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AI exposure report

Will AI replace Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products?

Many of your tasks are within reach of AI. The role will change, so it pays to act now.

Task exposure to today's AI

50/100

High exposure

This is the occupation's typical task mix. Your own score can be up to 30 points higher or lower depending on how you work: routine share, people contact, judgment and how much you already use AI.

Get your personal score

Will AI replace Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products?

Not entirely. Today's AI tools can take on about 50% of the typical work in this occupation, mostly: answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, or credit terms. The parts that stay human include: Visit establishments to evaluate needs or to promote product or service sales.; Contact new or existing customers to discuss how specific products or services can meet their needs.; Negotiate prices or terms of sales or service agreements..

People who learn to use AI for the automatable parts keep the edge. The 3-phase plan below shows where to start.

Which tasks AI can take on

The largest tasks in this occupation, their share of the working week, and how much of each today's AI tools can do.

TaskAutomatable
Answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, or credit terms.AI already used 80%
Identify prospective customers, using business directories, leads from existing clients, participation in organizations, or trade show or conference attendance.AI already used 72%
Maintain customer records, using automated systems.AI already used 70%
Complete expense reports, sales reports, or other paperwork. 70%
Contact new or existing customers to discuss how specific products or services can meet their needs.AI already used 23%
Visit establishments to evaluate needs or to promote product or service sales. 10%

+ 27 more tasks (59% of the week) in the full test.

Your human edge

  • Visit establishments to evaluate needs or to promote product or service sales.
  • Contact new or existing customers to discuss how specific products or services can meet their needs.
  • Negotiate prices or terms of sales or service agreements.

AI tools to try

CRM with AI (e.g. HubSpot, Salesforce Einstein, Pipedrive)ChatGPT / Claude for emails and researchCall recording and summary tools

Related roles

A 3-phase AI learning plan

Phase 1

AI for the pipeline

  • Prospect research and personalised emails with AI.
  • Call summaries and CRM updates.
  • Follow-up reminders and templates.

Project

Use AI to research 25 target accounts and draft personalised outreach emails, then log every call summary and next step in the CRM the same day – compare reply rate and admin time against your previous 25.

Phase 2

Better conversations

  • Prepare meetings with AI briefings.
  • Objection handling and proposal drafts.
  • Learn the product faster with AI.

Project

Build an AI-assisted briefing and objection-handling pack for your top 10 technical accounts, plus one full proposal draft, and measure prep time per meeting before and after.

Phase 3

Trusted advisor

  • Focus time on relationships and complex deals.
  • Use data to find the right customers.
  • Share what works with the team.

Project

Use AI to score your territory's accounts on fit and buying signals, reallocate 5 hours a week to the top 10 complex deals, and share a one-page playbook of winning prompts with your team.
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