Do people still buy people?

A stalwart of sales and business development for years has been that people buy people.

The aim has always been to create lasting relationships, yes, and have a great product, but how you sell it is important too. The cult of the influencer would not work without the argument that people buy people, not products.

However there is a growing movement towards efficiency over all else and AI takes a leading role in being able to deliver this. There is a strong argument that AI can replace personal sales:

1. Efficiency over emotion
AI can process vast amounts of data quickly, anticipate customer needs, and recommend products or solutions faster and more accurately than a human. In some contexts, speed and relevance matter more than a personal connection.

2. Consistency and availability
AI doesn’t get tired, emotional or inconsistent. It offers a predictable and 24/7 experience, which many customers—especially in digital-first environments—now prefer.

3. Data-driven personalisation
Ironically, AI can mimic personal relationships quite well by using data to personalise messages, offers, and interactions. This “synthetic personalisation” often feels more relevant than a generic human pitch.

4. Scalability
Human relationships take time and effort. AI can scale personalised experiences to thousands or millions of people simultaneously, which is particularly valuable in large or growing businesses.

5. Changing buyer behaviour
Younger generations (Millennials and Gen Z) are often more comfortable making purchases online without human interaction. They’re accustomed to AI-driven recommendations and chatbots.

However, the arguments against AI replacing the “People Buy People” mantra supports that human behaviours isn’t always logical. Humans make decisions based on emotion and not always contemplating the data or supporting logic. People still have a place in sales because:

1. Trust and empathy are human
Complex or emotional buying decisions—like hiring a consultant, choosing a financial advisor, or buying luxury goods—still often hinge on trust, empathy, and human rapport. AI can’t feel or care in the same way people do.

2. Relationship-driven industries
Sectors like B2B sales, high-end real estate, legal services, or coaching depend heavily on trust and long-term relationships. AI can assist, but not replace, the human connection that underpins these deals.

3. Authenticity matters
People are increasingly sceptical of inauthentic or overly automated interactions. A well-timed, sincere message from a real person can stand out in an AI-saturated market.

4. Decision-making nuance
Human interactions often reveal underlying needs, objections, or emotional drivers that AI can miss. A skilled human can read between the lines in a way AI still struggles with.

5. Ethical and relational limits
AI can come across as manipulative if it personalises too well or pretends to be human. This can damage trust instead of building it. When we look at recruitment as an industry that has a growing AI influence, we could be excused for believing that technology is going to take the market lead. We can see how AI can provide efficiency, reduce bias and allow for data decision making.

Recruiters and those working in recruitment, have skills that consider more than just the data. You need to know your client, you need to consider soft skills, cultural fit and emotional intelligence. Not just the client, but the candidate needs to feel comfortable, considered and heard, or there is huge risk to dehumanising the process of recruitment.

In recruitment, “people buy people” isn’t going away—but it is evolving. AI is well-positioned to handle the process-driven, repetitive, and data-heavy aspects of recruitment. It shines at scale, speed, and objectivity. But the human connection still matters deeply—especially when it comes to interviewing for cultural fit, selling the role and company vision, negotiating offers and supporting candidate transitions.

As we move towards an AI dominated cultural experience, AI may reshape how the initial stages of buying are conducted—through automation, personalisation, and efficiency—but it’s unlikely to completely replace human relationships in many sales contexts. Instead, AI will probably augment human interactions, freeing people up to focus on the parts of the relationship that truly require empathy, creativity, and judgment.

In other words, the new paradigm might be:

“People still buy people—but those people may be supported by AI.”