How AI will change sales in 2025 (And why humans still matter)

How AI will change sales in 2025 (And why humans still matter)

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As we move toward 2025, it's clear that AI isn’t just an advantage, it's a necessity to stay competitive.. From helping with lead qualification, automating follow-ups to coaching, artificial intelligence is already clearly changing the way we sell. 

According to Salesforce's State of Sales Report, 83% of sales teams saw a 1.3x revenue growth last year using AI, and 80% of reps believe AI can help close more deals. 

But the big question is: when and how should sales teams use AI?

Let’s dive into some insights from experts on how AI exactly will change sales in the next few years—and why, even in the age of AI, the human touch will still be what makes or breaks a deal.

1. AI isn’t here to replace humans—it’s here to help reps be better

AI can enhance what sales teams are already doing, without replacing the human touch.. How we use AI will separate great sales teams from the mediocre. As Yuvraj Kewate puts it, “AI in 2025 will transform sales into a more strategic and efficient process. AI won’t replace the human element—it will amplify it.”

Here’s how: AI will take care of the repetitive stuff—like qualifying leads, sending emails, and following up with prospects. This means sales teams can spend more time doing what they do best: building relationships with customers and closing deals. 

But there’s a catch: salespeople still need to use their intuition and creativity. It’s all about finding the right balance between AI’s efficiency and the personal touch that’s so important in sales.

Lindsay Rios sums it up well: “The key this year will be finding the right balance of using AI to give us the time and insights we need to stay human in our selling.” AI can make us faster and smarter, but it won’t ever replace the genuine connections that a human salesperson makes with their prospects.

2. Personalization Will Go Next-Level, Thanks to AIwill go next-level

One of the biggest benefits AI brings to sales is its ability to personalize at scale. Think about it: AI, powered by predictive analytics, can analyze past customer behavior and predict what they’re likely to do or want next. This means sales reps can connect with prospects at exactly the right moment, armed with the right message.

Adam Jay explains it like this: “AI-driven insights will allow sales teams to personalize strategies at scale, predict customer behaviors more accurately, and optimize engagement throughout the customer journey.” AI will help craft hyper-relevant pitches, making outreach feel even more personal—even when you’re reaching out to hundreds of people.

But here’s the key: AI can optimize outreach, but it can’t create real emotional connections. Erin Moore puts it perfectly: “Sales isn't just data—it is trust, belief, and human connection. We all know that ignoring AI in your sales process is costly, but leaning too heavily on it is just as risky. Sales and the buying process are not linear; we need to balance AI’s efficiency with genuine human connection.”

This means that while AI will help sales teams work smarter, buyers will still crave authenticity. AI can provide data-driven recommendations, but it’s the emotional intelligence, soft skills, and body language that enable a salesperson to build trust and turn a potential deal into a real relationship. After all, a handshake, a confident posture, or even a well-timed nod can convey trust in ways AI simply can’t.

3. AI free up time for what matters—real connections

AI isn’t just about making sales processes more efficient; it’s about giving salespeople back their time. By automating routine  tasks, like transcribing calls or crafting follow-up emails, AI will free up time to focus on high-value activities.

Jared Robin puts it perfectly: “AI will enable sellers to be more human. It will take all the tedious corrupted selling work out of their lives and allow them to be face to face more with their prospects and customers.”

Salespeople will have more time to listen to customer pain points, answer questions, and build relationships—things that AI just can’t do. As Lindsey Plocek points out, “From personalizing outreach and practicing via role-plays to providing accurate technical answers, AI is having an incredible impact on how I help the team better serve customers.”

4. AI is no longer optional

Let’s be honest: if you’re not using AI in your sales process, you might be at a disadvantage. Kevin Meyer puts it bluntly: “Salespeople who leverage AI will outsmart, outsell, and outperform those who don’t.” AI is a powerful tool, and those who embrace it will definitely have an edge.

How we use AI matters. As Laura Erdem puts it, “Sales people using AI are going to surpass Sales people not using AI. Though only the ones that use AI as a co-pilot, not giving away their pilot rights.” In other words, AI is there to assist, not replace.

AI can help salespeople identify high-potential leads, prepare for meetings, analyze reports, and even recap past conversations and do sales forecasting —all things that would normally take up valuable time. By using AI tools with conversation intelligence capabilities, salespeople can focus on what they do best: building trust through personal interactions and closing deals.

5. AI is still a work in progress

While the potential of AI in sales is exciting, it’s important to remember that it’s still evolving. James Buckley makes an important point: “AI still hasn't replaced the buyer. That hole in the equation remains.” 

Here’s what that means in practice:

1. Nothing beats talking to the buyer. AI can guide you with predictions and insights, but at the end of the day, you need to ask the right questions, actively listen, and adjust based on what the buyer actually says. No algorithm can fully replace human intuition in a live conversation.
2. AI-generated outreach isn’t perfect. While AI can draft emails and messages at scale, it’s not flawless. Mistakes happen—tone might be off, personalization could feel robotic, or context might be missed. That’s why top salespeople always review, edit, and add their own input before hitting send.

AI is amazing, but it works best when sales professionals use it as a co-pilot, not a replacement for their own judgment. It’s an evolving tool, and while it’s here to stay, it’s the human touch that will ultimately close the deal.

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6. The Human Advantage: What AI Can’t Replace

While AI is revolutionizing sales by making processes more efficient, there’s one thing it can’t replicate: the human ability to build trust, handle nuanced objections, and create real relationships.

Buyers don’t just make decisions based on data-driven recommendations—they want to feel heard, understood, and valued. AI can guide salespeople on when and how to engage, but it’s the salesperson’s emotional intelligence, storytelling ability, and adaptability that will close the deal.

As Yuvraj Kewate puts it, “The human touch will still make or break the deal.”

Sales professionals who combine AI-driven insights with genuine engagement will stand out. Instead of using AI as a shortcut to blast out messages at scale, the best sellers will use it to enhance their interactions—whether that means personalizing outreach, anticipating customer pain points, or following up with a thoughtful, human touch.

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How can you start using AI for your sales team?

AI is definitely going to change how sales teams operate in 2025, but the human interactions will always be key. 

With AI handling repetitive and time-consuming tasks, sales reps will have more time and opportunities to focus on higher-value activities. By automating data-driven tasks and providing accurate sales predictions, AI will empower sales teams to make smarter decisions and refine their sales strategy. It will enable personalized solutions tailored to each customer, improving the effectiveness of sales processes and boosting conversion rates. As sales teams handle complex sales processes, AI will help them stay ahead of future sales trends, allowing for more strategic, insightful approaches to customer engagement. 

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Ultimately, AI will be the backbone of more efficient, effective, and scalable sales operations, leaving the human touch to close the deal.

Sales teams need to find the right balance to create a smarter, more effective sales process. The teams that figure that out will be the ones ahead of the game.

Check out our recent post, How to use AI in sales in 2025 (a step-by-step guide), which gives a breakdown of how AI can help in your sales process and recommends the best AI-powered tools.

And check out Avoma to automate note-taking, generate follow-up emails, and sync meeting data to CRMs. Get insights from all your conversations, improve team performance from AI-driven coaching and help sales teams make more informed decisions.