The Power of the Sales Difference

• AI can deliver information instantly; people remember how you made them feel during the buying experience.
• The sales difference is how you sell, not what you sell—experience, clarity, confidence, and trust create separation.
• Human curiosity, empathy, and judgment uncover needs buyers may not even articulate to an AI tool.
• Buyers trust professionals who help them think better, not just decide faster.
• Your ability to reframe challenges and connect dots creates value AI alone cannot replicate.

Using Your Sales Process as a Competitive Advantage

• A consistent sales process creates confidence and credibility in an uncertain, automated marketplace.
• Strong processes guide buyers through clarity, not pressure—AI informs, you lead.
• Asking better questions at each stage positions you as an advisor, not a vendor.
• A defined process allows you to personalize conversations while competitors rely on generic automation.
• Follow-up becomes strategic and intentional, not transactional or scripted.

Creatively Separating Yourself from the Competition

• Turn every interaction into a coaching moment, helping buyers make smarter decisions.
• Share insights from similar clients and real-world experiences AI can’t replicate authentically.
• Slow the sale down when needed—clarity beats speed in high-trust decisions.
• Customize next steps and recommendations instead of pushing standard packages.
• Be the seller who leaves buyers saying, “That conversation helped me see things differently.”

Bottom Line
As AI automates transactions, relationships, insight, and experience become the differentiator. The sellers who win won’t compete with AI—they’ll use it to free up time to do what humans do best: build trust, ask better questions, and guide meaningful decisions.

Tim and his company Progress Coaching have been helping organizations and their managers implement highly effective coaching for almost 20 years.  Tim is a pioneer in the coaching movement and continues to innovate and build solutions that drive and retain top talent. Tim is also the author of "Quit Managing and Start Coaching" and “Coaching: Corporate America’s Number One Weapon" and the creator of the Progress Coaching Training System.   

Books by Tim Hagen