Question:
Hi Bradley, there’s a big debate within our sales team about using artificial intelligence in sales. Some people have strong opinions, others have none. Are you using AI? If so, how, and what’s proven most useful?
Answer:
Yes, I use AI every day. But before diving into the tools, it’ll be helpful to revisit how humans respond to innovation.
In 1926, biologist J.B.S. Haldane described the four stages of acceptance for new ideas:
1. This is worthless nonsense.
2. This is an interesting, but perverse, point of view.
3. This is true, but quite unimportant.
4. I always said so.
From germ theory to the bicycle to Uber, every breakthrough follows that same pattern.
Technologist and author Geoffrey Moore visualized this in Crossing the Chasm: the gap between early adopters and the skeptical majority.
So, if your office has an AI evangelist sitting next to someone burying their head in the sand—know that this is entirely normal. The key here is self-awareness: Stay curious without being an insufferable blowhard about it all, regardless of your current stance.
Bigger Than the Internet
I believe AI will make a bigger impact on our lives than the internet—not just because it changes how we access information, but because it changes how we think.
AI has changed how I think about problems and opportunities. It’s proven to be a valuable thought partner as I’m knocking around various ideas, alternatives, and the risks associated.
The AI tools below are like the hammer, chisel, and screwdriver in a carpenter’s toolbox. When studied and then employed with thoughtfulness, they make the craftsman better at what they do.
That said, some humility is in order. I often remind myself of the Royal Society’s 17th-century motto: Nullius in verba.
Latin for, “Take nobody’s word for it.”
If Newton, Darwin, and Hawking operated with that level of skepticism, it’s good enough for us.
Yes, there are risks—known and unknown. It’s impossible to use these tools and not imagine their dark downsides accompanying the incredible upside. I wouldn’t advise blind adoption, but something closer to curious experimentation.
So, in that spirit, here’s what’s proven most useful for me.
ChatGPT (Core Tool)
I use ChatGPT daily. It’s like the world’s best research assistant. We’re on the Business plan at bh&co. While OpenAI states it doesn’t train on our data, I still avoid financial or confidential info. Assume everything will get hacked eventually.
Claude.ai (Analytical Partner)
A data scientist I trust called Claude “consistently brilliant,” and he’s right. If ChatGPT is Captain Kirk—fun, charismatic, exploratory—Claude is Spock: logical, concise, and deep. I often run the same prompt in both and compare their answers. Both useful, often very different.
Superhuman (Email)
Superhuman helps me organize, prioritize, and schedule email better than Office 365. Its AI knows my writing style, drafting longer messages faster so I can quickly review, make final tweaks, and ensure AI isn’t speaking for me.
Perplexity (On-the-Go Research)
I only use this on my phone. It’s fast, clean, and the “Related” section after each answer often surfaces the next smart question I should be asking.
DALL·E (Image Creation)
A sibling of ChatGPT, DALL·E generates images from text prompts. Every visual from my keynote at LBM Strategies 2025 last week in Nashville came from DALL·E. While magical, it’s not perfect—it takes iteration—but it’s the best way to jumpstart a design before handing it to a professional, if that step is needed at all.
Applied AI: Canva & Descript
AI is now woven into tools I already use. Canva’s Magic Studio keeps getting faster and more creative. Descript—our podcast editing platform—now saves me 4-5 hours a week between The Craft of LBM Sales and The Construction Leadership Podcast.
Hardware: Plaud
This little device records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings using ChatGPT. Tim Roach at Walker Lumber showed it to me in May of 2024, and it’s been great for capturing in-person discussions without note-taking, freeing me up to be a better listener.
The Single Most Impactful Thing!
For months, I ignored the microphone icon in ChatGPT. I typed everything. Then someone pointed out to me that most people speak three times faster than they type.
So, I shut my office door, told my wife/colleague to ignore me talking to myself, and started dictating.
It was B-A-N-A-N-A-S.
I’ll now ramble on for more than a minute at a time, doubling back on ideas and tripping over myself, thinking out loud. ChatGPT transcribes it all in stride and it seems to always understand what I’m getting at.
I’m getting stuff done faster, with far less friction.
Small change, huge results.
Try it—you’ll thank me later.
Final Thought
Every generation meets new technology with a mix of fascination and fear. AI’s no different. The trick is not to pick a side too early but to stay curious, skeptical, and hands-on.
These tools are just that—tools.
In the hands of thoughtful people like yourself, they don’t replace the craft of selling, they enhance it.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on all this—what’s working, what’s not, and what you plan to do next. You can email me directly at bradley@bradleyhartmannandco.com.
Thanks for reading.
I’ll be back next Thursday.
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Bradley Hartmann & Co.
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