You’re Not Selling to AI. You’re Selling to a Person.
Esther Angell
AI is embedded in almost every part of business right now.
It drafts emails.
It summarizes calls.
It scans your website.
It compares vendors.
Your buyer is probably using AI to research you.
But AI is not signing the contract.
A person is.
AI Can Gather Information. It Doesn't Make the Decision.
Your prospect might use AI to:
- Compare pricing models
- Summarize your white paper
- Analyze your case studies
That changes how information is gathered.
It does not change who is accountable for the decision.
A person still has to say yes.
A person with a budget.
A person with risk.
A person with pressure from leadership.
A person whose credibility may be tied to this choice.
If you start optimizing only for discoverability and automation, you risk forgetting the human dynamic behind the deal.
The Principles of Sales Still Apply
Technology evolves. Human behavior does not move as quickly.
People still want:
- To feel heard
- To feel understood
- To trust who they are working with
- To believe you will do what you say
AI can help you be prepared.
It cannot build trust for you.
Your tone still matters.
Your follow-up still matters.
Your consistency still matters.
Sales has always been about reducing uncertainty. That is still true.
Empathy Is a Business Discipline
Empathy is not about being nice.
It is about understanding what is actually at stake.
Keep in mind, many B2B purchases are not just product decisions. They are:
- Career decisions
- Budget decisions
- Visibility decisions
- Risk decisions
No AI-generated summary will replace the clarity that comes from listening closely and asking disciplined questions.
Every Touchpoint Still Carries Weight
AI makes it easier to produce content across multiple channels.
That also means inconsistency shows up faster.
Your website says one thing.
Your sales team says another.
Your proposal emphasizes something different.
That fragmentation creates doubt.
If your buyer uses AI to evaluate you, it will synthesize what it finds. If your positioning is unclear, the confusion compounds.
Clarity and alignment becomes increasingly important.
Your Behavior Still Drives Outcomes
AI can accelerate workflows.
It does not replace behavior.
The way your team handles objections.
The way marketing frames the problem.
The way leadership talks about customers internally.
All of that shapes the buying experience.
If customers are treated like transactions, it shows.
If they are treated like partners, that shows too.
AI may help you move faster.
It does not replace care.
Want Clearer Positioning in an AI-Driven Market?
If AI is amplifying your message, the real question becomes: is your message clear?
At Insightfully Curious Consulting, we help leadership teams align their positioning, messaging, and go-to-market strategy so every channel tells the same story. We help you define the decisions your customers are actually making and build the sales and marketing clarity to support those decisions.
Because you are not selling to AI. You are selling to a person.
And clarity builds trust.
