I need to address the reason why I believe human connection matters more than ever in marketing and sales.
This last week I have been accused being and AI basher and someone that will be left behind, here me when I say AI is an awesome tool to be our assistant, but it should NEVER replace us or take the place of the communication and relationship building we should be doing ourselves with our audience.
This week’s newsletter may be a little controversial in your mind. Please read to the end and add your comments. This is about starting up a constructive conversation about AI so we find the right balance for its use in our business.
The AI Revolution or The AI Illusion?
Last week, I was at a networking event and I need to share something with you that I heard. A member of the group stood up was gushing with enthusiasm, as they pitched their new "revolutionary" AI processes in their business.
The promise they had for clients was to transform any video content with just a few clicks, to automatically chop up long videos into short-form content, generate social media posts, craft newsletters, and even create entire email sequences.
All with AI.
I sat there as I watched the room's reaction. Many were applauding the person sharing this, but something didn't sit right with me and at least one other member - and the reason being, I have seen how poor AI content performs compared to human created content.
The Real-World Test Results
Over the past few months, I've been conducting my own experiments with AI-generated content versus human-created content. Here’s what I have seen first hand…
- Human-written social posts saw 3x more engagement
- Real photographs outperformed AI-generated images consistently
- Short form content specifically created for the platform performed better than AI-chopped snippets from long form content
- Posts and content with natural language outperformed those stuffed with AI-generated hashtags and emojis
With one of my articles that I wrote about this on LinkedIn, Libby Langley commented…
"You can tell a Chat-written post a mile off."
She's absolutely right! Our audiences have developed a kind of sixth sense for detecting automated and AI content. What does this tell our audience? Does it show that we care, that we want to show up as ourselves and really add value, or does it just show a lazy way of creating content?
The Deeper Impact on Business Relationships
The trend that I am seeing toward AI and full automation for content marketing isn't just affecting our marketing, it's creeping into our sales processes too. Gone are the sales converstions over coffee... bring them back I say!
I recently spoke with a client who had been pitched around $15k to have an AI sales system installed into their business that promised to automate their entire sales funnel.
It would be an AI system that would call and speak to leads and potential customers on the phone. Then when the AI would detect a point in the conversation where the person on the other end said they were interested, the AI would then book a call to speak to a real person.
What was the point I thought? Why not do this fully human if you are making calls. Even a commission only salesperson would cost less than this and have real conversations with people.
Your audience deserves your time.
I believe that the creation and publishing of our expert-positioning content, and the job of sales conversations to convert people to become new customers, are too important to abacate to AI and robots.
Because the systems are there, it does not mean we should look for ways to jump on the bandwagon and install them in our businesses without looking at the possible consequences.
The Dubai Lunchtime Conversation
Last month, while I was speaking at an event in Dubai, I had lunch during one of the breaks with three online business owners who were struggling with this very issue. They all shared how they have invested heavily in AI tools but were seeing much in terms of real returns for their business. One of them, Sarah, ran a successful coaching business but had noticed her engagement dropping steadily since implementing AI-generated content – the clipping of long form content into short form videos.
We spent some time mapping out a new approach on napkins (yes, really!), focusing on bringing the human touch back to her business. The solution wasn't about abandoning technology entirely - it was about finding the right balance.
Finding the Sweet Spot
...Where AI Can Actually Help
Here's where I want to be crystal clear, I'm not anti-AI. In fact, I believe AI can be an incredibly powerful tool when used correctly. The key is using it as an assistant, not a replacement.
Here's my framework for effective AI integration…
- Content Inspiration
- Use AI for initial brainstorming
- Let it help identify trending topics
- Use it to organise your thoughts and ideas
- Technical Support
- Grammar and spelling checks
- Basic research gathering
- Data analysis and insights
- Process Optimisation
- Scheduling the publishing of human created content
- Linking systems and basic email delivery of requested content
- Analytics and reporting
And Then There is The Sales Conversation
This brings me to something I'm incredibly passionate about – the art of sales conversations. In a world that is running as fast as it can toward AI and automation in sales, I've found that human-led sales conversations are more powerful than ever.
My Selling Without Selling™ framework consistently achieves me a 90% conversion rate - not because it's more sophisticated, but because it's more human.
It’s not about using scripts that are rigid and at times are just not great to having proper sales conversations, it’s all about having a framework to work with and respond fully to the to what you hear on the other side of the conversation.
For me, I have always wanted to serve the person I am speaking with in any sales conversation, with the right answer to their challenges, instead of having a focus of trying to shoehorn them into something I was trying to sell. This approach allows me to help the person I am speaking to, to make a decision to buy from me, rather than be sold to – and this is the gamechanger.
All of this and more, including video training in how to have better sales conversations is all covered in my Selling Without Selling training. Click here to learn more and get instant access
Your Action Plan for This Week
At its core, marketing and sales is about human connection. If you're feeling the pressure to automate everything in your business, take a step back and this week ask yourself…
What would happen if I had more of a human focus on making my marketing and sales, not less?
Look at your content marketing process, and how much you might be relying on AI. Try and reduce it and see what magic you could create when you do the thinking and the content creation.
And if you are ready to inject the human into better sales conversations, having more natural and high-converting interactions that feel good for everyone involved, check out my Selling Without Selling™ framework at www.sellingwithoutselling.com.
Authentic human contact I believe will be the winner in the day of AI.
Let’s keep it real!
PS… I'd love to hear your experiences with AI in marketing and sales. Have you found the right balance? What challenges are you facing? Comment and let me know.
PPS… If you found this valuable, please share it with another business owner who might be wrestling with these same challenges. Let's keep our industry focused on real value and genuine expertise.
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