The Validity of a Human Interaction. How Salesforce's Agentforce is Changing the Human Connection.

A few days ago, I had a Linkedin conversation that made me pause. The interaction was instant, and eerily non human like responses. When I asked to make the conversation more "human" things felt really... off. Was I engaging with a robotic person (hey they are out there!), or was this AI?

I doubt I will ever know. But that is not the real issue. The bigger question? Are we losing the human element in Sales and Service?

As someone who's spent over a decade in the Salesforce ecosystem, and seen its evolution, I've always believed that sales and service are built on relationships and connections (Ironically a play on words for an ISV I helped to bring to market). It's about trust, connection, and understanding- not just closing deals and resolving tickets. But now- with AI-driven agents like Salesforce's Agentforce being embedded into workflows, I can't help but wonder: Are we moving too far into a transactional world?

AI is No Longer Just Support- It's Selling and Servicing Customers

Salesforce's Agentforce is leading a shift where AI isn't just assisting- it's the first touch point for many organizations sales and services interactions. And a customer's first interaction oftentimes with the company / brand.

How Agentforce is Reshaping Sales & Service

• Sales Cloud: AI qualifies leads, sends outreach, and books meetings- turning sales into an algorithm.
• Service Cloud: AI resolves support cases, eliminating the need for human interaction (unless escalated within a flow)
• Marketing Cloud: AI-Driven automation tailors messaging, ensuring hyper-personalized campaigns and digital experiences.

A McKinsey study found that AI-Driven automation increases sales efficiency by 40% and reduces customer costs by 30%.

And I get it- this level of efficiency is appealing, especially for the bottom line. But at what cost? Are we optimizing for transactional growth at the expense of relationships?

Are We Sacrificing Authenticity for Speed?

We all know that sales and service aren't just about transactions- they're about trust. I've built a career on real connections, understanding people's needs, and working (and building) teams who put relationships first. But when AI is the one handling the outreach, follow-ups and even negotiations, what happens to the human element?

The EU's AI Act now requires AI-Driven interactions to be disclosed to ensure transparency. But does the average customer even care?

• A PwC study found 63% of customers are fine with AI service- until they aren't (and hit a complex issue).
• 70% still prefer a human interaction- especially when stakes are high.

This is where the paradox seems to be: AI speeds things up, but it removes the nuance and emotional intelligence that build lasting relationships.

Agentforce 2.0: AI as a Co-Pilot, Not the Driver

Salesforce is tackling this challenge with their Agentforce 2.0, ensuring AI enhances- rather than replaces- human interaction. In their own words "The way AI should be", with the goal of balance.

• For Sales Teams: AI assists, but humans drive meaningful connections
• For Service Teams: AI deflects basic requests, but escalates when empathy is needed (sentiment analysis).
• For Customers: AI Speeds up resolutions, but doesn't replace human understanding.

Having been now to many "Agentforce" events- I see the potential. AI / Agentforce should handle the repetitive, low- value tasks so that humans can focus on what matters most- building trust and driving real impact. But if we let AI dictate the entire customer experience? We risk turning relationships into workflows- and that is a BIG mistake.

The future of AI in Sales and Service: A Fine Balance of Efficiency and Cost

Whether your on the AI train or not, AI is here to stay- whether in the form of OpenAI's Operator, Salesforce's Agentforce, or otherwise. I'm all for leveraging it- but as leaders, consultants and architects within the ecosystem, we need to be intentional about how we use it. If we let AI drive everything, we risk also driving away the very relationships that make sales and service truly valuable.

So the next time you engage with a Sales or Service rep, ask yourself: Are you building a relationship, or are you just moving through an optimized workflow?

Whats your take?

Sources:

• Salesforce Agentforce
• McKinsey on AI in Sales and Service
• PwC AI Customer Trust Report
• EU AI Act of AI Transparency