What if you don't believe in the product you sell?

Published: Wed, 09/03/25

Updated: Mon, 09/08/25

September 3, 2025

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning. September is here—the season of pumpkin spice lattes, hooded sweatshirts, and the creeping dread that comes from knowing your annual quota is a mere four months away. In this week’s issue, we’ll look at how China’s AI sales avatars are changing business. Then, we’ll share a Sales Fail about eating too much, and give some advice to a rep selling a product they don’t believe in. Let’s do this.

NUMBER OF THE WEEK

15 & 21

The average rep takes 15 questions from a prospect, while top performers field 21 questions.

Source: LeadForensics

SALES ROUNDUP

Here’s what’s happening in the sales world this week:

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office announced 33 new victims from various states have been found relating to a fraudulent luxury car salesman. Jonathan Edward Tudor, 64 of West Hollywood, falsely claimed to be a senior executive with BMW and allegedly swindled a total of 38 victims out of large sums of money. The investigation began on March 30, 2025, when a victim contacted the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office stating they paid for a vehicle that was never delivered. Detectives soon uncovered a larger scheme led by Tudor. You can read more about it here.
A young saleswoman in the UK was left stunned after discovering that her male colleagues, including her boss, had placed bets on who would be the first to sleep with her, an employment tribunal has heard. The tribunal was told the men involved ran what amounted to a 'sex sweepstake' —speculating over who would 'bed' the new starter first. She also claimed she was told to 'use sex to make sales' and to 'flirt and flaunt herself' with male customers. You can read more about it here.

FEATURE

The 24/7 sales force: how China's AI avatars are redefining sales

In the middle of the night, while most salespeople are asleep, a woman in a white shirt and black skirt continues her pitch on Taobao, China's largest e-commerce platform. She gestures enthusiastically toward the printers next to her, explaining features and greeting invisible customers with unwavering energy. There's something slightly off about her movements. A subtle freeze here, lips moving out of sync there, but her dedication is absolute. She works every hour of every day, never taking a break, never losing her smile.

This tireless salesperson isn't human. She's an AI-powered avatar, part of a digital revolution that's transforming how products are sold in China and raising profound questions about the future of sales everywhere.

The Rise of China's Virtual Sales force

The Shanghai-based firm, PLTFRM, has deployed around 30 similar avatars across Chinese e-commerce sites like Alibaba's Taobao and Pinduoduo, creating what amounts to a virtual sales force that never sleeps. These AI salespeople, powered by sophisticated language models and video generation technology, are changing the way people buy consumer products, even high ticket items.

The numbers tell a compelling story. Chinese companies that make the switch from real salespeople on livestream to AI avatars are up 30 percent. Chinese tech giant, Baidu recently ran a livestream featuring an AI version of influencer Luo Yonghao, which drew 13 million views and generated $7.7 million in sales in just six-hours.

These aren't isolated success stories. In 2024, over one-third of all e-commerce sales in China were estimated to have happened on livestreams, with half of Chinese consumers making purchases while watching broadcasts. China's livestream commerce market has exploded from less than $3 billion in 2017 to over $725 billion in 2023.

Why AI Avatars Are Outperforming Humans

The success of these virtual salespeople stems from addressing fundamental human limitations in sales performance. Alexandre Ouairy, co-founder of PLTFRM, explains the challenge: "You can only do a livestream as a real person for three or four hours. After that, you lose your voice, you get tired".

The data backs this up. "When we look at the sales, the sales are better for the first few minutes or the first hour with a real person, but then it goes down because that person gets tired", Ouairy notes. "The virtual human is very standardized in terms of attitude"—never experiencing the fatigue, mood swings, or performance variations that affect human sellers.
This consistency advantage extends beyond just stamina. AI avatars can process and respond to customer questions in real-time using large language models, maintain perfect product knowledge, and deliver pitches with unwavering enthusiasm. They represent the ultimate standardization of the sales process, something many sales organizations have long sought to achieve.

The QVC Revolution, Supercharged

What's happening in China bears striking similarities to how QVC transformed retail in the 1980s and 90s, but with crucial differences. Like QVC, Chinese livestream commerce combines entertainment with immediate purchasing capability. However, where QVC was limited to television schedules and human hosts, China's AI-powered approach operates continuously across multiple platforms simultaneously.

Some companies are now doing hybrid streams, where the real human salesperson will work for a few hours before switching with the AI, creating a tag-team approach that maximizes both human authenticity and AI endurance.

Where This Technology Could Spread Next

Consider the industries where this could take hold quickly. Software companies could deploy AI avatars for 24/7 product demos and basic technical support. Real estate firms might use them for virtual property tours and initial buyer qualification. Insurance companies could leverage AI salespeople for policy explanations and quote generation. Even B2B service providers could use avatars for initial consultations and standardized presentations.

The technology is particularly attractive for companies with high-volume, lower-touch sales processes. Any business that relies on consistent product demonstrations, standardized pricing discussions, or routine qualification calls could benefit from AI salespeople that never get tired, never have bad days, and never deviate from the approved messaging.

Financial services represents another obvious target. Investment platforms could use AI avatars to explain portfolio options and market updates around the clock. Mortgage brokers could deploy them for initial rate quotes and qualification processes. The appeal is clear: consistent expertise delivery without the overhead of human staffing.

