Turning Data Into Action: How Census Uses AI to Supercharge Pipeline Generation and Reduce Churn

In this episode of Sound Bites, host Bill Binch from Battery Ventures talks with Chris Calkin, CRO of Census, about how the company leverages AI models like OpenAI and Anthropic through their “AI Columns” feature to turn vast data sets into actionable insights for sales and marketing. By automating lead scoring, churn detection and attribution, Census boosted their sales pipeline by 15%, cut churn to near zero and reduced ad spend by 34% all with a lean team.

Key Takeaways/Key Moments:

(00:00) Making Sales Data Actionable

Census had rich data across tools but needed a way to turn it into clear, usable insights to drive growth and reduce churn.

(03:57) AI Columns Integration

By linking OpenAI and Anthropic models to their data warehouse through AI Columns, Census automated lead scoring, churn detection and pipeline attribution.

(06:22) Strong Results with Nimble Sales Team

The sales team boosted pipeline by 15%, cut churn to nearly zero and reduced ad spend by 34%, all with a small, agile team.

(08:44) Simplicity Wins Leads to Wider Internal Adoption

A simple, intuitive interface encouraged reps to use the AI tools and provide feedback, making the system stronger over time.

(10:14) End – Integrate Your Stack Seamlessly

Calkin urged teams to prioritize tools that integrate smoothly with their data warehouse and workflows to avoid costly silos.

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