From ‘Vibe Coding’ to ‘Vibe Selling’: how AI is reshaping the art of selling
'Vibe selling' is a crucial tool in sellers’ kits, but isn’t ready to be put directly in front of buyers.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
When “vibe coding” was named Collins Dictionary’s word of the year last month, it signaled a crucial milestone for AI: applications that were once niche or sector-specific had truly become mainstream.
A term initially coined by OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy to describe coding through natural language outputs rather than development languages, it has sparked inspiration among leaders in other industries around where else AI can give processes the “vibe treatment”.
Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Gong.
Looking at how AI can support other types of workers and teams, the same core principle applies: handing over repetitive work to AI. Whether that’s research tasks or analyzing large data sets, it’s about humans directing the action rather than spending time on menial tasks themselves.
AI’s expanding foothold in the enterprise means an increasing number of tasks can undergo the same transformation as writing code. One of the most exciting – and practical – areas where this is happening right now is in sales. So, let’s dig into it.
What is ‘vibe selling’?
Vibe selling isn’t about a salesperson simply “chatting with a machine”. Nor is it about simply delegating tasks to autonomous agents. Instead, it’s about engaging with AI in a dynamic, iterative way, interacting repeatedly until the output is right.
Sellers use AI to take on the time-consuming tasks that slow them down today – drafting emails, researching accounts, analyzing conversations – so they can focus on what matters most: actual selling.
Traditionally, sellers have had to juggle these tasks themselves to gain a competitive edge. However, while these tasks are essential, they often pull sellers away from the activities that truly drive revenue – building relationships and closing deals, which demand a personal, human touch.
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Vibe selling changes this. By embedding AI directly into workflows, sellers can offload those repetitive tasks to intelligent tools that generate insights, prep materials and flag opportunities in real time. That leaves the salesperson free to do what humans do best – connecting with customers, earning their trust and closing more deals.