The platform aims to eliminate the “nuisance” of performance feedback by using an AI assistant instead.
A serial retail entrepreneur is returning to the sales floor with an app that sales reps and their managers can use to track and hopefully improve their performance.
Montreal FrontlineIQled by CEO and founder Ben Rodier, raised $3.3 million in seed funding through simple future equity (SAFE) agreements from Quebec investors AQC Capital and angel investors with experience in retail and sales. The round ended last month without Rodier providing an estimate.
“Technology can solve the problem of not having a good manager.”
Ben Rodier, Frontline
Rodier has dedicated his career to sales technology, co-founding Adsplash, which was sold to Yellow Pages Group in 2010 and then Trading roomretail platform that has attracted clients such as Holt Renfrew and Bloomingdale's.
In an interview, Rodier told BetaKit that venture studio UP.Labs approached him to help with a sales enablement AI tool it was building to solve pain points for home decor brand Ashley Furniture. Partnering with UP.Labs last fall, Rodier made a bet to turn the project into a de facto sales coach for the personal sales team. The idea was that generative AI tools would provide detailed feedback to employees, allowing management to track their progress.
“Technology can solve the problem of not having a good manager,” Rodier said. He claimed that Theo, FrontlineIQ's AI assistant, “takes the hassle out of a sales job” and the hassle of having to talk about performance metrics with executives.
However, “that doesn’t change the fact that human training needs to be done,” Rodier said. Instead, he said, the platform's insights are designed to allow managers to have more productive discussions with employees because they already have insight into how they're doing.
The FrontlineIQ platform attempts to “gamify” the sales experience, mainly in brick-and-mortar stores. The app, available on all devices, can transmit audio recordings of sales pitches to customers (subject to the consent of all parties to the use of their data). The AI tool then provides targeted feedback on the salesperson's performance over time, such as whether they are sticking to the company's selling points or effectively selling additional services.
Like almost every industry turns to artificial intelligence tools To cut costs and improve productivity, Rodier said personal sales representatives, especially in brick-and-mortar stores who sometimes work on commission, have been left behind. According to a study by consulting firm KPMG, 81 percent of Canadian retail executives say they need to move to an “AI generation operating model within 12 months” to avoid missing out on potential benefits.
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However, experts warn that the rise in AI use will impact jobs in the retail sector. According to Statistics CanadaMost retail jobs in Canada are “expected” to be transformed by artificial intelligence or automation. Canadian e-commerce firms such as Shopify And Light speed indicated that they would not need as many staff in support positions as before. According to Rodier, the FrontlineIQ product is not designed to replace roles, but to complement them.
FrontlineIQ's clients include Ashley Furniture, SleepCountry, Dormez-Vous, Dufresne Furniture & Appliances, as well as car dealerships for brands such as Porsche and Hyundai. Rodier said the company is on track to achieve seven-figure revenue by 2026. The business model is traditional subscription-based software-as-a-service enterprise pricing for companies looking to integrate an AI assistant.
Kaltoum Bouasida, partner at AQC Capital, told BetaKit that FrontlineIQ solves a key problem in sales: “how to consistently train and motivate large, distributed teams.”
“We are excited to back a proven team with deep expertise that is using AI not to replace humans, but to enhance their productivity and impact at scale,” said Bouasida.
Rodier said FrontlineIQ will use the funds to work on product development, growing its sales, engineering, marketing and customer success teams to reach more customers across North America.
Image courtesy of Unsplash. Photo: Headway.
