2024 has been a transformative year—not just for AI in B2B sales but for the way leaders like you are approaching growth, alignment, and innovation. When I first wrote about AI’s role in B2B sales, I was grappling with both the excitement and uncertainty of leveraging this technology. Now, as we look ahead to 2025, one thing is clear: AI isn’t just a shiny new tool anymore—it’s becoming the backbone of how we work.
Here’s what you’ll take away from this blog:
Why balancing technology and humanity is critical in sales.
Key lessons on ethical AI deployment that still resonate.
What successful leaders are doing to align AI with buyer and team needs.
Let’s dive in.
The New Reality of AI in B2B Sales
We started 2024 with a striking insight:
AI won’t replace salespeople, but it will replace salespeople who can’t collaborate with it.
That drumbeat only grew louder as the year progressed. AI is no longer something to experiment with or ignore. Whether you’re an AI enthusiast or a cautious resister, 2025 is the year we must integrate AI into our workflows—and do so thoughtfully.
Why does this matter? According to Gartner:
Sellers who collaborate closely with AI are 3.7x more likely to meet quota than those who don’t.
However, the same research shows that sales roles are becoming overly complex, with more tech and skills required, leaving sellers overwhelmed.
AI offers tremendous potential to make sales teams more efficient, but efficiency without intention can create more problems than it solves. Buyers are getting smarter, tools are getting more precise, and the best-performing teams are those that know how to balance the power of automation with the power of human touch.
Balancing Efficiency with Humanity
One of the core challenges—and opportunities—of AI is its ability to scale efforts. But as I’ve warned before, AI can also scale bad practices. Spammy outbound messaging and irrelevant content don’t become better with automation; they just reach more people faster.
Studies show that while B2B buyers prefer to do most of their research independently, they still value a knowledgeable, trustworthy sales professional to help them make confident decisions.
That’s the key: leveraging AI to enhance, not replace, the human connection. As a business leader, it’s your job to ensure your team is equipped with the tools and training to strike that balance.
Reflecting on Key Lessons
When I revisited my blog on ethical AI deployment in sales, I was struck by how much still holds true. Written in June—a lifetime ago in the fast-paced AI world—it highlighted six considerations for leveraging AI responsibly:
Recognizing AI’s imperfections.
Being aware of built-in biases.
Questioning the transparency of AI’s data sources.
Acknowledging that AI has been programmed to “please” its user.
Avoiding the trap of scaling bad practices.
Understanding that AI is constantly learning—and so should we.
These lessons remain critical as we prepare for 2025. Keeping the needs of our human buyers at the center of it all is more important than ever. The core principle of human empathy hasn’t changed as the technology has evolved. If anything, it has become even more crucial.
Check out the original blog post here for a deeper dive into these six principles.
Revisiting Predictions Through the Lens of AI
In my 2025 Predictions blog, I emphasized alignment—of teams, technology, and goals—as the driving force behind success. AI has the power to streamline processes and scale efforts, but it’s not a magic bullet. It requires intentionality, constant evaluation, and a commitment to keeping the human connection buyers crave.
This blog’s lessons: AI’s imperfections, biases, and potential, reflect the broader leadership challenge. It’s not just about adopting technology but doing so responsibly, with intention and empathy. That’s alignment in action.
Usually, I talk about aligning your internal teams, but this move is about aligning your sales strategy with your buyer's preferences, which is just as critical.
Your Journey with AI and Sales
As we move into 2025, here’s how you can ensure AI enhances, rather than hinders, your sales strategy:
Leverage AI to amplify human effort, not replace it.
Focus on trust and empathy—these will always matter more than shortcuts.
Evaluate your tools critically to ensure they align with team and buyer needs.
Always ask, “Should I?” before implementing new AI functionality.
AI can help you automate mundane tasks, analyze data in real time, and personalize buyer interactions—but only if it’s used thoughtfully. Success in 2025 will belong to leaders who harness AI strategically while prioritizing the human connection buyers value most.
CTA: Let’s Shape the Future Together
This year has taught us the power of collaboration, innovation, and reflection. Let’s carry those lessons into 2025 and build better ways of working. If you’re wondering how to incorporate AI into your sales strategy—or how to align it with your broader goals—let’s chat. Together, we can ensure your approach is efficient, empathetic, and ready for the challenges ahead.
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Rise of Us is a practice run by Summer Poletti, specializing in revenue growth: sales, strategic partnerships, customer success, marketing alignment. We generally work with financial services and SaaS companies from $3MM - $10MM ARR and help them plan and execute for their next stage of revenue growth. We concentrate on strategy, coaching, and organizational alignment.
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