AI isn’t meant for everything

Setting the stage… and why I’ll need to

I enjoy exploring different angles when writing my posts for MVNO Index. This one, however, might be a little different: it may go against the grain, and I’ll also draw on insights from other colleagues to support my arguments.

It’s interesting how, once you have a clear idea for an article, you realize that peers in the industry are wrestling with similar concerns.

We’re living in a technological era where artificial intelligence seems to be touted as the solution to every problem. Yet, just as I can’t picture AI earning Michelin stars in a restaurant (nor should it, because without passion for cooking those stars would be meaningless), I also can’t see AI truly closing business deals.

Those “sales lessons”

Almost every day, I receive messages from companies promising, through AI-powered tools, to deliver 50 to 100 prospects or meetings per month.

While I was finalizing this piece, I got the following message:

Original: Buenos días, Santiago. Te ofrecemos (tb en inglés) una estrategia de captación de clientes para empresas con la que llegamos a la persona decisiva en las organizaciones adecuadas para tu negocio. Media de 15 reuniones comerciales/mes. Todos los sectores.¿ Interesado? Ten un buen miércoles.

“Good morning, Santiago. We offer (also in English) a client acquisition strategy that gets you directly in front of key decision-makers in the right organizations for your business. An average of 15 sales meetings per month. Across all sectors. Interested? Have a great Wednesday!”

When I asked them to explain the strategy and share a concrete example of the types of clients they could reach, their response was that they needed more time.

Original: Me puedes explicar cómo es esa estrategia y darme un ejemplo de clientes a los que llegaríais

Can you explain to me what that strategy is and give me an example of clients you would reach?

Another email, in English, went like this:

Keeping this short.
I see Telecom Trust Consulting is in the Telecommunications space, and with the rapid pace of AI evolution, I’d love to explore how we could partner.
We’ve built AI-powered employees that:
   • Generate qualified leads
   • Automate customer support across chat (Website / WhatsApp / Instagram)
   • Handle voice tasks like reception calls, outbound follow-ups & cold calls
   • Create high-quality marketing assets at scale
For companies in Telecommunications, this has already delivered 10x ROI and I believe Telecom Trust Consulting could see similar results.

Would you be open to a quick 20-minute demo this week to see what this might look like in action?

Surprisingly, that company has zero followers on LinkedIn.

A few days ago, a CEO reached out to me on LinkedIn. I gave him the chance to explain how his company could help me and was even open to striking a deal if he could demonstrate the value of his services. Among his slogans were gems like:

La venta es el arte de crear un contexto que calme los miedos inherentes a la aparición de una necesidad, permitiendo que el cliente transite intuitivamente este proceso, culminando naturalmente en el cierre.

La venta es el traslado intuitivo de la necesidad de nuestro potencial cliente a través de una comunicación que calme sus miedos.

But after several chat exchanges, never a phone call, it became clear he had no idea what my business was about, nor what a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) is. When I asked him to provide 15 potential clients, he gave me 15 company names that had nothing to do with the industry.

Even stranger, once our conversation ended, he deleted the entire chat. That instantly killed my trust, if someone doesn’t want their words to remain on record, why should I trust their offer?

Another curious case was receiving the exact same message from two people at two supposedly different companies. If their services are so “unique,” how is it possible they’re reading from the same script?

Original: Buenas Santiago, espero te encuentres súper…

El sistema que quiero compartir contigo es el que uso para generar de 150 a 200 citas mensuales con prospectos cualificados, manteniendo una facturación de 100.000 a 150.000 euros.

Con el cual también hemos automatizado y estandarizado hasta un 70% de los procesos, haciéndonos más rentables y escalables.

Hi Santiago, I hope you’re doing great…

The system I’d like to share with you is the one I use to generate 150 to 200 qualified appointments per month, keeping revenue between €100,000 and €150,000.

With this system, we’ve also automated and standardized up to 70% of processes, making us more profitable and scalable.

How can they assess the economic impact if they don’t know the business, what we sell, or, of course, at what price?

A Non-Artificial Reality

In a very recent post, Magdalena Bay highlighted the importance of networking over the obsession with immediate results when attending a conference or trade show:

How do you explain the value of a handshake?

Or why a coffee chat today can turn into a deal two years later?

Or how trust is built not in meeting rooms, but in late-night conversations with people who understand the same challenges you do?

In another recent article, our colleague Iskra Tanjga also emphasized the same values: trust, active listening, and attentiveness…

Here’s a reality check: People don’t buy products. They buy people. People they trust. People who actually listen. People who are caring and smart.

..

The takeaway? Real connection beats rehearsed perfection. Ask questions. Be curious. Don’t just “qualify”—relate.

..

And above all, authenticity, which is exactly what I’ve found lacking in all the previous communications.:

Authenticity isn’t a strategy. It’s a superpower.

And in a world full of “always be closing” robots… Be the human.

And What Does This Have to Do with Mobile Virtual Network Operators

In my posts, I often emphasize the importance of differentiation as a key factor for the success of a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO). From the vendors’ perspective, working with an MVNO should follow the same principle: only through a personal, close, and highly tailored approach can true trust be built.

Among the pieces of advice, and in some cases firm requirements that I share with my team are the following:

1. Know your customer.

When someone writes to me promising hundreds of leads and then asks for a meeting so I can explain what my business does, all interest disappears. How can someone help me if they don’t even know what I do? In the telecommunications sector, operators have multiple departments, each with distinct needs and concerns. It’s essential to identify which area to approach depending on the solutions being offered.

2. Technology sales are driven by need, not luxury.

That’s why understanding customer needs is crucial. Many of these sales are “cold calls,” which means you must explore whether the need already exists, or if you can create it (this could easily warrant an entire chapter and lengthy discussions… but the truth is that with a truly differentiating solution, it is indeed possible to create a need, especially when one sees competitors achieving success or improvements through innovative solutions)

3. Know your products and your partners.

As I mentioned earlier, an operator’s departments have different priorities. You need to understand whether you can address those needs and, if so, with which products and which partners.

4. Learn to manage frustration.

I remember when I was younger, after months of work trying to close a deal, the frustration was overwhelming if the business went to a competitor, or worse, if the process was cancelled altogether. It’s vital to understand that sales don’t depend solely on you. If you’ve done a solid job, you shouldn’t feel defeated.

5. Be consistent and persistent.

Sales in telecommunications are more like a marathon than a sprint. They’re long-term processes that may take anywhere from a few months to a year or more.

So, Santi, you don’t believe in artificial intelligence as a tool to support sales?

Of course I do. AI deserves its rightful place, and in fact, I’ll dedicate my upcoming posts to showcasing AI solutions that help everyone involved in mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) stand out and improve.

What I’m highlighting here is simply an example of technology being misused, trying to replace genuine human contact with a completely artificial interaction. On this point, I’m fully aligned with already mentioned colleagues with extensive sales experience, who also emphasize that AI should complement, not replace the authenticity and trust that only people can build.