Sales Work Chart

What is the value of sales when AI handles execution?

Not humans versus AI. Not AI replacing humans. Something new: humans with AI, each doing what they do best, creating outcomes neither could achieve alone.

This Work Chart maps every sales function to Human vs AI responsibility - the "dream setup" for sales operations.

The Shift: Org Chart → Work Chart

Org Chart	Work Chart
Maps hierarchy	Maps capability
Who reports to whom	What work needs doing
Fixed boxes	Fluid skills
Career = climbing	Career = expanding what you can do

The org chart asked: "Where do you sit?"

The Work Chart asks: "What can you do, and where is that valuable?"

The Human Edge in Sales

AI Does Well	Humans Do Differently
Generate outreach sequences	Judge which message has authenticity
Analyze prospect patterns	Decide which relationships to prioritize
Optimize for conversion metrics	Define what makes a good-fit customer
Execute follow-up at scale	Build trust that closes deals
Synthesize market data	Interpret what prospects actually need

The irreplaceable human edge: Trust, relationship depth, genuine curiosity, accountability, and skin in the game.

Sales Full XV Alignment

Every sales capability maps to the Full XV framework:

The Tight Five — Sales Platform

The platform. Without this, nothing moves.

#	Position	Sales Translation	Human Job	AI Job
1	Problem-Purpose	Why does selling matter?	Define value proposition	-
2	Principles	What truths guide sales decisions?	Set ethical boundaries, integrity	-
3	Platform	What sales assets do we control?	CRM strategy decisions	Data hygiene, automation
4	Perspective	What does sales see others don't?	Market insight, buyer psychology	Competitive intelligence
5	Performance	How do we know sales is working?	Define success metrics	Track everything

The Loose Forwards — Sales Bridge

Win possession AND run with it.

#	Position	Sales Translation	Human Job	AI Job
6	Priorities	Which opportunities deserve focus now?	Account selection, deal prioritization	Opportunity scoring
7	Positioning	Where does our value meet buyer need?	POV story, differentiation	Market analysis
8	Predictions	Where are buyers heading?	Trend interpretation, timing	Pattern detection

The Backs — Sales Execution

Speed, creativity, finishing. Useless without the platform.

#	Position	Sales Translation	Human Job	AI Job
9	Prompts	What triggers sales action?	Qualification criteria	Lead alerts, triggers
10	Questions	What don't we know about prospects?	Discovery, deep listening	Research, data gathering
11	Products	What sales assets do we ship?	Demo strategy, proof points	Proposal generation
12	Persuasion	How do we move prospects to decide?	Objection handling, storytelling	Email sequences, content
13	Protocols	What standards enable sales coordination?	Sales playbooks	CRM workflows
14	Performance	What sales metrics matter?	Interpretation, coaching	Dashboards, reporting
15	Purpose	Why are we selling?	Vision alignment, mission	-

#10 Questions is the playmaker. It reads the buyer, interprets their real problem, and converts confusion into clarity. Without the 10, all that outreach means nothing.

The AI Transformation Spectrum

Every sales job sits somewhere on this spectrum:

Human-Only → Human-Led → AI-Assisted → AI-Led → AI-Only

Human-Only (AI Cannot Do)

Job	Why Human-Only
Trust Building	Stakes require genuine relationship
Deal Negotiation	High-value tradeoffs need skin in the game
Executive Selling	C-suite relationships are earned, not scripted
Crisis Management	Customer retention requires human accountability
Strategic Partnerships	Long-term alignment needs character judgment

Human-Led (AI Assists)

Job	Human Does	AI Does
Discovery Calls	Asks questions, builds rapport	Pre-call research, note-taking
Account Strategy	Chooses approach, relationship mapping	Org chart analysis, stakeholder identification
Proposal Development	Sets strategy, value framing	Generates content, pricing scenarios
Deal Negotiation	Makes concessions, reads room	Models deal structures, precedent analysis
Customer Success Strategy	Defines outcomes	Usage analysis, health scoring

AI-Assisted (Human Oversees)

Job	Human Does	AI Does
Outbound Prospecting	Reviews, personalizes	Drafts sequences, timing
Email Campaigns	Voice calibration	Generation, A/B testing
Demo Preparation	Story arc, key messages	Customized decks, data population
Objection Handling	Judgment calls	Scripts, documentation
Contract Review	Final approval	Initial review, clause comparison

AI-Led (Human Reviews)

Job	Human Does	AI Does
Lead Qualification	Strategic decisions	Scoring, routing
Pipeline Forecasting	Interprets, adjusts	Compiles, predicts
Competitive Intelligence	Decides response	Monitors, alerts
CRM Hygiene	Quality checks	Data enrichment, deduplication
Follow-up Sequencing	Approval gates	Execution, tracking

AI-Only (Fully Automated)

Job	Why AI-Only
Meeting Scheduling	Pure coordination
Activity Logging	Data capture
Lead Routing	Rule-based assignment
Email Tracking	Mechanical monitoring
Document Generation	Template population

The HiTL (Human-in-the-Loop) Job

When AI handles execution, what IS the sales job?

