Why Sales Teams Struggle With Using AI Effectively
Sales teams have yet to see generative AI as a clear advantage in making their work easier. A recent study by Breakthrough, a sales messaging platform company, highlights a key reason: AI lacks the essential human touch that sales rely on.
Breakthrough’s CEO and co-founder, Adit Abhyankar, explains that while sales and AI both center on communication, AI misses the personal opinion and genuine connection that a salesperson brings to the table. “When I sell, I’m trying to communicate something with my own perspective,” Abhyankar said.
Challenges Sales Professionals Face With AI
Sales is still figuring out which tasks require a human presence and which can be handled by AI. Trust and relationship-building remain at the core of many sales tasks, making them tough to automate. Although AI use is widespread—surprisingly so, according to Abhyankar—the real challenge is identifying where AI fits best.
AI often produces results that seem correct at first glance but don’t truly capture what the salesperson wants to say. This leads to frustration, as salespeople spend significant time correcting AI-generated content. Nearly half of those surveyed spend between 31 and 60 minutes daily on generic AI tools—roughly the same amount of time spent on CRM tasks.
How Sales Teams Are Using Generative AI
The main way AI is being used in sales right now is content generation. Over half of the teams (55%) use AI for creating sales materials, while 42% use it for general content. Other common uses include:
- Prospecting research (47%)
- Meeting preparation (40%)
- Presentation generation (39%)
Deciding What AI Should Handle and What Needs a Human Touch
Abhyankar predicts that sales teams will get better at dividing tasks between humans and AI. For example, AI can create slides, freeing up salespeople to focus on face-to-face interactions. AI can analyze conversations for key insights but can’t build new relationships or generate leads from scratch.
Genuine warmth and trust-building remain human jobs. This balance will help salespeople use AI efficiently without losing the personal connection crucial to closing deals.
Common Pain Points in Using AI for Sales
- Inaccurate AI results and hallucinations
- AI tools not understanding specific sales needs
- Multiple iterations required to get usable output
Privacy Concerns Take a Backseat to Control Issues
Only 23% of sales professionals worry about privacy and data confidentiality with AI, likely because they use enterprise versions. A bigger worry is “losing control.” AI can generate unexpected or off-topic content that might harm a brand, and managing this risk remains unsolved.
Proving AI’s ROI in Sales Remains Difficult
Measuring AI’s return on investment (ROI) in sales is tricky. AI may boost individual productivity, but companies struggle to convert saved time into real business value. Abhyankar points out that this is a normal stage of adopting new technology: first comes capability, then understanding how to use it effectively.
Salespeople interested in improving their AI skills can explore focused courses to better leverage AI tools in their workflow. Resources like Complete AI Training’s sales-specific AI courses offer practical guidance on using AI without losing the human element.
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