James built his career on relationships. As a seasoned sales executive, he knew that deals weren’t just about numbers or pricing. They were about trust, body language, and understanding the subtle nuances of human interaction. He had honed this skill over 15 years, thriving in an industry where a handshake and a well-timed conversation could seal the deal. Many of his biggest wins happened over shared meals, in spontaneous meetings, or through the simple act of showing up. He’d fly into a city, say, “Hey, I’m here for lunch—are you free?” And more often than not, the prospect would be relieved to escape the monotony of their day and join him.
Then, overnight, everything changed.
The pandemic didn’t just disrupt daily life—it accelerated a shift that was already in motion. Without the ability to meet in person, sales calls became Zoom links, Teams meetings, impersonal video chats. Pitches turned into email sequences so automated you could practically smell the algorithms behind them. Emails became stripped of personality, reduced to empty shells devoid of context or human warmth. Relationships—the foundation of business—were being replaced by data points, open rates, and CRM entries. Salespeople lost their instincts, their ability to read the room, to sense an opportunity through intuition rather than analytics. But business has always been, and will always be, about trust. It’s the oldest rule in the book.
Then one day, James’s powerhouse company—the one he had helped grow—decided it was time to “streamline.” Do more with less. Sales was no longer about persuasion, connection, or relationships. It was about efficiency, automation, and performance metrics.
And then, just like that, the rug was pulled out from under him. No warning. No severance. Just an email.
Digitally ghosted by the very company he had given years of his life to.
But what was worse? The job market had changed, too. Suddenly, the skills he had spent decades refining weren’t in demand. The art of conversation, the instinct of reading body language, the ability to look someone in the eye and decide Do I want to do business with this person?—all of it was being replaced by AI-driven outreach and sales algorithms. The science of automation had no room for human connection, leaving James on the outside looking in. A casualty of the shift.
And he’s not alone.
There are James’s in every industry – people who built careers on relationships, now left behind as automation takes the reins. Smartphones, smartwatches, digital everything—these tools were meant to enhance communication, yet they’ve paradoxically eroded its very foundation. Conversations have been replaced by text messages and emails. Now, even those emails are AI-generated, further stripping away the human element. How do you build trust in a world that prioritizes efficiency over authenticity?
We like to say we’re more connected than ever. But are we?
Digital ghosting, once a term reserved for dating apps, is now a staple of professional life. Job candidates are left hanging without so much as a rejection email. Messages go unanswered. Hard conversations are avoided altogether – easier to disappear than to engage.
But business still requires people.
No algorithm can replace the power of a handshake. No data point can replicate the chemistry of a real conversation. The connective tissue of business – of life – is built in these moments of human interaction, not in automated exchanges.
James’s story should be a wake-up call. Technology isn’t getting dumber – we are.
We need to take back control. Use technology to enhance, not replace, real communication. Prioritize face-to-face interactions. Step out from behind the screen. Be authentic. Because a thousand LinkedIn connections can only get you so far. It’s the real-world relationships that shape our futures – whether in business, entrepreneurship, or life itself.
Because in the end, business is not about technology – it’s about people. We know a connection request isn’t a real connection, just as we know a LinkedIn message isn’t a real conversation. If we fail to reclaim the lost art of human interaction, we risk waking up to a world where meaningful relationships – the foundation of successful business – have vanished. So, let’s use technology as a bridge not a barrier. For if we let technology strip the humanity from business, we won’t just lose deals – we’ll lose ourselves.
