Richard

In business, just like in battle, uncertainty is a given. Markets change, technology advances and competition is relentless. The best companies don’t just react to change — they anticipate, adapt and execute with precision. But speed isn’t enough. Without a clear strategy, even the fastest teams will spin their wheels. That’s where commander’s intent comes in.

Originally developed in the military, commander’s intent is a principle that allows teams to make fast decisions without waiting for instructions from leadership. It’s about giving people the freedom to act while ensuring they never lose sight of the bigger objective. In an uncertain, high-stakes world, it’s the difference between teams that stall and teams that move forward with confidence.

As an entrepreneur, you’re leading your team into uncharted territory every day. If your employees need approval befo re taking action, bottlenecks form, momentum slows and opportunities slip away. But when your team knows the mission — the deeper “why” behind their work — they can solve problems, make smart decisions and drive results without waiting for permission. That level of clarity and trust is what separates companies that thrive from those that get stuck.

Related: 7 Steps to Building a Smart, High-Performing Team

How I learned the power of commander’s intent

When I was a U.S. Army Captain, I thought a tight command structure was the key to order and efficiency. But I quickly learned that in fast-moving situations, where the best-laid plans fell apart in seconds, something else was far more valuable: giving people the ability to make their own decisions within a clear mission framework.

In high-pressure situations, my unit couldn’t afford to sit around waiting for orders. We operated under commander’s intent, a leadership approach that defined the objective, the purpose and the guiding principles — but left the execution to us. Every soldier knew the overall mission. Instead of waiting for instructions, they moved forward, knowing their decisions would contribute to the success of the operation. That approach turned every team member into a problem solver.

Fast-forward to today. As the CEO of BuildOps, a fast-scaling tech company, I see the exact same principle apply in business. With teams across time zones, markets changing overnight and innovation cycles moving faster than ever, waiting for top-down approvals is a death sentence. The only way to move at the speed of the market is to ensure every person in the company knows the mission, the objective and the non-negotiables — then trust them to execute.

Related: 7 Proven Tips for Building Trust and Strengthening Workplace Relationships

How entrepreneurs can apply commander’s intent

The first step is to define the mission with absolute clarity. People can’t execute effectively if they don’t understand what success looks like. If your team needs a 50-page deck or a leadership meeting to remind them of the company’s core objectives, you have a communication problem. Everyone in the company should be able to articulate the mission in one or two sentences. What are we trying to achieve? Why does it matter? What principles guide our decisions? When the answers to these questions are crystal clear, execution becomes second nature.

Empowering teams to make independent decisions is the next step. Too many founders say they want autonomous employees but create environments where every decision requires approval. That mindset kills speed, creativity and accountability. The reality is that talented people want to own their work. They want to be trusted to figure things out. When leadership constantly intervenes, employees stop thinking for themselves and start playing it safe. A team that hesitates is a team that loses.

This isn’t about removing structure. It’s about building a culture where people move forward without fear. A company that encourages risk-taking and innovation will always outperform one that operates with a rigid playbook. The key is to establish clear parameters while giving people the flexibility to make judgment calls. That’s the difference between teams that just execute tasks and teams that drive outcomes.

Decentralized decision-making doesn’t mean teams operate in silos. It means they move fast, reflect often and continuously improve. The best companies build feedback loops into their culture. They don’t wait for an annual review to evaluate performance — they analyze, iterate and refine in real time. A company that celebrates learning moves faster than one that avoids mistakes.

At my company, we live by this approach. Last year, we launched a new product that missed key targets at an important milestone. Instead of calling it a failure, we dissected what went wrong, made adjustments and improved the offering based on real user feedback. That ability to course-correct without hesitation is what keeps a business agile. Every challenge is an opportunity to get stronger. The moment a company stops learning, it starts to fall behind.

