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As AI transforms the world at an unprecedented pace, it is up to each of us to use our critical thinking powers to be sure we use technology properly.
AI tools are a productivity enhancer. When it’s time for ideation, entering search strings into an AI platform generates a list of topics for managers to discuss with their teams in the next staff meeting. And entering a prompt to generate text for a presentation or a white paper saves time and money.
However, AI is no substitute for the human soft skills required in everyday business transactions. I’m talking about critical thinking and emotional intelligence.
Related: AI Is an Answer, But Not the Only Answer — Here’s Why It Can’t Replace Humans
The need for critical thinking
A couple of months ago, I was talking with a prospect who had been excited to use an AI tool provided by a new vendor. This vendor had sold them on the idea that AI could do all their research and even create their pitch deck.
They thought they would save time and money. Maybe the AI-generated research and pitch deck would be better than anything they’d previously developed in-house.
They took their first AI-generated dataset and slides to a medium-sized company and began to sell their product during the presentation. Then reality hit. The CEO attended the meeting and quickly made her opinion known, announcing, “This looks like something I could’ve pulled from ChatGPT! Were you even listening to us?”
The prospect and I touched base a few days later when he told me how embarrassed he was and wanted to know how they could salvage the situation. I helped him see that without real, verifiable insight and a human touch, they had arrived at the company’s office with a dead-on-arrival pitch deck. The details and recommendations had not been personalized to the target business. The research they quoted didn’t actually exist. Relying on AI, in this case, caused them to break a primary rule of sales — solve the problem, don’t pitch a product.
I advised him to use some of the proprietary data my company provides. The most valuable and insightful business information is often behind a firewall and is not available on the free internet. I also suggested they redo their deck, add a case study and connect with their prospect on a personal level. This time, they used AI as a tool, not a shortcut, and verified its output against reliable sources using their critical thinking skills.
They were able to snag a second chance to make a presentation. And they won the deal because they realized the promise of all the great things AI can do has not yet been fulfilled. They provided real value and insight to the account. And my prospect was so happy they asked for a proposal to put me on retainer.
This story holds an important lesson for business owners who believe artificial intelligence is a total replacement for critical thinking and emotional intelligence. It isn’t. In fact, Gartner predicts that roughly 30% of new sellers entering the workforce through 2028 will experience a reduction in critical analytical skills as well as social skills like relationship building, empathy and active listening due to an overreliance on AI technologies — much like my prospect did.
Related: Why We Need to Become More Emotionally Intelligent In An AI World
Emotional intelligence is your entrepreneurial superpower
Our soft skills are what separate humans from machines. We feel the raw emotions of a client who’s struggling to save their business, and we can assure them that we understand their situation. We can relate to the anxiety of a buyer with FOMU (fear of messing up). We are able to pivot quickly when our prospect throws us a curveball. In these situations, we can access our experiences and suggest an alternate solution.
AI must fake emotions and life experiences. Keep in mind that if you conduct business like a robot, you will be replaced by a robot. EI is your entrepreneurial superpower! Don’t forget to use it — and never surrender your humanity to technology.
There are many ways to end up on the wrong side of a business conversation with a prospect or an account. Closing deals and retaining customers is challenging. There is no reason to make the process unnecessarily difficult. By combining AI-generated data with critical thinking and emotional intelligence, we can demonstrate that we always have our clients’ best interests in mind.
