Introduction: The Overwhelm of AI
If you’re in sales, or a small business owner, you’ve likely heard it a hundred times: “You need to be using AI.”
It’s the headline everywhere—on podcasts, in workshops, on LinkedIn feeds.
But here’s the reality: most of the advice is overwhelming, tool-heavy, and built for enterprise leaders with big teams and big budgets. Meanwhile, you’re wearing every hat in the business—leader, salesperson, operator—and the message leaves you feeling even more behind.
That’s why so many business owners tell me they’re stuck. They know AI has potential, but they don’t have the time or clarity to figure out where to begin.
The Insight That Changed Everything
Recently, I studied with Professor White at Vanderbilt University as part of their Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT certification course. His perspective reframed how I think about AI—and how I teach it to others.
Professor White explains that AI and large language models (LLMs) allow us to unlock creativity and give ourselves more time for high-level thinking and problem solving. Tasks that once took hours, days, or even weeks can now be completed in minutes.
Just imagine the compounding effect of that. If AI gives you back even 30 minutes a day, that’s over 120 hours a year. What would you do with that time?
The truth is, this isn’t about learning one more tool. It’s about creating margin—space in your week for the leadership, strategy, and conversations that actually move your business forward.
Why Time Alone Isn’t Enough
Time, however, is only part of the equation. What you do with the time AI frees up is what determines your growth.
And that’s where Exactly What to Say® comes in.
One of the four cornerstones of EWTS is this:
“The worst time to think about what you’re going to say is in the moment you’re saying it.”
AI accelerates your ability to prepare. It can help you brainstorm, practice, and refine your words before you step into the real conversation. But the words that land—the words that change minds and move people to action—come from proven language patterns and intentional preparation.
That’s the bridge: AI gives you the speed, and EWTS gives you the influence.
Practical Applications: Where This Shows Up Every Day
Let’s make this real. Here are five conversations every small business owner has, and how AI + EWTS can transform them:
1
Prospecting Outreach
AI can generate drafts of outreach messages in seconds.
EWTS helps you frame them with curiosity gaps that actually get a reply.
2
Objection Handling
AI can role-play a hesitant client with endless variations.
EWTS equips you with perspective-shifting phrases that overcome resistance.
3
Proposal Prep
AI can summarize your offering into a clear, one-page overview.
EWTS ensures the value is communicated in the client’s language, not yours.
4
Team Leadership Check-Ins
AI can turn meeting notes into three key decisions and three next steps.
EWTS helps you ask the courageous questions that build ownership in your team.
5
Follow-Up Emails
AI can draft follow-ups instantly.
EWTS guides you to reinforce the client’s “because” (their personal reason for action).
When you combine the efficiency of AI with the intentionality of EWTS, you don’t just save time—you lead with confidence and clarity.
The Human-First AI Advantage I call this approach Human-First AI.
It’s not about replacing your leadership. It’s about amplifying it.
It’s not about sounding like a robot. It’s about sounding more like you—at your best.
And most importantly, it’s not about adding another burden to your already full plate. It’s about giving you back the margin you need to grow your business and design a life worth living.
A Question for You
Could it be possible that by learning how LLMs work—and how to properly engineer your prompts—you not only save hours each week but also elevate the quality of your conversations?
And if that’s true, could it be possible that you could accelerate your business and reclaim more time for the life you want outside of it?