Related: 3 Leadership Secrets That Lead to Team Empowerment

Why this matters more than ever

The business world is moving faster than ever. The companies that survive aren’t necessarily the biggest or the most well-funded — they’re the ones that can adapt the quickest. Leaders who insist on being the sole decision-makers will always lose to those who build teams that can execute independently. Speed is everything, but speed without clarity is chaos. Commander’s intent provides the structure that allows companies to move fast without losing direction.

The best teams aren’t the ones that wait to be told what to do. They’re the ones that ask, “What’s the mission, and how do we get there?” When leaders give their teams that level of clarity, everything changes. Decisions happen faster. Execution improves. Innovation accelerates. Leadership stops being a bottleneck and becomes a true enabler of growth.

The old model of leadership — where every decision funnels through the CEO — is outdated and unsustainable. In today’s world, a company that relies on bureaucracy will be outpaced by a company that prioritizes autonomy, trust and rapid execution.

The companies that embrace commander’s intent will build resilient, high-impact teams that thrive in uncertainty. The ones that don’t will be left behind.

For business owners, entrepreneurs, and busy professionals, time is your most precious resource. So when a deal comes along that lets you upskill on your own schedule — without breaking your budget — it’s worth a closer look.

Feast your eyes on EDU Unlimited by StackSkills, which is now available for just $19.97 (regularly $600). That’s not a subscription. That’s lifetime access to a robust and ever-expanding library of more than 1,000 courses covering high-impact business and tech topics (and more).

This isn’t your run-of-the-mill online learning bundle. EDU Unlimited was built with professionals in mind — people who want real skills, taught by real experts, that can be applied immediately. From mastering Microsoft Excel and digital marketing tools to building leadership habits and understanding AI, the platform is packed with content designed to help you move your career or business forward. And because new courses are added regularly, it grows with you.

Courses are structured for flexibility and clarity. Lessons are broken into manageable segments, allowing you to knock out a few modules between client calls or dive deep into a subject over the weekend. No pressure, no pacing — just pure, self-guided learning when you’re ready.

And let’s talk ROI. Investing in your own skills (or those of your team) is one of the most effective ways to boost productivity and profitability. For less than the price of a couple of coffees and a sandwich in Midtown, you can gain years’ worth of valuable knowledge with no recurring fees.

This deal is especially attractive for small teams and solo operators who don’t have a big budget for ongoing training but still want access to top-tier resources. It’s scalable, practical, and affordable.

Whether you want to grow your business, explore new technologies, or just feel more confident with the tools of your trade, EDU Unlimited helps you get there faster — and smarter.

Pick up lifetime access to EDU Unlimited by StackSkills for just $19.97 (regularly $600) through April 27.

EDU Unlimited by StackSkills: Lifetime Access – $19.97

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

MrBeast, YouTube’s top creator with 378 million subscribers, recently crashed an interview with Mark Zuckerberg to tell the Meta CEO what he’d change if he were CEO of the company instead — and Zuckerberg promised to make it happen in less than a year.

In an episode of the podcast “Colin and Samir” that aired earlier this week, Zuckerberg, 40, sat down with hosts Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry to discuss topics like Facebook’s decision to bring the Friends tab to the platform, which will only show content from Facebook friends, not recommended posts, for users in North America.

MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, joined the conversation in the middle of the episode. In response to a question asking what he would change if he were CEO of Meta, Donaldson said his highest priority would be allowing Facebook Video to play audio tracks in different languages to accompany his videos.

“If I was CEO, that’s one of the first things I’d fast-track,” the 26-year-old said.

Related: MrBeast’s Holding Company Could Be Worth $5 Billion After Its Latest Fundraising Round

On YouTube, Donaldson can upload different audio tracks in various languages that automatically play with the video according to the region of the world the user is in. For example, if a viewer clicks on a MrBeast YouTube video from Mexico, the audio is automatically dubbed in Spanish. The same feature isn’t available on Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

Zuckerberg accepted the feedback, calling the idea of bringing dubbing to Facebook “a good one.” He stated that “within a year,” Facebook would have the feature.

Zuckerberg also told Donaldson that AI could one day help with auto-dubbing videos in every language.

