By now, most of us have experienced AI firsthand, whether it’s a chatbot helping you track down a delayed delivery, eerily accurate Netflix recommendations, or a tool like ChatGPT or Copilot at work. And depending on the day, we’ve either walked away super impressed or deeply frustrated… sometimes both within the same hour.
For some, AI has been a game-changer. It has streamlined clunky processes, improved productivity and removed a lot of repetitive admin and busywork. For others, it feels disjointed, impersonal or just really obvious. Like receiving a generic, templated email when what you’d expected was a bit of empathy.
The reality is, AI isn’t going anywhere. It’s ever-evolving, and we’re all still figuring out the best way to use it. But the biggest risk right now isn’t in using AI - it’s using it in a way that loses what matters most: the human connection.
Let’s face it, when used well, AI powered automation is awesome! It can:
For our clients, tools like Pipedrive are making it even easier to automate repetitive tasks (from scheduling follow-ups or setting reminders to logging emails) without losing visibility or control. Pair it with JustCall for automatic call logging and voicemail drops, and you free up your reps to focus on having better conversations, instead of manually updating systems… or worse, not recording at all.
And the productivity gains are real. In fact, a recent NBER study found that support agents using AI tools saw a 14% boost in productivity. That is real ROI, and for simple, repetitive tasks or generating quick ideas, the upside is hard to ignore.
But what happens when we try to automate the parts of business that rely on emotional intelligence?
Customer relationships. Team dynamics. First impressions. Difficult conversations. These are moments that can’t be templated or outsourced to a machine.
As Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
And no matter how good the tech gets, AI doesn’t (yet) know how to make people feel. It doesn’t read the room. It doesn’t pause to check the tone. It doesn’t know when to hold back or when to lean in. That’s where the human side of business matters most.
In fact, some of the most recent conversations around AI and mental health, HR, and relationship management point to a growing discomfort: that if we’re not careful, we’ll lose the very thing that makes our teams, our culture and our customer experience different.
That’s why we recommend using tools that automate behind-the-scenes processes, not the relationship itself. Take PandaDoc for example. It is brilliant at the proposal process with smart templates and automated reminders - but it’s still your voice, your value and your follow-up that closes the deal. Not the template.
The same applies to email cadences or call notes. You can automate the capture and scheduling… but keen your people do the talking, the listening, the selling.
Take this recent example by my good friend Matthew Poulier, Global Head of Brand and Creative at Employment Hero:
Matthew used multiple AI tools to create a clever, emotional and very human piece of advertising content. But here’s the catch:
It didn’t happen with a single prompt, job done. As Matthew explained in a comment below the original post, it required discernment, creative thinking and multiple iterations across several tools including ChatGPT, Sora, Veo3, Elevenlabs and Capcut.
The final result worked because of the human judgement layered into every step. The emotion was real. The connection was real. The tools just made it possible faster, cheaper and more creatively than ever before.
And that is what I think is the sweet spot - using AI to accelerate your thinking, not replace it.
AI won’t replace your sales team. But used well, it can make them better. More present, more focused and more efficient.
Use AI to remove the admin, standardise the process and support your team’s creativity. Just don’t let it do the connecting for them.
Because at the end of the day, people buy from people. And the businesses that strike the right balance between automation and authenticity? They’ll be the ones that win.
Ready to integrate AI without losing the human edge that sets you apart? Book a free consult with Motii - we’ll help you build the kind of sales systems that are not only efficient and scalable, but genuinely human-centred. Because at Motii, we believe your tech should enable connection, not replace it.
Latest updates
Pipedrive has just rolled out one of its biggest updates yet and it’s already making waves across the CRM world. Whether you’re a long-time user, just starting to explore your options, or somewhere in between, these updates are worth your attention.
At Motii, we’ve implemented hundreds of CRMs across dozens of industries, and there’s one common denominator in every successful rollout: consistent use of Activities. Want to close more deals, reduce stress, and build a system that scales? Start with Activities.
