Detailed Course Outline
Day 1: Basics and Use Cases
Module 1: Introduction to AI and GenAI
Contents:
- Definitions and Concepts:
- AI: Overview of various AI types, from rule-based systems to deep learning.
- GenAI: Explanation of generative models that produce content such as text, images, or music.
- AI Agents: Interactive systems that independently perform tasks based on user interactions and environmental data.
- Historical Development:
- Key milestones in AI development.
- From symbolic AI to machine learning and the era of GenAI.
- Market Potential and Current Trends:
- Global market size and growth rates in the AI sector.
- Relevant industries: healthcare, retail, financial services, manufacturing.
- Emerging technologies: transformer models, multimodal AI systems, AutoML.
Activity/Exercise:
- Group Work:
- Participants analyze the most common use cases in their respective industries.
- Creation of a short presentation: How can AI/ GenAI/ AI agents deliver concrete improvements?
Module 2: Technologies and Tools for AI Solutions (3 hours)
Contents:
- AI Technology Basics:
- Difference between supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning methods.
- Structure of neural networks and how they recognize patterns in data.
- Functionality of generative models such as GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks) and transformer architectures (e.g., GPT).
- Hardware and Software Resources:
- GPUs, TPUs, and other specialized hardware for AI training and inference.
- Cloud services (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) for AI projects.
- Open-source libraries: TensorFlow, PyTorch, Hugging Face Transformers.
- Integrations and APIs:
- Overview of RESTful APIs and SDKs.
- Ways to integrate AI models into existing software landscapes.
- Security and privacy considerations when using AI services.
Activity/Exercise:
- Practical Demonstration:
- Participants work in groups with a simple generative model application, such as text or image generators.
- They compare results and discuss implementation opportunities and challenges.
Day 2: Sales and Customer Focus
Module 3: Selling AI Products and Services
Contents:
- Understanding Products and Services:
- Differences between AI services (e.g., APIs, consulting), software products (e.g., pre-built AI solutions), and hardware solutions (e.g., AI-optimized hardware).
- Use cases and benefits for various target audiences.
- Communicating Customer Value:
- Presenting success stories and case studies.
- Addressing common customer concerns (e.g., data sovereignty, implementation costs) and how to handle them.
- Industry Examples:
- Using GenAI in marketing campaigns.
- AI agents for process automation in call centers.
- Hardware solutions for AI-powered image analysis in healthcare.
Activity/Exercise:
- Role-playing:
- Participants practice sales conversations with different customer types.
- Peers act as customers, raising typical questions and objections.
- Feedback session: Strengths and improvement areas.
Module 4: Strategies and Best Practices for AI Sales
Contents:
- Developing Sales Strategies:
- Market segmentation: How to identify potential customers.
- Targeted outreach: Personalizing offers based on customer profiles.
- Up-selling and cross-selling: Building a portfolio that extends beyond a single solution.
- Building Customer Relationships:
- Ongoing engagement with customers: Collecting feedback and deriving improvements.
- Long-term customer retention through training and support.
- Best Practices:
- Case studies of successful AI implementations.
- Key dos and don’ts in the sales process.
- Adapting to technological changes and continuous learning strategies for sales teams.
Activity/Exercise:
- Workshop:
- Participants create a short pitch deck for an AI product or service.
- Presentation in front of the group, followed by a feedback session.
- Goal: Develop a convincing sales presentation that is practical and engaging.
Summary and Wrap-Up
- Open discussion about lessons learned.
- Addressing any remaining questions.
- Participants receive a brief summary of the discussed topics and links to additional resources.