Adapting Sales for the AI Era: Lessons from a Decade of Change

From enablement to what modern selling requires

Ten years ago, enablement was often owned by sales and focused on delivering training and materials to one specific team. But today's buying experience looks nothing like it did a decade ago — and buyers expect far more in every interaction. They want relevant insights, tailored content, and conversations that feel informed from the very first touch.

As buying behavior has evolved, enablement has transformed with it. It's now a company-wide discipline designed to support every customer-facing moment — not through one-off training sessions, but through timely, contextual guidance that helps sellers show up with exactly what buyers need.

And this is where AI-powered enablement is beginning to reshape the experience. Instead of digging through content libraries or waiting for a scheduled coaching session, reps can get what they need in the moment — whether that's a quick answer to a product question, a tailored asset for a specific persona, or practice opportunities they can complete privately and confidently.

With AI working behind the scenes, sellers are equipped with the insights, training, and coaching they need to make the most of every interaction. It's not about replacing the fundamentals of good selling — it's about giving reps the clarity and confidence to engage buyers more effectively than ever before.

The real role of AI

AI doesn't rewrite the fundamentals of great selling — it reframes them. Buyers still respond to trust, curiosity, empathy, and clear value. What's changed is the environment surrounding those skills. Deals move faster, expectations are higher, and information is everywhere. AI steps in not to replace the human elements, but to elevate them — removing friction so sellers can focus on the conversations and decisions that truly move opportunities forward.

It's already transforming how sellers prepare, engage, and grow. AI summarises research, surfaces insights, personalises content, and even powers private coaching simulations. These capabilities don't make sales robotic — they make it more human, giving sellers more time to focus on the work only they can do: building relationships.

Of course, big predictions are everywhere. Some forecast that AI will replace quota-carrying reps, or that AI-driven buyers will make decisions autonomously. But as Doug Winter reminded the audience at Shift, similar fears have accompanied every wave of innovation — from CRM to the cloud. In reality, each one has only made human sellers more valuable.

The difference this time is speed. AI isn't just a helpful sidekick; it's becoming a teammate that never sleeps. When sellers harness it properly, they can accelerate deals and win more business. — one that amplifies what sellers can achieve when they learn to harness it.

From copilots to agents

Today's AI tools act as copilots — assisting, suggesting, and accelerating daily tasks. But we're now entering a new phase: agentic AI.

These intelligent systems don't just recommend actions; they take them. Imagine an assistant that builds a presentation automatically, or one that curates, tags, and updates your content library so sellers always have what works best for each buyer.

At Seismic, we're already driving these actions across teams. AI agents can now create personalized sales materials, generate learning lessons, and even govern and update content libraries behind the scenes. It's not about replacing people; it's about amplifying their impact.

This marks a turning point for enablement: moving from a support function to a driver of strategic transformation. AI becomes the bridge between information and execution — translating knowledge into action at unprecedented speed.

Why humans still win

One of the most memorable moments at Shift came during a conversation between Doug Winter and Mark Dodds, Chief Revenue Officer at Elastic — an AI-driven tech company and Seismic customer. Dodds described AI as "a genius teammate that never sleeps — it sits across the funnel and helps do tasks, with the goal of making my sellers more productive." He also emphasized that some things remain uniquely human: "building trust, doing discovery, and navigating complex sales cycles."

That perspective captures the essence of selling in the AI era. Technology can inform, predict, and automate — but empathy, judgment, and authenticity still win deals. Sellers who combine those traits with AI's precision will outperform everyone else.

For enablement leaders, the challenge now isn't teaching sellers what to know — it's helping them learn how to adapt. AI can make teams faster, but it's enablement that makes them smarter.

Evolving, not endangered

Doug Winter closed his keynote with a simple metaphor: "Don't be woolly." The woolly mammoth didn't adapt — but the elephant did. The same holds true for sales organizations.

Those that evolve and embrace AI thoughtfully, enabling their teams deliberately, and aligning technology with human purpose, will define the next decade of success. AI won't replace great sellers, but it will expose poor ones. The difference lies in adaptability — in a team's willingness to learn, experiment, and evolve.

The future is human — and AI

The AI era of sales isn't about replacing people. It's about equipping them with tools that help them reach their potential faster, with greater precision and creativity.

Enablement's role has never been more crucial: to guide teams through this shift, so they stay curious, confident, and capable in a world where change never slows down.

As Doug reminded us at Shift, "Technology helps and it changes, but it doesn't eliminate the need for good sales." That truth has never felt more relevant. The future of selling is human, just powered by AI.

Ready to adapt your sales strategy for the AI era?

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