AI is changing sales fast. But is it actually replacing salespeople, or is it exposing the sellers who never developed real strategy skills? That’s the question I explore in this conversation with John Stopper.
John and I get into the difference between sales tactics and sales strategy, why AI can sometimes give sellers the wrong picture of a buyer, and why getting closer to the people involved in a deal can make the difference between winning and losing.
We also talk about how sales teams can use AI to identify deal risks instead of simply using it to write more emails.
Why AI Makes Sales Strategy More Important
AI can teach people sales tactics, but strategy requires a deeper understanding of the situation.
- Tactics focus on how to sell, while strategy focuses on who, what, when, where, and why.
- AI can help sellers execute many tactical tasks, but sellers still need to decide which approach fits the buyer and the situation.
- Strong sales strategy starts with understanding customers and what will actually compel them to buy.
- The goal is to choose the right strategy based on the conditions of the deal.
Tactics vs. Strategy: The Baseball Analogy — 03:38
Knowing how to throw every pitch does not mean you know which pitch to throw.
- A baseball pitcher may have four or five pitches available.
- The right pitch depends on the batter, pitch count, runners on base, and inning.
- Sales works the same way. The skill is not just knowing the sales playbook but knowing which strategy to use in the moment.
- Choosing the right strategy can improve your position, accelerate velocity, and compress time.
The Principle of Reality: Don't Trust Every AI Answer
AI can give both buyers and sellers information that does not accurately reflect the current situation.
- Buyers can use AI to research a salesperson or company before the first conversation.
- Sellers can also build their account research around outdated or incomplete information.
- A polished AI summary can create false confidence if it does not reflect what is actually happening.
- Sellers should verify their assumptions instead of treating AI research as unquestionable fact.
How to Surface Reality With Better Questions
The first sales conversation is an opportunity to check whether both sides are working from the right information.
- Ask the buyer what their AI research has shown them about your company, product, or you.
- Share what your research has shown you about their company and ask whether you have it right.
- Use the conversation to identify what is missing from your research.
- Verify the situation before choosing your sales strategy.
Different Buyers Require Different Strategies
The right message depends on the person you are selling to.
- End users often care about doing their jobs faster, better, or cheaper.
- Managers may care more about how a solution affects their team and the risks involved.
- Executives are more likely to focus on strategic growth and business outcomes.
- Sellers need to understand the buyer's role before deciding what value to emphasize.
The Principle of Proximity: Get Closer to the Buyer
“Proximity sells” because sellers need to understand the buyer's world deeply enough to bring useful insight.
- Proximity is not about becoming the buyer's friend.
- It means understanding the buyer's business and seeing things from both inside and outside perspectives.
- Sellers should get close to the people who can influence the deal, not only the person who can approve it.
- Outside experience can help sellers bring insights the buyer may not have considered.
Find the People Who Can Say No
A deal can have strong champions and still fail because someone else inside the organization has the power to stop it.
- Identify the people who may resist the purchase.
- Ask your champion who in the organization could have concerns about the solution.
- Reach out to those people directly instead of waiting for their objections to appear later.
- Address potential resistance before it becomes a deal-ending problem.
Use AI to Identify Deal Risk
AI can be useful when it helps sellers think through what could go wrong.
- Ask AI to research the people and roles that may resist a purchase.
- Identify possible objections and resistance points before they appear.
- Continue updating the research as the deal progresses because new risks can emerge.
- Use AI to help build a deal strategy around what could prevent the deal from closing.
Bridging Strategy: Build Relationships Across the Account
One salesperson should not have to carry every relationship in a complex B2B deal.
- Sales managers can connect with the buyer's manager.
- Product leaders can connect with the buyer's technical leaders.
- CEOs can connect with other executives when the situation calls for it.
- Each person can carry a message that matches their role and expertise.
- Multiple relationships can help both companies become more familiar with each other.
Why Executives Still Have a Role in Selling
Executive involvement can be part of the sales process, especially when selling complex solutions.
- Executives have revenue responsibilities too.
- A salesperson can prepare an executive with the person's profile, the situation, the message to communicate, and the information to bring back.
- AI can take more operational work off the team's plate.
- That creates more room for leaders to spend time with customers and support revenue-generating conversations.
Salespeople Need to Become Strategists
As AI makes more sales information and tactics available, the ability to create useful insight becomes more important.
- AI has reduced the advantage that once came from simply knowing sales tactics.
- Sellers need to know how to use information, not just access it.
- The goal is to tell buyers something they do not already know.
- Strategy determines what insight to deliver, when to deliver it, and who should deliver it.
Human-to-Human Selling Still Matters
AI and digital tools should not replace direct conversations with buyers.
- At minimum, sellers should use video calls when meeting in person is not possible.
- Direct conversations can help uncover what digital research misses.
- Meeting a buyer in person can build trust and show a willingness to make an effort.
- Sales still depends on human relationships, especially when decisions are complex.
Key Quote from the Episode
“AI has commoditized a lot of that advantage. So now to me, selling and strategy is about how can I tell them something they don't know?” — John Stopper
Resources:
John Stopper: johnstopper.com
John's website also offers a free, no-obligation deal strategy report. Submit a company you are trying to sell to, and he will run it through his COMPASS system and provide a deal strategy report.
Email: J Stopper at Northstore.com
LinkedIn: John Stopper
Sponsorship Offers
- This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot.
With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.
- This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.
Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.
- This episode is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Foundation.
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