Donaldson said that he was already experimenting with using AI to dub his voice in other languages and that his retention rate was 1% higher with AI dubs instead of a voice actor because the AI-generated voice sounded more like his.

“Ideally, in a year, I just post a video on Facebook, check a box, then AI dubs it into 20 languages,” Donaldson said.

^{Jimmy Donaldson. Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images}

Donaldson noted that the dubbing feature extends his reach and ability to connect with his audience, especially since the YouTube star estimates that 70% of his audience doesn’t speak English. Donaldson says that he brings in tens of millions of views on YouTube from people watching his videos in Spanish and Portuguese.

Related: YouTuber MrBeast Makes More Money From This ‘Sweet’ Side Hustle Than From His Videos

“What’s brutal is that when I post those same videos on Facebook or any of your platforms, I can’t import the dubs over, so my viewership is just always infinitely lower,” Donaldson told Zuckerberg on the podcast, stating that “if you’re not dubbed, you can’t reach the majority of the world.”

The top three countries with the highest number of people on Facebook are India (378 million), the U.S. (193 million), and Indonesia (119 million).

Because Meta doesn’t allow dubbing, Donaldson’s top-viewed videos with the highest reach on Facebook and Instagram do not show him speaking. His most-watched video on Instagram, he said, with over 250 million views, is him running with progressively more bundles of cash strapped on his body — and he doesn’t say a word.

Still, in the interview, Donaldson also applauded Facebook Video, stating that it had the most users out of any platform and presented the biggest opportunity to connect to a wide audience.

According to Sprout Social, Facebook has more than 3 billion monthly active users, the most of any platform. Instagram and TikTok are next with two billion monthly active users each.

Related: MrBeast Says He Lost ‘Tens of Millions of Dollars’ on His Hit Amazon Reality TV Show ‘Beast Games’

On Apple TV+’s show, Severence, which just aired the Season 2 finale, workers are “severed” from their non-work lives. The employees of the fictional company, Lumon Industries, undergo a procedure that allows them to maintain a true work-life balance — the “innie” worker and the “outie” person have no recollection or memories of each other once they clock in and out.

Now, a new survey by People Managing People, a publication and community space for HR leaders, revealed that work-life balance is still so tough to achieve that nearly 70% of respondents would consider trying the memory-splitting procedure — for a salary of at least $100,000 a year.

The poll, which surveyed 200 workers around the world, found almost a quarter (21%) of respondents said they “definitely would” or “probably would” be willing to accept the procedure with a lower salary.

Related: The Eerie Lumon Industries Office Building Is Real. See Inside Bell Works, Where ‘Severance’ Is Filmed.

“One in five people being curious about it tells us there are a lot of people out there dealing with a desire to disassociate from what they do for a living,” said David Rice, HR expert at People Managing People, in a statement.

Which Generations Would Want to ‘Sever’

Millennials and Gen X were more likely to consider the procedure, with more than a third (37%) of respondents aged 35 to 44 saying they “definitely would” or “probably would” try it.

David says this could be due to the age group enduring multiple recessions and “one crisis related to the economy and politics after another” that “shows a sort of numbness and willingness to disassociate over time.”

Related: Gen Z’s Main Career Aspiration Is to Be an Influencer, According to a New Report

In typical Gen Z fashion, this age group reported being most willing to undergo the procedure — but only if they can get more money. Only 13% of people aged 18-24 said they wouldn’t consider it, while almost half (44%) of Gen Z respondents said they would for a salary of more than $500,000.

“Being willing to traumatically alter the function of your brain and human experience for money is disturbingly dystopian,” David said.

For the full report, click here.

In today’s hyper-connected world, learning a new language isn’t just a personal goal—it’s also a professional power move. Whether you’re sealing international business deals, planning an overseas retreat, or just want to confidently navigate a vacation in Rome or Tokyo, Babbel gives you the tools to get there.

And for a limited time, StackSocial is offering a lifetime subscription to all 14 languages for just $124.99 (reg. $599) when you use code LEARN at checkout—no renewals, no subscriptions, just unlimited access for life.

