AI Deflection Is Coming for Sales: What 70% Support Deflection Rates Reveal About the Future of Sales Reps

AI Won’t Replace Sales Reps So Much as ‘Deflect’ Them: What Support’s 70% Deflection Rates Tell Us About Sales’ Future

The AI Account Executive Is Arriving

Customer support cracked the deflection code with AI long before sales teams started catching on. Today, companies routinely see 60% or higher deflection rates, where AI handles six out of ten support tickets before any human gets involved. Now, AI Account Executives and BDR platforms are beginning to apply the same principle to sales.

The real question isn’t if AI will impact sales — it’s how fast sales teams will follow support’s lead.

Support’s Deflection Breakthrough

Leading AI support platforms report impressive numbers that show how AI is reshaping post-sales service. Decagon, recently valued at $1.5 billion, notes deflection rates nearing 70%, with companies like Duolingo pushing beyond 80%. Bilt’s AI manages 70% of their 60,000 monthly support tickets, saving substantial costs. Intercom’s Fin resolves 86% of cases autonomously, from account changes to complex troubleshooting.

This isn’t your average FAQ bot. These AI agents access customer data, apply business logic, handle transactions, and escalate issues smartly. Even smaller companies using Gorgias’ AI for eCommerce support hit 60% deflection rates routinely.

Salesforce’s Agentforce customers see double-digit increases in customer satisfaction and deflection rates, with 50% more cases resolved. Zendesk partners like Aisera report 70% ticket resolution rates, while Klarna’s AI assistant handles two-thirds of their customer service workload — the equivalent of 700 full-time agents.

Talkdesk’s Autopilot goes further by autonomously resolving complex cases instead of just passing calls to human agents. This same model is now migrating into sales.

The AI Account Executive Emerges

The Goal Again? Deflection

While support deflection is advanced, sales deflection is just getting started. Early AI Account Executives are handling:

• Existing customer expansions like simple license add-ons
• Routine renewals with standard terms
• Inbound product inquiries from qualified prospects
• Demo scheduling with intelligent routing

The technology to manage these tasks autonomously exists today. Platforms like Decagon and Intercom prove AI can run complex workflows post-sale. Now, that capability is moving upstream into pre-sale sales interactions.

Why Sales Will Follow Support’s Path (It’s Already Starting)

Five years ago, support teams feared AI would cut jobs. Now, AI handles routine inquiries, letting humans focus on complex issues and relationships. Support reps have become AI managers, overseeing and optimizing AI agents instead of answering every ticket.

Sales is about 18-24 months behind but heading the same way. The key is to rethink the AI Account Executive not as a replacement but as a deflection tool that manages routine sales instantly until a prospect needs human interaction.

The Early Deflection Opportunities

Smart sales leaders are spotting their version of “support tickets” — routine sales interactions suitable for AI:

• Low average contract value (ACV) deals at list price
• Simple upsells like adding standard features
• Straightforward annual renewals
• Standard pricing requests from inbound leads
• Basic product questions such as feature comparisons

Intercom’s Fin, for example, handles complex workflows autonomously and boosts resolution rates from 50% to 80-90%. Applying this to simple sales scenarios suggests AI could handle a large chunk of routine sales.

What the Support Model Teaches Us

Sales can follow a similar phased approach:

• Phase 1 (Now): AI manages basic inquiries and meeting scheduling
• Phase 2 (Soon): AI processes simple transactions and renewals
• Phase 3 (Future): AI handles full deal cycles for routine purchases, involving sales reps only when issues arise

The Economics Drive Adoption

The ROI is clear. ClassPass cut support conversation costs by 95%. For sales, every interaction AI handles frees reps to focus on complex deals and reduces costs. HubSpot data shows sales teams using AI are 1.3 times more likely to increase revenue, with 40% of sales professionals already leveraging AI tools.

But compared to support, sales AI adoption is still in early stages.

Looking Ahead: The Deflection Timeline

Based on support’s evolution, here’s the likely timeline for sales AI deflection:

• 2024-2025: AI handles inbound qualification and simple expansions (5-15% deflection)
• 2026-2027: AI processes routine renewals and standard upsells (20-35% deflection)
• 2028-2030: AI manages full transaction cycles for commodity sales (40-60% deflection)

Support teams saw deflection rates jump quickly once AI proved reliable. Companies like Duolingo went from single digits to over 80% deflection rapidly.

The Strategic Imperative

Sales leaders should start preparing now by:

• Identifying tasks and deals that need minimal human judgment
• Tracking current time spent on routine versus complex sales
• Running pilots where AI handles simple customer interactions
• Training reps to collaborate effectively with AI agents

The Bottom Line

Support teams achieved 60-80% deflection by letting AI manage routine inquiries, freeing humans for complex work. AI Account Executives are applying the same approach to simple sales transactions. Sales deflection is early but inevitable.

Companies that measure and optimize for deflection rates now will gain a significant edge as AI Account Executives become standard. The question isn’t if AI will deflect a large share of sales tasks — support already proved that’s achievable. The real question is how fast you’ll adapt.