Selling AI Through the Fog
Why is it so hard to sell AI?
The opportunity in AI is real. Every boardroom wants competitive differentiation. Every executive wants AI on the roadmap. Sellers walk into initial meetings where curiosity is high, the energy is real, and early-stage interest pours in. But then comes the stall: The questions get vaguer. The enthusiasm fades. And even with a market-leading product and a strong reputation, deals that once looked inevitable start slipping away. It’s not that buyers don’t want to invest in AI. It’s that they don’t know how to buy it. We call this the Fog of AI—and it’s keeping revenue trapped in pipelines everywhere.
Why Early Excitement Fades
On the surface, selling AI feels like the easiest job in the world. The demand is there. Buyers show up eager to learn, eager to explore, eager to talk about possibilities. Pipelines swell with opportunities that seem too good to miss.
But somewhere between “what’s possible” and “what’s next,” momentum disappears. Conversations lose focus. Forecasts wobble. Reps get frustrated. Leaders start asking hard questions.
And soon, those promising AI opportunities look a lot more like dead weight.
The Hidden Barrier
Most teams assume AI deals falter because of technical concerns, diminished budgets, or skepticism.
But the truth is simpler and more frustrating.
The deals aren’t collapsing because of product quality, price tag, or even fear of AI itself. They’re collapsing because buyers don’t know how to buy it.
They’re drowning in hype. They’re pressured to act but unclear on how this purchase connects to business outcomes. They don’t know what success looks like—or how to even start the buying process.
This is the Fog of AI—where interest is high, but clarity is absent. And without clarity, no one buys.
The Evidence Is Everywhere
The data tells the same story sales leaders see every day: AI is everywhere, yet real adoption lags far behind.
- 80% of executives say they’ll increase AI investments this year—yet most admit they’re still shaping their strategy. (Bain & Company)
- Nearly 90% of B2B buyers use generative AI in their buying journey—but as a self-guided tool, not as a roadmap. (Rand Corporation)
Further, McKinsey found that while 80% of enterprises with over $500M in revenue use AI in at least one function, most lack a process to fully realize its benefits.
- 72% have failed to embed AI into their core business processes.
- 75% lack a defined roadmap for adoption.
- 82% don’t have clear KPIs—much less track them.
This gap in understanding makes buying AI solutions feel ambiguous and risky.
When sellers fail to help buyers connect AI to strategy, they don’t just stall deals—they leave the door open for competitors who can guide the process, stealing both prospects and market share.
Watch the Webinar → Why Your Team Can’t Sell AI (Yet) — and What to Do About It
Learn how to apply consultative selling techniques and commercial teaching to reframe AI's role in driving outcomes. Find out how your team can use these skills to surface unseen risks and apply constructive tension to help buyers overcome fear and resistance. This webinar equips your team with a practical playbook to sell AI with confidence, moving buyers from curiosity or skepticism to urgency, while positioning your company as a trusted guide in the AI economy.
When the Spark Turns Into a Stall
Picture a VP we recently met. They had research in hand, a task force in place, a pilot project underway. Then they admitted:
“We know we need to do something with AI… we’re just not sure what that should be yet.”
That’s not hesitation. That’s confusion.
That spark of curiosity—the one that once filled your pipeline—sputters out. Not because buyers don’t believe in AI, but because they don’t know how to make a confident decision.
Leaders crumble under pressure from the top. Teams chase competing priorities. Sellers default to jargon, hoping something sticks. The result? Time passes. Forecasts slip. And what should have been the easiest wins of the year turn into the most painful losses.
Turning Curiosity Into Commitment
If excitement alone closed deals, your AI pipeline would already be overflowing with wins. But excitement without clarity doesn’t sustain momentum—it stalls it.
High-performing sales teams know their role isn’t to overwhelm buyers with features or chase the hype. Their role is to turn curiosity into commitment by creating clarity.
That means guiding buyers to:
- Pinpoint the business problems AI can actually solve.
- Define success metrics before anyone talks about features.
- Map a buying process that builds consensus instead of chaos.
Only then does AI move from an ambiguous idea to a structured initiative buyers can confidently commit to. The Fog of AI begins to lift. Buyers stop spinning in uncertainty and start moving forward. And finally, those early sparks of interest turn into signed commitments—and real revenue.
Equip Your Team to Guide Through the Fog
Buyers aren’t confused by technology. They’re confused by the decision. And that’s where your sellers can make the biggest impact.
At Richardson, we give sales teams the skills and tools to lead Insight-Driven Buying Conversations—the kind that cut through ambiguity and turn stalled interest into real business outcomes.
With our Consultative Selling and Challenger Sale methodologies, your team will learn to:
- Coach buyers through uncertainty with confidence.
- Connect AI solutions directly to strategic business outcomes.
- De-risk complex decisions by clarifying success metrics and next steps.
- Build consensus across stakeholders so deals move forward, not sideways.
Instead of leaving buyers stuck in the Fog of AI, your sellers become the guides who light the path forward—transforming curiosity into commitment, and pipelines into predictable revenue.
Start the Conversation
The market is ready. The demand is real. The opportunity is waiting.
What’s missing is clarity. Your team can be the one to provide it.