What makes Babbel stand out? First, it’s built for real-life use. The platform offers short, digestible lessons—each just 10 to 15 minutes long—designed around conversations you’d actually have: how to ask for directions, order at a restaurant, or negotiate at a meeting.

And thanks to its AI-powered features, like personalized learning paths and smart review tools, the app adapts to your pace and style. You’re not just memorizing vocab lists—you’re building practical language skills that stick.

From speech recognition technology that helps you sound more authentic to offline lesson downloads for learning on the go, Babbel fits into your life wherever and whenever you’re ready to learn. Professionals can take advantage of global networking opportunities, families can prep for international travel, and lifelong learners can finally tackle that bucket-list language—without being tied to yet another monthly subscription.

This lifetime offer is valid for three days only, and it’s the lowest price StackSocial has ever offered. Use code LEARN at checkout to claim your discount and start speaking the languages you’ve always wanted to know.

Why this deal is worth it

For just $125, you’re unlocking lifetime access to all 14 languages Babbel offers. That means no renewal reminders, no creeping monthly fees, and no limitations. Whether you’re brushing up for business trips, dreaming of dual citizenship, or just want to crush trivia night with your multilingual flex, this deal pays off again and again. It’s practical, flexible, and rooted in real-world scenarios—all backed by expert linguists and AI-driven personalization. And the best part? This is the lowest price StackSocial has ever offered.

Get lifetime access to all of Babbel’s languages for just $124.99 through March 31 at 11:59 p.m. PT with code LEARN.

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

Small businesses can easily spend more than $10,000 per year on technology, a CompTIA study found. Setting up your workstation configuration is pricey but essential to success as an entrepreneur or small-business owner.

But what happens when you have to leave the office to work in the field or even travel abroad for a project? You need a powerful, lightweight laptop that doesn’t double your technology spending to take with you, like this refurbished MacBook Air 13.3″ (2017) for just $199.97 (reg. $999).

Lightweight but not light on power

Even in an older model, MacBook Air’s robust construction outweighs newer laptops of other brands. Just 2.96 lbs heavy and 0.68″ inches at the thickest, this laptop is designed to slip in purses, briefcases, or backpacks.

It packs in a Core i5 1.8GHz Intel processor that is now unavailable in later Apple models. Between that and the 8GB of RAM, you’ll find yourself crunching through projects and navigating seamlessly between programs. Stash whatever files you need on the 128GB SSD storage.

The 13.3″ inch display combines with an Intel HD Graphics 6000 card to render the highest quality images and streamed videos.

Whether in the field all day or staying connected while flying, you’ll have the energy to do it with a battery that supports up to 12 hours of use.

Bottom-line-friendly cost with refurbished equipment

Running your own business means considering the bottom line with every purchase. The less you spend on a laptop, the more you have to reinvest in the business. Grade “A/B” refurbished Apple products are very bottom-line-friendly while still offering a high-quality product. To make this top grade, this MacBook Air must have:

• Only light to standard visible wear with no dents, cracks, or missing parts
• Unscratched screen; potential faint screen burn
• Clean and operational keyboards
• Minimum 70% battery health

Things happen while you’re traveling, including accidentally spilling an entire venti soy latte on your laptop while running for your plane. The perfect thing about this MacBook Air is that it’s affordable enough to replace. Tech troubles are always a hassle, but when you’ve purchased a laptop at 79% off, it doesn’t hurt as bad if you damage or lose it while traveling.

Excellent doesn’t have to mean expensive when you take advantage of this unheard-of price drop on a MacBook Air 13.3″ for just $199.97.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Your marketing team has spent a great deal of time honing your business’s brand image, from picking just the right color scheme for the logo to crafting the perfect language for your website. While marketing tactics like these are important, they aren’t sufficient to convince today’s increasingly skeptical consumers to purchase your goods or services. A public relations approach that gives your brand a compelling narrative can make all the difference.

