(And Why the Trusted Advisor Model Matters More Than Ever)
Back in 2025, the dominant narrative was that AI was going to replace jobs.
What’s actually happened is far more precise and far more revealing.
AI hasn’t replaced people.
It has replaced tasks.
Repetitive tasks.
Predictable tasks.
Transactional tasks.
And in doing so, it has drawn a clear line between what is commoditised and what remains deeply human.
You can already see this in content.
There is more content being produced today than at any point in history, yet far less of it carries meaning. Most AI-generated content pulls from the same collective database, rearranging existing information into something that looks right on the surface but lacks depth.
That’s why top content creators are becoming more valuable, not less.
AI can organise information.
It cannot originate essence.
The exact same distinction now applies to sales.
Low-value, transactional products no longer require a salesperson.
We buy online.
We click.
We move on.
Those are commodities.
But complex, high-value sales are not commodities, and never will be.
Because real sales doesn’t happen in a pitch.
It happens in a diagnosis.
The modern sales professional should not show up as a presenter.
They should show up as a trusted advisor.
Think about how we trust experts in other domains.
A doctor doesn’t walk into a room and immediately prescribe medication.
They ask questions.
They listen carefully.
They look for symptoms beneath the surface before recommending treatment.
A baker doesn’t throw ingredients together at random.
They understand the measurements.
The timing.
The order in which ingredients are introduced.
Get one thing wrong, and the outcome changes completely.
Sales is no different.
Great sales professionals don’t go in to convince.
They go in to understand.
They diagnose before they prescribe.
Listening, at this level, is not passive.
It is an advanced skill.
It’s the ability to hear hesitation in a voice.
To sense uncertainty behind a logical objection.
To pause a conversation and say:
“I’m hearing something in how you’re responding. it feels unclear or uncomfortable.
Can you help me understand what’s behind that?”
That single moment often changes everything.
Not because the salesperson pushed harder, but because they created trust.
AI can support research.
It can surface insights.
It can help sales professionals prepare.
But it cannot:
Read the room.
Recognise emotional signals in real time.
Adjust based on context.
Help a buyer feel confident they’re making the right decision.
And confidence is the real currency in complex sales.
This is where founders and CEOs need to pay attention.
Sales professionals who operate as order-takers will quietly become irrelevant.
Sales professionals who operate as trusted advisors will become strategic assets.
Because a trusted advisor doesn’t aim for the quick win.
They aim to build something that lasts.
High-performing sales professionals today are no longer just closing deals,
they are building long-term partnerships.
Partnerships rooted in:
Deep industry knowledge
Real-world experience
Sound judgment and the ability to help clients think clearly about their decisions
These relationships outlast any short-term sale.
As AI continues to remove low-level sales activity, the gap between trained, thoughtful sales professionals and untrained order-takers will widen dramatically.
Companies that fail to invest in training, mentoring, and developing consultative sales skills will be left behind.
Not because their products aren’t good,
but because their conversations aren’t.
AI will never replace great sales professionals in high-ticket, complex environments.
Because when the decision matters, people want to do business with people.
They want someone who can listen deeply, ask better questions, and guide them toward the right outcome, not just sell them something.
That’s the future of sales.
And it’s more human than ever.
Joe Dalton
Sales Craft
Breakthrough Brands
#Sales #ComplexSales #BusinessGrowth #Mentoring