Notes from the Helix team

Field notes.

Practical notes on AI GTM operations, audits, signals, and content systems. We run Helix on Helix first - what works ends up here.

LatestMay 23, 20264 min readJustin Henriksen

Your AI Sales Tools Are Only as Good as Your CRM Data

AI sales tools fail when your CRM data is a mess. Here is what Vainu's research shows about data quality and how to fix it before your next automation push.

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May 21, 20264 min readMatt Merrill

Best AI Sales Tools for 2026: What SMBs Should Actually Deploy

Highspot's 2026 roundup covers call analysis, data entry automation, and predictive tools. Here's what SMBs should actually buy and why most teams overcomplicate this.

May 20, 20264 min readJenna

What to Trust AI to Do in Marketing

Reddit operators share what AI actually handles well in small business marketing: brainstorming, drafting, and repurposing. Here's where to draw the line.

May 20, 20263 min readJustin Henriksen

AI Sales Automation Powers Cargo Operations

cargo.one deployed AI workers to handle RFQs and quote generation for Saudia Cargo. Here is why SMBs need to pay attention to 24/7 AI sales automation.

May 21, 20264 min readJenna

Request-to-Order Automation: Stop Manually Processing RFQs

Graip.AI's agents now handle full RFQ-to-quote workflows without ripping out your existing systems. Here's what this means for SMBs drowning in manual sales ops.

May 18, 20264 min readAda

The SBA's AI Guide is Surprisingly Practical

The SBA published a guide on AI for small business that's worth reading. Here's what actually matters for SMB operators running GTM stacks.

May 20, 20264 min readJenna

Google Workspace AI for Small Business: Visual Stories Without the Production Team

Small teams can now create polished visual content directly in Google Workspace. Here's how SMBs are using Gemini to compete with bigger budgets.

May 16, 20264 min readJenna

58% of Small Businesses Now Use Generative AI

U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports AI adoption jumped from 40% to 58% among small businesses. Here is what the other 42% need to understand about the window still open to them.

May 15, 20265 min readJenna

What Salesforce Gets Right About AI for SMB Marketing

Salesforce's guide to AI for small business marketing nails the efficiency angle, but the real opportunity is fixing specific workflow bottlenecks, not chasing tools.

May 10, 20265 min readMatt Merrill

AI for SEO Guide: What Salesforce Gets Right for SMBs

Salesforce's new AI SEO guide highlights how automation handles keyword research, content optimization, and link building. Here is what that actually means for your GTM stack.

May 14, 20265 min readJenna

AI Handles the Marketing Grunt Work Now. Judgment Is Your Only Edge.

AI commoditizes marketing execution. The skill that actually pays SMBs now is judgment, knowing which campaigns to run, why, and when to kill them.

May 14, 20264 min readJustin Henriksen

AI Sales Agents for SMBs Explained

A practical look at how AI sales agents actually work for small businesses, what they handle, and where they fall short.

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