Here, I’ll explain what a brand narrative is in the context of PR, why having one is advantageous, and how to shape one effectively to build awareness of your brand.

What is the PR approach to brand narratives?

The PR approach is a form of strategic communications that aims to influence consumers toward purchasing what clients have to offer, but it’s different from marketing or advertising. Since healthy relationships are two-way streets, the best public relations firms understand that their main job is to protect and nurture the relationship between their clients and the public.

When taking a PR approach, business leaders provide more value to the target audience than a relentless focus on sales would suggest. They may even serve the public in ways that don’t appear connected to the bottom line, such as giving expert advice, helping people understand current events, or presenting a living example that comforts or inspires.

This last example is where brand narratives come in. Leading PR firms tell your enterprise’s story in such a way that people feel an emotional connection to it, start associating your brand with positive things, and even identify with it.

PR is an indirect method of encouraging sales. Instead of directly promoting your product or service, you work to demonstrate your business’s good character, which makes people more likely to support you and your venture. That’s why providing opportunities to build credibility, reputation management and crisis communications have long been integral services that the best PR firms offer.

Public relations campaigns are essential to reach today’s skeptical consumers.

Related: How to Create a Brand Narrative That Inspires and Engages Your Audience

How do effective PR strategies reach skeptical consumers?

A Nielsen study has found that 64% of customers skip ads on streaming platforms. This trend is especially true for the younger generations. According to research, 99% of Gen Z say they frequently skip ads.

Meanwhile, the aforementioned Nielsen study discovered that 63% of participants would likely purchase something if the brand shared “relevant, valuable content beyond selling their product.”

In other words, today’s customers look for authentic connections and would be more likely to buy if the brand did PR. As more consumers turn away from traditional ads and marketing strategies, public relations will become increasingly important.

One of the main ways America’s best public relations agencies level up a brand’s image and help achieve their business goals is by crafting and deploying an advantageous brand narrative.

How to form a compelling brand narrative for public relations

In brand narratives for PR purposes, the product doesn’t take center stage. The people behind the product do. This storytelling holds the audience’s attention through suspense and conflict. The protagonist must overcome adversity.

For example, consider a professional skydiver who is tragically injured in a car accident. He can never skydive again. During his recovery, he discovers the benefits of CBD and eventually even starts his own CBD company.

Or consider a young mother who loses her husband in a tragic accident. Now a single parent, she struggles to get an adequate life insurance policy to protect her children. Since no one should ever have to go through such a difficult and complicated process, especially during such a devastating time, she uses her technological acumen to create her own online life insurance portal that can process applications and offer accurate quotes in only five minutes.

These are a couple of dramatic but real brand narratives from businesses we’ve helped in the past.

How to choose a PR firm that can deliver the right brand narrative

Plenty of entrepreneurs and business leaders craft their brand narratives themselves. In my experience, however, it can be difficult for people inside an organization to perceive the extra value the business could offer the public or the story that would resonate best with the ideal customer. This is only natural since leadership and employees tend to be focused on being productive and achieving high performance on their KPIs. For instance, it would be normal if you read the examples above and thought to yourself, “I wish we had a dramatic story like that to share, but I don’t think we do.”

That’s why it can often make sense to enlist the help of a PR agency. The experts will first ask you or your team a series of questions to identify potential stories that would spotlight your organization’s best angles.

To ensure you select the most high-impact firm for you, look for agencies that can supply case studies that demonstrate their success with businesses similar to yours. Also, spend time reading their reviews. Since many leading strategic communications firms, digital communications agencies, and full-service PR agencies, as well as boutique agencies and independent PR firms of all kinds, offer free consultations, there’s no reason not to hop on a call.

Related: These 4 Storytelling Elements Will Empower Your Brand in 2025

PR agencies harness the power of brand narratives for the best PR

No matter which kind of PR firm you choose, don’t underestimate the power of PR. Brands across industries can harness brand narratives to reach today’s skeptical consumers and drive results.

