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Last week, I was at a board meeting where the CEO proudly announced they’d formed an “AI Task Force.” Six months in, their grand achievement was a chatbot that could schedule meetings.
Meanwhile, their competitor had already automated 40% of its customer service and was using AI to predict churn three months in advance. Guess which company’s stock I’d rather own?
AI in business is like having a turbocharged engine in your race car. Most leaders are still figuring out where the ignition button is, while the winners are already taking the corners at 200 mph. The gap between the AI-enabled and the AI-curious is becoming a chasm, and if you’re not actively deploying these tools, you’re getting lapped.
After building and exiting multiple companies, including a $2.5 billion transformation at my last company, I’ve learned that technology adoption isn’t about being first—it’s about being fearless and practical. So, let’s cut through the FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) and get to the real cheat codes that will accelerate your growth.
Forget generic sales training. Deploy AI tools like Gong or Chorus to analyze every sales call, email, and interaction. These platforms identify winning patterns, flag at-risk deals, and coach your reps in real time.
One portfolio company implemented this last quarter. Their bottom 30% of performers improved close rates by 8% in 60 days.
The AI spotted that top performers asked discovery questions in a specific sequence and spent 40% more time on pain points than features. The tool then prompted struggling reps to adjust their approach mid-call. It’s like having a world-class coach whispering in your ear during the game.
Use platforms like Intercom or Zendesk’s AI suites to predict customer needs before customers ask. When a customer logs in, the AI agent already knows they’re likely calling about a delayed shipment or a billing question, based on their behaviour patterns.
You can even configure your AI to identify upsell opportunities during support interactions. Customer asking about a feature limitation? The AI prompts your agent with the perfect upgrade pitch and even calculates the customer’s likelihood to buy based on their usage patterns.
Using this approach, a good friend who runs a Software-as-a-Service company turned their support team into their second-highest revenue-generating department. Their support-driven upsells now account for $2.3 million in annual recurring revenue.
Content marketing without AI is like trying to win Le Mans with a go-kart. Tools like Jasper or Copy.ai offer entire content operations systems. But here’s the twist most people miss: Use the tools to generate 50 variations of headlines, test different hooks, and create content frameworks at scale.
I know a CMO who uses AI to generate 100 blog post outlines weekly, then has his team cherry-pick the best 10 and add a human touch. Their organic traffic increased 340% in six months.
The success secret was volume with curation. AI handles the ideation heavy lifting, but humans still add the soul and expertise. It’s not about replacing writers—it’s about turning them into content strategists with superpowers.
If you’re not using AI for predictive analytics, you’re driving with your eyes closed. Platforms like DataRobot or H2O.ai can predict customer churn, forecast demand, identify your next best customers, and even tell you which employees are likely to quit—all without a PhD in data science.
A retail client implemented predictive inventory management and reduced stockouts by 32% while cutting excess inventory by 25%. The AI analysed weather patterns, social media trends, local events, and historical data to predict SKU-level demand for each store. Their competitors are still using Excel spreadsheets and gut feelings. Who do you think wins that race?
This is the most underutilised cheat code: Use AI to accelerate R&D and product development. Tools like Synthesia for video creation, Midjourney for design concepts, or GitHub Copilot for coding can compress months of work into days.
Set up a small tiger team with a mandate to prototype new products or features using AI tools. Give the team 30-day sprints to go from idea to working prototype. A fintech startup I’m involved with used this approach to launch three new features in the time it typically took to ship one. Their product velocity tripled, and their time-to-market became their biggest competitive advantage.
Here’s what keeps me up at night: The gap between AI adopters and AI spectators is growing exponentially. While you’re reading this article, your competitors might be implementing these cheat codes. The question isn’t whether AI will transform your industry—it’s whether you’ll be the disrupter or the disrupted.
The beauty of these cheat codes is that they’re not theoretical or dependent on future technology. They’re readily deployable and available today. The only thing standing between you and growth is the decision to stop talking about AI and start deploying it.
As I learned on the racetrack, the difference between winning and losing often comes down to fractions of a second. In business, those fractions are measured in quarters. Every quarter you wait is a quarter your competition pulls ahead.
Time to hit the accelerator. Your competition already has.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brendan P. Keegan is a 6-time president & chief executive officer, 21-time board director, 2-time best-selling author, World’s Most Innovative CEO award winner and the visionary leader behind bFEARLESS Ventures, an investment & advisory firm.