Enhancing Sales with Human Connection and AI

Is traditional sales outreach becoming less effective? And if so, what replaces it?

In today's episode, I chat with Jean-Philippe Schepens van Thiel, founder of AxonJay, about how real-time data, predictive behavior, and AI-generated signals are fundamentally changing how we approach sales. If you’ve ever felt like your messaging is falling flat or that your timing is always off, this conversation is your blueprint for modernizing outreach.

Meet Jean-Philippe Schepens van Thiel

Jean-Philippe is the founder and CEO of AxonJay AI, a company helping B2B sellers harness the power of predictive signals to find the right opportunities at the right time. With over 15 years in data-driven sales and marketing, including a successful exit to Dun & Bradstreet, JP is now on a mission to help sales teams break through the noise and win deals with precision.

Sales Outreach at an Inflection Point

Buyers are bombarded by thousands of messages a week, most of which they delete without reading. Jean-Philippe believes we’ve hit a critical point in the evolution of sales, where volume no longer wins relevance and timing does. Instead of relying on old data and gut instinct, modern sales teams need to know when to reach out, what to say, and why it matters to the buyer right now.

Build Your Sales Cocktail

Jean-Philippe compares outreach success to making the perfect cocktail: timing, targeting, and content must all be in balance. One missing or outdated ingredient ruins the mix. Using AI, his company translates billions of daily data points into actionable signals then helps reps validate and fine-tune their approach using real-time context.

Let AI Enhance, Not Replace, the Human Element

Contrary to fear-mongering about AI replacing jobs, JP argues that AI will actually make sales more human. With technology handling research and signal aggregation, salespeople can focus on high-value conversations, empathy, and relationship-building.

“It’s not about more data. It’s about the right data.”

“Outreach isn’t dead—but it’s evolved.”

“You need the right message at the right time.”

“I want you to come to me with stuff proving.”

Lessons from the Field

• Stop using last year’s data to make today’s decisions.
• Think beyond single signals and build context with a cocktail of signals.
• Use AI to filter your target list down to the 10% who are ready now.
• Personalize messaging with current, relevant activity not guesses.
• Combine automation with human feedback to improve results over time.

Resources

• Learn more at Axonjay.ai
• Connect with Jean-Philippe via email (JP@axonjay.ai) or through the website
• Improve your outreach and sales game join our Sales Mastermind Class
• Thinking of launching a podcast? Check out Blue Mango Studios

Sponsorship Offers

1. This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot.

With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.

2.  This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.

Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.

3.  This episode is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Foundation.

Improve your connection on LinkedIn and land three or five appointments with our LinkedIn prospecting course. Go to the salesevangelist.com/linkedin.

Credits

As one of our podcast listeners, we value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.