AI agents in sales: From hype to hard advantage

Artificial intelligence has been on every sales leader’s radar – and for good reason. But we’re no longer in the stage of speculative potential. Firmable’s Co-founder and Co-CEO Leigh Jasper recently spoke with the Growth Forum’s team on how AI agents will change sales forever. Leigh shared how AI agents are already reshaping how B2B sales teams operate across Australia and New Zealand.

They’re not replacing sellers, but they are replacing the old way of selling.

AI agents are automating time-consuming grunt work, surfacing deeper buyer signals, and giving Sales Development Representative (SDRs) and Account Executives (AEs) more time to do what they do best: connect, sell, and close. The real disruption isn’t in who’s doing the job, it’s how the job gets done.

And if Firmable’s recent executive lunch in Auckland, New Zealand, was anything to go by, this shift is well underway. 

From Customer Relationship Management tools (CRM) to AI: A new layer in the modern sales stack

The last truly transformative shift in sales came with the rise of CRMs – moving customer relationship tracking from notebooks and spreadsheets into the cloud. But now, that digital system of record isn’t enough. Today’s sales teams need a system of action – something that not only stores data, but turns it into timely, usable insights. That’s what AI agents do. They plug into your workflows to automate research, surface engagement triggers, and even generate suggested messaging based on context.

Think of them as your new virtual Business Development Representatives. Not a chatbot. Not a script writer. But a co-pilot powering modern sales process that demands speed, timing and relevance.

Where AI agents shine in B2B sales workflows

AI isn’t here to run your pipeline for you. But it is brilliant at automating the repetitive and analytical tasks that slow reps down. Here are three areas where AI agents are already delivering impact:

1. Defining and replicating your ICP Building a list of accounts that fit your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)shouldn’t take days. AI agents can analyse your current customers and instantly surface lookalikes based on firmographics, hiring signals, or even technology stack. 

It’s smarter targeting, without the spreadsheet gymnastics or hours of manual matching.

2. Generating account research in seconds High-performing SDRs know that personalisation drives results – but context-switching and account research eat up time. AI agents can instantly pull recent news, talking points, and relevant insights before a call or email – helping reps show up prepared, every time.

3. Trigger-based engagement through signals

At Firmable, we call these ‘sales signals’ –  changes like promotions, new hires, customer wins, or product launches that indicate a prospect might be ready to engage. AI agents are constantly monitoring these events and notify your team when it’s time to act. 

And timing, as we know, is everything. 

Real-world momentum from the Auckland go-to-market community

This isn’t just theory; it’s happening across the region. At our recent executive lunch in Auckland, we hosted 20 top B2B SaaS and AI sales leaders to unpack how AI is shaping go-to-market (GTM) execution. The verdict? AI is no longer optional – it’s a multiplier. 

1. AI as a force multiplier: Scotty Freeman from Grw AI highlighted how AI is streamlining everything from RFP writing to lead list building. For lean teams, tools like Firmable are making scale more accessible – without adding headcount. 
2. Trust still wins: Matt Aird from Sales Science noted that while AI dialing is gaining traction in some U.S. markets for intent qualification, human connection remains essential for booking meetings and uncovering real needs. Your market still matters. 
3. Attribution needs a rethink: James Hurman from Caffeine Daily offered a refreshing analogy – we don’t analyse the exact nutritional value of each tomato before eating it, we trust that a variety of good inputs leads to a healthy diet. The same goes for sales and marketing, success comes from the combined impact of many efforts, not over-optimising any single channel. 
4. Doing more with less: Leaders like Ben Hanna from Stripe and Kyle Bolster from Workday spoke about embedding AI prompts and tooling across GTM teams to scale smarter. From scrappy start-ups to global teams, AI is supporting efficiency across the board. 

The key takeaway? AI and AI agents are not silver bullets, but when used wisely, they become an engine for momentum – one that’s deeply integrated with how GTM teams operate. 

AI won’t replace people – but it will replace outdated sales behaviour

Here’s a stat that came up in the podcast and hit home for many: more than 80% of B2B buyers would prefer a seller-free experience, according to Gartner. 

That’s not about hating sales. It’s about buyers feeling like they aren’t getting value from the interaction. If your reps are still asking basic qualifying questions or pushing generic pitch decks, AI will do it faster – and better. 

What AI can’t replace is empathy, strategic thinking, or deep customer understanding. Or having a drink together at a networking event. Those are the new superpowers for modern salespeople. And when paired with AI agents, they become even more effective. 

The data dilemma: Why clean inputs matter

There’s a simple rule with AI: bad data in, bad AI out. 

You can’t expect your agents to deliver if they’re working off stale, inaccurate, or fragmented data. And relying purely on CRM isn’t enough. Internal data shows what’s happened – external data shows what’s happening now. 

That’s why at Firmable, we obsess over data quality. It’s not just about emails and phone numbers – it’s about real-time business signals, tech stack data, verified contacts, and accurate firmographics across the ANZ market.

When your AI agents are fuelled by clean data, they become exponentially more powerful – and trustworthy. 

What makes AI implementation work?

Rolling out AI agents isn’t just a tech decision. It’s a change management challenge. Leigh Jasper outlines a few key steps for sales leaders ready to make the leap: 

• Get team buy-in early: Communicate how AI will support, not replace, the team. 
• Start small and iterate: Use early wins to build momentum. 
• Track performance: Look at metrics like calls made, meetings booked, and lead-to-opportunity conversion rates. 
• Avoid tool overload: Fewer, better-integrated tools beat a sprawling stack. 
• Lead by example: When leadership uses the tools, adoption skyrockets. 
• The best results come when AI becomes invisible – just part of how your team gets things done. 

AI for better buyer and seller experiences

AI agents aren’t just good for sellers – they improve the experience for buyers, too. 

Imagine receiving an email with a personalised message that speaks directly to a recent event at your company. Or a call that references your current tech stack and growth plans. It feels like the rep did their homework – but really, their AI agent did. 

This kind of relevance creates trust. And in a market where buyers are busier than ever, trust is what earns time and attention. 

Measurable impact: Lower CAC, higher conversion, scalable growth 

When implemented correctly, AI agents don’t just drive efficiency – they impact the bottom line. 

Teams using AI consistently are seeing:

• Significant reduction in customer acquisition cost (CAC).
• More meetings booked per rep, thanks to less time spent on research.
• Higher email reply rates and more relevant conversations.
• The ability to work smaller accounts that were previously unprofitable. 
• That’s the kind of compounding impact that doesn’t just improve sales – it reshapes it. 

Final thoughts: Make AI your edge, not your excuse

AI won’t fix a broken sales process. But for teams that are already focused, disciplined and data-driven, it’s an accelerant. 

From the podcast insights with Leigh Jasper to the candid takeaways from our Auckland lunch, one thing is clear: AI agents are the next layer of modern sales execution. Not because they’re replacing people – but because they’re unlocking what people do best. 

If you haven’t started integrating AI into your GTM engine, now is the time. Because the real risk isn’t jumping in too early – it’s being left behind. 

🎥 Want more insight? 

Watch the full conversation with Firmable CEO Leigh Jasper on The Growth Forum podcast. It’s packed with practical advice, honest reflections, and bold predictions for the future of AI in B2B sales.