The Argonautic: 0028

Are you ready to start marketing to bots? As millions of people turn to AI to help with purchasing decisions, the game is changing. The bots are becoming the customers, and they don't respond to traditional marketing noise.

The big shift is from chasing clicks to creating signals. According to Mike Harty, a combination of generative AI, privacy regulations, and identity fragmentation is rewriting the rules for B2B marketing. AI-powered search engines act as research assistants, consolidating information and presenting a single, synthesized answer. This means the answer is the destination, and your website may no longer be the final stop.

As Mark Schaefer explains, firms must now win the war to influence these AI platforms. This is where high-quality, reputable content comes in. Schaefer notes this is a golden age for PR, because AI is looking for brand validation, awards, and testimonials from reputable sources—not a slick ad campaign.

If the world's most famous consulting firm, McKinsey, is worried about AI, should you be? According to a senior partner, AI is an "existential" threat, not because it will replace them, but because it will decimate the value of mediocrity.

In a recent post, Karl Sakas highlights the McKinsey partner's blunt assessment: AI can already produce "a pretty good, average answer." This means the "basic layer of mediocre expertise goes away," while distinctive, high-level expertise becomes more valuable than ever. AI isn't coming for your agency; it's coming for average agencies.

McKinsey's response is telling: fewer people per project, more automation, and a shift to outcome-based fees. This signals a fundamental rethink of the consulting model. As Aaron Matthews observes, many companies are in a "Great Corporate Freeze," paralyzed by the fear that any long-term project will be made obsolete by AI's rapid advance. This is your opportunity to provide the clarity and specialized strategy that clients desperately need.

Is your team treating AI as a threat, a tool, or a teammate? According to Dr. David Burkus, only one of these mindsets leads to significant performance gains. While using AI as a tool can boost productivity, treating it as a teammate—one that actively participates in decision-making—is what compounds innovation.

To make this shift, Burkus suggests incorporating AI into your strategic discussions with pointed prompts. In your next meeting, try asking your AI of choice: "Here's our plan. Tell me how it could fail." or "What assumptions are we making?" This transforms AI from a simple task-bot into a strategic partner that can challenge your thinking and reveal blind spots.

This approach, however, requires a new set of human skills. As Lisa Nirell points out, the most essential qualities in an AI-powered world are connection, critical thinking, creativity, and contextual thinking. Your role as a leader is to cultivate these skills, enabling your team to use AI for genuine elevation, not just automation.

If you're still billing by the hour, you're not just capping your income—you're actively disincentivizing efficiency. As Jonathan Stark argues, the moment you stop billing for time, you start discovering countless ways to deliver the same (or better) results in fewer hours, which is a win for both your profits and your clients.

The key is to remember that clients aren't buying your time; they're buying your contribution to an outcome. Your price should reflect the value of that outcome. According to Stark, if a project's value to the client is $100,000 and they believe you can increase their odds of success by 10%, a price of $10,000 is perfectly reasonable—regardless of how long it takes you.

To command higher prices, you need to master the psychology of presenting value. Chris Do recommends using pricing anchors, a cognitive bias where the first number presented heavily influences perception. By offering packages and leading with a high-priced option, you make your other offerings seem more reasonable. Similarly, David Edelman suggests bundled pricing, but warns its value must be immediately and obviously clear to the customer.

In a world flooded with AI-generated noise and fleeting digital interactions, trust is becoming the rarest and most valuable currency. It's the foundation for strong client relationships and high-performing teams, and it's something that must be built intentionally.

So, how do you build it? Jerry Fletcher suggests it comes down to fundamentals: stay consistent, share your expertise generously, earn referrals, and truly get to know your clients. It's not a tactic, but a way of operating. Dr. David Burkus adds that from a leadership perspective, trust is built through three simple, daily actions: listening more than you talk, giving clarity instead of just directions, and following through on your commitments.

This foundation of trust is what allows for psychological safety—a critical ingredient for innovation. Burkus outlines it as a three-step loop: build trust, encourage risk-taking (like asking for bold ideas and normalizing failure), and respect the response (rewarding candor, not just the outcome). When your team feels safe to fail, they also feel safe to innovate.

As marketing becomes more automated and channels more crowded, your most powerful differentiator might be the one thing AI can never replicate: your authentic self. Trying to sound like a faceless corporation is a losing strategy when your unique perspective is your greatest asset.

The goal of your marketing, especially your writing, should be to put yourself into it. Michael Katz of Blue Penguin Development drives this point home, arguing that clients aren't just buying what you know, but who you are. Your authentic voice is the most "stand-out-from-the-pack" aspect of what you sell.

This philosophy extends beyond your content to all client interactions. Testimonials, for instance, are powerful because they feature the authentic voice of a happy customer. But as Katz notes in another post, you have to ask for them. And more importantly, you have to make it easy for clients to say "yes," often by asking permission to use kind words they've already shared. It's a prime example of human-centered marketing, which prioritizes authentic stories and user experience.

You've invested hours with a promising prospect, laying out a brilliant solution. Then, they go with someone else. It stings. While most of us would lick our wounds and move on, Jeff Mowatt suggests this is your moment to shine.

The strategy is simple but powerful: send a brief, gracious follow-up note. Thank the prospect for their consideration, express appreciation for their time, and politely ask them to keep you in mind for the future. Mowatt even suggests including a helpful link or resource. This small act immediately differentiates you by demonstrating professionalism, helpfulness, and grace under pressure.

This approach is part of a larger mindset of playing the long game. The sales process doesn't end when a decision is made. Every interaction is a chance to build your reputation as a trusted advisor, not just a vendor. As Jerry Fletcher notes, you can identify buying signals when prospects ask "power questions" like "How do you work?" and "Have you worked in my industry?" Answering with value and confidence—even when you don't get the immediate "yes"—builds the foundation for future opportunities.

That's a wrap. The common thread this week is clear: as technology advances, the most valuable currency becomes human. Whether that's trust, authenticity, or high-level strategic thinking, the path forward is about doubling down on what machines can't replicate.

What's one "uniquely human" thing you're focusing on in your business right now?