The New Sales Role

Old Job	New Job
Write emails	Frame the message, judge AI drafts
Research prospects	Interpret AI research, decide approach
Generate proposals	Set value story, review AI content
Track activities	Analyze patterns, decide actions
Follow up relentlessly	Prioritize relationships worth deepening

The Meta-Skill

Knowing when to sell and when to guide AI to sell.

The HiTL salesperson runs this loop constantly:

Define → Delegate → Evaluate → Integrate → Evolve

1. Define — What outcome do I need? What constraints matter?
2. Delegate — What can AI handle? What's my prompt?
3. Evaluate — Is this authentic? What's missing? Where's my judgment needed?
4. Integrate — How does this fit the relationship strategy?
5. Evolve — What did I learn? How do I sell better next time?

Sales Jobs Matrix

Full mapping of sales activities to Human/AI responsibility:

Sales Job	Frequency	Human Role	AI Role	Spectrum Position
Annual Sales Strategy	Yearly	Full ownership	Market analysis	Human-Only
Territory Planning	Quarterly	Strategic decisions	Data analysis	Human-Led
Account Planning	Monthly	Relationship strategy	Account research	Human-Led
Discovery Calls	Weekly	Questioning, rapport	Research, notes	Human-Led
Demo Delivery	Weekly	Story, adaptation	Deck prep	Human-Led
Proposal Creation	As needed	Value framing	Content generation	AI-Assisted
Email Outreach	Daily	Personalization	Sequencing	AI-Assisted
Follow-up Coordination	Daily	Key touches	Reminders	AI-Assisted
Pipeline Reviews	Weekly	Interpretation	Reporting	AI-Led
Lead Qualification	Ongoing	Edge cases	Scoring	AI-Led
Competitive Monitoring	Ongoing	Response decisions	Tracking	AI-Led
CRM Data Entry	Daily	Quality gate	Automation	AI-Only
Meeting Scheduling	Ongoing	Approval	Coordination	AI-Only

The Dream Setup

If you had infinite resources and talent (Apple-level), what would the sales function look like?

Strategic Layer (Human-Dominated)

• Chief Revenue Officer (HiTL orchestrator)
• VP Sales (strategy, relationships)
• Sales Enablement (training, playbooks)
• RevOps Leader (systems, forecasting)

Execution Layer (AI-Dominated)

• SDR AI (prospecting, qualification)
• Research AI (account intelligence)
• Proposal Engine (AI-generated, human-reviewed)
• Follow-up System (fully automated nurture)

The Coordination Protocol

THOUGHT AUDIT       →    TEAMWORK INDEX     →     FULL XV
Know yourself            Find your people         Play your position
"Where's my ZPD?"        "Who's my MKO?"         "Where do I fit?"

The Work Chart replaces the org chart. Capabilities matter more than titles. The question isn't "what's your role?" but "what can you do that's worth doing?"

ABCD Stack for Sales

How the ABCD stack transforms sales:

Layer	Technology	Sales Application
A	AI	Lead scoring, research automation, content generation
B	Blockchain	Proof of engagement, verified referrals, attribution
C	Crypto	Token-incentivized referrals, customer-as-affiliate
D	DePIN	Real-world buying signals, verified intent data

The synthesis:

• AI researches and qualifies at scale
• Blockchain proves customer engagement is real (not bots)
• Crypto aligns incentives (customers earn from referrals)
• DePIN provides verified buying intent from edge data

Measuring the Transformation

Metric	Before (Human-Execution)	After (AI-Execution)
Outreach Volume	50 prospects/week	500+ prospects/week
Time to First Meeting	Days	Hours
Personalization	Segments	Individuals
Proposal Generation	Days	Minutes
Human Time	On prospecting	On relationship building

The real metric: Human time shifted from volume to value.

The Trust Paradox

Here's what makes sales different from marketing:

Marketing optimizes for attention. Sales optimizes for trust.

Marketing	Sales
1:Many broadcast	1:1 relationship
Reach at scale	Depth over time
Speak first	Listen first
Content compounds	Relationships compound
Attention = success	Commitment = success

AI can generate marketing content that performs. But AI cannot build the trust that closes high-stakes deals.

Why? Trust requires skin in the game. Accountability needs a who, not a what.

The higher the deal value, the more human presence matters. The lower the deal value, the more AI can handle end-to-end.

The Canary Insight

Sales is the canary in the coalmine for every relationship-driven profession.

If AI can transform sales (trust-based, adaptive, high-stakes), it can transform:

• Customer Success (retention, expansion, advocacy)
• Recruiting (sourcing, screening, closing)
• Fundraising (investor relations, pitch development)
• Partnerships (BD, alliance management)
• Consulting (advisory, implementation, outcomes)

What we learn here applies everywhere. Document the transformation, and you've documented the future of professional work.

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Context

• Future of Work — The Full XV framework
• Sales Activities — Tactical activities
• Sales KPI Metrics — Metrics that matter
• Sales Tech Stack — Tools for the dream setup
• Capability: Selling — Sales as a core skill
• Marketing Work Charts — Sister framework
• AI Frameworks — Building with AI

Links

• Microsoft Work Trend Index 2025
• The Frontier Firm
• To Sell is Human