It's been almost four years since ChatGPT exploded into the public consciousness, and in that time AI has been heralded as both the most important technological leap since the internet and the harbinger of the end of days. Both may yet prove true, but the more quotidian take is that it's pretty useful! Most of us now have an AI assistant of choice and use it as a Google replacement, a sounding board and a helper for everyday tasks.
Meanwhile, if your social media feed is anything like mine, you'll be bombarded with posts warning that unless "you use these top five prompts, you'll get left behind". I'm a huge believer in what these tools can do for business, but there's a real danger of over-reliance. Just because something can be handed off to your "AI agent" doesn't mean it should be.
Let's look at sales. At its heart, sales is about relationships: listening, understanding and adding value. In fintech, where you might be selling to a few dozen buyers who all know each other, that matters more than ever. I don't believe AI will change that. Where it earns its place is in the work surrounding the sale, leaving the selling to people.
Instant access to information is a genuine boon. Before a meeting, a seller can build a picture of a target's tech stack, regulatory pressures and recent trigger events, alongside the history of the prospect's relationship with their own firm. That takes minutes rather than hours and without emailing the entire sales team at the last minute to ask whether anyone knows them!
It's just as useful earlier in the process, spotting who is buying and why, whether that's a new CTO, a looming regulatory deadline or a telling job posting. And afterwards, it takes care of the less glamorous work of keeping the CRM accurate and capturing what was agreed on a call. All of it frees the seller to focus on what matters most.
Where AI needs a shorter leash is fully automated outreach at volume. These campaigns are now so prevalent and so easy to spot that most become white noise. Data is another area for caution: blindly pasting prospect information or call recordings into unapproved tools is an accident waiting to happen.
But in keeping with the theme of the magazine, it's about balance. The sellers who thrive will be those who use AI to turn up better prepared and better informed, rather than abdicating the fundamentals of the job.
