Building Trust in Sales in the Age of AI with Julie Thomas
AI is changing how salespeople research, prospect, and prepare. But when it comes to earning a buyer’s trust, technology can only take you so far.
Julie Thomas, CEO of ValueSelling Associates, joins Paul Fuller to explore what new prospecting research tells us about selling in an increasingly automated world.
From cold calling and respectful persistence to active listening, critical thinking, and seller development, Julie explains why the tools around selling may be changing while many of the fundamentals that create trust remain the same.
What You’ll Learn
- Why cold calling still works in B2B sales
- How to gain access in a low-trust environment
- Why AI and automation can sometimes erode buyer trust
- Why communication and critical thinking still matter
- How sales leaders can balance technology with training and coaching
- Why technology should amplify good selling rather than accelerate bad selling
Why Cold Calling Still Works (06:41)
Despite major changes in sales technology, Julie’s research found that the phone remains an effective way to create that first sales conversation.The challenge is persistence and preparation. Sellers need to keep showing up, know what they are going to say when someone answers, and make the conversation relevant from the start.
How Better Conversations Build Trust (14:41)
Relevance, active listening, and responding to what the buyer is actually saying are still fundamental to good selling.Julie argues that over-reliance on scripts and technology can get in the way when sellers stop listening and start simply waiting for their next prompt. Trust comes from being present, credible, and genuinely engaged in the conversation.
Why Trust Matters More in the Age of AI (30:14)
Buyers can now research products and solutions without ever speaking to a salesperson. That means the seller’s value increasingly comes from helping buyers make sense of their situation and build a case for change.Julie explains why communication, critical thinking, insight, and credibility remain difficult to automate, and why people still want to do business with people they like and trust.
Listen to the full conversation with Julie Thomas to learn how to build trust in sales, create better buyer conversations, and use AI and technology without losing the human skills that make great selling work.
Want to explore the research behind the conversation?
Read ValueSelling Associates’ Cutting Through the Noise report for a closer look at what’s working in prospecting today.
About Julie Thomas:
Author, speaker and CEO of ValueSelling Associates, Inc., Julie Thomas works with revenue leaders, helping them achieve results they never thought possible. She also leads Growist™, a ValueSelling sub-brand empowering small businesses with proven sales frameworks. A former Gartner executive, Julie’s long-standing industry leadership has earned ValueSelling top awards as a pre-eminent provider of sales training. Her latest book is The Power of Value Selling: The Gold Standard to Drive Revenue and Create Customers for Life.
By Paul Fuller
Paul Fuller’s stated mission is to help others maximize their gifts by using his.
Paul has been a pioneer in the sales process and training, sales as a service, content marketing and CRM. As a previous founder and owner of multiple successful growth organizations in these spaces, Paul has effectively trained and led sales and marketing teams across the world to focus on and achieve dynamic growth.
He firmly believes sales is defined best in three categories:
• Service - helping other get what they need
• Leadership - guiding others toward their vision
• Wayfinding - navigating the path to success together
He is firmly committed to elevating the sales profession through coaching, leading, and empowering others through systems that enable strong performance.
Currently Paul leads revenue growth at Membrain.com - the top sales effectiveness CRM in the world. Working with his team, and a group of over 100 top sales consultant organizations across the globe, they are focused at creating scalable growth through sales excellence in companies and teams in over 80 countries.
Schedule a call with him here.
Find out more about Paul Fuller on LinkedIn
