Why AI Won't Kill Sales 1:1s (But It Will Transform It)

The traditional weekly sales 1:1 is dead—or so a provocative Fast Company article claims. 

Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic argues that 1:1s have become "the corporate equivalent of sending a fax" – ritualistic, inefficient, and ripe for AI disruption. He envisions a future where "digital twins" conduct our meetings while we skim call transcripts over lunch, dismissing today's "calendarized, synchronous, performative" check-ins as obsolete.

But for sales leaders, getting rid of these vital interactions would be a serious mistake. 

The format must evolve, but the need for human-centered coaching in sales is still critical. Unlike other business functions where data alone can drive performance, sales thrives on nuance, psychological resilience, and the human art of persuasion. 

This makes sales 1:1s uniquely resistant to wholesale automation—though still ripe for combining AI's analytical capabilities with human wisdom.

The Current Crisis in Sales Coaching

The statistics paint a sobering picture that validates Chamorro-Premuzic's critique. As he notes, research suggests "70% of meetings hinder employees from completing their tasks," and despite a 20% reduction in meeting length during the pandemic, the number of meetings increased by 13.5%. The specific numbers for sales are even more damning:

• 68% of reps find their 1:1s lack structured agendas

• 84% report no clear method for requesting additional support

• Only 44% of managers find pipeline meetings effective

These meetings have become what the author calls places "where status updates are mumbled, calendars are synced, and passive-aggressive comments are politely ignored." The typical knowledge worker spends over 20 hours a week in meetings—a huge productivity tax that most sales organizations can’t afford.

Consider Sarah, a talented sales rep with a consistent track record. Lately, she's been struggling to close deals, her pipeline feels stagnant, and her motivation is waning. Her weekly 1:1s with her manager offer no reprieve—they devolve into quick status updates, with no time for in-depth coaching or problem-solving. Sarah feels lost, unsupported, and unsure where to turn. The result? Missed quotas, decreased confidence, and a growing sense of disillusionment.

This scenario plays out in countless sales organizations. But it doesn't have to.

The Unique Nature of Sales 1:1s: Why Coaching Matters

Unlike other meetings, sales 1:1s serve a distinct purpose: driving behavior change. 

But as research shows, "improving sales performance is about changing behaviors, and behavior change is notoriously difficult." Every missed quota, lost deal, or elongated sales cycle can be traced back to specific behaviors—whether it's how a rep qualifies opportunities, handles objections, or navigates complex stakeholder dynamics.

This focus on behavior change makes sales 1:1s more resilient to automation. While AI can easily generate status reports and track KPIs, changing human behavior requires something deeper.

The Two Wings of Behavior Change: Awareness and Composure

Years ago, during a 10-day silent meditation retreat, I had an insight that forever changed how I think about sales coaching. Successful behavior change requires two essential ingredients: awareness and composure.

Awareness is about being present in the moment—recognizing what's actually happening rather than what we wish were happening. In sales, we all know the rules: listen to customers, follow the scripts, ask the right questions, schedule next steps. Any salesperson knows these are best practices. But awareness alone is not enough.

Composure is about maintaining professional calm despite the thoughts and stimuli that surround us. It's the ability to engage without getting triggered by our feelings or circumstances. In sales situations, powerful emotions arise that can derail even the best-laid plans. Maybe you're intimidated by an aggressive client or the value of the deal. Maybe you're stressed about meeting quota. Your mind shifts to pleasing the client rather than challenging them with insights.

Think of elite athletes in high-pressure moments. A basketball player at the free-throw line with seconds left in the game knows the mechanics of shooting—that's awareness. But what separates champions is their ability to execute despite 20,000 screaming fans—that's composure. The best coaches in sports understand this. They don't just teach technique; they prepare athletes mentally for the moments when technique alone isn't enough.

As one meditation teacher explained, these are like two wings of a bird—you need both to fly. Awareness without composure leads to frustration and self-judgment. Composure without awareness leads to complacency. But when combined, they create the conditions for sustainable behavior change.

