memoryBlue CRO On AI Separating Sales Automators From High-Precision Executors

Outbound sales is splitting into two camps: teams flooding inboxes with automated noise and teams using AI to sharpen how they think, research, and engage. The advantage is shifting toward sellers who arrive prepared, informed, and relevant from the first touch. As AI lowers the cost of outreach, it raises the bar for connection, putting signal-driven go-to-market strategy and human judgment at the center of modern B2B sales.

Glenn Haertel, Chief Revenue Officer and Global Head of Sales at memoryBlue, is watching the shift unfold from both sides of the table as a seller leveraging AI and a buyer inundated by it. From his perspective as an industry leader with more than 25 years of experience driving revenue growth and sales transformations, the automation-first mindset has created a paradox. As it becomes easier to reach prospects, it's never been harder to actually connect with them.

"Outreach from an AI engine misses the mark most of the time. It’s not personal, it’s too structured, and it’s bothersome. When that’s your first impression, you’ve already lost the chance to engage," he says. In Haertel's view, the answer isn't to abandon technology, but to clarify its role.

• Cold call pitfalls: To illustrate the point, Haertel cites what he sees as the common misstep of using auto-dialers to reach out to a massive number of prospects without any advance preparation. "As a SDR or BDR on the other end of that call, you're not ready for that conversation because you don't know who's going to answer. That's very ineffective."

• The intel advantage: A much stronger approach, he says, is to use technology to equip reps with tailored intel for targeted outreach. "That way, you know the exact reason for the outreach. You need to be able to articulate that very effectively in a concise way to capture their attention and to know if you can engage further. If what you're trying to talk to them about is something important to them, they're going to answer."

Haertel emphasizes that this is different from the generic, surface-level personalization that plagues most inboxes. By using a signal-driven GTM, sales teams can synthesize personal details, business problems, and social proof into a single, compelling narrative. "For example, it could help you learn that they're an Alabama grad. You could say, 'hey, I have a client who faced a similar business problem to yours who is also an Alabama grad.' Now you have a linkage that might resonate with that buyer." As he puts it, AI helps find the dots, while a great seller connects them.

• Knowledge with personality: While data provides the foundation for a conversation, Haertel asserts that the delivery is what ultimately determines if a prospect stays on the line. "Knowledge is king in preparation and engagement, but you also have to be sociable. You can't be a robot. You have to be approachable. You have to sound friendly and like you have something they're willing to spend time listening to."

• The missing piece: One worry for Haertel is that AI is becoming a distraction from a more powerful requirement: training. He notes that the younger generation has missed out on an entire critical aspect of the sales profession. "Young sellers today don't know how to have an in-person meeting. It's different, and they're just not skilled at it. You've got to know how to walk in the door, shake hands, and what you're supposed to pick up on and notice. These little subtle skills are becoming a lost art, but they're necessary."

• Know your player: He explains that great training must go beyond methodology. The art of sales leadership, he says, lies in providing a strong framework while coaching individuals to execute in a way that's authentic to their own personality. "A seller will get an outcome more effectively using their own personality than if they tried to mimic mine."

Ultimately, Haertel believes AI serves as a powerful amplifier. For a great seller, it can turbocharge research and sharpen preparation. For those with weak fundamentals, it only serves to expose them. Success, he says, still comes down to the basics. "Leverage AI to be smart, but do your work. The sellers who win are the ones who prepare, follow up, and put in the effort, because there's no substitute for human connection. People still buy from people."