Can AI Actually Make You a Better Thinker?
The following post was originally published by Printing Impressions. To read more of their content, subscribe to their newsletter, Today on PIWorld.
AI is changing the way sales teams work, but it's also raising a question that many sales leaders don't talk about enough: Are we using AI to think better or to think less?
For sales teams in the printing industry, AI can be an incredible asset. It can speed up research, help prepare for customer meetings, generate ideas for presentations, and uncover angles your team may not have considered. Used well, it saves time and expands what's possible.
But there's an important difference between using AI as a thinking partner and using it as a shortcut.
Recent research from Harvard Business Review found that people who experienced the greatest boost in creativity weren't simply copying AI's output. They were engaging with it. They questioned its suggestions, challenged their own assumptions, and used it to refine their thinking. In other words, AI became a sparring partner, not a substitute.
That's an important lesson for sales leaders.
The value your team brings isn't the ability to write an email or build a presentation. It's their judgment. It's their understanding of customers, their industry knowledge, and their ability to connect ideas in ways AI can't.
As AI becomes part of everyday selling, coach your team to stay intellectually engaged. Encourage them to ask, "What did I learn from this?" instead of, "Can AI do this for me?"
The sales organizations that get the most from AI won't be the ones that automate everything. They'll be the ones that combine AI's speed with human curiosity, critical thinking, and experience.
That's where the real competitive advantage is, and it's one no technology can replace.
The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions. Artificial Intelligence may have been used in part to create or edit this content.
Emily Yepes is a powerhouse sales trainer and revenue producer who lives at the intersection of sales theory and real-world execution. What sets her apart isn’t just her deep knowledge of sales doctrine —it’s that she’s still in the trenches, consistently ranking in the top 5% of over 400 Sandler sales executives worldwide. She brings that same performance-driven mindset to every training room she enters. Emily coaches the sales teams of printing and packaging industry leaders, including JS McCarthy Print+ Packaging, The Packaging School, Canadian Printing Industries Association, Norkol, ImageMark, and Sonoco on everything from prospecting and consultative selling to negotiation and account management. Her average training score? A near-perfect 4.9 out of 5—proof that her clients don’t just learn from her, they love learning from her. She doesn’t deal in hype. Emily brings a practical, psychology-based framework to sales, helping professionals rethink the way they approach buyers, conversations, and themselves. Her philosophy is clear: great salespeople aren’t born—they’re trained. With the right mindset, anyone can learn to breakdown buyer resistance and build real trust that lasts. Approachable, direct, and refreshingly honest, Emily’s training style resonates with sales teams at every level. Her sessions leave people not only inspired—but equipped to sell more and sell better.