Why You Can't Do This Alone

Here's the crucial insight: You can't develop these capabilities by yourself. Even the best meditators seek teachers and community to guide them through their doubts and challenges. Similarly, salespeople need coaches who can:

• Help them see behaviors and patterns they can't see themselves

• Practice conversations so good habits become automatic

• Strengthen their ability to remain on track and return to the present moment

• Provide the support that makes change possible

No Olympic athlete trains alone. They have coaches who provide technical instruction, sports psychologists who build mental resilience, and training partners who push them. The coach's value isn't just in teaching technique—it's in being there during grueling practice sessions, providing encouragement after defeats, and helping athletes maintain perspective during victories and setbacks.

As I wrote back at that retreat, "Just like every good yogi needs a guru, every good salesperson needs a coach." 

The Vazzana Model: Quality Over Quantity

Michelle Vazzana's groundbreaking research validates this coaching-centric approach. Her "Manager as GPS" framework shows that like a GPS system doesn't just show the shortest route but accounts for traffic, tolls, and road closures, effective sales managers guide each rep on their unique path to quota. This creates what she calls "clarity of task" or the ultimate objective of these interactions between rep and manager.

Vazzana's research, best captured in her seminal book Crushing Quota, reveals that top-performing managers practice a different model:

• Less Frequent, More In-Depth Sessions: Their coaching sessions are longer and more focused, allowing for deeper exploration of fewer topics.

• A Structured Approach: They move away from ad-hoc conversations toward formalized, planned sessions.

• Activity-Focused Coaching: Managers concentrate on the specific behaviors that drive results, not just the results themselves. Her research shows this has an outsized impact on quota attainment.

• Collaborative Dialogue: They use Socratic questioning to develop reps' critical thinking skills.

The AI Revolution: Augmenting Human Coaching

This is where AI changes the game—not by replacing the human coach but by enhancing their capabilities. The Superintelligent Sales model envisions AI copilots that act as "real-time coaches," listening to conversations, analyzing sentiment, and providing instant suggestions. But the real breakthrough is how AI addresses the fundamental challenge of developing awareness and composure.

AI as an Awareness Amplifier

Traditional coaching relies on the rep’s memory and subjective interpretation of what happened in a sales call. AI changes this completely:

• Objective Reality: AI provides transcript-based analysis with specific quotes and timestamps, showing reps exactly when they deviated from best practices.

• Pattern Recognition: Across hundreds of calls, AI can identify behavioral patterns invisible to human observation.

• Real-Time Awareness: Instead of waiting days for feedback, reps can get immediate insights while the experience is fresh.

Recent field research shows how AI can surface patterns managers miss. When analyzing rep and manager interviews from a B2B SaaS company, researchers found that 75% of deals closed within one day in high-velocity teams. The "dopamine hit" of a quick close created a behavioral pattern where reps ignored longer-term opportunities. While managers felt this was the case, AI analysis provided a specific 72-hour intervention window that could optimize their follow-up practices.

Consider Mark, a rep who consistently made it to the proposal stage but struggled to close deals. Using AI-powered call analysis, he identified a pattern: He tended to get flustered when prospects raised pricing objections. The AI didn't just show him the problem—it showed him exactly when and how his composure broke down, allowing him to recognize the pattern and break it by learning how to maintain poise.

AI as a Composure Coach

As I mentioned, awareness without emotional resilience just leads to self-judgment and frustration. Here's where AI's non-judgmental nature becomes a strength:

• Neutral Feedback: AI delivers insights without emotion, reducing defensive reactions from reps that can stifle progress.

• Consistent Reinforcement: Like a meditation teacher who gently reminds you to return to your breath, AI consistently guides reps back to best practices.

• Safe Practice Space: AI-powered role-play allows reps to practice and build composure in low-stakes environments.

