How to Win in Sales by Blending AI and the Human Touch
How to Win in Sales by Blending AI and the Human Touch
How can business owners effectively implement AI in their operations?
Deploying AI across various business functions, such as marketing, sales, finance, and contract management, is at the forefront of everyone's mind. As someone overseeing these areas, I can confirm that we have utilized AI for over a year. We are implementing AI in a structured manner across our operations, not only enhancing efficiency but also in tasks like analyzing and documenting contracts. AI's capabilities in these domains are proving to be exceptionally powerful. It allows you to get more done and in a more time-efficient manner, but in a way not to lose the personal touch.
Why do some business owners struggle to adopt AI?
Given my extensive experience and older perspective, part of the challenge I face is being viewed as outdated or out of touch with modern methods. For instance, how we did things in the eighties is often dismissed as irrelevant today. I find it especially challenging when it comes to adopting new technologies like AI and intelligent agents. Training AI to handle complex, engineering-level conversations about the high-tech products we sell is a significant hurdle. It's difficult enough to train a real person for this, let alone an AI.
What are the key lessons in salesmanship from closing large deals?
Significant achievements in my career include building two companies to nearly nine figures in revenue and then selling them for substantial eight-figure sums. However, one of my most memorable accomplishments occurred in sales during the 1980s, when closing a $500,000 deal nearly fulfilled an entire sales quota. I was selling to a steel mill, not realizing at first how big the opportunity was, and I was fortunate to have one of my mentors with me. He guided me through the process and taught me valuable lessons in salesmanship, much like teaching someone how to fish.
We talked to the initial contacts and quickly realized how much equipment was involved. My mentor asked, "Who's making the decision?" It was the head of steel mill production. So he said, "Where does he sit? Can we go talk to him?"
We found him, and he led us around. Eventually, he told us, "The steel mill was designed by Toshiba. If this equipment is going to be deployed, Toshiba has to approve it." So we asked, "Where's Toshiba?" They were downtown. We got the address, got in the car, and drove there.
At Toshiba, they initially rejected us. They already had all the equipment picked, but we turned it around. Through persistence, we spoke with the right people, and they told us, "We're only responsible for the specs. All the equipment is purchased through Guin International, one of the world's largest electrical fulfillment houses. Anything with a plug has to go through them."
So we asked, "Where's Guin?" It was back near the steel plant. We got back in the car, drove over, and within 24 hours, we had met so many people my head was spinning. But we secured the $500K deal—every single piece of equipment and more. It ended up being $550K because we kept learning and adding on.
That experience taught me the importance of finding the right person. Too many people today say, "Well, I emailed Toshiba." And when I ask, "What did they say?" they reply, "They haven't responded yet."
So you’re sitting on a $500K deal, and your entire effort was leaving a voicemail and sending an email? You haven’t done anything. You have to get in front of the decision-maker.
Meanwhile, the guy who wins the deal is on the phone with the buyer three times a day—confirming specs, measurements, power requirements, memory, everything. When you’re buying a car, you're constantly asking questions at the dealership of the brand you're actually considering—not waiting for a call back from a competitor. The same applies in sales.
How can business owners better manage their availability?
I'm not an expert at this, but I continually remind myself that not everything demands immediate attention. For example, it's unlikely anyone urgently needs to reach me on a Sunday night at seven o'clock. So, I turned my phone on to "Do not disturb" for an hour. Allowing space for other activities is essential to setting the phone aside, such as leaving it in the car at an event. This practice helps facilitate natural, undistracted moments, much like before the era of cell phones.
*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.*
