---
title: Why the Future of Selling Belongs to the Most Human Salespeople
description: HubSpot’s Sarah McDevitt explains how empathetic structure, smart pipeline planning, and a 20/20/60 AI-human model help sales teams win by being more—human
---

[AutomateNow Blog | Clarity-Led Growth for Modern Businesses ](https://www.automatenow.uk/blog)

# [Why the Future of Selling Belongs to the Most Human Salespeople](https://www.automatenow.uk/blog/why-the-future-of-selling-belongs-to-the-most-human-salespeople)

 Written by [Bart Kowalczyk](https://www.automatenow.uk/blog/author/bart) | 17 November 2025 11:18:51 Z

During the INBOUND conference in San Francisco, [Bart Kowalczyk](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-kowalczyk/), host of the *H2H Sales Automation Podcast*, sat down with [Sarah McDevitt](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcdevittsarah/), Senior Director of Partners at HubSpot, to explore one deceptively simple question:

> *What if your best sales tool isn’t AI—but the person using it?*

AI has transformed sales operations—automating research, drafting emails, and qualifying leads. Yet, Sarah argues that the most successful teams don’t compete *against* AI; they combine AI’s efficiency with human depth, empathy, and curiosity.

 

 

## The Real Competitive Edge: Humans vs. Humans

“It’s not humans versus AI - it’s humans versus humans,” Sarah emphasises.  
Every rep now has access to similar automation tools. The differentiator is the quality of human interaction: who listens better, who reads the room, who shows up with curiosity and authenticity.

A good rep asks questions; a great rep hears what’s unsaid - tone, hesitation, subtext—and uses it to create value. That ability to interpret emotional signals is where deals are won.

## Empathetic Structuring: Turning Discovery into Dialogue

Sarah introduces a concept she calls **empathetic structuring**—a deliberate way of building accountability and openness into the sales process.  
Instead of the rep carrying the full burden of discovery, both sides share responsibility for reaching the best outcome.

> “Make customers aware they’re accountable for sharing information,” she explains. “That’s how you reach the real answer together.”

In practice, empathetic structuring means explaining *why* questions matter, mirroring the buyer’s goals, and creating a tone of collaboration rather than interrogation.

*  
Bart, CEO of AutomateNow, in San Francisco after interviewing Sarah McDevitt at the HubSpot Partners Lounge during INBOUND.*

## The Hidden Cost of Poor Pipeline Planning

Why do so many reps rush calls or rely on canned talk tracks? Because they’re pressed for time.  
Missed planning leads to end-of-month panic; panic crushes presence.

Sarah sees AI as a way to reclaim that space:  
Automate scheduling, CRM updates, and summaries—then use the extra hours for genuine connection.

> “If you’re not pipeline planning, you’re not giving yourself the space to connect,” she warns. “And connection is what creates future sales opportunity.”

## The 20 / 20 / 60 Model: Redefining the AI-Human Balance

Sarah breaks the modern sales workflow into three buckets:

**20 % AI-Only:** Tasks that require no human oversight—data entry, enrichment, meeting summaries.

**20 % AI + Human:** Collaboration between people and intelligent agents—drafting proposals, analysing calls, suggesting next actions.

**60 % Human-Only:** The core of selling—listening, discovery, negotiation, trust-building.

Reps who treat all three buckets as equal end up starving the last one. Protecting the *human 60 %* ensures time for curiosity, storytelling, and emotional calibration—the traits AI still can’t fake.

 

## Building Trust in Minutes, Not Months

Conventional wisdom says trust takes years to build and seconds to lose. Sarah disagrees.

> “If authenticity, logic, and empathy are present, you can build trust in a matter of moments.”

Being prepared with insights (logic), showing up as yourself (authenticity), and showing genuine concern (empathy) are the three fast-acting ingredients. The first impression becomes the trust foundation.

## From Delivery to Loop Marketing

At INBOUND, many HubSpot partners shared an “aha” moment: the end of the delivery mindset.  
“Delivery” implies a finish line. Modern revenue work is looped—test, learn, iterate, and repeat.

Loop Marketing reframes services from one-off projects into continuous improvement cycles.  
For HubSpot partners, like AutomateNow, that means evolving from “technical implementers” to complexity experts—professionals who orchestrate cross-team collaboration and help clients keep learning from their own data.

## Complexity > Technology

AI will democratise many technical skills. Tomorrow, every agency and rep will have similar tools.  
What will differentiate them is their comfort with complexity—human, geographic, organisational.

> “Don’t sell yourself as technical,” Sarah advises partners. “Be a complexity expert. The tools will change. Complexity won’t.”

## The Book: Relational Intelligence in the AI Era

Sarah’s upcoming book explores relational intelligence through personal stories.  
It’s a call to resist the “disconnection epidemic” of modern work—where speed and automation can crowd out empathy.

Interestingly, she co-wrote it *with* AI:

> “Of course, I used AI—it would be silly not to. But the AI didn’t live my experiences. I did.”

The book models how humans can be amplified, not replaced, by technology.

## One Human Question That Changes Everything

If you remember one tactic, make it this:

Start every meeting with “How are you?”  
Then follow up with, **“How are you really?”**

That second question breaks the automation loop. It signals presence, curiosity, and care—the foundation of long-term trust.

## Key Takeaways

- **AI is your assistant, not your advantage.** Your humanity is.
- **Protect your 60 %.** Automate the rest so you can show up fully human.
- **Trust = authenticity + logic + empathy.** Bring all three early.
- **Plan your pipeline.** Space creates presence; presence creates sales.
- **Iterate endlessly.** Loop marketing keeps customers engaged and revenue recurring.

The next revolution in sales won’t come from faster algorithms but from **slower, deeper human moments**—where curiosity replaces scripts and empathy replaces noise.  
AI handles the tasks. You handle the trust.

Because in the end, **the most powerful sales tool is still you.**

### Listen & Connect

🎧 [H2H Sales Automation Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/2mdzwCWwPahBwkZWY94bvN) | [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h2h-sales-automation-podcast/id1643480476)  
🤝 Connect with [Bart Kowalczyk](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartkowalczyk/)  
💬 Follow [Sarah McDevitt](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcdevittsarah/) for updates on her upcoming book

[View full post](https://www.automatenow.uk/blog/why-the-future-of-selling-belongs-to-the-most-human-salespeople)

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