AI Sellers: Your Buyer Has Done the Homework–Now What?

Aman Rangrass is the Global Head of Revenue and Solutioning at Skan.ai, deploying AI-led process intelligence across enterprises.

Today, selling technology—and AI, in particular—is like being a tour guide in a city where everyone already has GPS. Your prospects show up knowing the landmarks, the shortcuts and probably the best restaurants, too. They've done their homework, compared reviews, and they're not about to be impressed by your standard pitch about the “scenic route.”

Much like travelers, in enterprise terms, buyers are armed with easy-access resources such as peer reviews and AI search tools, which many use to form a basic understanding of the competitive landscape. These same buyers get hit with hundreds of AI pitches every quarter. Buyers’ expertise is accelerating while most sellers are still idling.

This puts sellers in a tough spot. Sales teams must meet prospects where they are in their research journey—and nail that crucial first impression, because there might not be a second chance. The old discovery calls are dead—you know, the ones where you ask about pain points and priorities. Discovery still exists, but educated buyers expect a hyper-personalized experience with examples and use cases pulled straight from their industry's playbook.

3 Strategies AI Sellers Need

Everything we thought we knew about selling is being turned upside down. Three seismic shifts are happening as we speak. Sellers who miss quickly jumping on this train will certainly be headed in the wrong direction.

First, every seller must have a thorough understanding of the domain in which a company operates and a deep comprehension of relevant use cases. In healthcare, you’d better know the difference between prior authorization and appeals processing. In insurance, underwriting and claims processing aren’t just buzzwords—it's your customer's daily reality, and you’re expected to master the metrics that matter. Even understanding the steps involved isn’t enough. Buyers expect familiarity with their roles and challenges and an appreciation of their broader technology stack.

Second, a deep understanding of products and technology is now foundational. While this was historically a nice-to-have, each seller must master customer-specific practical applications. Here's what separates winners from losers: Pick one lane and own it completely. In the agentic AI world, customers will pilot a variety of use cases across the business, and sellers must continually level up their understanding and education.

Lastly, the outcomes must be measurable. Four to six quarters ago, the promise of giving time back and heightened productivity was enough to land you a pilot or a potential deal. Remember when you could wave your hands and say, "We'll optimize first, then measure"? Those days are over, in my opinion. Buyers are educating themselves faster than ever. Everyone knows they can measure co-pilot adoption, but the actual use to achieve better outcomes is still hard to measure. AI pilots will continue to have a hard time proving real value until they can answer the simple question: What actually got better, and by how much? Delivering answers to this will separate the winners from the pack.

What’s Next For AI Sellers?

Fast forward twelve months from now. Sellers must be clear and upfront about the ROI their technology will deliver. Smart buyers are more than capable of calling your bluff, even if they don’t admit it. They're saying, “As an engineer, I can write an automation that can do what all these tools claim to do. So, what’s the actual value that is being delivered, and how is it differentiated?” A clear path and measure of impact will be foundational.

Only the sellers who can prove real ROI will survive. The rest will be left explaining why their "game-changing" AI tool sounds exactly like the other 50 pitches that landed in their prospect's inbox this quarter. The destination hasn't changed, but the agentic AI GPS just rerouted everything. Are you following the updated directions or taking the same old scenic route?

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