Yes, the Human Touch Still Matters in an AI-Driven CRM World

While sales leaders are known to chase new logo acquisition, the truth is that customer loyalty has always been the true north metric for sales leaders who have real vision. They know that it’s not just about closing a deal; it’s about earning repeat business, renewals, and long-term advocacy to drive the top of your funnel and get a flywheel of ongoing success. While technology continues to redefine how organizations build and scale relationships, human connection remains the foundation that loyalty is built upon.

Today’s CRM landscape is being reshaped by artificial intelligence (AI). AI now touches nearly every corner of the customer experience (CX), from forecasting assistance to email content generation and summarization to predictive analytics. But the question facing leaders is no longer whether to automate, it’s how to apply automation without sacrificing empathy.

AI’s Dual Role in Modern Customer Experience

AI is already dramatically expanding and enhancing what CRM and marketing automation platforms can do, and I speak for all CRM platform CEOs when I say we’re just getting started. Emerging systems can detect buying intent, evaluate behavior patterns, and deliver personalized messaging at previously impossible scale. The next generation will go even further.

The benefits are clear: faster service, greater efficiency, and less operational friction. Customers receive immediate answers, and teams can dedicate more time to the high-impact work that only humans can provide.

But there’s a tradeoff. Automation without intentional design risks stripping interactions of nuance. Emotion, sentiment, and context are where human beings excel, and where AI, without guidance, can fall short.

In my decade leading CRM innovation, one truth has remained constant: automation is most effective when it amplifies human judgment, not replaces it. Technology should support empathy, not compete with it.

Research reinforces this. A 2025 Zurich study found that 73 percent of consumers say they avoid companies that don’t demonstrate empathy. Even in a digital-first world, emotional intelligence continues to be a key differentiator in customer satisfaction and retention.

Designing AI-Driven CRM Strategies That Build Trust

CRMs are evolving from organizational systems into intelligence platforms. They’re no longer just storing data, they’re interpreting it and predicting what will matter next.

Leading organizations are already using AI to create smarter, trust-centered engagement models:

• Predictive revenue intelligence. Scoring models surface the prospects most likely to close, enabling teams to prioritize the right opportunities.
• Sentiment and intent analysis. Natural language processing helps teams understand emotional tone and urgency across customer interactions.
• Automated health alerts. Machine learning identifies signals of leads disengaging, allowing teams to intervene before relationships deteriorate.

But as AI capabilities grow, so does the need for transparency. Customers must understand and know that when they’re interacting with AI, human support is readily available. Trust isn’t built by hiding automation; it’s built through clear, consistent, and empathetic communication. When customers experience the benefits of artificial intelligence—faster response times and 24-hour access to help—they appreciate the value.

When Automation Adds Value and When Humans Must Lead

Automation should remove friction, not replace skill. AI is well-suited for repetitive or administrative tasks: logging activities, updating records, summarizing communications, and triggering routine workflows.

Humans, on the other hand, excel where strategy, empathy, and creativity are required.

High-performing CX organizations design processes that blend the strengths of both:

• AI copilots for sales teams look for the highest-value leads, generate responses, and suggest next actions, removing drudgery and freeing teams to focus on complex needs and relationship-building.
• AI-powered marketing can automate lead scoring and grading, data capture, and the scheduling of follow-ups, allowing teams to devote energy to developing creative, high-impact campaigns.

A simple principle guides the most successful workflows: Automate what doesn’t require empathy. Invest human effort where empathy is essential.

To accomplish this, leaders must also prioritize AI literacy. Employees need to understand how AI tools generate insights and how to interpret them responsibly. The more empowered teams feel, the more effectively they can blend automation with human-centered engagement.

The Future of CX: Empathy at Scale

The next era of customer experience will be defined by balance—harnessing data without losing humanity, and delivering efficiency without compromising sincerity.

AI will continue to eliminate manual work, accelerate decision-making, and provide deeper insight into customer needs. But empathy will remain the force that turns transactions into relationships.

For sales leaders using their CRM, the challenge is not deciding whether to adopt AI, but rather defining what must always remain human.

AI can make organizations faster, but empathy makes them unforgettable. And businesses that master both will shape the future of customer experience; a future where technology doesn’t reduce human connection but elevates it at scale.

Steve Oriola is the CEO of Unbounce. He is a tenured CEO with more than two decades of experience scaling dynamic B2B SaaS platforms, including Act!, Constant Contact, Pipedrive, and Julius. He recently led Unbounce through the acquisition of Insightly CRM, where the two companies effectively merged. He served as executive in residence at Bessemer Venture Partners, where he participated in partner meetings and evaluated investment opportunities while providing advice and counsel to portfolio companies.