Unlocking AI in the Buyer Journey: Friend or Foe?

That is an interesting question, which I have been thinking about, as I previously mentioned, tools like conversation intelligence, meeting transcripts, and sentiment analysis. They help leaders who can’t join every call stay informed, and they reduce reliance on manual note-taking or incomplete entries. They are nice to have if leaders make it a practice to review the content. It is a choice of which client meeting you go back and listen to. As I reflect on a past challenging situation that I had to manage through it provided clarity and context of the situation.

To decide whether AI is a friend or foe in the buyer journey, start here:

🔍 Can AI enhance the Discovery Call—or is it replacing something it shouldn’t?

🎧 Are leaders truly leveraging insights from AI and recordings, or just hoping someone else is listening?

⏳ How is AI reshaping how we show up, listen, and build trust in the earliest moments of the customer relationship?

So, where does AI fit into all of this?

There’s no denying that AI is reshaping how we manage customer conversations. From auto-summarizing discovery calls to surfacing patterns in sentiment and engagement, AI brings efficiency, consistency, and scale. It reduces note-taking fatigue, fills in CRM gaps, and gives leaders a window into conversations they didn’t attend.

Used well, AI supports the Discovery process.

It frees teams to spend more time listening instead of documenting. It helps new reps ramp faster. It even helps align cross-functional teams by capturing and sharing the voice of the customer at scale.

But let’s not pretend AI replaces presence.

AI doesn’t build trust.

Trust is built through empathy, curiosity, and real-time human engagement. That moment when a customer says, “That’s exactly the problem we’re facing,” you don’t get that from a summary. You get that from active listening, the ability to pivot, to ask better questions, and to feel the nuance behind the words.

Maybe it’s old school, but I still like taking notes with pen and paper. It keeps me grounded and engaged in the conversation, not just collecting data.

So, the question becomes:

How are we using AI, and the impact on the discovery call? Is it deepening the relationship or avoiding it?

My take:

✅ Where AI is a Friend:

• Capturing insights at scale: AI tools can analyze patterns across hundreds of calls to identify themes, objections, or deal risk.

• Empowering coaching and consistency: Discovery calls become learning assets.

• Supports accountability and alignment: Having a shared record of what was said helps teams validate requirements, resolve misunderstandings, and hold both sides accountable.

⚠️ Where AI Becomes Friction:

• Shallow engagement risk: When people rely too heavily on AI summaries, they miss tone, emotion, and subtle cues that drive real understanding.

• Reduced accountability: “The AI will get it” can become a crutch, leading to lazy prep or surface-level questions.

• Creates distance from the customer: If you’re not in the room (physically or mentally), you’re not earning the relationship; you’re delegating it to a tool.

• Ethical and Security Considerations: AI must be managed responsibly, with respect for privacy, consent, and the potential for misuse of sensitive customer information.

The bottom line is that it can be a double-edged sword. AI should enhance human interaction, not replace it. The best Discovery Calls are live, attentive, and responsive. AI can help reinforce and scale that, but it should never become the reason we stop showing up with intent.

AI can help fight the battle, but humans can earn trust!