Why Sales Teams Need AI Training, Not Just Another Tool

In a recent LinkedIn post, Sara Uy argues that sales leaders should teach their teams how to use AI instead of simply telling reps to adopt it. This article reports on Uy’s post and examines her case for making training part of sales management.

“Managers keep telling their reps to ‘just use AI’ and then walking away like they solved something…”

Adoption needs more than a directive

Uy challenges the idea that introducing AI is a strategy on its own. In her view, managers who hand reps another tool without showing them how to use it risk adding friction to already crowded workflows. Her post centers on a practical distinction: access to technology does not automatically teach someone how to apply it.

According to Uy, sales teams need guidance on specific tasks where AI might help, including researching prospects faster, personalizing outreach, and sounding more confident in live conversations. That framing shifts the discussion from whether reps have AI access to whether they have learned how to use it in their work.

“Your reps don’t need another tool dropped in their lap they already have so many!!!”

Training as a management responsibility

Uy draws on her experience as an SDR in 2020 to make the point that sales skills are learned through instruction and practice. She recalls that someone sat with her and taught her the job, rather than expecting a tool to do the teaching.

“Someone sat with me and TAUGHT me the job!!!”

As Uy notes, the same principle can apply to AI: managers can demonstrate how it fits into familiar sales activities, then coach reps as they build confidence. Her comparison to cold-calling script training makes the recommendation concrete. AI use, in her argument, belongs in the team’s training routine rather than in a one-time announcement.

From experimentation to capability

Uy’s post presents AI proficiency as a skill that may help a sales representative work more effectively, not as a shortcut that replaces sales judgment. She argues that reps who understand how to use the tools can gain an advantage, but her emphasis remains on the teaching required to reach that point.

For sales leaders, the implication in Uy’s advice is straightforward: pair any push to adopt AI with examples, hands-on instruction, and ongoing coaching. Her post frames enablement as the link between a new tool and its practical value to a sales team.