Gian Dela Rama on Agentic AI and the Future of Sales and Marketing

In the past year alone, over 60% of businesses globally have started using AI tools in sales and marketing. That number is rising fast in Southeast Asia, where teams are turning to automation to boost productivity and stay competitive.

But while the buzz around AI continues to grow, many leaders are still asking the same question: how do we use this technology in a way that actually works?

At Sprout, we’ve been building real answers to that question. And leading the charge is Gian Dela Rama, our Chief Product and AI Officer.

Gian brings over 21 years of experience in building tech that solves real business problems. He founded one of the first AI startups in the Philippines. He helped launch KIRA, the official COVID-19 chatbot. And at Sprout, he leads product, machine learning, and data science through turning AI from theory into action.

His work has helped launch key features like ReadyCash and ReadyWage, which gave our customers new ways to support their teams and improve how fast Sprout delivers value.

In this article, Gian breaks down how teams can turn AI into a real edge for sales and marketing, and what teams can do today to get ahead.

AI has already changed how many teams work. Some tools help sort emails or detect fraud. Others write social media posts or reply to basic questions. These tools rely on what’s called Generative AI.

But a new kind of AI is starting to take hold. It’s called Agentic AI.

Agentic AI doesn’t just respond to prompts. It thinks through a task, decides what steps to take, and acts on its own.

Here’s how Gian explains it. Say you give the system a simple prompt: “Find companies that match our ideal customer.” From that alone, Agentic AI can break down your request. It can scan LinkedIn, pull in data, filter by company size, and rank the results. It does all of this without needing more input from you.

That means less time on manual research. And more time for your team to focus on strategy, outreach, and growth.

Sales leaders today are under pressure to hit bigger targets with leaner teams. AI is starting to look like the secret weapon, but many still feel unsure about how to begin.

That’s understandable. New tech can feel overwhelming. But as Gian explains, the best way to learn is to start small.

Modern AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini are made for everyday users. You don’t need to be in IT or data science to use them. If you can type a prompt, you can explore what they can do.

Try something simple. Ask it to write a follow-up email for a customer. Then ask it to rewrite that message for a different industry or role. Test its limits.

Just remember three things. First, never type in private or sensitive data. Second, check the facts before using them. And third, don’t be afraid to experiment.

The more you try, the more you’ll discover how AI can support your sales goals.

AI makes it easier to build fast. But speed means little if you’re solving the wrong problem.

Gian has seen many teams get stuck here. They create products that seem exciting but don’t meet a real need. That’s why he always starts with one question: What is the customer trying to fix?

Once that’s clear, the next step is to build a simple version of the solution. This is called a minimum viable product, or MVP. It doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to work well enough to test.

Then comes the most important part—listening. Real users will tell you what works and what doesn’t. Their feedback will shape what to improve, what to drop, and what to build next.

At Sprout, this mindset helps us stay close to the people we serve. We don’t guess. We build, test, and learn so every AI product solves a real problem that matters.

AI lets teams build and launch faster than ever. But that speed can create problems if sales and product aren’t aligned.

Gian sees this often. Sales teams move fast to meet demand. Product teams move fast to build features. But without a shared view of the customer, they can end up building in different directions.

This disconnect can lead to wasted work and missed targets. Sales may promise a solution that doesn’t exist. Products may ship features that no one asked for.

That’s why alignment must happen early. Teams need to agree on the problem, the use case, and what success looks like. When everyone’s working from the same map, AI becomes a powerful tool to move the business forward.

AI has made it easier to collect data. Marketers today can track how users click, scroll, and interact across every channel. But more data doesn’t always mean better decisions.

Gian reminds us that the real skill isn’t in having the most tools. It’s in spotting the right insight, and acting on it.

He shares an example. If users who try a certain feature in the first 48 hours are more likely to convert, that one detail can shape your full campaign. It can change how you guide new users, what message you lead with, and how you measure success.

AI can surface the patterns. But it takes good judgment to find the signal, ignore the noise, and use that insight to grow.

Many people still think AI is only for tech experts. But that’s no longer true.

Today’s AI tools are built for everyday users. You don’t need to know how to code. You just need to know what you want to do, and how to ask the right questions.

This shift has opened new doors for teams across all industries. Gian shares how we saw this at Sprout.

Our payroll outsourcing process is complex. At first, it seemed too tricky to automate. But our AI Labs team gave it a try.

In just two weeks, they built bots to handle one part of the work. In three months, they automated 70% of the process. That helped us serve more clients without adding more people.

This shows that anyone can start using AI. What matters most is having a clear goal and the drive to solve a real problem.

AI is changing faster than most teams can keep up with. What felt like a future idea a year ago is now part of daily work.

As this shift continues, more jobs will change. Some roles will disappear. New ones will take their place. We will see titles like prompt strategist or AI analyst become part of everyday teams. These people will guide AI, ask the right questions, and help others make sense of the answers.

Gian believes the next step is not just about doing more. It is about asking better questions. Just because a task can be automated does not mean it should be. Companies need to pause, reflect, and lead with purpose.

The teams that take this approach will build trust. Not just with customers, but with the people behind the work too.

AI is becoming part of how companies grow and compete. The real challenge now is choosing how to use it. Teams that take action early will build smarter, move faster, and learn quicker than those that wait.

Gian’s work at Sprout shows what is possible when businesses stay curious, focused, and ready to test new ideas.

If you want to see how AI can help your team work better, explore the AI tools we’ve built at Sprout AI Labs. Check out our website today to learn more!