Don’t Add AI to a Broken Sales Process

AI is transforming sales—no question. From email personalization tools to call analytics and predictive forecasting, it’s never been easier to collect data, automate outreach, and scale faster.

But here’s the problem: AI doesn’t fix broken processes. It accelerates them.

We’ve seen companies invest heavily in platforms like Gong, Lavender, Apollo, and ChatGPT-powered outreach—but the results flatline. Why? Because the sales fundamentals were broken.

Common issues we see:

• CRM fields that don’t match the sales process
• Reps unsure of who to target or what to say
• Sales managers drowning in dashboards with no coaching plan
• Inconsistent qualification leading to bloated pipelines

Layer AI on top of that? Now you’re just automating chaos.

We helped a mid-sized tech firm that had invested in three AI tools in six months. Open rates were high. Engagement? Flat. The problem wasn’t AI—it was their messaging, personas, and lack of process. Once we rebuilt their sales playbook, defined real personas, and aligned CRM stages, AI became a multiplier—not a distraction.

Here’s the order that works:

1. Clarify your ideal customer and messaging
2. Align your CRM to reflect real sales stages and behaviors
3. Build a repeatable sales playbook your team can follow
4. Enable managers to coach with consistency
5. THEN layer in AI tools to optimize and accelerate

AI is a multiplier. Make sure it’s multiplying something worth scaling.

If you’re considering an AI investment, ask: Would this strategy be effective without the tech? If not, fix the process first. Otherwise, you’ll just get to bad outcomes faster—and more expensively.