This mirrors how modern sports teams use technology. Athletes review game film to build awareness, but they might also use VR simulations to practice maintaining poise in high-pressure situations. A quarterback can practice reading defenses thousands of times in VR, building the mental patterns that allow split-second decisions under pressure. Similarly, sales reps can use AI to rehearse handling tough objections until the response becomes automatic.

Beyond individual coaching moments, AI can identify competitive dynamics managers overlook. For example, in performing an AI diagnostic for one of my clients, AI analysis revealed specific competitors were consistently mentioned in lost deals. This led to the creation of competitor comparison tools that improved win rates by addressing previously hidden objection patterns.

The Future State: A Three-Tier Coaching Model

Sales 1:1s won’t be eliminated, but they will evolve. Drawing from meditation principles, sports psychology, Vazzana's research, and AI capabilities, we envision a three-tier model:

Tier 1: AI-Powered Daily Practice (The Training Ground)

Just as athletes have daily training routines and meditators have daily practice, sales professionals need consistent skill development. A rep’s AI-enhanced routine could include the following:

• Real-time call guidance to maintain presence during conversations

• Post-call reflection that highlights moments of deviation and return

• Automated discovery call recaps for review, note-taking, and follow-up (saving them 10-15 minutes per deal)

• Personalized practice scenarios to target specific skills gaps or behaviors

• Non-judgmental feedback to reduce emotional reactivity

• Intelligent nurture sequences for leads that aren’t “ready” (potentially recovering 5-10% of lost pipeline)

Think of this as the sales equivalent of a batting cage with instant replay, showing you exactly where your swing broke down and providing an immediate chance to correct it.

Tier 2: Human Coaching Sessions (The Coach's Guidance)

We recommend coaching sessions that follow a structured agenda to balance awareness and composure:

• Check-in and Rapport Building (5 minutes): Create psychological safety.

• Performance Review with AI Insights (10 minutes): Build objective awareness of patterns, like reviewing game film.

• Deep Skill Development (20 minutes): Practice poise in challenging scenarios.

• Mental Resilience Coaching (15 minutes): Build the psychological strength to handle rejection.

• Action Planning (10 minutes): Commit to specific behavioral changes. Make a plan.

These sessions mirror the best practices of sports coaching—combining technical instruction with mental preparation and emotional support. AI provides the data foundation, but the human coach provides the wisdom to interpret it and the emotional intelligence to inspire change.

Tier 3: Strategic Reviews (The Season Planning)

Schedule monthly or quarterly deep dives that step back from daily practice and take a look at the following:

• Career development and personal growth planning

• Building long-term awareness of their strengths and blind spots

• Developing resilience in the face of major challenges

• Aligning personal purpose with professional goals

• Territory planning and account strategy

• Cross-functional collaboration coaching

Just as sports teams have pre-season planning and post-season reviews, once in a while, sales reps need to have strategic conversations about their development and career path.

Why Sales 1:1s Will Persist—But Transform

Several factors make sales 1:1s resistant to complete automation:

The Human Need for Connection

Just as meditation practitioners need sangha (community) and athletes need their coaching staff, salespeople need human connection. 

While Chamorro-Premuzic notes that AI can "infer burnout risk from calendar density or written tone," this data-driven insight isn't the same as human empathy. AI can provide managers with awareness, but they provide the emotional support essential for maintaining composure through rejection, setback, and overwhelm.

The idea that the "emotional dimension of 1:1s” or “the human check-in" that the author claims is being digitized misses a crucial point: In sales, where rejection is constant and pressure unrelenting, the human connection isn't just nice to have—it's essential for resilience. 

Ask any professional (athlete or sales) about their lowest moments, and they'll talk about the coach or manager who believed in them when they stopped believing in themselves. 

