finance lead and procurement illustrates the concept of a:

A. Mass market

B. Buying centre

C. Distribution monopoly

D. Product portfolio

Correct Answer: B. Buying centre

Question 5

Which channel is generally most suitable for a highly complex, high-value solution requiring extensive stakeholder coordination?

A. Unassisted self-service only

B. Direct field sales

C. A purely automated marketplace listing

D. Undifferentiated mass distribution

Correct Answer: B. Direct field sales

Question 6

Using CLV = (m × r) ÷ (1 + d − r), what is CLV when m = $400, r = 0.90 and d = 0.10 per period?

A. $1,800

B. $2,250

C. $3,600

D. $4,000

Correct Answer: B. $2,250

Question 7

In the chapter’s capacity example, 1,600 working hours, 50% customer-facing time, 0.25 coverage units per hour, 0.80 utilisation and 4 hours per account produce capacity of:

A. 20 accounts

B. 32 accounts

C. 40 accounts

D. 80 accounts

Correct Answer: C. 40 accounts

Question 8

Pipeline coverage is most appropriately calculated as:

A. Revenue target ÷ qualified pipeline value

B. Qualified pipeline value ÷ revenue target

C. Gross margin ÷ sales headcount

D. Customer value ÷ acquisition cost

Correct Answer: B. Qualified pipeline value ÷ revenue target

Question 9

Why should a sales value proposition distinguish verified results from hypotheses?

A. To allow unsupported claims to appear more persuasive

B. To protect credibility and avoid presenting uncertain benefits as facts

C. To eliminate the need for customer research

D. To ensure every customer receives identical messaging

Correct Answer: B. To protect credibility and avoid presenting uncertain benefits as facts

Question 10

Which practice best supports responsible use of AI in sales?

A. Allowing unrestricted use of confidential customer data

B. Removing human review from all automated recommendations

C. Using governance controls covering privacy, bias, explainability and auditability

D. Evaluating AI only by the number of generated messages

Correct Answer: C. Using governance controls covering privacy, bias, explainability and auditability