In this episode of the Human-First AI Marketing Podcast, host Mike Montague sits down with @thechadburmeister , host of the AI for Sales Podcast and veteran AI entrepreneur, to explore how small and mid-sized businesses can harness AI without losing the human touch. Chad shares practical, battle-tested strategies for building custom GPTs in under an hour, using AI to create personalized outreach that gets 82% open rates, and aligning sales and marketing data to improve every conversation. You’ll hear why the most successful teams blend AI automation with human judgment to scale trust, not just transactions.
Together, Mike and Chad dive into the dos and don’ts of AI-powered selling, from training models on your best messaging to avoiding the trap of generic “AI slop.” You’ll learn where AI can take repetitive, time-consuming tasks off your plate, where human nuance is still essential, and how to get your team comfortable and confident using AI. Whether you’re a business owner looking to empower your sales reps or a marketing leader aiming for consistent, on-brand outreach, this conversation will give you a roadmap to automate the work while keeping the connection that wins deals.
Key Takeaways
1. Build Your First Custom GPT – Creating a GPT trained on your company’s best content, messaging, and data can take less than an hour and instantly boost personalization.
2. Train AI on Proven Messaging – Feeding AI examples of your top-performing emails or scripts helps it replicate your winning style instead of generating generic output.
3. Use AI for Context, Not Just Content – AI can analyze customer data, personas, and pain points to make your outreach more relevant and engaging.
4. Keep a Human in the Loop – Even the best-trained AI needs human review to ensure accuracy, tone, and alignment with brand voice.
5. Focus on Trust-Building Tasks – AI can handle the busywork, but sales reps should focus their time on activities that deepen relationships and close deals.
6. Avoid “AI Slop” – One-shot prompts without context lead to bad scripts; iterative collaboration with AI produces far better results.
7. Leverage AI for Quick Wins – Use it for immediate needs like crafting proposals, summarizing meetings, or customizing event follow-ups to speed up sales cycles.
8. Match AI Use to Buyer Stages – Automation works well for top and mid-funnel engagement, but late-stage deals often need a human touch to close.
9. Personalize at Scale – AI enables tailored messaging for each prospect without adding to your workload, increasing open and reply rates.
10. Think Long-Term with AI Integration – Building AI into your processes today sets you up for compounding improvements in efficiency and quality over time.
The Human-First AI Marketing Podcast is brought to you by Avenue9. We use artificial intelligence to amplify your unique voice, empower your marketing team, and enable your scaling business to achieve big-brand success.
Explore new avenues available with AI marketing at Avenue9.com.
No matter where you’re starting from or how big your goals are, we turn modern marketing challenges into exciting opportunities. Let's get started with a discovery consultation!
Want to be a guest? Send Mike Montague a message on PodMatch here.
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