The Outreach Fix: The truth about AI in B2B outreach

In this Outreach Fix episode, we look at one of the big questions in 2025: how far can AI really go in sales outreach, and where do you still need a human?

Sopro’s Kit Smith and Rob Harlow unpack how AI can boost productivity, spot opportunities, and handle early touchpoints, without losing the human judgment that wins complex deals. They explore the line between smart automation and lazy shortcuts, and why chasing “AI SDRs” is already backfiring for many teams.

You will hear why response rates still tell you more than any AI dashboard, where AI adds value to prospecting, and where handing conversations to bots does more harm than good. The episode also digs into email deliverability, buyer intent, and what happens when AI floods your market with low-quality outreach.

What you’ll learn:

• Where AI adds real value in the outreach process
• Why early touchpoints are easier to automate than later conversations
• What AI SDR tools promise, and why most fail in practice
• How AI can support better targeting, messaging, and timing
• Why human judgment is still needed to interpret intent and next steps

Key takeaways:

AI is a force multiplier, not a replacement. It works best when it speeds up research, targeting, and drafting, while people handle strategy and real conversations.

Volume without judgment creates risk. Over-automated outreach harms deliverability, burns through audiences, and is hard to recover from once results drop.

Intent needs nuance. Website visits and light engagement are useful, but only humans can decide when interest is real, and what a respectful next step looks like.

Human connection still closes deals. The further a prospect moves through the journey, the more tailored, thoughtful, and human your outreach needs to be.