For Sales Leaders
"AI agents represent a multi-trillion-dollar opportunity." This statement comes from Jensen Huang, one of the world’s most accomplished and forward-thinking leaders. Huang has a significant interest in the success of AI agents.
His company, Nvidia, produces graphics processing units (GPUs) and related technologies that are critical for powering artificial intelligence systems, which have seen exponential growth over the past few years. As companies increasingly rely on AI agents to perform tasks traditionally handled by humans, Huang and Nvidia stand to benefit significantly.
For context, you might ask: “What exactly is an AI sales agent?” Well, an AI agent is a software-driven system that leverages artificial intelligence to perform tasks efficiently and effectively. Until recently, many of these tasks were handled by human workers.
The concern is that AI agents will replace human labor in specific roles, allowing companies to cut costs by automating repetitive and low-complexity tasks. Examples of such tasks include account reconciliation, answering customer support queries, doing data entry and writing basic code. These processes often follow clearly defined rules and logic, making them relatively easy to automate with minimal risk.
An interesting paradox is emerging as companies explore the use of AI agents. Rather than eliminating some roles, agents are making the human seller more essential. AI is not replacing but augmenting other roles, enabling workers to be more productive.
A compelling example is the salesperson's role, where both outcomes are evident: salespeople are becoming more necessary and more effective. Why? Because they possess a unique skill set that is difficult for machines to replicate—relatability.
This paradox is evident at Salesforce, a customer relationship management (CRM) software leader for sales and marketing teams, that recently launched Agentforce. Salesforce’s CEO, Marc Benioff, recently announced that the company would pause hiring engineers in the short term and redirect those resources toward expanding its sales team. He explained:
"We’re not adding any more software engineers next year because we have increased productivity this year with Agentforce and other AI technologies used by our engineering teams by more than 30%—to the point where our engineering velocity is incredible. I can’t believe what we’re achieving in engineering."
"And then, we will have fewer support engineers next year because we have an agentic layer. We will, however, hire more salespeople next year because we really need to explain to people exactly the value that we can achieve with AI. So, we will probably add another 1,000 to 2,000 salespeople in the short term."
Benioff’s use of the word “explain” suggests something deeper. Salesforce’s customers need more than a simple explanation—something even a bot could handle. What they truly need is the human touch of a skilled salesperson who can listen to their challenges—whether balancing budgets, improving customer experiences, or driving operational efficiency—and craft tailored solutions.
AI agents are undoubtedly here to stay. As Huang has predicted, they are growing more sophisticated and represent a significant market opportunity. Yet, they will never fully replace what human salespeople bring to the table. At some point in every B2B sales process, a human decision-maker will want to consult with another human being.
The future looks promising for sales professionals. AI agents are being developed as powerful assistants, capable of performing tasks and analyzing data faster and more accurately than human sales reps or any entry-level human assistant could. Imagine the possibilities for salespeople: identifying leads, signal-based selling, tracking customer behavior, and automating administrative tasks.
The year 2025 marks a turning point for the professional sales reps. While some previously forecasted the decline of sales roles due to the rise of AI, the opposite is happening. Salespeople are now taking on a critical mission: building human connections in an increasingly automated and detached world.
Agents will be vital in assisting the salesperson in this effort, providing the “why,” “when,” “how,” and “who” of engagement. It’s a brave new world, and for the Salesperson, it will be a better world.
The rise in the use of AI by sales teams is upon us, what will this mean for your sales team and what will this AI-assisted selling look like?
Interested? You can learn more by getting your seat on the don't-miss webinar "Now is the Time to Double Down on Your Sales Team" on Monday February 3rd 2025
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