The Biggest AI Mistake I See Salespeople Making

 

Are we becoming better at using AI — or simply better at collecting AI tools?

I spend a lot of my time speaking and training around AI, sales and LinkedIn, and I've noticed something interesting.

People love discovering new tools.

ChatGPT. Gemini. Claude. Grok. DeepSeek. Perplexity. Clay. Apollo. HeyGen. Gamma. Beautiful.ai. ElevenLabs.

Another one launches and suddenly we're signing up for another free trial and trying to remember which email address we used.

At some point, you have to ask:

Is any of this actually helping us sell?

That's why I've changed the way I think about AI.

I'm becoming much less interested in individual tools and much more interested in the journey.

Start with the sales problem

Suppose I want to win a new client.

I could use LinkedIn and Apollo to identify the right people.

Then Perplexity, Grok or Gemini could help me understand the company, market and what is happening around them.

I could take that information into ChatGPT, Claude or DeepSeek and ask the AI to challenge my thinking, identify potential problems and prepare intelligent questions.

If I need more information about the prospect, Clay can enrich it.

Now I have something worth saying.

That's when the creative tools become useful.

I could turn the idea into a presentation with Gamma or Beautiful.ai, create supporting graphics in Canva, produce a personalised video with HeyGen, or potentially use ElevenLabs where voice makes sense.

Suddenly we're not talking about AI tools anymore.

We're talking about a sales system.

And that's a much more interesting conversation.

But there's a catch

The more AI can do, the more important I think the human becomes.

AI can research somebody before I meet them.

It can't build the relationship for me.

AI can suggest five brilliant questions.

It can't look across the table and realise that question number three has just made the customer uncomfortable.

AI can draft a follow-up email in seconds.

It doesn't know whether I should pick up the phone instead.

AI can create a beautiful sales presentation.

It doesn't know when I should close the laptop and simply listen.

Those are human skills.

And they're becoming more valuable, not less.

Don't ask which AI is best

I'm also increasingly convinced that we're asking the wrong question.

People ask me whether ChatGPT is better than Gemini.

Or Claude.

Or Grok.

Or DeepSeek.

My answer?

For what?

Try giving the same genuine business problem to several of them.

Don't ask five AIs five different questions.

Give them exactly the same problem.

Then compare their thinking.

You may be surprised.

Take the strongest ideas, challenge the weak ones and add something none of those systems possesses:

Your experience.

That's where I think sales is heading

The winners won't necessarily be the companies with the most AI.

And they certainly won't be the salespeople with the most subscriptions.

The winners will be the people who understand where AI can remove friction, where it can improve decisions and where it should get out of the way.

My rule is becoming very simple:

Automate the admin.
Accelerate the thinking.
Protect the relationship.

Because the objective isn't to use more AI.

The objective is to spend less time doing things machines can do so we have more time doing the things humans do brilliantly.

Where in your sales process could AI save you the most time without damaging the human relationship?

#ArtificialIntelligence #AISales #Sales #LinkedIn #SalesLeadership #Marketing #ChatGPT #FutureOfSales

I deliver keynotes, training and consulting on AI, sales and LinkedIn.

Let’s talk — frankfurness.com email frank@frankfurness.com

call UK 07711672888

USA 407558 9714

The AI Presentation Wars: Has Gamma Lost Its Crown?

 

The AI Presentation Wars Just Got Interesting

I was having dinner with a client in New Orleans last month, the kind of place with a jazz trio in the corner doing far more with three instruments than most speakers manage with sixty slides. Somewhere between the gumbo and the second round of drinks, she asked me which AI presentation tool she should be using.

I used to have a one-word answer for that. Gamma.

Not anymore.

When Gamma Was the Belle of the Ball

I've built well over a thousand presentations in my career, for rooms as small as twenty people and stages as big as four thousand. The lesson never changes. Your slides aren't there to say more. They're there to get out of the way and let you say it.

