December 2024 Edition | The Innovative Seller Newsletter

The rise of AI in sales continues to spark one big question: Is it killing the “human touch”?

There's a real fear that AI is going to make sales feel cold or impersonal, or even replace the need for salespeople altogether.

The reality though is that it’s actually giving salespeople the chance to take a more personal and human approach to sales than ever before.

It all comes down to implementation.

When you integrate AI into your process the right way, it takes the boring, repetitive work off your hands and frees you up to focus on the high-value human-centric activities that really matter like building trust, making connections, and showing up at 100% for your buyers.

For this month’s newsletter, I’m pulling insights from the two latest Innovative Seller episodes to dive into the human skills that AI can’t and shouldn’t be used to replace and how these tools fit into the mix to actually create stronger human connections:

• Will AI Destroy The “Human Touch” In Sales?
• Closing More Deals With Confidence By Adding A Little AI Buddy

We’ll get into how emotions and trust remain at the heart of successful sales strategies and the sales tech that is being used to amplify salespeople’s abilities so they can walk into every meeting completely confident in how they’re going to connect and close deals with even the most skeptical buyer.?

Join in on the conversation by watching the latest episodes on YouTube, sharing your thoughts, leaving your questions, and becoming part of The Innovative Seller community.

Now let’s get into it.

Will AI Destroy the "Human Touch" in Sales

It is possible to harness AI without sacrificing the human connections that drive loyalty and trust.?

The tech is here to stay and will only get better with time, but the real difference-maker in sales is still the emotion and empathy we bring to the table and the strategies we have for projecting real sales confidence that buyers see, believe, and trust.

Here's why:

Emotions and Trust Are Still King

If you’re not leaning into the emotional side of sales, you’re leaving the biggest driver of decision-making on the table.

95% of purchasing decisions are driven by subconscious emotions

It’s not just about the product features you list off or the reports you show, it’s about how you make the buyer feel. They might forget the details of your pitch, but they won’t forget how you made them feel.

Did they leave the meeting feeling like you understand their business? Their needs??

I get it. It's kind of tough building emotional connections in today's digital selling landscape but emotional intelligence and empathy are skills that can be developed and practiced whether you’re on a phone call or talking face to face.

Here’s how you start:

Be an Active Listener: Turn off Slack, silence notifications, and give your buyer your full attention. Real listening builds trust and shows you care.

Show Genuine Empathy: Ask smart, thoughtful questions that show you’ve done your homework and reflect back what you heard.

Practice Storytelling: Stories stick. Think about what your customers going through and their needs then prepare relevant stories that will resonate with them.

Buyers may be smarter and more skeptical than ever, but they still want to feel understood, trust their sales partners, and know that the person on the other side of the deal has their best interests in mind.?

Want to create lasting loyalty? Focus on building emotional connections. Trust starts there.

Earning Trust Through Transparency and Product Mastery

If you want to win over skeptical buyers you have to do more than just understand the features.?

84% of buyers expect salespeople to act as trusted advisors

They’re looking for someone who understands their world and can solve their problems so your ability to earn their trust is rooted in your transparency and preparation.

If your product doesn’t meet all their needs, don’t try to fake it. Be upfront about its limitations, offer alternatives, and set realistic expectations. Buyers can tell when you’re bluffing, and they’ll remember if you do.

Buyers don’t care about the bells and whistles. They care about how your product is going to solve their challenges, save them time, or make them money.

The real secret to mastering product knowledge: focusing on the outcomes.?

Here’s how you turn product knowledge into the kind of expertise buyers expect from a trusted advisor:

1. Commit to continuous learning: Review sales calls weekly and ask yourself, “Who cares?” Focus on the parts of your product that truly matter to the buyer.
2. Know your buyer’s world: Research their industry, company, and specific challenges. Use tools like ChatGPT to dive deep into their world.
3. Be outcome-driven: Connect your product’s value to the buyer’s specific needs and goals.

Want more strategies to build trust and show up confident in the approach you take to connect with your buyers? Check the latest article we have up over on the Skaled website all about Mastering the Art of Projecting Confidence: Winning Over Skeptical Buyers.

Where AI Comes In: Balancing Automation with the Human Touch

Now that we’ve talked about irreplaceable human skills like emotional intelligence and mastering product knowledge, where does AI fit in?

AI isn’t here to replace the human touch. It’s here to amplify it.?

By taking care of repetitive tasks and giving you back hours in your day, AI tools let you focus on the high-value activities that really matter: connecting with buyers, building trust, and delivering personalized solutions.

Right now, salespeople spend only 36% of their time actually selling

The rest is swallowed up by admin tasks like scheduling, data entry, and research. That’s where AI comes in.

With the right tools, AI becomes a teammate, not a replacement. Here’s how it supports your ability to show up at your best:

• Automate admin: Tools like Calendly simplify scheduling, while platforms like Attention listen to your calls and automatically update CRM fields.
• Prep smarter: Discovery call prep agents pull together insights on your prospects including industry trends, pain points, and recent achievements, in seconds.
• Focus your energy: AI frees you to spend more time on strategic conversations, personalized follow-ups, and deepening relationships.

But AI isn’t just about efficiency.

When AI handles the busy work, you can lean into the human-to-human skills that build trust and loyalty.