The Complexity of Situational Judgment

Every customer interaction is unique. Our field research for one client revealed specific stall scenarios—board meetings, grant processes, landlord approvals—required human wisdom and guidance. Different verticals (franchises vs. SMBs vs. Enterprise companies) required different approaches. While AI can suggest strategies based on patterns, developing the intuitive feel for when to push and when to pull back requires human experience. 

It's like a coach calling the right play at the right time—the playbook might be digitized, but reading the room, sensing momentum, and making split-second adjustments remains deeply human.

The Art of Inspiring Change

People rarely change through carrots and sticks alone. Research shows that when incentives are removed, people return to old patterns. Lasting change requires a coach who can inspire, support, and encourage growth. The greatest sports coaches—from John Wooden to Bill Belichick—weren’t just tacticians. They were masters at unlocking human potential by believing in, supporting, and challenging players.

How to Implement This Today

Sales orgs can begin this transformation by understanding that effective coaching isn't about more meetings but creating the right conditions for behavior change:

Build Awareness Through AI

• Implement call recording and analysis systems

• Provide reps with objective feedback on their performance patterns

• Use AI to surface blind spots and unconscious habits

• Create a dashboard to track behavioral metrics, not just outcomes

Develop Composure Through Practice

• Use AI role-play to practice maintaining poise under pressure

• Provide real-time reminders during calls to return to best practices

• Celebrate moments of successful self-correction

• Normalize the struggle of behavior change

Enhance Human Coaching

• Train managers in mindfulness and presence

• Focus 1:1s on developing awareness and emotional resilience

• Use AI insights to make coaching more targeted and effective

• Create space for discussing the emotional challenges of sales

The best sports coaches combine data analytics with emotional intelligence. Sales managers should do the same.

The Competitive Advantage: Sustainable Behavior Change

Organizations that successfully integrate AI-powered awareness tools with human-centered resilience coaching will achieve what traditional training cannot: sustainable behavior change.

One sales team that implemented this approach saw remarkable results:

• 20% increase in CRM data accuracy (improved awareness)

• 15% increase in closed deals (better execution under pressure)

• Higher engagement and retention (feeling supported and developed)

As a manager noted, "Since implementing AI-powered coaching, I've seen a remarkable improvement in my team's performance, especially among the junior reps. They're more confident, more engaged, and closing deals at a much faster rate."

Conclusion: The Evolution of Sales Coaching

While Chamorro-Premuzic is right that traditional 1:1s are becoming obsolete, the need for coaching has never been greater. His vision of a future with "less ritual, more relevance" and "a mosaic of microinteractions, data-driven nudges, and intentional (not habitual) human moments" aligns with what's needed in sales—but with a crucial difference.

Unlike in other business functions where meetings have devolved into what he calls "a productivity tax," sales 1:1s should focus on the uniquely human challenge of behavior change under pressure. Sure, the "manager who insists on a standing weekly check-in may look less diligent and more… analog," as he suggests, but the manager who abandons human coaching entirely will find their team lacking the resilience and adaptability that only comes from human guidance.

The right path forward combines these three things:

• AI's ability to provide objective awareness and consistent reinforcement

• Human coaches' capacity to inspire emotional resilience and mental toughness

• A structured approach that makes behavior change sustainable

Continuing my analogies above, just as meditation has evolved from solitary practice to include apps, communities, and modern teaching methods while preserving its essential purpose, and just as sports coaching has integrated video analysis, biometrics, and data science while maintaining the irreplaceable role of the coach, sales coaching must evolve to incorporate AI while maintaining its human heart. 

The future of sales 1:1s is not extinction but evolution—from weekly obligations to growth-focused practices, from subjective feedback to objective insights, from sporadic check-ins to continuous development. But most importantly, it's a shift from trying to force behavior change through willpower alone to creating the conditions—awareness and composure—where change naturally emerges.

The question isn't whether to embrace this evolution, but how quickly you can begin the journey.

Curious how this applies to your team? Get in touch—I'd love to hear about your current coaching challenges and discuss how AI could help you level up.