When Gamma turned up, I was properly excited. Here, finally, was a tool that could knock out a half-decent deck in minutes, rather than the usual half-day wrestling match with PowerPoint's alignment guides. I recommend it to clients. I demonstrated it on stage. I built it into my AI masterclasses like it was doing me a personal favour.

Lately, though, something's shifted. It wasn't one big falling-out. It was death by a thousand small ones.

More Features, Less Magic

The decks started looking a bit… samey. Same pastel gradients. Same stock-photo people gesturing enthusiastically at whiteboards. Same “AI made this” fingerprint that anyone who's seen more than three of them can spot from the back row.

Meanwhile, Gamma has been busy bolting on more of everything.

More AI. More image generation. More integrations. More collaboration tools that nobody in the room asked for.

It's turned into a Swiss Army knife problem. Twenty-three tools folded into one handle, and somewhere in all that engineering the actual knife stopped being sharp.

Then I Went Shopping

Curiosity got the better of me, as it usually does, so I spent a fortnight testing the competition properly rather than just reading the marketing emails.

Beautiful.ai was the one that made me sit up. The slides had something Gamma's had quietly lost: restraint.

Proper spacing, clean typography, charts that looked like an actual designer had been in the room rather than a very confident algorithm. Instead of dazzling me with a hundred clever tricks, it just helped me build something I'd be happy walking out on stage with. Which, last I checked, is the entire job.

Canva, meanwhile, has grown up when nobody was watching. I spent years filing it under “where people make Instagram posts,” and I was wrong to. Magic Design has come on enormously, the Brand Kits keep everything consistent without you having to think about it, and if you're already living in Canva for your marketing, there's now a genuine case for building your decks there too.

Presentations.ai is the one nobody's talking about, and I'm not sure why. Sharp AI, attractive layouts, and it understands business storytelling rather than just filling boxes with words. Quietly excellent. Put it on your shortlist.

Plus AI takes the opposite approach entirely; it doesn't ask you to leave PowerPoint at all, it just gets smarter inside it. This means you keep your animations, your master slides, your presenter notes, your corporate template, all of it. No mystery exports. No formatting meltdown five minutes before you're due on stage, frantically dragging a text box back into position while the AV guy pretends not to notice.

My Workflow Now

These days I don't marry one tool. I run the lot in relay.

Claude does the research. ChatGPT helps me shape and sharpen the ideas. Presentations.ai or Beautiful.ai builds the first draft. PowerPoint is where I finish it, because that's where I get full control over the last ten percent that actually matters.

And, crucially, at the end of it, it still looks like my presentation. Not the software's.

Frank's Quick Tip Before you rebuild your deck with yet another AI tool, ask whether the problem is the software or the story. Nine times out of ten, a beautifully generated slide still can't rescue a message nobody has thought through properly.

 

The Real Lesson Isn't About Gamma

This isn't really a Gamma pile-on, much as it might read like one. It's a pattern I've watched play out across thirty years of new technology landing on my desk.

Companies keep adding features because they can. Customers, on the other hand, generally want one thing done brilliantly, not eleven things done adequately. The businesses that last aren't the ones with the longest feature list. They're the ones that never forgot what they were good at.

My Current Favourites

●      Beautiful.ai — for polished executive presentations

●      Presentations.ai — for fast, sharp first drafts

●      Canva — for marketing and visual content

●      PowerPoint with AI tools — when you need total creative control

This market moves fast enough that today's leader could be next year's cautionary tale, and frankly that's the fun part. Our job as presenters was never to fall in love with the software. It's to find whatever helps us tell a better story and leave the room saying “that was brilliant.”

Because in thirty years on stage, I've never once had an audience member walk out and say, “the speaker was forgettable, but did you see those gradients on slide fourteen?”

Want help building presentations that actually land? Email frank@frankfurness.com or call +447711 672888

Google's Had a Midlife Crisis.

