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If you\u2019ve ever sat in a meeting where marketing and sales teams stare at each other like rival factions from a medieval war, you know the struggle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Marketers are trying to create content that drives leads, sales teams are looking for high-quality conversations, and somewhere in between, there\u2019s a whole lot of frustration.<\/p>\n
At IMPACT, we\u2019ve worked with hundreds of businesses worldwide, and we see it all the time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The tension between these teams isn\u2019t because they don\u2019t want the same outcome\u2014it\u2019s because they\u2019re often speaking different languages<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n And now, with AI transforming the way content is created, the divide is widening.In this episode, Alex Winter sat down with John Becker, a content trainer at IMPACT, to tackle a question that\u2019s keeping marketers and sales pros up at night: How do we use AI to create content without losing the human element?<\/p>\n \u201cAI is the new revolution. It\u2019s the new .com bubble,\u201d Alex remarked early in the conversation. And it\u2019s true\u2014everywhere you turn, there\u2019s a new AI tool promising to make content creation effortless. ChatGPT, Claude, Jasper, you name it. However, as John pointed out, \u201cThe tool that seems great today can fold up tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n The AI landscape is still a Wild West, full of rapid innovation and uncertainty. Companies are experimenting, but few have figured out how to truly integrate AI in a way that feels authentic and lasting<\/a>. Businesses that blindly copy and paste AI-generated content into their marketing efforts run the risk of sounding just like everyone else.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s the problem.<\/p>\n As Alex noted, \u201cI can tell now when someone just pulled something from GPT. There are a lot of hyphenated words and weak, generic language.\u201d<\/p>\n AI content, when used improperly, feels hollow. It\u2019s technically correct but lacks warmth, perspective, and originality. So how do we leverage AI without falling into that trap?<\/p>\n John made a key point: \u201cAny time AI is replacing you, you\u2019re probably not doing it right.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s because AI isn\u2019t meant to replace human creativity\u2014it\u2019s meant to enhance it. When marketers use AI as a shortcut instead of a tool, the result is content that\u2019s bland and interchangeable.<\/p>\n Instead, AI should be treated like a sparring partner, a brainstorming<\/a> assistant that helps refine ideas and structure content. John shared an example:<\/p>\n \u201cI was working with a content manager who had never written web copy before. He was on a tight deadline and needed to create a compelling landing page. So he wrote a rough draft and then used AI to generate five alternative versions of each headline. None of them were perfect, but they sparked new ideas and helped him refine his copy into something much stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n This is AI at its best\u2014speeding up the creative process without stripping away the human touch.<\/p>\n So, if AI alone produces robotic content, what makes content human?\u00a0<\/p>\n John broke it down into a few key elements:<\/p>\n At the end of the day, audiences don\u2019t connect with polished, corporate-speak\u2014they connect with real people who have something valuable to say and say it in a way that resonates.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve ever tried to get AI to match your brand\u2019s voice, you know it\u2019s not as simple as hitting \u201cgenerate.\u201d As Alex put it, \u201cYou can train GPT, but you have to know how to prompt it.\u201d<\/p>\n AI can learn your style over time, but it requires consistent feedback. The best way to do this is through a back-and-forth conversation with the tool:<\/p>\n Beyond simple rewrites, AI can be trained more effectively by feeding it structured guidelines about tone, phrasing, and style preferences. Many AI tools now offer custom instructions where you can define the formality level, preferred sentence structure, and even signature phrases or quirks your brand uses.<\/p>\n Another effective strategy is creating a \u2018voice document\u2019\u2014a guide that outlines your company\u2019s tone, audience, and writing nuances. Feeding AI-specific examples from this document can help it learn and replicate your unique voice more accurately over time.<\/p>\n Additionally, using iterative refinement\u2014going back and forth with AI-generated drafts, providing detailed feedback, and gradually improving its outputs\u2014can significantly enhance its ability to reflect your brand’s voice. Think of it as training an intern; the more precise your instructions and corrections, the better the results will be.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, AI should be a complement to your brand\u2019s storytelling, not a substitute. By continually fine-tuning its understanding of your style, you can ensure that your content remains engaging, relatable, and unmistakably you.<\/p>\n AI\u2019s role in marketing & sales alignment<\/p>\n One of the most overlooked benefits of AI is its ability to help marketing and sales teams work together <\/em>more effectively.<\/p>\n As John pointed out, AI can transcribe and analyze sales calls, making it easier for marketers to extract the exact questions buyers are asking. Instead of spending an hour watching a call, marketers can ask AI: \u201cSummarize every time the customer asked about pricing,\u201d and immediately get relevant insights.<\/p>\n This means content teams can produce articles, videos, and sales materials that directly address customer concerns\u2014without wasting hours sifting through recordings. But beyond just summarizing, AI can detect patterns in buyer concerns over time, helping teams refine their messaging and align their strategies more effectively.<\/p>\n Additionally, AI-driven tools like Gong<\/a> and Chorus<\/a> can analyze sentiment, engagement levels, and objections raised during calls. Sales teams can use this data to refine their pitches, while marketing teams can create content that preemptively addresses recurring objections, making the sales process smoother and more efficient.<\/p>\n AI also helps bridge the gap between departments by fostering better communication. By providing real-time insights on lead behavior and content engagement, marketing can deliver more qualified leads to sales, ensuring that conversations are more productive and closing rates improve.<\/p>\n Ultimately, AI isn\u2019t just making individual tasks easier\u2014it\u2019s enabling a more cohesive, data-driven collaboration between marketing and sales<\/a> that leads to better business outcomes.<\/p>\n With so many tools out there, it\u2019s easy to get overwhelmed. But ignoring AI altogether isn\u2019t an option either. So how much time should content managers spend testing AI tools?<\/p>\n John\u2019s advice: \u201cIf you\u2019re struggling with something, there\u2019s probably an AI tool that can help.\u201d<\/p>\n Set aside a small amount of time each week\u2014maybe 30 minutes\u2014to explore new AI features. Try tools like:<\/p>\n Beyond just testing tools, it’s essential to document what works best for your workflow. Keeping a log of AI successes and failures can help refine your approach and save time in the future. Additionally, participating in AI-focused communities, such as LinkedIn groups or industry webinars, can provide insights into how others are successfully using AI in their content strategies.<\/p>\n The key is to treat AI experimentation<\/a> as an investment rather than a distraction. Over time, these small blocks of learning will add up, helping you work smarter, not harder.<\/p>\n AI should be part of your content process\u2014but it should never replace the human element. It\u2019s here to make you better, not to make you invisible.<\/p>\n The businesses that thrive in the AI age won\u2019t be the ones producing generic, machine-written content. They\u2019ll be the ones who use AI as a tool to amplify their voices, streamline their workflows, and focus on what truly matters: Building trust with their audience<\/span>.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, keep it real. Stay authentic, stay creative, and always keep your audience at the heart of everything you create.<\/p>\n John Becker is a coach, trainer, marketer, speaker, and writer. A New Haven-area native, John studied at UPenn, Middlebury, and UMass, and has previously worked in both corporate and nonprofit settings.<\/p>\n Connect with John on LinkedIn<\/a><\/p>\nThe AI boom\u2014and why it matters<\/h2>\n
AI as an assistant, not a replacement<\/h2>\n
How to make AI content feel more human<\/h2>\n
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Training AI to sound like you<\/h2>\n
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How much time should you spend experimenting with AI?<\/h2>\n
Remember, AI is not a substitute for authenticity\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Connect with John<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Keep Learning<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n