Most teams have AI tools, but without enablement stepping in to guide how reps actually use them, seller productivity won’t budge.
The AI productivity gap is real and it’s not closing on its own
Right now, there’s a big disconnect between the excitement around AI and what’s actually happening on the sales floor. Most reps aren’t using AI consistently. And when they are, it’s often not moving the needle.
The tools are there. But without context, coaching, and a clear “why,” reps don’t know how to use them in the flow of selling.
Giving sellers access to AI isn’t enough. We need to teach them how it helps them win, not just how it works.
Reps aren’t resistant—they’re drowning
I don’t buy the narrative that sellers don’t want to change. What I see are high-performing reps trying to navigate 10 different tools, chasing down content, logging CRM notes, and still trying to hit quota.
AI can help, but only if we’re solving real problems. That means using AI to take low-value tasks off their plate so they can focus on the stuff that actually drives revenue.
Start with what’s slowing them down:
If AI can save them 10–15 minutes on each of these, that’s real time back. But they’ll only use it if it’s baked into their daily rhythm, and that’s where enablement has to lead.
Enablement needs to own the shift from “interesting” to “impactful”
In our recent webinar, Dave Lingebach said it best: "AI can’t just be a playground anymore, it has to be a performance lever."
That means moving past the phase of “check this tool out” and into “here’s how this helps you hit your number.”
Enablement leaders, this is your lane! You're uniquely positioned to make AI actionable by:
You don’t need to overhaul your training program—just anchor AI to the skills you’re already building.
Don’t launch everything, fix one thing first
If you try to roll out AI across your entire sales motion in one shot, it’ll stall. Fast.
Pick one problem. One use case. One win.
We’ve seen teams get strong traction by using AI to generate follow-up emails from call recordings. It saved reps time, improved message quality, and gave managers visibility into what was being sent. No new tech needed, just better enablement.
Once you see success, share it. Let your top performers show what’s working. Nothing drives adoption like peer validation.
The bottom line: AI won’t improve seller productivity unless you make it real
If your reps are still trying to figure out where AI fits, or ignoring it altogether, that’s not on them. It’s a signal that we haven’t made the use cases real enough yet.
This is where enablement earns its seat at the table. Your job isn’t to push tools. It’s to make reps better. AI is just one way to do that if it’s guided, coached, and grounded in real selling situations.
So let’s stop talking about what AI might do. Let’s start showing reps how to use it right now, in ways that help them sell smarter and faster.
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