Updated for the AI Age: Barnett’s 10 Laws of Sales 2025 Edition
You may remember our 10 Laws of Sales – but in the age of AI, it’s time for an update. Some things have changed, but humans still win in certain areas…
1-Before AI: Do not ask your customer for information that you can easily find on their website.
1-With AI: Leverage AI tools to research prospects deeply—don’t waste their time (or yours) asking for basics that AI can dig up in seconds.
2-Before AI: Do not ask your manager or other colleagues any question that they can answer for you with one simple Google search.
2-With AI: Don’t ask your manager questions AI can answer. Before pinging your boss, ask your AI assistant or CRM bot. If the answer’s out there, AI will find it faster than a Slack thread.
3-Before AI: Never confer with your colleagues following an on-site customer meeting until after you leave the customer’s building.
3-With AI: Never debrief in front of AI notetakers.
4-Before AI: When making a sales call, if you can’t actually sell anything to that prospect, then at least DON’T BUY anything from them.
4-With AI: If you can’t sell to a prospect, don’t let AI upsell you either. AI-driven recommendations are everywhere—even your prospects’ platforms.
5-Before AI: When negotiating back and forth over pricing, NEVER meet someone in the middle.
5-With AI: AI can suggest “fair” pricing, but don’t let it nudge you into the middle. Stand firm and use data to back up your position.
6-Before AI: When a prospect says “yes” in a pitch meeting, then stop talking, thank them for their time and leave. Or at a minimum, stop selling and change the subject to their desired next steps and roll out schedules.
6-With AI: If your AI tools flag a strong buying signal or a customer says yes, don’t oversell. Shift to onboarding or implementation mode.
7-Before AI: When hiring sales resources, realize that the “three references” job candidates give you are worthless or at best insufficient.
7-With AI: AI can screen resumes and check references, but human judgment is still key. Dig deeper than the bots.
8-Before AI: A sales manager should never force or pressure a rep to change his or her revenue forecast. Everyone is entitled to communicate and own their opinion about sales forecasts. If the rep is short, they need to take action to close the gap, but fudging the forecast under pressure does not help.
8-With AI: AI can predict pipeline health, but reps and managers should use it as a guide, not fact. If there’s a gap, take action, don’t massage the data.
9-Before AI: For new companies and new technology, revenue forecasts are typically far more prone to large timing errors than to large magnitude errors.
9-With AI: Even with AI, early-stage revenue predictions are more likely to be off on timing than on total value. Use AI to refine, but stay flexible.
10-Before AI: When discussing the status of a sales opportunity, any status conditions that include the words “wait” or “waiting” are automatically and always unacceptable.
10-With AI: “Waiting” is not a status—even for AI. If your CRM says “waiting for response,” set up AI-driven reminders, automations, or next steps. Never let a deal stall because you’re waiting—get proactive.