Make AI Your Sales Team's Ally

AI is transforming sales in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago. But as this technology advances, it’s sparking a heated debate. Some believe AI will eventually replace sales reps entirely, while others insist that sales should remain a human-only domain.

But what if there’s a middle ground—a way for AI to actually help salespeople connect more deeply with customers? This isn’t just an idea—it’s already happening. When used thoughtfully, AI empowers sales reps by handling repetitive, time-consuming tasks, allowing them to focus on what they do best: building relationships.

With AI managing administrative work like researching accounts, building lists, making dials, and managing follow-ups, sales teams gain more time and insights to engage with prospects on a personal level—all tasks that help boost productivity and increase pipeline generation. 

Managers can similarly benefit by automating time-consuming behaviors like having to listen to and score hours of prospecting calls in order to provide meaningful coaching to their team. Or, helping reps themselves to practice their talk tracks and objection handling. 

A recent McKinsey study found that AI-powered sales teams can increase their leads and appointments by more than 50 percent. The key takeaway? AI isn’t here to replace sales—it’s here to make it more effective and more human.

The Problem with Busywork

Sales is fundamentally about connecting with people—understanding their needs, empathizing with their challenges, and building lasting trust. But in reality, sales reps are often weighed down by a mountain of necessary but time-consuming tasks that don’t fully take advantage of these skills. From account research and list building to finding phone numbers, skipping answering machines, and leaving voice mails. These tasks, while essential, can fill up hours of the day and leave little room for the real, meaningful conversations that drive deals forward.

A recent survey by InsideSales.com found that sales reps spend only 35.2 percent of their time actually selling. That’s because the bulk of their day goes to activities that, while critical, aren’t directly customer-facing. Now, imagine if AI could take over these tasks. By automating the busywork of prospecting, dialing, and coaching, AI has the potential to give reps back valuable time, allowing them to do what they’re best at: developing relationships with clients, understanding their goals, and building—and closing—sales.

Streamlining Every Step of the Sales Pipeline with AI

Let’s break down the core activities in pipeline generation and see where AI can help make a difference.

Pre-Outreach: One of the biggest time sinks for sales teams is pre-outreach work, like account research and list building. Reps often spend hours gathering information on prospects, verifying contact details, and training on account requirements. AI can take over these tasks, handing reps a list of high-quality, pre-qualified leads, complete with relevant insights about their buying signals. This way, reps can dive straight into valuable conversations rather than getting bogged down in prep work.

Outreach: Reaching out is another area where AI can really change the game. Tasks like email drafting, dialing, and note taking take up a huge part of a rep’s day. But if AI could handle personalized email drafts, automated dialing, and precise note taking, reps would have the mental space to think strategically. Instead of scrambling to stay organized, they could approach each conversation with clear, focused intentions, ready to truly engage.

Post-Outreach: Finally, AI can help make follow-up, call recaps, and coaching far more efficient. Follow-ups, critical for closing deals, often fall through the cracks due to sheer volume. But with AI managing reminders and drafting responses, reps can keep engagement consistent. Plus, AI-powered coaching tools can give reps immediate feedback and training insights after each call, helping them improve without hours of manual coaching sessions.

Helping Sales Reps Do What They Do Best: Connect

The real value of AI in sales isn’t about replacing people—it’s about freeing them up to do the things that matter. By handling repetitive tasks, AI gives reps back valuable hours in their day so they can focus on what only humans can: connecting with others, understanding their needs, and building real trust.

Peter Mollins is vice president of marketing at Nooks. With more than 20 years of B2B marketing experience in Europe and North America, Mollins has helped fast-growth companies like SetSail, KnowledgeTree, and Spreedly expand their revenue and market leadership. He has led multiple SDR and sales organizations and headed the product marketing for the Borland portfolio at Micro Focus.