Season 4 - Episode 29: AI is changing how we sell — how should you adapt?
- PIMM Sthlm
- 12 minutes ago
- 3 min read
AI is changing how we sell. Not by replacing relationships, but by reshaping everything around them. As preparation becomes faster and more accessible, the role of sales is starting to shift. So what actually creates value going forward?
Key topics
AI reduces the cost of preparation in sales
The shift from gathering information → to using it effectively
Why speed doesn’t create differentiation
How GTM teams and roles may need to change
The emergence of two models: relationship-driven vs AI-first
Why the opportunity is combining both
Episode 29: AI is changing how we sell — how should you adapt?
– With Charlotte Altmann, Founder and CEO of cse advisory
This weeks episode
We talk a lot about AI and how it might change the way we work. But less about what it actually changes in practice. For a long time, scaling B2B sales followed a simple logic: If you wanted to grow, you hired more people. More sales reps. More support around them.
Because selling, especially in relationship-driven markets, required time, preparation, and coordination. Today, that assumption is starting to shift.
In this episode of Simply Briefed, Kristine Lium is joined by Charlotte Altmann, go-to-market strategist and founder of CSE Advisory, to explore how AI is changing how companies prepare, sell, and scale. Not by replacing relationships, but by reshaping everything around them.
From preparation to conversation
One of the most immediate effects of AI in sales is not what happens in the meeting. It’s what happens before it.
Research that used to take hours can now be done in minutes.Insights that required multiple tools can now be structured in one place.
Understanding the company, the industry, and the decision-makers is no longer the bottleneck.
And that changes the role of the salesperson.
From gathering information → to using it effectively.
If preparation becomes easier, what actually creates value?
Speed is easy — quality is not
AI gives companies something they’ve always wanted: speed. But speed alone doesn’t create differentiation.
When everyone uses AI in the same way, everything starts to look the same. Generic messaging. Generic outreach. Generic positioning.
And in B2B, where decisions involve multiple stakeholders and longer cycles, that doesn’t work.
The challenge is no longer to do more. It’s to do better.
Two models are emerging
Looking at Europe, this shift becomes even more visible. Because companies are not adapting in the same way.
Relationship-driven markets
In markets like Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the DACH region, sales is still strongly relationship-driven.
Decisions take time. Trust is built over multiple interactions. Structures are well defined. AI can support the process, but it doesn’t replace what makes deals happen.
AI-first companies
At the same time, a new generation of companies is emerging.
Companies that:
adopt AI early
experiment quickly
rethink how teams are structured
They are less tied to traditional models and more focused on new ways to scale.
The opportunity is not choosing
The opportunity is not choosing one model over the other. But combining them.
AI enables:
faster preparation
better access to information
more efficient workflows
While human relationships still drive:
trust
decision-making
long-term value
AI for preparation. Humans for relationships.
A shift in how we build teams
This also affects how companies think about growth. If operational work can be supported by AI, scaling may not be about adding more people.
Instead, the focus shifts to:
choosing the right profiles
connecting insights across teams
Less volume. More context.
Potentially:
smaller teams creating the same impact.
A European perspective
In a shifting global landscape, Europe is increasingly looking inward.
How do we build stronger companies within the region?
How do we scale across markets with different cultures?
Here, AI can act as an enabler.
Helping companies:
understand new markets faster
adapt messaging
navigate cultural differences
And ultimately:
build stronger, more connected ecosystems.
What can you take with you?
If you’re working with sales, marketing, or growth, this shift is already relevant.
A few starting points:
Use AI to prepare, not to replace
Focus on quality over volume
Adapt your approach to the market
Invest in people who can connect insights
Because while AI changes how we work, it doesn’t change what matters.
🎧 Listen now on Spotify!
Host: Kristine Lium
About the guest
Name: Charlotte Altmann
Title: Founder and CEO of cse advisory
Background: I’ve been running cse advisory for nearly six years, a boutique consulting firm that supports European B2B tech companies in entering and scaling in the DACH market. With over 15 years of experience across marketing and sales, I’ve worked with more leading B2B SaaS companies and VCs across Europe, from early-stage startups to hyper-growth and corporate.
Contact: LinkedIn and cse advisory
👉 Listen to the full episode of Simply Briefed to explore how AI is changing how we sell, and what that means in practice.
Comments