AI and automation have transformed the sales process. Hyper-targeted lead gen, real-time buying predictions, and more detailed analytics are all common practice now. But while speed and efficiency have surged, so has buyer scepticism. Buyer inboxes are flooded with auto-generated outreach and robotic follow-ups. Trust has never been harder to earn. And in B2B? Trust is still the ultimate dealbreaker. Organisations need to recruit and manage their teams differently in 2025 if they’re going to build that trust. It’s about understanding that the best salespeople aren’t being replaced by AI. They’re being upgraded alongside it. Human connection still closes deals.
Why Buyers Still Buy from People
Despite the digital noise, one truth remains: people buy from people. What’s changing is how trust is built. It’s no longer about polished pitches or persistence. Today’s buyers value relevance, responsiveness, and genuine understanding of their pain points. “AI gives sales teams the data,” says Nils Gerardin, Principal Consultant at Hanson Search. “But empathy, intuition, and relationship-building? That’s still human territory. The winning formula is data-backed conversations, not robotic transactions.”
From Transactional to Trusted: Reframing the Sales Role
This evolution means hiring briefs must evolve. Companies aren’t just looking for ‘hunters’ anymore. Instead, they need emotionally intelligent, commercially aware leaders who can build consensus across the C-suite. In other words, today’s sales professionals are a lot more than just closers — they’re strategic advisors, market sensors, and growth catalysts.
Their influence stretches beyond targets and pipelines, feeding back into product roadmaps, customer success strategies, and cross-functional decision-making. And just as sustainability has moved from side project to business imperative, sales is becoming a fully embedded function. The smartest companies are weaving sales intelligence into marketing, product, and customer success, because every touchpoint can influence the buying decision. In other words, AI might kickstart the journey, but it’s human alignment across teams that closes the loop.
What This Means for Hiring Managers
Hiring for sales roles today demands more than a strong track record or a slick pitch. Increased AI in sales means the computer can handle the heavy lifting. And the value of human skill lies elsewhere. Sales professionals likely to thrive now are the ones who can build trust quickly, read between the lines of a conversation and navigate the complexities of modern B2B buying with emotional intelligence and commercial sharpness. This requires hiring managers to recalibrate what they’re looking for. Can your teams communicate strategically, collaborate across departments, and adapt to the evolving sales tech stack without losing their human touch? The most effective salespeople today blend data fluency with real empathy. They’re curious, not just about closing but about what makes a buyer tick. They know how to turn intent signals into meaningful outreach. And they can translate product knowledge into compelling, personalised narratives that speak directly to pain points.
Interviews, too, need to evolve. Instead of simply asking if a candidate uses AI for their sales role, ask how they use it, and crucially, why. Do they rely on automation to speed up admin tasks and sharpen targeting, or are they trying to shortcut the relationship-building process? Strong candidates will be able to articulate how they balance efficiency with authenticity, and how they decide when to automate versus when to engage directly. It’s about discernment as much as technical skill.
AI in Sales: The Bottom Line
Ultimately, sales hires should be evaluated not only on their ability to hit quota, but on their ability to build credibility, influence internally and externally, and respond with agility to both data and human signals. In a landscape shaped by automation, it’s those qualities that will set top performers apart — and hiring managers need to know how to spot them.
To find out how Hanson Search could support with your next sales hire, get in touch with our team using the form below.
Hanson Search is a globally recognised, award-winning talent advisory and headhunting consultancy. Our expertise lies in building successful ventures worldwide through executive search, recruitment, and interim solutions across business-critical roles that drive revenue, protect reputation, and manage risk. We recruit across the C-suite and senior advisory roles, as well as key business functions including communications and investor relations, sustainability, public affairs and policy, digital transformation, marketing & sales, operations, and strategic investment leadership.
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