290 – The AI Pilot Era is Officially Dead—Are You Being Left Behind?

About this episode

Nina Harding discusses the shift from AI experimentation to a focus on concrete ROI and business outcomes in the AI landscape.

Description Stop experimenting with AI and start driving ROI. Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://theultimatepartner.com/ebook-subscribe/ Check Out UPX: https://theultimatepartner.com/experience/ In this keynote from the Ultimate Partners Winter Retreat, Nina Harding breaks down the massive shift happening in the AI landscape as customers move away from experimental pilots and demand concrete ROI and business outcomes. She emphasizes that the era of selling products and time-and-materials approaches is over, replaced by outcome-based, verticalized selling where vendors and partners share accountability. Through real-world examples in healthcare and retail, Harding outlines how partners can leverage Copilot Studio, Agent 365, and Microsoft’s incentive programs to build specific superpowers, differentiate themselves, and ultimately lead the AI mission alongside Microsoft. Key Takeaways Customers are no longer interested in AI experimentation and now expect immediate, concrete return on investment. Selling products is dead; the modern approach requires a consultative, signal-based strategy focused entirely on business outcomes. The traditional time-and-materials billing model…

People in this episode

Host: Vince Menzione

Guest: Nina Harding

Topics covered

• AI
• ROI
• business outcomes
• verticalized selling
• accountability
• healthcare
• retail

Keywords

• AI
• return on investment
• consultative strategy
• verticalization
• security
• governance
• Microsoft ecosystem

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Microsoft, Ultimate Partners

Products: Copilot Studio, Agent 365

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