I believe that AI will cause significant disruption to outbound sales. It has already started and will continue to accelerate rapidly. To elaborate, even the current use of AI, when applied correctly, greatly benefits Account Executives (AEs) and Sales Development Representatives (SDRs). It can assist with research, enhance email communication, compile target lists, and even schedule meetings to some extent. It can also automate the execution of sales sequences. This is where I believe AI will partially undermine Outbound sales. Every week, I find myself having a similar conversation with 2-3 sales executives: "I have a proprietary AI system that enables targeted outbound sales. It really works. " However, I then explain to them that what startups, or even SaaStr itself, truly need is a thoughtful Account-Based Marketing (ABM) approach. This involves a strategic and tailored outreach to a select number of prospects, with careful research and a curated approach. Despite my explanation, the sales executives hardly pause and repetitively respond with the same phrase or a variation: "I have a proprietary AI system that enables targeted outbound sales. It really works. " They are fixated on solely relying on "set and forget" AI-driven outbound strategies. It becomes the lowest effort approach to outbound sales, regardless of whether it's aimed at enterprise, mid-market, or small to medium-sized businesses.

AI-powered outbound campaigns are simply endless sales sequences 2. 0, but with greater volume. More emails that may yield slightly better results than pre-AI, but ultimately worsen the overall effectiveness. Here's the truth: if this continues to be the prevailing sales strategy in 2024, it will not be sufficient. A slightly improved email sent by a computer will not solve the problem at hand. It will not truly understand how I utilize workflows or products, nor will it possess comprehensive knowledge of my competitors' preferences and motivations. Outbound sales still hold value in 2024, but it must be approached with a slower and more meticulous mindset. Unfortunately, many managers and high-velocity sales executives seek the opposite. They desire AI to magically handle all the work for them. I believe this mindset will lead to the demise of outbound sales. Not entirely, but it will signal the end of ineffective sales sequences and, for many, the abandonment of outbound sales strategies. Too many individuals today are unwilling to invest the necessary human effort to execute outbound correctly, even with substantial assistance from AI.