Watch Episode 12 to learn more about using AI to boost your sales process without losing the human touch.

Closing More Deals with Confidence: With A Little AI Buddy

Confidence comes from preparation, and that’s where AI agents shine. Unlike standard prompting tools, these are tailored to specific tasks and are proactive in helping you prepare, analyze, and execute like a pro.

From Discovery Call Prep Agents that generate instant prospect insights to the Annual Report Analyzer that extracts key trends, AI gives you the tools to show up more prepared and knowledgeable than ever.

By showing up with deeper insights and a stronger understanding of your buyer’s challenges, you’re able to position yourself as the trusted advisor they need.

But remember, the key to using AI effectively is balance.?

Let the tools handle the time-consuming admin work so you can focus on what will actually move the needle.

>> See our Custom GPTs in action

The future of sales isn’t about choosing between technology and the human touch. It’s about combining them. Buyers want trusted advisors who are confident, transparent, and emotionally intelligent. AI can help you show up more prepared and focus on building those critical connections.

Every episode, we tackle some of the most pressing questions from you guys and these are a few highlights from the last few episode that dig into how AI and the human touch are shaping the future of sales:

How do you envision AI enhancing decision-making in sales roles?

AI is already helping me, and a lot of the sales teams I work with, make better decisions faster. If I’ve got a tough meeting coming up, I’ll put the variables into ChatGPT and bounce some ideas around. It’s like having a brainstorming partner.

It’s also really great for research. Instead of wasting hours Googling, I can ask AI to pull articles, summarize them, and focus on specific points I need to address. It helps me organize my thoughts, gather insights, and get to a decision much faster.

What skills will be most important for sales professionals in a hybrid AI-human environment?

We're living in this hybrid AI automation human world where salespeople are really trying to figure out where they fit. Buyers want different things. Some prefer to learn asynchronously, others want to talk to someone right now. It’s about understanding what kind of interaction works best for each person. If a buyer already knows your competitor and has an active RFP, you could automate sending snapshots of your demo or case studies before the call. If they’re cold or want a self-service option, why not offer that?

A lot of this hybrid stuff is about looking at these different customer journeys and figuring out where the human goes in the loop.

How do you ensure that AI-generated responses maintain your company’s brand voice and authenticity?

If you're concerned about your sales team or other people creating content that's not in your brand voice or authentic, there's a very easy solve. What you do is build a custom GPT. You can build it right in ChatGPT. Upload a bunch of your content that's in your brand voice and then program the GPT to say, "Hey, your job is to use this brand voice for whenever people are creating new types of communication." And boom, immediately it's helped solve the problem.

Have questions you want answered? Watch The Innovative Seller on YouTube for more insights and leave your questions in the comments here or on our latest episode. You might see them featured in one of our upcoming episodes.

Surviving the Sales Apocalypse: Is the Terminator Really Coming for Your AE Role? - Streaming on YouTube

The “sales apocalypse” might sound dramatic, but it’s a reality check for anyone ignoring the shifts happening in sales today.?

Companies that succeed in 2025 won’t just rely on outdated strategies, they’ll embrace innovation without abandoning the human touch.

In the newest Innovative Seller episode, we’re tackling how to balance tried-and-true strategies with bold moves like AI-powered lead generation and utilizing Social Selling tools that go beyond just “selling on social.”

It’s not just about keeping up anymore. You have to stand out and that means refining what works, experimenting with new tactics, and occasionally taking those big, game-changing swings.

Wondering how to make innovation work for you without losing what makes sales personal? Don’t miss this episode. Subscribe to the YouTube channel now to catch it first.

AI is redefining the sales world we operate in. The only way you're going to be able to Keep Pace in an AI and Customer-Centric World is by finding ways to balance these tools with the human-to-human skills that are still the driving force of modern sales. This is exactly what I provide a framework for in The Innovative Seller, the book that started this all.

It's critical to recognize that technology and AI are integral to modern sales organizations. Embracing technology means transforming teams for the future. -The Innovative Seller

This isn’t just another business book quoting outdated sales methodologies. It’s a roadmap for sales professionals, teams, and leaders to thrive in a world driven by innovation. Inside, you can expect to find:

• Practical strategies for mastering AI and sales tech to streamline your processes and improve outcomes
• Proven methods to personalize sales and build authentic, trust-based relationships with buyers
• Frameworks for optimizing your performance and staying adaptable in a rapidly changing market

I've spent the last 25 years at the forefront of the Sales and RevOps field and I want to share what I learned with you. In this book, I've laid out the 4Cs of being an Innovative Seller and team so if you’re ready to lead the way in sales innovation, let this book help build your foundation.

Join The Innovative Seller Community

Order your copy today and get free access to the Innovative Seller Community, where you can connect, learn, and implement the lessons from The Innovative Seller alongside top sellers just like you.

In the community, you’ll find:

• A daily forum for expert insights and conversations
• Exclusive access to resources, master classes, and summit recordings
• A chance to network with peers who are committed to staying ahead in sales

Already part of the community? We're glad to have you here. Make sure you're subscribed to the YouTube channel and get involved. Rate the podcast, leave your questions, let me know your thoughts.

Dive into this community that's members are standing at the forefront of the industry's transformation.