The Limits of Digital Persuasion

However, China's AI salespeople experience notable limitations that highlight where human sales professionals remain irreplaceable. When these avatars malfunction, the results can be jarring. In one viral incident, an AI streamer selling spa packages fell victim to a prompt injection attack delivered through live comments, causing it to meow for 46 consecutive seconds before snapping back to its script.

More fundamentally, these AI salespeople excel at product demonstrations and basic interactions, but they struggle with complex problem-solving and relationship nuance. They can explain features and answer standard questions, but they cannot navigate the intricate decision-making processes that characterize high-value B2B sales.

Human salespeople bring emotional intelligence, adaptability, and strategic thinking that AI cannot replicate. They can read between the lines of customer objections, adjust their approach mid-conversation based on subtle cues, and build the trust relationships that drive major purchasing decisions. They can also handle unexpected situations, complex negotiations, and the kind of consultative selling that requires deep industry knowledge and creative problem-solving.

The most telling limitation may be trust itself. While Chinese consumers have embraced AI salespeople for routine purchases, major business decisions still require human interaction. Companies making six-figure software investments or multi-year service commitments want to speak with people who can understand their unique challenges and provide tailored solutions.

The Future of Human Sales

AI will likely handle more routine sales tasks, but this creates space for humans to focus on higher-value activities: complex relationship building, strategic account management, and consultative problem-solving that requires genuine expertise and emotional intelligence.

The salespeople who thrive will be those who can work alongside AI tools while delivering the uniquely human value that no avatar can provide. After all, while AI can demonstrate features around the clock, it takes human insight to understand what customers truly need.

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MEME OF THE WEEK

Source: Instagram -- Sales Humor

QUIZ

What is the best-selling hybrid car of all time?

A. Toyota Prius
B. Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
C. Dodge Charger
D. Honda Accord Hybrid

SALES FAILS

Each week, we bring you the most cringe-worthy sales moments from across the web. To submit your sales fail story for consideration, click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

I sell IT managed services and was working at my company's booth at an industry conference. There was a casual lunch buffet on site. I grabbed a chicken Caesar wrap from the buffet and was standing near some high-top tables, trying to eat quickly since I wanted to get back to the booth (I was down bad and really needed to get some warm prospects from this event).

Halfway through the wrap, a big piece got lodged in my throat. I couldn't breathe or swallow—it was completely stuck. I started panicking, hitting my own chest trying to dislodge it, but nothing was working. My face was turning red and I was making weird choking noises.

A woman at the next table rushed over to help with the Heimlich maneuver. The problem was, she was maybe 5'2" and I'm 6'5"—she couldn't get the right angle or leverage. She was jumping up trying to reach around my diaphragm while I'm hunched over, still choking.

Getting desperate, I stumbled to the nearest high-top table and started ramming my stomach against the edge, using my full body weight. After three hard hits, the wrap chunk finally shot out of my mouth and flew across the room like a projectile.

The entire room had stopped eating to watch my performance. Dead silence, then scattered applause. When I returned to my booth after lunch, people kept coming up to me asking if I was okay, and then laughing about my "dramatic lunch presentation," but hey, they remembered me. I guess the whole embarrassing situation made me more approachable, and I got some great leads that ended up converting down the road and hit my quota for the quarter.

Anonymous Location Withheld

GRAPH OF THE WEEK

Source: LinkedIn Poll -- August 2025

WORTH A PEEK

Do sales jobs where you’re not micromanaged to death still exist? A Redditor, who is presumably sick of being monitored every waking minute, recently posted this question, and garnered over 200 responses. Check out the conversation here.

ASK THE QUOTA

Want to submit a question and be featured in our advice column? Click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

Dear Quota Team,

I've been in B2B software sales for about two years now, and I'm struggling with something that's eating me up inside. Our product works... sort of. It does what we say it does, but I know from talking to our customer success team that most clients never fully adopt it, struggle with implementation, and honestly would probably be better off with a simpler (and cheaper) solution. But everything is going well. I hit my quota every quarter. We have a strong brand in the space. My manager loves me. I'm making great money.

The problem is, every time I close a deal, I feel like I just convinced someone to buy something that's going to make their life harder, not easier. Last month, I sold our enterprise package to a small marketing agency, and I could tell halfway through the sales process that they really just needed basic project management software, not our complex workflow automation platform. But the commission was too good to walk away from, and they seemed excited about all the "advanced features."

I keep telling myself that buyers are adults who can make their own decisions, and technically I'm not lying about what our product can do. But I know in my gut that most of my clients are going to be frustrated six months from now. Is this just what sales is? I love the thrill of closing deals and I'm genuinely good at building relationships with prospects, but I'm starting to dread the follow-up calls from new clients when reality sets in. What should I do?

Feeling Guilty in Location Withheld

Dear Feeling,

The guilt you're feeling is a signal that you're in the wrong role or selling the wrong product. Great salespeople genuinely believe their solution improves their clients' lives. Start looking for a company whose product you can authentically champion. Yes, you might take a temporary pay cut, but you'll sleep better and build a more sustainable career. In the meantime, try qualifying prospects more rigorously. Ask harder questions about their actual needs and budget. Sometimes being more selective about who you sell to can reduce that "con artist" feeling while you transition to something better. Trust your gut.

Quiz Answer: A. The Toyota Prius is the best-selling hybrid car of all time (You can read the source article here).

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Today's email was written by Ken Kupchik, Erica Furgiuele, Steve Rado, and Emily Hill.

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