{"id":312755,"date":"2025-05-12T07:10:24","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T14:10:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/?p=312755"},"modified":"2025-05-14T06:31:01","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T13:31:01","slug":"where-ai-will-and-wont-replace-sales-reps-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/where-ai-will-and-wont-replace-sales-reps-in-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Where AI Will, and Won&#8217;t, Replace Sales Reps in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"embed-twitter\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83d\udc4e Would you buy a new car from the sales guy on the lot today? <\/p>\n<p> Of course you wouldn\u2019t. You buy on the Internet.  You only need the human for pick-up. If that.  <\/p>\n<p>\ud83e\udd37\u200d\u2640\ufe0fYou won\u2019t buy routine, lower ACV SaaS products from a human sales rep in 2026, either.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll do discovery and\u2026<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Jason \u2728\ud83d\udc7eSaaStr 2025 is May 13-15\u2728 Lemkin (@jasonlk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jasonlk\/status\/1920525354076135889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 8, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<p>AI is already <a href=\"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/how-much-of-customer-support-will-ai-replace-gartner-says-80\/\">better than many customer support reps<\/a>.\u00a0 Many are already using Gorgias, Zendesk, Decagon, Intercom, etc AI to replace 20%-40% of their support teams.\u00a0 And usually seeing AI be in the Top 10% of all agents for CSAT.\u00a0 Not #1, but the top 10%.<\/p>\n<p>The same is going to soon happen with transactional sales.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s just at the edge of doing the same to certain segments of salespeople and customer success, and it\u2019s going to keep improving. And there are areas where it\u2019s still probably not going to replace humans anytime soon.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"10 Ways AI Is Going to Change Sales. For Real: Live Workshop Wednesday\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yl6kT6Si03g?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/www.saastr.com\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s break it down &#8230; at least at the moment:<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Where AI is better already, or soon will be:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>1. Transactional Sales Reps Are at Risk in General<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>AI is already outperforming mediocre or mid-pack customer success reps.\u00a0 This will likely come soon to transactional sales, especially for deals under $10K. These are the one-call closes or high-volume, low-complexity sales where customers primarily need quick answers, clear pricing, and a seamless buying experience. AI doesn\u2019t get tired, doesn\u2019t forget product details, and doesn\u2019t push unnecessary upsells to hit quota. It\u2019s consistent, always available, and can handle objections or pricing questions without emotional baggage.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Even where humans are better, hiring is just so hard.<\/span>\u00a0 An AI that is even 80% as good as a human at transaction 1-2 touch close sales will be better when you add in all the hard and soft costs of hiring, training, and losing a new member of the sales team.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"AI Sales Revolution: Digital Twins Close Deals Faster!\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/o6dLG_VBvPE?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/www.saastr.com\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><strong>2. Mediocre Customer Success, Sales Engineers, Etc. Are at Risk.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>AI excels at handling tasks like answering technical questions. These are areas where all but the best humans &#8230; just have to &#8220;get back to you&#8221;. AI can step in and handle these efficiently, allowing sales teams to focus on higher-value activities.\u00a0 The best AEs will leverage AI to be even better.\u00a0 But we probably won&#8217;t need mediocre sales engineers, customer success, etc.\u00a0 that are slow to respond and don&#8217;t come with answers.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"AI Sales: Why Humans Can&#039;t Beat a Great AI\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/B5_iHGJ_ImY?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/www.saastr.com\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><strong>3. Mediocre SMB \/ Commercial Reps<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>AI can already outperform the bottom 30-40% of sales reps who don\u2019t know their product well, don\u2019t follow up effectively, or fail to build rapport.\u00a0 At least partially today.\u00a0 Customers often prefer interacting with a great AI over a mediocre human because the AI is faster, more knowledgeable, and doesn\u2019t make mistakes like forgetting key details or missing follow-ups.<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-twitter\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">April 2024:  AI can&#39;t beat a good sales rep.  No way.<\/p>\n<p>April 2025:  AI might beat an OK sales rep.  Maybe.<\/p>\n<p>April 2026:  Our AI is better than 80% of sales reps<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Jason \u2728\ud83d\udc7eSaaStr 2025 is May 13-15\u2728 Lemkin (@jasonlk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jasonlk\/status\/1917276948851745163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 29, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<h1><strong>Where AI won\u2019t replace humans (yet)<\/strong><\/h1>\n<h3><strong>1. True, Real Strategic Relationship Builders<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>AI can\u2019t replicate the deep, trust-based relationships that top enterprise account executives (AEs) build with their clients. These AEs spend their time on complex negotiations, strategic guidance, and relationship-building\u2014areas where human intuition, empathy, and creativity are critical. AI can assist them, but it won\u2019t replace them.