 

I was in Manchester last month, having dinner with a group of CEO’s. Someone asked: "When did you last actually click on a Google result?" Silence. Cutlery clinking. A sheepish look around the table.

The honest answer? Barely ever. Because Google — and every AI assistant after it — now just tells you the answer. No clicking required.

That single change has quietly dismantled 20 years of SEO strategy. And most businesses haven't noticed yet.

 

1. What on Earth is SEO?

SEO — Search Engine Optimization — is the game of making your website show up when someone types something into Google. You stuff in the right keywords, get other sites to link to yours, and pray to the algorithm gods. If it works, you appear on page one. If it doesn't, you're on page two — which, as the joke goes, is the best place to hide a dead body.

It's been the backbone of digital marketing since the late 1990s.

 

Otherwise, you get into the paid game where the highest bidder gets seen. It could be the worst product, but because they have paid the most for the ad, they appear at the top of the search page. Companies have spent fortunes on it. Some still do.

But the internet has moved on. And it's taking your customers with it.

 

2. Enter AEO — Answer Engine Optimization

Here's what's changed. When someone types "best CRM for a 50-person sales team" into Google today, they often don't see ten blue links. They see a direct answer — right there at the top. No clicking. No visiting your site. Just the answer.

That answer comes from somewhere. And if it doesn't come from your content — if your website isn't written in a way that answers real questions clearly (or you have paid a ton of money for the ad space) you're invisible. Completely.

AEO is about structuring your content so that search engines pick you as the answer. Think about FAQs. Think 'What is...?' pages.

Think content that directly answers the questions your ideal customer is actually asking.

Frank's Quick Tip  Write one page on your website that answers your single most-asked customer question, in plain English. No jargon. No waffle. Just: question at the top, clear answer underneath. That's AEO in action.

 

3. Now Meet GEO — Generative Engine Optimization

If AEO changed the game, GEO has rewritten the rulebook entirely.

When your customers ask ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or any AI assistant a question “who are the best sales trainers in the UK?" or "what should I look for in a keynote speaker?" — the AI doesn't search Google. It draws on everything it's been trained on, plus real-time browsing. And it gives one authoritative answer. Maybe two or three names. Maybe mine. Maybe not.

Do a Google search for ‘Sales Technology Speaker’ and see what comes up…

GEO is about making sure that when AI talks about your industry, it talks about you.

That means being mentioned in credible online articles. My next article will be sharing my 7 point system for creating articles and blogs….

Getting quoted by respected publications. Having clear, authoritative content that AI systems can cite confidently. Building a digital reputation that AI trusts.

It's not quick. But neither was SEO in 2003. The businesses investing in it now will be the ones AI recommends in 2026 and beyond.

 

4. SEO vs AEO vs GEO — The Simple Version

 

SEO	AEO	GEO
Keywords	Questions & answers	AI-ready content
Clicks to your site	Direct answers given	Your content IN the answer
Google rankings	Voice & chat results	AI model citations
Rank higher	Be the answer	Be quoted by AI

 

5. What This Means For Your Business Right Now

You don't need to panic, but you do need to act. Here's what I tell every CEO and sales director I work with:

▪      Write like a person. Stop writing for Google bots. Start writing for human beings asking real questions.

▪      Answer the questions. Your website should answer the top five questions a prospect asks before they buy from you. Make those pages exceptional.

▪      Build your authority. Get your name and expertise into industry articles, trade publications, podcasts and news sites. That's what AI reads.

▪      Don't ditch SEO entirely. Don't abandon SEO overnight — it still matters. But treat it as one leg of a three-legged stool, not the whole chair.

▪      Test it yourself. Ask ChatGPT right now: 'Who are the top [companies] in [your sector] in [your country]?' If your name isn't there, you have work to do.

