You are currently viewing This Is Your Copilot Speaking–Viva Sales With Copilot

This Is Your Copilot Speaking–Viva Sales With Copilot

AI is poised to change how we work and interact with technology. That’s a fact. Microsoft is infusing artificial intelligence into its cloud-based solutions, such as Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, etc. AI has been part of Dynamics 365 for Sales for a while, scoring leads and making predictions about sales opportunities. I’ve been lukewarm with respect to those particular AI features. However, I like what I see from the generative AI in Microsoft Copilot, operating inside of Viva Sales.

Heard of Viva Sales?

Viva Sales is an Outlook add-in that, among other things, automates data entry into Dynamics 365 for Sales (CRM). Here’s a typical scenario; a salesperson receives an email from a new or existing customer in Outlook. The salesperson opens Viva Sales, seen below in the right-hand panel. Viva Sales pulls data from the email to create a new Dynamics 365 CRM record, reducing the amount of CRM data entry required by salespeople. This feature has been part of Viva Sales for a while. 

Viva Sales with Copilot

Pilot to Copilot

However, the addition of an AI solution called Copilot takes this a step further. In addition to feeding data to CRM, Copilot helps you respond to the customer’s email. Copilot uses generative AI to fashion an email response in a way that reminds me of ChatGPT. Think of it this way; the prompt is to ChatGPT, as the customer email is to Copilot. In this example, choosing “Reply to an inquiry” generates a nice thank you and a meeting request. 

Viva Sales with Copilot

Using the customer’s email as a prompt, Copilot generates a business-friendly reply with a call to action. 

Viva Sales with Copilot

You can correct Copilot or ask it to rewrite the response, incorporating appropriate or essential information. Let’s say the customer is chronically late paying invoices. I type a short description of the message I want to send to the customer and Copilot generates the response.

Viva Sales with Copilot
Viva Sales with Copilot

Don’t expect the Copilot response to be perfect or nuanced. It’s a time-saver but make sure you proofread for accuracy and tone. Additionally, Copilot doesn’t know what you discussed with the customer over drinks the night before or customer history that informs a thoughtful response. But the response might be good enough if you manage a high volume of emails, the emails don’t need depth or nuance, or someone on your sales team flunked English 101. Copilot delivers convenience. But remember, it’s a copilot–not a pilot. And don’t depend on it to land the plane.

Viva Sales Pricing

Currently, Viva Sales is included with Dynamics 365 Sales Enterprise. Sales Professional users can purchase it separately. Schedule a call with our team if you have questions or need help.

By Mark Abes, Vice President, Dyn365Pros, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Partner, San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles.