There’s no denying that AI can do amazing things.
It can write your emails. Analyze your sales calls. And dig through your CRM to help identify opportunities.
I’ve even used AI to help plan vacations.
So yes, AI can do amazing things. But there’s one thing it can’t do…
It can’t do human.
And selling is a very human sport.
There’s a hustle and flow and creative magic to sales that AI just can’t match… and never will.
There’s an ART to selling that can’t be replaced by technology. Think of Ronaldo on the field. Or Lebron on the court. Or Federer on the clay…
Top-performing athletes make split-second micro-decisions on the fly. It’s a warm-blooded intuition that requires a body-mind-soul connection. And last time I checked, AI has none of those. No body. No mind. And certainly no soul.
Same goes for B2B sales. Top sales reps make countless tactical decisions in the time it takes AI to process the information alone. So sorry to say it, but AI is unable to navigate the complexity of the C-suite in a Fortune 500 company and close a deal with confidence.
Not. A. Chance.
The 7 Things AI Can’t Do in Sales
AI Can’t Read the Room
AI can hear the words that are spoken, but it can’t feel the tension when you’re about to lose a prospect. And it can’t identify subtle shifts in tone that signal a buyer is ready to close. Sales pros have a sixth sense for when to lean in, and when to back off. You might call this emotional intelligence — something glaringly missing from AI.
AI Can’t Built Trust
You can’t program authenticity. You just can’t. Real trust is earned through presence, consistency, and shared experience. There’s a difference between ChatGPT writing “I’ve got you” and a trustworthy human-voice reassuring you “I’ve got you.” AI can’t shake hands, look the prospect in the eye, or stand behind its promises the way a human can.
Even if it could do this, it would feel empty and impersonal, because it’s a robot. You, my friend, are a flesh-and-blood human. And there’s something to that. Don’t forget it!
AI Can’t Think Strategically
AI can give you strategy, but it can’t think strategically. And there’s a difference here. AI crunches data, but it doesn’t take into account the countless intangibles. Humans, on the other hand, can find angles, flip objections, and map out how to win the prospect based on a litany of verbal, non-verbal, and other extra-verbal communication.
AI Can’t Handle Chaos
You’ve been there before… deep into a sales convo when your prospect calls over the CEO to get in on the action. Or your prospect throws a curveball objection at you. How do you handle the chaos? Well, when deals go sideways, most top-performers can adapt fast.
Meanwhile, AI sits there waiting for a prompt to act. Then, when it does respond, it responds with linear logic that only serves to make the situation more chaotic. Contrast that to top sales reps who are quick on their feet, flexible, and able to remain focused on what matters most.
AI Can’t Sell a Vision with Passion
Sales is all about the transfer of emotion. You have a vision for your prospect’s future. You have that fire in your eyes, and the tonality in your voice is a commanding presence in the room. The future is yours to sell! And you sell it with passion and conviction, like no AI model ever could.
I’ve given prospects goosebumps before — and maybe you have, too. And this transfer of emotion is what gets big deals done. Can we say the same for AI? Again, not a chance.
AI Can’t Navigate Power Dynamics
Sales pros know when to loop in the CFO or other decision-maker. They know the importance of winning over a gatekeeper or receptionist — and how to do it! They know when to speed up the sales process or pump the brakes when the buyer isn’t quite on board.
Human reps can work a whole room of decision-makers, ensuring the right words are spoken to the right people at the right time. Sorry, but AI has no clue how to navigate these complex politics.
AI Can’t Storytell with Impact
Sure, AI can write copy. But only you can share your personal story. And a funny thing happens when you share real human-stories… your prospect leans in as if to say, “Tell me more!”
After all, stories are the driving force of humanity. While AI can spin a tale, prospects know that it wasn’t drawn from a well of lived experience. We humans have stories inside of us. The love, the loss, the ups and downs, the triumph and defeat. And these stories are powerful. They carry with them the weight of humanity… and people are starved for humanity now more than ever.
Final Words
These 7 reasons should be enough to inspire you to keep on in the fast-changing world of sales. But trust me, there are plenty of other ways AI fails miserably. And if you lead a sales team, or any team of humans, it might be tempting to cut costs and go the way of AI. But do this at your own peril! You could easily automate yourself into oblivion.
Yes, AI is a force-multiplier when it comes to automating mundane tasks. But when you have to communicate an important message to your audience and move them to action, there’s simply no replacement for the tried-and-true, flesh-and-blood human. Period. Humans relate to humans, not machines. Go figure.
Bottom line is this. When it comes to relationships and trust (which is the foundation of sales) AI is playing checkers, while we humans are playing chess.
So go forth and combine AI’s efficiency, where it makes sense, with the secret sauce that only you can bring to the table. And that is HEART.
Until next time…
Johnny-Lee Reinoso