#11 Sales vs ChatGPT

Phone operators. Travel agents. Door-to-door encyclopedia salesmen.

All wiped out by technology innovation.

It’s certainly warranted to be concerned with your livelihood with the proliferation of AI. I’ve heard a number of reasonable arguments about the legal and consulting industries being fully automated - but it won’t eliminate large swaths of the labor force all at once.

It will evolve gradually and at a similar same rate as other innovative technologies of the past. There is plenty of time to adapt.

While the rapidly increasing sophistication of AI may automate some of the more rote aspects of sales, especially for SDRs where much of the job has already experienced diminishing returns, the profession as a whole will be largely shielded from its effects.

Why?

The decision to transact, especially for something extremely strategic and expensive, depends on a significant level of trust. Human connection and relationship building are tantamount to that.

AI will be able to deliver all the information the buyer needs to make the decision, but it will never develop the EQ required to facilitate a major transaction.

For smaller transactions, sure, people may buy a product after a good trial experience. But this transition was already occurring with the emergence of PLG.

This market shift will drive the cost of widgets down, but it will also drive the cost of strategic solutions up.

If I were early in my sales journey I’d double down on enhancing my ability to build relationships. Breaking into accounts and proving that you can solve their complex business problems require high-EQ and advanced critical thinking abilities.

Turn away from more transactional, high-volume, inside-sales roles that will be automated over time.

There will be fewer Tech Sales roles available moving forward, but those roles will be far more lucrative, competitive and specialized in the long-run. And the resurgence of steak dinners and golf to woo clients will reemerge before we know it…