Featuring insights from Ken Babcock (CEO, Tango) and Leslie Venetz (Founder, Sales-Led GTM Agency) 

If you’re overwhelmed by the flood of AI tools but still struggling to get your sales team to work smarter, not just harder—this special post was made for you.

In a high-energy, no-fluff conversation at the Sales Transformation Summit, two of today’s most impactful voices in sales tech—Ken Babcock, CEO and co-founder of Tango, and Leslie Venetz, founder of the sales-led GTM agency—cut through the chaos of AI buzz and showed how to automate workflows without losing control of your strategy, your team, or your sanity.

“AI can be assistive—not replacive,” Leslie reminded the audience. “Look for tech that empowers your people to work smarter, not tools that promise to fire 50% of your team.”

Getting Started? You’re Right on Time.

A key theme? You’re not behind.

“I think everyone feels like they’re behind,” Ken shared. “But honestly, the pace of AI is so fast that every two weeks, it’s like everyone’s starting fresh. Start now. You’re exactly where you need to be.”

Leslie echoed the sentiment: “Even folks I know who lead with strategy and read AI books don’t use ChatGPT. The learning curve is real. The good news? You can catch up fast.”

Automation ≠ Intelligence

One of the biggest blockers to successful AI adoption? Confusing automation for artificial intelligence.

“People think they’re using AI,” Leslie said, “but they’re just using automation to send more bad emails faster. It’s garbage in, garbage out.”

Instead, she emphasized that AI should personalize, not generalize—and certainly not spam. “Use AI to create value, not noise.”

Three Buckets to Map Before You Build

Ken offered a tactical approach that any sales org can start today:

1. Tasks to offload: What admin work would you love to hand to an AI agent?
2. Tasks to improve: What processes could benefit from AI making them more efficient?
3. Tasks you wish you had time for: What’s in your strategy backlog? AI can help free time to finally tackle them.

“It’s not just about taking work off your plate,” Ken said. “It’s about unlocking new work—creative, strategic work—that drives growth.”

Trust is the New Currency

The elephant in the room? Trust. “If a rep doesn’t trust the AI’s output, they won’t use it,” Ken warned. “We have to build systems where the human stays in the loop, validates decisions, and feels in control.”

He calls it the evolution from “system of record to system of action.” In other words, don’t rip out your CRM—teach it to work smarter with tools like Tango.

Final Word: Don’t Fall for the Silver Bullet

Leslie left us with a word of caution. “Avoid shiny-object syndrome. Don’t bolt on tools just because they promise results. Map your process first. Then find the AI that supports your goals.”

This session reminded us that AI isn’t a magic wand—it’s a powerful lever. But only if you know where to pull.

👉 Check out Tango: https://www.tango.ai 

👉 To watch the full session and take control of your AI journey, become a Masterclass member today.