 

Quick Tip  Try this today: open ChatGPT and type 'What should I look for when hiring a [your type of service] provider?' If your expertise, your company, or your name doesn't appear in any form — that's your gap. Now go fill it.

 

The Bottom Line

The businesses that dominated Google in 2010 weren't the ones who got lucky. They were the ones who understood how search worked before their competitors did and moved first.

We're at the same moment again. The rules have changed and the question is whether you're one of the businesses shaping the new game — or one of the ones about to be left wondering where all their leads went.

Brutal truth: if an AI assistant can't find you, endorse you, or cite you — you're as invisible to a whole generation of buyers as if your website didn't exist.

Time to get found.

 

Want to make sure AI finds — and recommends — your business? Let's talk.

 

Wigs, Briefs and Bots: How Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming the Modern Law Firm

 

By Frank Furness  |  Sales Trainer, Keynote Speaker & AI Consultant

I was sitting in a law firm's reception in Singapore — impressive marble floors, mahogany furniture, framed certificates on every wall — waiting to speak to their partners about the future of business development. The receptionist handed me a form to fill in. By hand. With a pen. I half expected a quill.

Now, I'm not picking on that particular firm — they were lovely people, and the coffee was excellent. But it did strike me as slightly ironic that a profession built on precision, intelligence, and staying one step ahead of everyone else was, in many places, running on processes that hadn't changed since the invention of the filing cabinet.

That was then. This is very much now.

Artificial Intelligence has arrived in the legal profession — not with a theatrical entrance, but with the quiet efficiency of a very good paralegal who never sleeps, never bills by the hour, and never makes you feel judged for asking a basic question. According to research from Thomson Reuters, over 80% of legal professionals believe AI will significantly reshape the profession within the next five years. Many already have. The question isn't whether your firm should pay attention to AI. The question is whether you want to be leading the charge or watching from the pavement as your competitors drive past.

1.  Legal Research That Doesn't Take All Weekend

Ask any lawyer what eats most of their billable hours and research usually features heavily. Sifting through case law, statutes, precedents, and commentary is intellectually demanding work — but let's be honest, it's also the kind of work that makes you question your life choices at eleven o'clock on a Tuesday night.

AI tools like Lexis+ AI, Harvey AI, and CoCounsel have changed the game significantly. Ask them a complex legal question in plain English, and they'll return a summarised answer with relevant citations in seconds. Not minutes. Seconds.

Lawyers using these platforms are already able to:

•       Identify relevant precedents without wading through hundreds of documents

•       Compare rulings across multiple jurisdictions quickly

•       Analyse potential legal arguments — and the other side's counterarguments

•       Summarise lengthy judicial opinions in plain language

The result isn't just speed — it's better thinking. When you spend less time hunting for information, you spend more time applying it. That's where lawyers genuinely earn their fees.

FRANK'S QUICK TIP If you're still spending hours on routine research, you're essentially billing clients for something a machine can now do faster and cheaper. That's not a business model — that's a countdown timer. Trial Harvey AI or CoCounsel on a low-stakes matter this week. You'll be amazed.

 

2.  First Impressions Count — Even at Midnight

Here's a scenario that plays out hundreds of times a day. A potential client has just had an accident, received a frightening letter from a landlord, or discovered something alarming in a business contract. They're anxious. They want help. They go to your website at 9pm and... nothing. A contact form. Maybe a phone number. The digital equivalent of a closed sign.

AI-powered chat tools integrated into your firm's website can change that dynamic entirely. A well-designed AI assistant can answer common questions, gather key details about the case, and schedule a consultation — all before your staff have had their morning coffee. The prospective client feels heard. You receive a qualified lead. Everyone wins.

Some firms are also using AI to draft initial email responses and summarise client conversations — keeping communication professional, prompt, and consistent. Because in a world where clients have options, the firm that responds first and communicates clearly tends to win the instruction.

