most sales automation is just BS (and don't even get me started on AI)

What I'm about to say today is probably not going to sit well with some people. But someone needs to say it: Sales automation—and even more so Artificial Intelligence—is mostly BS. Yeah, I know, Elon Musk is scared of AI, major companies are pouring billions into it, and Google's AI is better at playing Go than humans— but what does this mean for you and your business? Instead of trying to leverage AI to power up your sales process, you're much better off focusing on the HUMAN elements of your sales process. Yeah, everyone's frantically trying to hop on the AI train.  Go ahead—write that press release, call it a "transformative game changer", shoehorn yourself as an AI startup for that investor pitch, plaster your website with buzzwords—it all sounds very impressive and will get you some extra eyeballs. But at the end of the day, how does it actually help you bring in more revenue? How does it help you to get more customers, and serve them better? The simple truth in sales is: humans > bots Read my latest blog post: 7 reasons why you're better than a sales bot (and don't need AI to close deals) Go get'em! Steli PS: Whether you agree or disagree with my take on things—this needs to be discussed more, because it affects us all. Right now, too many salespeople are in one of two camps: Those who bury their heads in the sand, who don't want to know how technological changes will affect their career, because they're scared of change. Those who are drinking the AI Kool-Aid, on a quest to find the magic sales automation bullet that will unlock the next level of sales success. These folks often use it as an excuse to stay inside their comfort zone ('cause pressing buttons is so much safer than talking to another person), or they simply lack the patience to master the fundamentals. But in order to achieve long-term success, you need to walk the line between keeping your ear to the ground (so you don't turn into a dinosaur and miss out when something truly game-changing comes along), and consistently acting on the few "boring truths". If you agree this discussion matters, respond on LinkedIn (or just give it a thumbs up). Elastic Inc. PO Box 7775 #69574 San Francisco, CA 94120-7775 You may manage your email preferences anytime.