Americans have filed more than 21 million new business applications in the past four years, per the latest U.S. Small Business Administration data. Entrepreneurs filed an average of more than 440,000 new applications every month.

But figuring out where to start new businesses can be daunting, as there are certian areas of the country that offer better entrepreneurship opportunities than others. Using data collected in January from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, business travel experts at Booking.com for Business examined which states were best suited for startups.

Related: Small Businesses Are Struggling in This Densely Populated U.S. State — and Thriving in These Others

When it comes to cities with the highest number of startups, San Francisco topped the list, with companies like OpenAI and Grammarly calling the city home. New York City, Mountain View, Boston, Redwood City, and Palo Alto were also among the top cities for startups.

However, even though California cities appear often on the top cities list, California was only ranked the tenth best state for startups. The state has a high number of startups, with 179,415, but the 10-year survival rate of these companies is 35%, which led to its lower ranking.

The researchers created a startup opportunity score out of 10 for each state, taking into account the total number of startups in the state, the number of startups per 100,000 people, and the 10-year survival rate of startups.

Montana, which was ranked the No. 1 state for startups, has a startup opportunity score of 9.55, the highest on the list, and a 10-year survival rate of 41%. Montana has a high number of startups compared to people in the state, or 422 startups per 100,000 people.

Vermont, which is ninth on the list, also has more than 400 startups per 100,000 people.

Here are the best states for startups, according to Booking.com.

1. Montana

^{Bozeman, Montana. Credit: Getty Images}

Total number of startups: 4,800

Startups per 100,000 people: 422

10-year survival rate: 41%

Startup opportunity score: 9.55

2. Oregon

Total number of startups: 15,149

Startups per 100,000 people: 355

10-year survival rate: 36.4%

Startup opportunity score: 8.00

3. Nevada

Total number of startups: 12,034

Startups per 100,000 people: 368

10-year survival rate: 33.5%

Startup opportunity score: 7.20

4. Utah

^{Salt Lake City, Utah. Credit: Getty Images}

Total number of startups: 13,384

Startups per 100,000 people: 382

10-year survival rate: 35%

Startup opportunity score: 7.15

5. Florida

Total number of startups: 86,692

Startups per 100,000 people: 371

10-year survival rate: 34.7%

Startup opportunity score: 7.10

6. Wyoming

Total number of startups: 2,782

Startups per 100,000 people: 473

10-year survival rate: 34.5%

Startup opportunity score: 7.10

7. Idaho

^{Boise, Idaho. Credit: Getty Images}

Total number of startups: 8,548

Startups per 100,000 people: 427

10-year survival rate: 33.1%

Startup opportunity score: 7.05

8. Delaware

Total number of startups: 3,565

Startups per 100,000 people: 339

10-year survival rate: 32.8%

Startup opportunity score: 7.00

9. Vermont

Total number of startups: 2,843

Startups per 100,000 people: 438

10-year survival rate: 37%

Startup opportunity score: 6.85

10. California

^{San Francisco, California. Credit: Getty Images}

Total number of startups: 179,415

Startups per 100,000 people: 455

10-year survival rate: 35%

Startup opportunity score: 6.25

For the full study, click here.

Are you just using AI to save time, or are you ready to unlock its true money-making potential? Basic AI usage is like navigating a city with a street sign – you’re missing the map to seven-figure profits. The real game? It’s hidden in your data, and I’m about to show you how to exploit it. Forget surface-level metrics. We’re diving deep into the psychological triggers that drive buying decisions, using AI to uncover what I call the “conversion catalyst code.”

What you’ll discover:

• Cognitive dissonance exploitation: Learn how to use AI (specifically, FREE tools like Google AI Studio) to identify and leverage your audience’s deepest frustrations, turning them into massive sales boosts.
• Loss aversion loophole: Uncover the secret to analyzing your website’s visitor flow and pinpoint where you’re losing potential customers. Tweak your copy with AI-powered insights and watch your conversions skyrocket. Make more money with fewer visitors.
• ‘Mere exposure effect’ mastery: Discover how to create emotionally resonant micro-narratives that build instant trust and familiarity with your brand. Replicate the strategies that generated $2.3 million in revenue.
• ‘Von Restorff effect’ advantage: Stop blending in. Learn how to use AI to identify your competitors’ weaknesses and create content that stands out, grabs attention, and drives action.

