Drive Urgency in Your Sales Process with AI – John Barrows’ Playbook

Day three of RevCon kicked off with John Barrows sharing how sales reps can use AI to get ahead. John’s session was packed with practical tips for sales pros, and he didn’t hold back. TL: DR? AI is here, but if you can master the right blend of tech and the human touch, you’ll crush it.

Here’s a recap of what went down and the key takeaways you need to know!

What’s left for sales reps? 

After attending big events like Dreamforce and LinkedIn’s Insider Group, John saw how platforms like Salesforce and HubSpot are fully integrating AI. These tools now handle everything from research to CRM updates, saving reps loads of time. But there’s a catch.

What’s left for sales reps to do when AI handles all the heavy lifting? The answer? Stay human.

John broke it down into three key skills every rep needs to stay relevant:

1. Agility – Adapt quickly to new tools and changes.
2. Business acumen – Understand how businesses work so you can add real value.
3. Sales fundamentals – Nail the basics, like prospecting, discovery, and closing deals.

Without these, AI will outshine you. But if you can pair these skills with tech, you’ll be unstoppable.

AI can do a lot, but you need to add the human element

John was clear: AI is a superpower, but if you don’t add the human element, it’s just another tool. He shared a story about Gary Vaynerchuk’s advice: “Be the last mile.” What does that mean? Let AI do the research, the emails, and even suggest talking points. But before you send that email or jump on that call, add a personal touch. That’s the “last mile” only a human can do.

John emphasized that if you’re relying on AI to handle everything for you, you’re in trouble. AI is great at getting data and insights, but buyers still want to deal with a person who gets them. AI can’t replace empathy, creativity, or the ability to read between the lines.

You can’t create urgency, but you can uncover it

A huge takeaway from John’s session was the difference between creating urgency and uncovering urgency. Many reps try to create urgency by pushing discounts or setting arbitrary deadlines, but John made it clear: That’s not the way to win.

Instead, focus on uncovering urgency by asking the right questions and understanding the impact of a problem on the prospect’s business. If you can tie your solution to something that’s truly important to the prospect, you’ll naturally uncover the urgency to act.

Here’s the process John recommends:

• Research the industry to understand the macro trends affecting your prospect.
• Understand the company’s business model, challenges, and competitors.
• Learn what the buyer persona cares about and what’s top of mind for their role.
• Look into the person you’re talking to—find out what makes them tick.

By preparing in this way, you’ll come into meetings with insights that matter, which will help you ask the right questions and uncover real urgency.

Key takeaways from John’s session

1. Leverage AI like a cheat code
   AI is your secret weapon if you use it right. John recommended tools like Perplexity for research, ChatGPT for prepping notes, and Crystal Knows for understanding buyer personalities. These tools can save you hours of manual work and help you get a 360° view of your prospect before the meeting even starts.
2. Context over content
   While marketing may own content creation, sales is all about context. It’s not just about showing up with a deck or emailing a whitepaper. It’s about making sure what you show and share is laser-focused on what’s relevant to your prospect. John gave the example of using a 30-slide deck but only showing the five that matter to the prospect—because that’s what adds real value.
3. Be agile, or get left behind
   The sales game has changed, and what worked a year ago doesn’t fly today. John said that sales from 2010 to 2022 was the “Golden Age” where reps could get by with templated emails and basic discovery calls. Now, reps need to be constantly adapting and testing new approaches. If you’re not agile, you’re going to fall behind.
4. Ask impactful questions
   If you want to uncover urgency, you need to ask better questions. John shared his go-to structure: focus on problem-oriented topics and ask questions that reveal the impact of those problems. For example, instead of asking generic questions like, “What’s keeping you up at night?”, dig deeper: “What’s the impact if this problem isn’t solved in the next six months?”
5. Humanize every interaction
   In a world full of automation, it’s easy to rely on AI to do the work. But John emphasized the importance of human connection. He recommended using tools like Crystal Knows to understand a prospect’s personality and adjust your communication style to match. This personal touch helps build trust and makes your interactions more meaningful.

Become the Iron Man (or Woman) of Sales

Just like Tony Stark relies on his suit (the tech) and Jarvis (the AI), you need to leverage AI to do the heavy lifting, but you still need to show up with the human touch. It’s the blend of both that makes you unbeatable.

How to put it into action

So, how do you apply all of this? Here’s a quick rundown of John’s playbook:

• Use AI tools like Perplexity and ChatGPT to gather insights and prepare for meetings.
• Research the industry, company, persona, and individual before every call.
• Focus on asking impactful questions to uncover urgency and align your solution with the prospect’s biggest needs.
• Follow up with value—summarize your calls in a way that reinforces what you learned, and always keep the conversation moving forward.

John also dropped some serious advice on testing everything you do. Whether it’s email subject lines, cold call scripts, or objection-handling techniques, always be running small tests to see what works best. Sales is part science, part art—but if you don’t have a process, you’re relying too much on luck.

Blend AI with human touch

John left the audience with a powerful message: the future of sales belongs to those who can blend the best of AI with the human touch. If you can master that balance, you’ll not only survive but thrive. If you missed the session, catch the recording!

Go out there, be Iron Man (or Iron Woman), and crush it!