Sales Reps: Use AI as a Sales Assistant, Not for Prospecting

I’m all in on AI. It’s interesting, fun, and making waves in the sales world. There’s no doubt it plays a key role in the process. But AI has its place—and automating prospecting emails isn’t it.

AI is great for handling the heavy lifting, like reporting, CRM updates, and research. It saves your team time and helps you stay organized, allowing sales reps to focus on what they do best: building relationships and closing deals. But when it comes to reaching out to potential clients, AI doesn’t quite hit the mark yet.

AI in Prospecting: The Right Idea, But Not Quite There (Yet)

I get the appeal of automating prospecting—who doesn’t want to save time and reach more people? But using AI to write prospecting emails doesn’t work as well as you might hope.

The reality is that these AI-generated emails can be stiff, impersonal, and unoriginal. But it can go the other way too—sometimes AI tries too hard to sound human, which makes the message feel forced or disingenuous. In either case, the result is the same: the email doesn’t come across as authentic or tailored to the prospect. It doesn’t address their unique challenges or show that you’ve done your homework. Decision-makers can spot these messages from a mile away. If you’re relying on AI for your first outreach, you could end up damaging your brand rather than strengthening it.

How to Use AI Right in Sales

AI’s not the enemy—it’s an amazing tool that can support your team. Let it handle the administrative stuff, like organizing data, building lists, giving ideas, and keeping your CRM up to date. But when it’s time to make that first connection with a prospect? Leave that to your sales reps—the people you interviewed, vetted, hired, and trained!

Let AI help with the heavy lifting, but at least in 2025, please don’t even try to replace the authentic, human interactions that are crucial in sales. The personal follow-up, the tailored messaging, and the ability to read between the lines are things AI just can’t yet replicate.

It’s All About Balance

AI is improving every day, and by the time I press submit on this blog post, I’ll be one minute closer to being wrong about this. One day, it might handle prospecting in a way that feels natural and personal. But for now, businesses need to be cautious about relying too heavily on automation for outreach.

The best sales teams use AI to make their processes more efficient, but they don’t let it replace the essential human connection that makes sales successful. Find the balance, use AI to save time, and let your team focus on what they do best—building relationships and closing deals.

Just my two cents…. and this message expires soon :)

-Adam