How to Build Sales Skills for the AI Era

I’ve been in sales long enough to see tools come and go. Everyone said “this will change everything.” Truth is, nothing replaces human conversation. But here’s what AI can do: It can make you sharper, faster, and more consistent. That’s why I created this list of 9 AI prompts. Designed specifically for B2B sales teams. 💡Here’s how each prompt helps you win more deals: 1️⃣ The Outbound Prospecting Engine AI builds sequences tailored to industries. Instead of sending “spray and pray” emails, you’ll have hooks and CTAs that actually resonate. 2️⃣ The Discovery Call Coach Feed AI your call notes. Get layered questions and objection-handling prep before you even jump on Zoom. 3️⃣ The Deal Research Brief Stop wasting hours on Google. AI summarizes the company’s tech stack, news, and decision-makers, all in 1 page. 4️⃣ The Objection Handling Playbook Tired of freezing when a buyer says, “your price is too high”? AI gives you 5 ways to reframe the objection into a value conversation. 5️⃣ The Competitive Edge Sprint No more vague “we’re better” pitches. AI compares you vs. competitors → feature by feature, ROI by ROI. 6️⃣ The Proposal Builder AI helps you align proposals with the buyer’s KPIs and pain points. So you’re not just sending “a deck”, you’re sending a business case. 7️⃣ The Follow-Up Machine Most reps give up too early. AI generates polite, persistent follow-ups that don’t feel spammy. 8️⃣ The Champion Builder Your internal champions need help selling YOU internally. AI builds a short deck they can take to their CFO or VP. 9️⃣ The Sales Resilience System Because let’s be real: sales is hard. AI generates affirmations, rejection reframes, and energy routines to keep you consistent. AI won’t close deals for you. But it will help you: Ask sharper questions Write better emails Handle objections with confidence Stay consistent in your habits And when you do those things better than 99% of reps? That’s how you win.

Another day, another overly-dramatic AI hype post. Is AI upending how we work? Yes. Definitely. Do we NEED TO WRITE IN ALL CAPS ABOUT THE DEATH OF [ JOB ]? No. So here's what I think is a more helpful take for you: Shaan Puri's concept of the “K-Shaped Economy." Applied to sales, we could say the basic job tasks like... - Sourcing basic research - Asking "qualifying" questions - Delivering the same ol' product tour - Sending out marketing templates - Swapping logos on a deck - etc. ...will all go to "0," and are being replaced. As time goes on, this list gets longer, and will hit the 80% mark. But on the flipside, certain skills are like investing in Apple in 1976, then rolling all your profit into Amazon’s stock in 1994. *Your value’s only going up over time.* Those are the "20%" skills like: - Offline research to build a POV with hard-to-find intel - Tag-teaming with execs & partners to secure warm intro's - Asking thoughtful, unexpected questions that trigger emotion - Uncovering / resolved deal risk with trust & transparency - Rolling this into sharp soundbites buyers share internally - Converting skeptics in a group of 20+ to greenlight high-stakes deals Which means the GTM teams who… 1. Teach their humans how to do the "20% work" 2. Build a process that offloads the "80% work" to AI …will find themselves further and further ahead in the K-Shaped economy. Creating more and more value with and for their customers. What's been interesting to watch: ~30% of teams selling with Fluint's AI also made an investment in skills training at the same time, either bundled with us, or a training partner. They're investing in both 1 & 2, not either/or. The rise of agents isn't the death of humans, it's the rebirth of creative, thoughtful selling.

Will you make AI your ride or die?  AI won’t replace all salespeople, but sales professionals who partner up with AI tools and tech will leave the rest behind. Yesterday I got to hang out with my friend, the brilliant Alexine Mudawar at the Salesforce World Tour Chicago. It's incredible how tools like Agentforce are reshaping B2B sales and other GTM functions. We heard repeatedly that AI autonomous agents like Agentforce aren't competitors for sellers or service representatives etc., they're collaborators.  We knew AI can take on tasks like scheduling or resolving service issues. Now we're seeing it happen without degrading experience.  One thing I never seem to hear enough about is how companies must invest in upskilling their teams.  Sadly, there are plenty of salespeople who engage at a more transactional level rather than consultative or serving as buyer advocates. These folks must level up in areas like creating a deeper connection, listening, and creating a sense of safety in sales conversations. That's how we differentiate. Business technology’s real power lies in the positive outcomes it creates for the businesses. But businesses must strategically establish those desired outcomes. While tools like Agentforce can play a valuable and even transformative role in the sales process—managing tasks, uncovering insights, and driving efficiencies—they can’t replace the uniquely human elements that differentiate one seller from another. At least not yet. The possibilities are mind blowing. BUT the key lies in striking the right balance between people and technology.  So, what do you need to DO as a sales leader going into 2025, a landscape where AI & Human collaboration will be a competitive edge? Here's the advice I'm giving to my sales leaders: 1. Get Back to the Basics  When was the last time you took a close look at your buyer's journey alongside the sales process? Walk through each touchpoint—where are opportunities for sellers to create differentiating value? Where are the tasks that AI can run effectively?  Y'all can’t assume this stuff-map it out. 2. Invest in Developing "Peopley" Skills  AI can’t replace the human qualities that truly differentiate in sales: empathy, active listening, curiosity, etc. The few sales leaders that I know who have worked through step 1 are now working with me now to build custom sales training on the uniquely human skills sellers need at touch points where differentiation can happen. 3. Set Clear Expectations for AI Be clear about what AI is for and what it’s NOT for. Salespeople are RESOURCEFUL and will look for every possible way to use AI to help in their plight. Define what AI will do well and what requires a human touch.  This will ensure your team uses AI to enhance their performance—not as a crutch. That's a wrap on events for 2024 - and a perfect one to end on. Thank you Salesforce Sales Cloud for introducing us to our new friend Benjamin Fox who was the best host ever. #agentforce