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AI Is A Collaborative Tool, Not A Replacement For Human Connection
By Paul Adler, Esq.
The rise of Artificial Intelligence has sparked feverish debate in nearly every profession, and sales is no exception. One can’t open a business journal or attend an industry panel without hearing that AI will soon be the master closer, reading data, detecting patterns, and doing in seconds what used to take a seasoned salesperson weeks. But before we bury the human salesman alongside Willie Loman, let’s stop and ask: can AI ever really replace the grit, heart, and human intuition of a true salesperson?
Sales is more than a transaction. It is a human interaction layered with nuance, emotion, empathy, and trust. It is not just about what someone says they want—it’s about understanding what they truly need, often before they know it themselves. That type of connection doesn’t come from code; it comes from connection.
Yes, AI is a powerful tool. It can streamline outreach, refine messaging, and even predict client behavior based on past interactions. But what it can’t do—and what it may never do—is build a relationship. It doesn’t remember the name of your daughter’s soccer team, or that your mother is recovering from hip surgery. It doesn’t ask about your dog, your dreams, or why you’re hesitant to move forward despite the numbers lining up. AI hears. Humans listen.
I come from the world of commercial real estate, a profession where the handshake still matters. Where the eyes meeting across a table tell you more than a dozen spreadsheets. Where the deal often hinges not on the numbers alone, but on the confidence one person places in another to get it done. One only has to watch Glengarry Glen Ross—that raw, theatrical ode to the pressure cooker of sales—to understand that “coffee is for closers” is more than a line; it’s a creed. But even there, amid the bravado and desperation, what’s really being sold is trust.
The idea that sales can be reduced to an algorithm misses the fundamental truth of what sales really is: a noble calling. Salespeople are not just dealmakers. They are problem-solvers, matchmakers, therapists, and sometimes lifelines. They are the essential artery between innovation and implementation, between product and purpose. Without sales, nothing moves. No matter how brilliant the idea, how sleek the design, or how competitive the price—if it’s not sold, it’s not going anywhere.
The best salespeople understand that making a sale doesn’t happen in one call, one click, or one clever message. It takes time. It takes presence. There’s an old axiom in sales that says it takes seven touches to convert a prospect into a client. Those touches are not all about pushing the product—they’re about showing up. Attending the chamber breakfast. Following up with a handwritten note. Listening more than talking. Being there long after the contract is signed.
These relationships—built through years of coffee meetings, volunteer service with the Rotary Club, and community events—can’t be downloaded. They are the result of consistent, genuine human engagement. AI might be able to simulate interest, but it can’t care. It might be able to analyze sentiment, but it can’t empathize. It might be able to predict behavior, but it can’t earn trust.
The danger in handing over the soul of sales to machines is not just that we’ll lose the job of the salesman—it’s that we’ll lose what makes sales human in the first place. In a world already flooded with automation, the real differentiator is increasingly the personal touch. People don’t just buy products; they buy from people they trust. And that trust is earned, not generated.
So what does the future of sales look like when AI is fully in the picture? It looks collaborative. It looks like a world where the best salespeople harness AI as a force multiplier—not a replacement. Where AI handles the grunt work—data entry, scheduling, market research—freeing up the human salesperson to do what they do best: connect.
Sales will always evolve. The tools will change, the platforms will shift, and the expectations will rise. But the core will remain. The human element is not a relic—it’s the differentiator. The heartbeat of commerce is still the genuine conversation, the look in the eye, the firm handshake that says, “You can trust me.”
So no, Willie Loman is not dead. He lives on in every honest, hardworking salesperson who shows up every day ready to serve. Long live the human salesperson—and long live Willie.
Paul Adler is Chief Strategy Officer of Rand Commercial. Reach him at: paul.adler@randcommercial.com
