When people think about AI in business, their minds often jump to one thing: writing emails. Sure, AI can craft a solid email, but if that’s all you’re using it for, you’re barely scratching the surface.

I was reminded of this last week when I ran a workshop for our sales team… an introduction to Generative AI. I expected curiosity, maybe even a little skepticism. What I got instead was pure enthusiasm. They weren’t just open to learning; they soaked it all in.

And by the end? They weren’t thinking about AI as just a writing tool. They were seeing it as a research assistant, a conversation coach, and a strategic asset.

Let’s break down what happened.

The Moment Everything Clicked

There were a few moments during the workshop that made the room sit up a little straighter.

First, I walked them through how I personally use AI: how I construct prompts, assign AI a specific role, and even get it to ask me questions to refine my thinking. It wasn’t just about what to ask AI, but how to interact with it in a way that felt collaborative.

What really blew their minds: ChatGPT’s advanced voice mode.

The second I started talking to ChatGPT and having a live, back-and-forth conversation with it… it was like a lightbulb went off. Suddenly, AI wasn’t just a text generator. It was a real-time thought partner. A tool they could use to role-play conversations, refine their messaging, and even prep for difficult client interactions.

It was no longer about static prompts and responses. It was about dynamic, natural conversations.

And that’s when the ideas really started flowing.

From Curiosity to Action: How Salespeople Want to Use AI

Once they saw AI in action, the next question was obvious: How can we use this in our daily work?

Here are some of the most exciting ways they immediately wanted to apply AI:

🔹 Competitive Analysis – They realized AI could help them quickly gather insights on competitors, summarizing key points from multiple sources in seconds.

🔹 Customer Research – Instead of spending hours sifting through LinkedIn, company websites, and industry reports, AI could help them understand potential clients faster.

🔹 Meeting Summaries – AI could transcribe and summarize sales calls, helping them focus on the conversation instead of frantically taking notes.

🔹 Sales Call Prep – They saw the potential to use AI to anticipate objections, craft responses, and refine their pitches.

🔹 Role-Playing Conversations – This was a big one. With ChatGPT’s voice mode, they could practice sales conversations in real-time, testing different approaches and getting instant feedback.

It was as plain as day: this wasn’t about kicking them out of the game, it was about cranking up their skill volume to eleven!

Why This Workshop Worked

So, why did this session resonate so deeply? I believe it came down to three things:

1. It was inspiring. Instead of just telling them what AI could do, I showed them. The hands-on demonstrations sparked excitement.

2. It was practical. The use cases we discussed weren’t abstract or futuristic, they were things they could start using today.

3. It was relevant. Every example tied back to their work. AI wasn’t just a cool tech tool; it was something that could directly improve their sales process.

This experience reinforced something critical for me:

If you want people to embrace AI, you have to meet them where they are. You have to give them examples that feel immediately useful and show them how AI can enhance their expertise.

The Bigger Picture: AI as a Thought Partner

Too many people still see AI as a one-dimensional tool, something that spits out a generic email or an automated response. But when you shift your perspective, you realize AI can be so much more:

• A sounding board – Ask AI to challenge your thinking, poke holes in your arguments, or help refine your messaging.
• A brainstorming partner – Stuck on an idea? AI can generate different angles, counterpoints, and creative suggestions.
• A role-playing coach – Whether you’re preparing for a sales call, a job interview, or a difficult conversation, AI can simulate different scenarios to help you prepare.

The key is to start treating AI as an interactive tool, rather than just a content generator.

Final Thoughts: The Key to Unlocking AI’s Full Potential

If there’s one lesson I took away from this experience, it’s this:

If you want people to understand the full potential of AI, you need to inspire them.

You need to give them real examples that feel relevant to their daily work. You need to show, not just tell. And most importantly, you need to shift the conversation from what AI can do to how AI can work with you.

The sales team walked away from that workshop with new skills, new ideas, and a new way of thinking about AI. But more importantly, they left excited, because they saw how AI could make them better at what they do.

And isn’t that the real goal?

Want your team to experience this firsthand? I run hands-on workshops that help teams integrate AI into their workflows, whether it’s for sales, marketing, HR, strategy… Let’s turn AI from a buzzword into a real advantage for your business.

📩 Get in touch or book a session here to get started.