Sales Leader Compass Newsletter: February 26, 2025

AI is transforming the sales profession, with 98% of sales executives planning to invest in AI this year. But here’s the truth: you don’t need a full-blown AI strategy right away. Instead of trying to map out the big picture from day one, focus on something smaller — your AI win.

What’s one way AI can create value for your team right now? Below, we’ll explore why starting small leads to bigger success and share a real-world example of how quick AI-driven insights turned a routine sales meeting into a lasting business relationship.

Let’s dive in!

Best,

Dan Daly

Sr. Content Marketing Manager, LinkedIn Sales Solutions

Find your AI Win

In today’s fast-paced business world, there’s a question that many leaders are asking themselves — or having their bosses ask them: What’s your AI strategy?

But here’s the thing: It might be too soon to have a fully developed AI strategy. Instead of trying to figure out a grand plan right away, focus on something smaller, more actionable — your AI win.

As Dan Shapero, COO of LinkedIn, wisely puts it, “The question you ask yourself is: What’s my AI win? What’s the one thing I can do with my team right now that’s going to create value over the next six months?”

This is especially true in sales. AI’s potential is vast, but its best application doesn’t always come from an all-encompassing strategy from day one. Rather, it’s about identifying one or two areas where AI can make an immediate impact — testing, learning, and iterating over time. Read on for one example in action!

Morgan Hammer’s AI Win

OK, so give me an example you say?

Morgan Hammer, Key Account Manager at LinkedIn, had an unexpected (and slightly terrifying) challenge just minutes before a customer meeting — she discovered that an executive she had no prior relationship with, and who was skeptical of her solution, had been added to the invite.

With little time to prepare, she quickly gathered insights on the executive with Lead IQ, identifying key interests like climate activism, data quality improvements, and a love for sports. Armed with this knowledge, she was able to tailor the conversation, starting with climate activism and later connecting over his favorite sports team.

What was supposed to be a one-hour meeting turned into a three-hour dinner, all because she took a few minutes to understand what mattered to her audience. Her experience is a great reminder that in sales, preparation — even in a short window — can make all the difference in building meaningful connections.

The Human Edge in AI Wins

AI is a game-changer for sales, but as powerful as the technology is, it can’t build relationships for you. AI can surface insights, draft outreach, and streamline workflows — but it’s your human skills that turn those insights into real connections.

As Tim Wadsworth from London Stock Exchange Group puts it, "AI can't go to a meeting for you. You still need to go and show up and execute as a salesperson, which is for me, the joy in sales, that it'll always be a human part." The key is learning to use AI in a way that enhances — rather than replaces — your ability to ask the right questions, articulate value, and negotiate with credibility.

The best AI wins happen when technology and human expertise work together. Sales professionals who experiment, refine, and integrate AI into their daily workflows — while keeping authenticity at the core — are the ones turning insights into impact.

Remember, it’s not about what your AI strategy will look like in five years — it’s about what you can do now to get results and adapt along the way!

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more sales insights from LinkedIn.