With ASA Staffing World right around the corner, I can promise you one thing: AI will be the most talked-about topic in every hallway conversation and breakout session. As I prepare to sit on the AI for Sales panel and facilitate C-level roundtables, I’ve been listening closely to what leaders are actually asking. Here are the top five questions I hear and how I’d answer them:
It's true. Too often, recruiters view negotiation as a single event that occurs once the offer is extended. The truth is that negotiation begins long before compensation numbers are discussed. It begins with the first conversation a recruiter has with a candidate. From that moment, you’re influencing how they view the opportunity, the organization, and you as a trusted advisor. By the time you’re "officially" negotiating, the outcome has already been shaped by everything leading up to that point.
Let’s be clear: AI is already eliminating jobs; junior developers, call center reps, and copywriters are seeing disruption because AI can replicate large parts of their work. So naturally, people wonder if recruiters and salespeople are next.
My short answer: not in the immediate future.
But here’s the catch: you will lose your job to a recruiter or salesperson who is highly proficient at leveraging generative AI.
The individuals who combine human skills (relationship building, empathy, trust) with AI-powered productivity and insight will dramatically outperform those who don’t. AI won’t replace recruiters and salespeople, but it will replace the ones who refuse to adapt.
This is a great question. Most leaders I talk to feel overwhelmed by the “300+ AI point solutions” being pushed at them. There’s a tool for sourcing, another for messaging, another for analytics. You could spend months evaluating vendors and never make progress.
The best place to start is with the things that directly impact revenue and the client experience. That’s why I believe the entry point isn’t another standalone app, it’s an AI-enabled coach that sits at the intersection of your people and your process with a continuous focus on skill development.
At Butler Street, we’ve built Sales Coach AI to do exactly that. It combines the best of your company, your differentiators, values, and strengths, with the best of Butler Street methodology, giving your people instant access to the frameworks and skills they need to win more opportunities and place more candidates.
In other words, it’s learning at the speed of need. Instead of waiting for training sessions or relying on memory, your team has a real-time coach guiding them through outbound call scripts, objections, negotiations, and client conversations. That’s where AI starts paying dividends immediately: in revenue and retention.
Here is our Butler Street formula for success:
AI + EQ + The Right Habits = Success.
Treat AI like your “first draft generator.” It accelerates the work, but your people still provide the judgment, context, personality and expertise. Think of AI as the MBA intern who never sleeps and never says no...but still needs oversight.
Salesforce survey January of 2025 states that salespeople only spend 30% of their time on sales activities. 70% of time is on administrative tasks.
Negotiation is not a one-time hurdle; it’s the sum of every candidate interaction. Think of it as an ongoing dialogue, not a debate. Every question you ask, every detail you share, and every follow-up you deliver, or fail to deliver, becomes part of the negotiation process.
Candidates are continuously evaluating:
Do I trust this recruiter?
Do they understand me, my needs and wants?
Do I believe what they are saying – can I trust them with my career move?
By recognizing that negotiation is a process means you can be more intentional in every touchpoint. Instead of waiting until the offer to "win," you’ve already been laying the groundwork with empathy, credibility, and consistency.
The ROI is measured in hours. If a salesperson can save 5–10 hours a week, moving the ratio to 50/50 by automating administrative tasks, call scripts, client meeting plans, that’s time redirected to building relationships and solving client problems. Time is the new currency.
Faster than most are comfortable with. This is Digital Darwinism: it’s not the strongest or the smartest who survive, but the ones most adaptable to change. The ability to change requires an ability to learn. We must create continuous learning organizations leveraging generative AI. Inaction is the riskiest move of all.
Final thought: If you’re heading to Staffing World, attend our sessions or stop by booth 510. Bring these questions with you and more importantly, bring the mindset that the answers need to be acted on. The winners in staffing will not be the ones who understand AI, but the ones who apply it daily.
If you are not attending Staffing World but would like to learn more about how we can help your team Learn at the speed of need, contact us and let’s have a conversation!