Bombardier boosts productivity and prioritizes leads more effectively with AI & data.

Bombardier, a leading business jet manufacturer based in Montreal, designs, crafts, and maintains luxury aircraft for individuals, businesses, and governments around the globe.

Disparate data decelerates Bombardier’s sales cycle.

In the high-stakes world of private jet sales, creating a personalized and luxurious experience is key. However, Bombardier faced challenges due to legacy systems and disconnected data, making it difficult to identify when clients were ready to buy.

Timing is crucial in this business, with sales cycles varying from just 72 hours to over 15 years. Factors influencing this range include client engagement, economic conditions, political climates, and personal preferences. As Frank Vento, VP of US Sales, observes, 'The sales cycle for us really varies depending on the client and their level of engagement and timing.'"

To attract and engage new buyers, the company needed a proactive strategy to manage this complex, multi-faceted sales cycle.

The 50-person sales team, along with other departments, had to gather data from many  different sources, including aircraft details, event attendance, flight records, mission profiles, firmographics, wealth data, and competitive intelligence. By taking the time to compile all of this data, sales directors gained a clearer understanding of each lead's needs and interests, which allowed them to more accurately determine the likelihood of a purchase based on factors such as satisfaction with their current aircraft, interest in competitors' offerings, and engagement in luxury aircraft events or shows.

Previously, compiling the data and identifying high-value prospects required extensive manual effort. This labor-intensive process often depended on outdated information, leading to delays and missed opportunities. Without a current and up-to-date view of client data,, and market conditions, it was hard for sales reps to decide which leads to focus on.

A single view of customer data puts sales reps in the pilot’s seat.

Bombardier partnered with Salesforce to create a unified customer data platform. With Salesforce Professional Services, they designed a tailored system integrating Data Cloud, MuleSoft, CRM Analytics, and AI with Bombardier's native data.

The new system uses Data Cloud to combine all of Bombardier’s customer information into one real-time profile. Sales directors now have a complete view of all customers and leads, from high-net-worth individuals and private firms to publicly traded companies and government agencies. This complete insight will allow them to quickly identify and engage with prospective buyers who are ready to purchase, using factors like publicly available wealth information and major financial events such as IPOs, and mergers. Armed with this detailed information, sales teams can initiate more meaningful conversations.

With Einstein Lead Scoring integrated into Bombardier's sales process, leads will be automatically prioritized based on key buying signals and engagement metrics. The system will analyze specific data points like a client's flying habits to accurately gauge purchase interest. This will allow Bombardier’s sales directors to focus on the most promising opportunities, enhancing their ability to close deals and drive revenue.

MuleSoft will help Bombardier integrate customer data in Sales Cloud with market information from sources such as aircraft fleets and financial data f which provides detailed insights on high-value customers. Sales teams will be able to better understand key buying signals and global trends affecting the world’s wealthiest individuals.

In the past, sales leadership  relied on meetings or reports from sales directors  to understand where each deal stood. Going forward, Sales Cloud will give leaders a bird's eye view of every deal with real-time dashboards. Sales directors will  also be automatically notified of important dates to re-engage with clients, fostering loyalty and uncovering upsell opportunities.

On the horizon: AI will help sales directors bring personalization to a new level.

Customers shopping for a private ‌jet expect a unique, highly personalized buying experience. Bombardier will soon enhance this by integrating Einstein AI into its sales process to help sales directors  identify each customer's specific needs. For example, Einstein will assist Sales Directors by handling tasks such as sending event reminders, updating opportunities, and outlining next steps, allowing them to concentrate on their most important responsibilities.

Einstein will streamline tasks like data entry by automatically updating records from sales conversations using Voice to Text Sales Assist, a tool that allows sales leaders to record voice notes to drive CRM updates. This allows sales directors to keep detailed histories of interactions in one place, ensuring more engaging and consistent future experiences.

Generative AI tools like Copilot and Prompt Builder will be embedded in sales workflows to analyze interaction data and offer tailored recommendations. For instance, AI might suggest texting a customer's Executive Assistant to visit Bombardier HQ if they are in Montreal for an event. This real-time guidance from Data Cloud ensures recommendations are both relevant and timely.

By automating routine tasks with unified data from many systems including Salesforce, SAP, Databricks, AI will free up sales teams to spend less time on administrative tasks — like updating their CRM — and more time building relationships with potential clients. AI will also augment reps and help them work more efficiently by generating personalized sales emails and using voice-based sales tools.

AI works best with trusted data, and Einstein 1 delivers that for Bombardier by unifying many  data sources, including public market and customer data. AI is built into every application, eliminating the need for sales directors to switch between tools to take advantage of it. This accelerates the sales cycle by automatically qualifying leads and notifying reps when a lead is ready to buy a jet. Now with a real-time, 360-degree view of each customer, reps can build new relationships and set a new standard for luxury customer experiences.