I’ll show you how to use AI to create offers and marketing that truly resonate and generate seven-figure revenues.

Download the free “AI Success Kit” (limited time only). And you’ll also get a free chapter from Ben’s brand new book, “The Wolf is at The Door – How to Survive and Thrive in an AI-Driven World.”

As AI transforms the world at an unprecedented pace, it is up to each of us to use our critical thinking powers to be sure we use technology properly.

AI tools are a productivity enhancer. When it’s time for ideation, entering search strings into an AI platform generates a list of topics for managers to discuss with their teams in the next staff meeting. And entering a prompt to generate text for a presentation or a white paper saves time and money.

However, AI is no substitute for the human soft skills required in everyday business transactions. I’m talking about critical thinking and emotional intelligence.

Related: AI Is an Answer, But Not the Only Answer — Here’s Why It Can’t Replace Humans

The need for critical thinking

A couple of months ago, I was talking with a prospect who had been excited to use an AI tool provided by a new vendor. This vendor had sold them on the idea that AI could do all their research and even create their pitch deck.

They thought they would save time and money. Maybe the AI-generated research and pitch deck would be better than anything they’d previously developed in-house.

They took their first AI-generated dataset and slides to a medium-sized company and began to sell their product during the presentation. Then reality hit. The CEO attended the meeting and quickly made her opinion known, announcing, “This looks like something I could’ve pulled from ChatGPT! Were you even listening to us?”

The prospect and I touched base a few days later when he told me how embarrassed he was and wanted to know how they could salvage the situation. I helped him see that without real, verifiable insight and a human touch, they had arrived at the company’s office with a dead-on-arrival pitch deck. The details and recommendations had not been personalized to the target business. The research they quoted didn’t actually exist. Relying on AI, in this case, caused them to break a primary rule of sales — solve the problem, don’t pitch a product.

I advised him to use some of the proprietary data my company provides. The most valuable and insightful business information is often behind a firewall and is not available on the free internet. I also suggested they redo their deck, add a case study and connect with their prospect on a personal level. This time, they used AI as a tool, not a shortcut, and verified its output against reliable sources using their critical thinking skills.

They were able to snag a second chance to make a presentation. And they won the deal because they realized the promise of all the great things AI can do has not yet been fulfilled. They provided real value and insight to the account. And my prospect was so happy they asked for a proposal to put me on retainer.

This story holds an important lesson for business owners who believe artificial intelligence is a total replacement for critical thinking and emotional intelligence. It isn’t. In fact, Gartner predicts that roughly  30% of new sellers entering the workforce through 2028 will experience a reduction in critical analytical skills as well as social skills like relationship building, empathy and active listening due to an overreliance on AI technologies — much like my prospect did.

Related: Why We Need to Become More Emotionally Intelligent In An AI World

Emotional intelligence is your entrepreneurial superpower

Our soft skills are what separate humans from machines. We feel the raw emotions of a client who’s struggling to save their business, and we can assure them that we understand their situation. We can relate to the anxiety of a buyer with FOMU (fear of messing up). We are able to pivot quickly when our prospect throws us a curveball. In these situations, we can access our experiences and suggest an alternate solution.

AI must fake emotions and life experiences. Keep in mind that if you conduct business like a robot, you will be replaced by a robot. EI is your entrepreneurial superpower! Don’t forget to use it — and never surrender your humanity to technology.

There are many ways to end up on the wrong side of a business conversation with a prospect or an account. Closing deals and retaining customers is challenging. There is no reason to make the process unnecessarily difficult. By combining AI-generated data with critical thinking and emotional intelligence, we can demonstrate that we always have our clients’ best interests in mind.