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Microsoft ranked sales as the 4th most vulnerable job to AI.

LinkedIn exploded with predictable reactions:

• "AI is stealing my job!"

• "AI will never steal my job!"

Both sides are right.

Whether AI replaces you depends entirely on what you're doing — and how you're doing it.

Many reps will stick to their usual routine and ignore the warning signs. They're not going to make it.

But you're in control of how this plays out.

The Microsoft Data Everyone's Missing

The study found 46% of sales tasks can be AI-assisted:

• Answering customer questions

• Writing follow-ups

• Prospect research

But what about the other 54%?

• Navigating internal stakeholders

• Complex negotiations

• Building trust

Here's what everyone missed: sales ranked #4 most vulnerable, it also ranked #1 for "AI applicability."

Translation: Sales is perfectly positioned to benefit from AI partnership.

While order-takers do repetitive tasks, real sellers will use AI to eliminate busywork and focus on the 54% only humans can do.

The 46/54 Rule:

Automate the 46% of sales tasks AI can handle.
Double down on the 54% only humans can do.

Step 1: Track Your Time

Use RescueTime (automatically syncs with calendar - I have no affiliation).

Categorize every activity as either:

• AI-Replaceable: Research, data entry, templated emails

• Human-Essential: Relationship building, negotiations, strategic planning

Step 2: Let AI Handle the Admin Stuff (The 46%)

Here are some of the tools and workflows I use to automate the routine stuff:

• ICP research: Use Clay.com or ZoomInfo for prospecting

• Email drafts: Use Lavender for cold outreach and follow-ups

• Call summaries: Use Gong.io or Chorus.ai to auto update your CRM

• Follow-ups: Upload call transcripts to ChatGPT for follow-up emails

Step 3: Double Down on Relationships (The 54%)

Now that AI is handling the busywork, here's where to lean in:

• Show up in person: while everyone's automating outreach, book the flight

• Involve their team: multi-thread to win over influencers and end users

• Pick up the phone: instead of automating more emails, make calls

• Ask for their cell: get out of the inbox and into slack or text

Real-World Results:

Case Study: The AE Who Doubled Her Close Rate

I worked with an AE named Sara on several partner deals. She was sharp but constantly stressed - spending waaaay too much time on admin tasks.

On her own, she started using Pocus (again, no affiliation) to speed up prospecting and ChatGPT to turn call transcripts into decent follow-up drafts.

With that extra time, she focused on the stuff that actually moves deals: getting end users involved early, looping in decision-makers, and showing up in person when it counted.

Six months later, she was training the entire sales org on the process that helped her increase her win rate by 11%. Same product. Same market. Just more time spent on what actually moves deals.

The Bottom Line:

AI is cutting out the busywork, not real selling.

The reps who win will be the ones who use it to handle the routine stuff - then reinvest that time into trust, influence, and negotiation.

The gap between real sellers and order-takers? It’s about to get a lot more obvious.

Until next Thursday,

TSG

P.S. I reply to all emails.