{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The 1% Edge","title":"E69 - Leading Sales Teams in the Age of AI Agents | Kristie K. Jones","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2531,"description":"In this episode, Kristie K. Jones, author of Selling Your Way IN and founder of Sales Acceleration Group, explores what it takes to lead effectively when your team includes both people and digital coworkers.The sales profession is at a critical inflection point. With AI agents poised to replace entry-level SDR roles and transform entire go-to-market strategies, sales leaders must develop new skill sets to thrive in a world where humans and AI agents work side by side.Kristie shares eye-opening insights from attending five conferences this fall, revealing that nearly 1.1 million jobs were lost by October 2025 compared to 724,000 in all of 2024, with AI cited as a major factor. She discusses the uncomfortable reality that companies are testing AI SDRs that work around the clock without sick days, vacations, or emotions, and explains why SDR positions are just the beginning of this transformation.Discover why the traditional path to sales leadership is broken. Organizations have long promoted top performers to management without providing leadership training, creating a generation of leaders who struggle to teach the art of sales. Kristie argues that as buyers become increasingly sophisticated and educated through their own research and AI assistants, sales teams must invest more in developing human skills, not less, yet most companies are doing the opposite.Learn the three critical skills every sales leader needs for this new era. First, becoming a go-to-market engineer who understands how to architect teams that blend human talent with AI agents and automation. Second, shifting from being the captain of the plane to becoming air traffic control in the tower, orchestrating complex systems rather than just executing. Third, mastering process documentation because without clear processes, adding AI creates chaos rather than efficiency.Kristie tackles the hard questions about the future of sales careers. If AI agents take starter roles, how will new salespeople...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/rgoPozmqxOquZFiN7K2reWwvAKCexa9oxlrwdQazAHg/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9mZWQ4/Y2U4MjVmZWQ3MDJj/MWY2NDQ0MTMxYjdh/MGIzYi5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}