<\/p>\n<p>But &#8230; but &#8230; way too many sales execs think they are this.\u00a0 But aren&#8217;t.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>2. Complex Enterprise Sales<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Selling to large enterprises often involves navigating complex procurement processes, multiple stakeholders, and nuanced objections. While AI can handle technical questions and automate parts of the process, it can\u2019t yet manage the human dynamics of these deals. The best enterprise AEs thrive on understanding the unique needs of each stakeholder and crafting tailored solutions\u2014something AI isn\u2019t capable of doing at the same level.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"V0WrnpZnmO\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/salesforce-we-are-hiring-0-engineers-this-year-but-were-growing-the-sales-team-20-because-ai\/\">Salesforce:  We Are Hiring 0 Engineers This Year.  But We&#8217;re Growing The Sales Team +20%.  Because AI.<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content lazyload\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Salesforce:  We Are Hiring 0 Engineers This Year.  But We&#8217;re Growing The Sales Team +20%.  Because AI.&#8221; &#8212; SaaStr\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/salesforce-we-are-hiring-0-engineers-this-year-but-were-growing-the-sales-team-20-because-ai\/embed\/#?secret=x8modSQgc2#?secret=V0WrnpZnmO\" data-secret=\"V0WrnpZnmO\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><strong>3.\u00a0 Truly Creative Problem Solvers.\u00a0 The Sales + Product Gurus.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The best salespeople are creative problem solvers who can think outside the box to address unique customer challenges. AI operates within the parameters it\u2019s given and can\u2019t yet innovate or adapt in the same way a top-performing human can.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Why?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>AI is great at<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>consistency<\/li>\n<li>speed,<\/li>\n<li>availability, and<\/li>\n<li>handling structured tasks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>it can&#8217;t get on a plane and go visit a customer.<\/li>\n<li>And it can&#8217;t do most complex deployments itself.<\/li>\n<li>Or manage business process change.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Emotional intelligence and creativity?\u00a0 We&#8217;ll see.\u00a0 Let&#8217;s not overstate how great most humans are here.\u00a0 Honestly our SaaStr AI is better than more humans here already.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Yes, customers still want to connect with humans for high-stakes decisions or when they need someone to truly understand their unique situation.\u00a0 Humans will still be in six-figure deals.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why the future of sales in 2026+ will be isa hybrid model\u2014AI will handle the routine and repetitive tasks, and more and more of SMB and commercial sales.\u00a0 While the best salespeople will focus on the human elements that AI can\u2019t replicate.<\/p>\n<p>The bottom line: AI will make the best salespeople even better by freeing them up to focus on what they do best, while replacing the mediocre ones who don\u2019t add value beyond what AI can already provide. It\u2019s a bifurcated future\u2014embrace it, or risk being left behind.<\/p>\n<p>More here:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"RxJdmdCm75\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/10-ways-ai-will-change-sales-forever-its-already-happening-in-fact\/\">10 Ways AI Will Change Sales Forever.  It&#8217;s Already Happening, In Fact.<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content lazyload\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;10 Ways AI Will Change Sales Forever.  It&#8217;s Already Happening, In Fact.&#8221; &#8212; SaaStr\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/10-ways-ai-will-change-sales-forever-its-already-happening-in-fact\/embed\/#?secret=cMDJKTlS55#?secret=RxJdmdCm75\" data-secret=\"RxJdmdCm75\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\ud83d\udc4e Would you buy a new car from the sales guy on the lot today? Of course you wouldn\u2019t. You buy on the Internet. You only need the human for pick-up. If that. \ud83e\udd37\u200d\u2640\ufe0fYou won\u2019t buy routine, lower ACV SaaS products from a human sales rep in 2026, either. You\u2019ll do discovery and\u2026 &mdash; Jason&#8230; <br \/><a class=\"more-link fade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/where-ai-will-and-wont-replace-sales-reps-in-2026\/\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":312756,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpscp_schedule_draft_date":"","_wpscp_schedule_republish_date":"","_wpscppro_advance_schedule":false,"_wpscppro_advance_schedule_date":"","_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[]},"categories":[24898,31,24987],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-312755","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ai","category-blog-posts","category-saastr-ai"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saastr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/emptyeng-scaled-1.webp?fit=1000%2C525&quality=65&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5oib2-1jmr","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312755","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=312755"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312755\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":313165,"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312755\/revisions\/313165"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/312756"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=312755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=312755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=312755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}