A lot has changed in 15 years, especially when it comes to cars & technology. I have had my new car for one week, and I am still not sure what all the buttons do or how to best utilize all the options. It's a Plug-In Hybrid, which means you can drive on battery power for 30+ miles alone or switch to the gasoline engine to go further. And if you turn off the electric in sport mode, it will charge the battery faster than if you plug it into the wall. It takes 24 hours with a standard wall plug, but you can get a 220v charger in your garage for $2500. But if you fill it with gas, it's faster, and you can top it off when needed.
That's just the beginning. It has lane assist (which keeps the car in your lane on the highway), blind-spot warnings, a rear-view camera that detects cars, people, and pets, a smart lift gate, Apple CarPlay, and so much more. The key fob is the size of a small country, and there is a phone app that allows you to remote-start and even turn on the heat or AC. I have barely started to master all the bells, whistles, beeps, and boops.
While on a weekend trip to the golf course with two friends, I drove. I was not as attentive to my friends because all the technology was novel and distracting. I am sure, after a while, it will all become second nature, but it did distract me from building a deeper relationship during the ride, which was never an issue when driving in my 15-year-old Nissan.
I find that new technologies in marketing (like AI tools) are the same. They are exciting and shiny, but I feel like they distract me from the main goal of marketing… to create better relationships.
AI Distraction
I constantly see ads on Facebook for AI EVERYTHING: “AI Master Class”, “300 Pieces of Content in 30 Minutes”, “AI Infused This and That”. It's an endless stream of AI everything, promising to help you make more money through marketing.
I have seen this before with Affiliate Marketing, Sales Funnels, Ebooks to Amazon, Landing Pages, List Building Through Webinars, and Lead Magnets. I could go on for hours about tactics that would make you rich. Some people did get rich (those who taught you how to do those things), but few who did them ever recouped the costs of learning them.
AI's biggest promise is marketing automation. Make Your Digital Twin, Make & Post More Content, Lead Generation, and so on.
The problem with most of this is that it may be novel if you are the only one doing it, but when you are competing with thousands of people doing the same thing, it's hard to stand out or even get noticed.
Just like the buttons in my car, and how they take my attention away from my main goal of getting to a location safely and relating to my passengers. All this automation is window dressing and becomes more noise on the internet, competing for the attention of people who do not Know, Like, and Trust you yet!
Free vs Paid
I am friends with an influencer who is constantly touting that established software is DEAD and to try the free tools instead. The truth is that paid-for tools, like those sold by Adobe (currently over $250 a share on the NASDAQ), make money because they add better AI features than the new freebies. They work better, are more stable, and have an audience that is both trained and skilled in using them.
Free tools are great if you have no money or want to save some, but you are quietly distracted from learning the interfaces, options, strengths, and weaknesses. Then one of two things happens: your free trial ends, or the new kid in town convinces you to switch teams to their new bright and shiny object.
I generally find the best AI tools through reviews and recommendations, and I pay for them (by subscribing). Usually, you can get the first month for half price. That way, you can try the full suite of options (available to small businesses). Enterprise (usually hundreds per month) will have the most capabilities, but I am not willing to pay that to test a software product that could take months to learn and even longer to become useful to my business.
Finally, I do my own books, so I know every subscription charge that comes in. That way, if I have not used or found a tool valuable in two months, I can just unsubscribe (which I do often). You can always resubscribe if the software improves or starts generating a new buzz.
How to Speak Human
As much as I use and enjoy exploring what AI can do for my marketing business, I always start with a mantra: “How will this be perceived by my audience, and will they want to engage and take action with the results?”
Most AI tools are designed to limit human-to-human interaction. This is why companies are laying off people. People cost more and take longer than AI tools to complete tasks. With B2b marketing, the end goal should always be to create more human-to-human interaction, not less.
Speaking human requires your audience to reach out and fill out a form, pick up the phone, or email you with problems or questions. The human on the other end will become frustrated if they are redirected to an AI clone, answer engine, or chatbot. They are expecting a human to reach back out to start or continue a conversation.
Speaking human-to-human requires more time, but when the end user expects it, it is the most effective way to build stronger relationships that build loyalty, trust, and long‑term profitability for both you and your customers.
Your audience does not have the patience or desire to learn how to push all the new buttons contained in your system or software. They expect you to invest in them, especially if you want them to invest in you!
Closing Thought
As with the buttons in my car, there is a lot to learn with and about AI. I still use Perplexity all day and night long (worth paying the $20 a month for Pro). I also use Fathom to record and transcribe meetings (usually for staff or client projects).
Many of the buttons in my car are not something I will use every time I drive, but I still have to take the time and effort to learn what they do so I can access them when I need them. I still make time to try new AI tools, like Opus Clips, ElevenLabs, as well as those embedded in everyday software like Evernote, Asana, Zoom, and more.
Those tools promise to speed up and replicate what you currently do, but don't always live up to the hype. Just like CarPlay in my new car, I would expect it to be the same as my phone experience, but it doesn't behave exactly the same way.
One thing I can confirm is that continuing to learn gives you new skills, but it also helps you figure out when you are better off using new technology or just playing to see what it does.
The bottom line is we are in business. If technology is getting in the way of creating better relationships, chances are it's getting in the way of becoming more efficient and profitable.
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Comment below and share your thoughts, ideas, or questions about business-to-business sales and marketing today! Do you have a sales or marketing communications strategy that works for you? What tips or techniques can you share that work for you and your business?
To learn more about this and other topics on B2b Sales & Marketing, visit our podcast website at The Bacon Podcast.