3.  Document Drafting: The Groundwork, Done Fast

Let me be clear about something. AI is not going to replace the lawyer. It won't apply judgment, read the room in a negotiation, or explain to a frightened client why the situation isn't as catastrophic as it looks. Those things require human expertise, empathy, and experience — ideally combined with a decent cup of tea.

What AI can do brilliantly is the groundwork. Upload a contract and ask it to summarise obligations, flag unusual clauses, or identify potential risks. Ask it to produce a first draft of an NDA, an engagement letter, or a standard policy document. It won't be perfect — nothing ever is on the first pass — but it gives a skilled lawyer something solid to work from rather than starting from a blank page.

Think of it this way. A surgeon doesn't prepare the operating theatre themselves. AI is doing the preparation so the expert can focus on the operation.

FRANK'S QUICK TIP Next time you have a routine document to draft, run the brief through ChatGPT or Claude first. See what comes back. Odds are you'll have a working draft in under three minutes rather than an hour. Time is your most valuable asset — stop giving it away on tasks that machines can handle.

 

4.  Marketing and Thought Leadership (Without the Migraines)

I've worked with law firms across more than seventy countries, and one of the most common frustrations I hear from partners is this: "We know we should be doing more marketing, but we simply don't have the time." I understand. You're running a practice, not a media company. Except that in 2025, the firms that are visible online are the ones winning new clients — and the ones that aren't visible are slowly becoming invisible.

AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity have made this genuinely manageable. A specialist employment lawyer can use AI to identify the questions their ideal clients are asking online — "What are my rights after wrongful termination?" for instance — and turn those questions into helpful articles, LinkedIn posts, or short explainer videos. The content positions the firm as a trusted authority, builds credibility, and generates enquiries. All without spending three hours staring at a blank screen wondering where to start.

Short videos explaining complex legal issues in plain language are performing particularly well on LinkedIn and YouTube right now. You don't need a production team. You need a phone, decent lighting, and something useful to say. AI can help you work out what to say and how to say it.

5.  Productivity: Getting Back Hours You Didn't Know You Were Losing

Perhaps the most underestimated benefit of AI in legal practice is the sheer amount of time it gives back. Not glamorous, perhaps — but transformative. Tools like Otter.ai automatically transcribe meetings. Microsoft Copilot drafts emails, summarises documents, and organises meeting notes. AI assistants can generate action lists from long transcripts so that important decisions don't get buried in sixty pages of notes.

Cumulatively, these tools can save a lawyer hours every single week. Hours that can be spent on client strategy, business development, professional development — or simply leaving the office at a reasonable time. Which, if you've ever worked in a law firm, you'll know is not always a given.

A Word on Responsibility

AI in legal practice isn't without its considerations. Client confidentiality matters. Every AI tool you use should be properly vetted for data security. AI-generated research should always be verified by a qualified professional — these tools are brilliant, but they're not infallible, and in law, an error is never just an error.

Think of AI as the most capable assistant you've ever had — one that needs clear instructions, careful supervision, and sensible boundaries. The lawyer remains responsible for the advice. AI simply helps deliver it better.

The Bottom Line

AI is not coming for lawyers. It's coming for the inefficiencies, the bottlenecks, the routine tasks, and the wasted hours that stop talented legal professionals from doing their best work.

The firms that understand this — and act on it — will be faster, more profitable, better at serving clients, and frankly more enjoyable places to work. The firms that ignore it will find themselves increasingly competing on price against practices that have already built a significant structural advantage.

You didn't spend years studying law to spend your career filling in forms and drafting first drafts of NDAs. Neither did your team. AI won't replace you — but it can absolutely free you.

The only question worth asking now is: are you going to use it — or wait to see what happens?

About Frank Furness Frank Furness is a keynote speaker, sales trainer, and AI consultant with 25+ years of experience and clients in over 70 countries. He helps businesses understand and implement AI practically — without the jargon, the panic, or the unnecessary complexity. To find out more, visit frankfurness.com