Transformation of Work This resonates with my own experience. Analyzing and quali- fying leads, understanding customer behavior and needs, per- sonalizing sales pitches, staying on top of customer sentiment, and proactively reaching out to customers after a deal is closed are time-consuming. That’s why only the best, most dedicated human sales professionals do a good job with them. For example, if I wanted to maximize my chances of making a sale, I would look up my buyer on LinkedIn and analyze her profile. I would also research her non-business social media posts to understand her likes, dislikes, and passions. I would tailor my sales presentation to reflect past projects she’s worked on, or might work on in the future. (One of my AI investments, Tome, is already making it easier to create great presentations!) I would watch the news for events at her company that might affect her buying decision. And, post-sale, I’d monitor how she was using my product so I could suggest ways to add more value and solve other problems. Of course, doing this for every customer is incredibly time-consuming. Too many human salespeople prefer to simply “churn and burn,” calling sales “a numbers game.” This is especially true for startups, where the product and market may not be mature enough for a simple, repeatable sales process. AI-amplified sales might offer the best of both worlds by doing much of the hard work that many human sales professionals skip, allowing the humans to focus instead on what AI can’t do, like building relationships with the buyer and reading emo- tional cues during sales calls. So far, all good for salespeople. But is there a downside? 123