AI is everywhere. Every casual conversation, every business pitch, every LinkedIn post. But most revenue teams are still figuring out how to get real impact out of this rapidly evolving technology.

That’s what we dug into during our recent virtual event, How Sellers Are Winning with AI in 2025. I was joined by two experienced minds in the revenue space: Alex Wakefield, Chief Revenue Officer at medtech sales platform AcuityMD, and Morgan DUARTE, Global Commercial Excellence Leader at Schneider Electric, a digital automation and energy management giant. Together, we unpacked what it takes to move from AI hype to measurable, AI-powered revenue outcomes.

This wasn’t an hour of AI theory. We talked about what’s really working right now in the field: how to align AI to your sales strategy, how to train your sales teams to embrace it, and how to measure whether it’s moving the needle.

As the president of a 200-person go-to-market org myself, here’s what I walked away with and what I believe every enablement and sales executive should be thinking about right now.

Expect AI’s impact to be only as strong as your human-led strategy

One of the first things we aligned on was that AI isn’t a silver bullet. You can’t just plug in a tool and presume results. It has to be part of a larger revenue strategy.

Morgan put it plainly: “The companies seeing success with AI aren’t asking ‘How do we use AI?’ They’re asking ‘How do we sell better?’ and figuring out where AI fits into that.”

At Showpad, we recently conducted a global survey with the research firm Dynata, surveying nearly 700 revenue professionals across complex industries like manufacturing, medical devices, enterprise tech, and CPG. While 70% of sellers said they were excited about AI, only 39% were using it regularly.

That gap tells us most teams still haven’t nailed down where AI fits into their workflows… or what problems it’s actually solving.

Shift your focus from AI for automation to AI for elevation

The early use cases for AI in sales were mostly task-based execution such as meeting scheduling or follow-up reminders. Helpful. Not transformative. The best sales teams are figuring out how to use AI to finesse the sales motion, not just speed up the workflow. 

What does that look like in practice? It means using AI to deliver smarter content recommendations based on buyer behavior. It means providing real-time coaching feedback that helps reps adjust in the moment. And it means helping sellers tailor their messaging to specific stakeholders, automatically.

Alex mentioned how they’re doing exactly this at AcuityMD noting, “We can highlight those AI insights to the sellers in an automated fashion… so when sellers have conversations with customers, they can be way more specific in what might be interesting and what might resonate with each decision-maker.” 

When AI is deployed this way, it doesn’t just save time. It increases deal quality. It builds seller confidence. And, most importantly, it helps sellers show up as trusted advisors.

“This type of change is not something training alone can solve — it’s really the company culture.” — Morgan DUARTE, Global Commercial Excellence Leader, Schneider Electric

Skip AI change management at your own risk

Even the most promising inventions fail without the right attitude, and both Alex and Morgan made this crystal clear.

First, “AI is led in an organization… by setting it up with change management, creating the right mindset to adopt new technology,” Alex told us. Morgan echoed this sentiment noting, “This type of change is not something training alone can solve — it’s really the company culture that needs to evolve to be a lot more agile.”

Second, Alex emphasized the importance of leaning on internal champions.

“You want to lean into your sellers that are innovative thinkers, early adopters, and those who are curious.”

And it helps if they’re already successful, because when other sellers see top performers embracing AI, it sends a powerful signal.

And finally, Morgan suggested following in Schneider Electric’s footsteps, giving every rep access to AI tools with the expectation they’ll experiment with low-stakes tasks. His guidance? Don’t be afraid to let your revenue team tinker, but be smart and educate them on how not to share confidential company information or proprietary data. That low-pressure, high-curiosity approach helps reps build familiarity and confidence with AI before it becomes part of their everyday deal flow.

AI enablement is about cultural buy-in. You need sellers and managers who are empowered and excited to explore new ways of working.

Foster seller motivation (and retention) with AI 

Morgan’s most compelling insight during the session had nothing to do with emerging technology and everything to do with seller motivation.

“When sellers are engaged in meaningful work that leverages their skills and expertise — not just updating the CRM — they’re more fulfilled, more motivated, and more effective,” noted Morgan.

It’s a simple idea, but a powerful one. AI can actually unlock purpose and performance. As an example, Morgan’s team at Schneider Electric has equipped more than 15,000 sellers with AI tools. But the company’s goal isn’t just scale. It’s impact.

By using AI to handle rote tasks like data entry and follow-ups, sellers can reinvest their time in what really moves the needle. They can focus on deepening customer relationships and broadening their networks. “It’s about making sure that time saved is reinvested into the business — whether that’s visiting more customers or expanding pipeline,” Morgan explained.

He also pointed out that this shift has another important effect: increasing seller autonomy. “Salespeople are becoming more empowered. They’re making decisions that used to be escalated [to sales managers]. AI is giving them access to better information, so companies can delegate more.”

When AI is applied thoughtfully, it makes your team more effective and more energized. That’s not just good for morale. It’s good for sales team retention and bottom-line performance.

“We didn’t just track usage. We tracked impact.” — Alex Wakefield, CRO, AcuityMD

Measure what matters with AI

One of my favorite moments from the session was when Alex talked about how his team aligns AI to performance metrics.

“We didn’t just track usage,” he said. “We tracked impact — time in each stage of a deal, competitive win rate, and deal size.” Alex’s example illustrates the need to connect the dots between AI usage and the outcomes the sales team cares about. Then, the conversation is no longer about AI adoption, it’s about business value.

That’s a key shift. If you’re not tying AI investments to clear sales outcomes, you’re going to struggle to make the case to your CEO and board about continued investment.

It also reinforces a broader truth: enablement is the bridge between great strategy and great execution. And AI, when used correctly, makes that bridge stronger.

The AI bottom line

If there’s one thing I took away from the conversation with our customers Alex and Morgan, it’s this: Using AI isn’t optional anymore. But using it well? That’s where the competitive advantage lies.

To recap:

  • Start with a strong sales strategy, then figure out where AI can help.
  • Use AI to elevate selling, not just automate tasks.
  • Invest in AI change management early.
  • Give sellers the space to do what they’re best at with AI. 
  • Measure AI’s impact, not just activity.

The future of selling will be shaped by teams who know how to combine the art of human connection with the science of AI’s speed and insights. That’s what we’re building toward at Showpad. I’m more convinced than ever that AI will not replace sellers. Instead, it will help every seller show up more effectively.

Check out the findings from The AI Advantage research report to discover more fundamentals for using AI for sales success.