In my decades of interviewing business leaders, I’ve rarely met a CEO who combines technological vision with human empathy as powerfully as Abhijit Mitra, the CEO of Outreach. Mitra doesn’t just see AI as another tool—he sees it as a transformative force reshaping how sellers work, learn, and succeed.
Outreach has delivered outcomes most sales organizations only dream of: win rates up 26%, forecasting accuracy up 43%, and sales cycles shortened by 19%. These aren’t incremental gains. They’re seismic shifts, and they’re powered by what Mitra calls agentic AI.
From Busywork to Breakthroughs
Salespeople have long been stuck in the daily grind—logging calls, updating CRMs, chasing down stale data. Mitra’s team has designed AI agents that take this burden off the seller’s shoulders. These agents don’t just automate tasks. They think alongside the rep. They detect buyer intent in milliseconds, surface the right stakeholders, and even coach sellers during live conversations.
As Mitra explained, “The revenue agent works side by side with the rep. It finds the right customers, gathers signals, crafts outreach, and even initiates contact. When the buyer shows real interest, that’s when the human steps in.”
The result? More meaningful conversations, less wasted motion, and a sales team that can focus on conversational mastery. Research shows that the motivation to buy is the result of a positive emotional experience with the seller. This confirms what Zig Ziglar reminded us years ago, logic makes people think, but emotions make people buy.
Strategy Over Software
Too many companies chase the latest shiny object, piling tools on top of one another until sellers drown in complexity. Outreach takes a different path: one integrated system that spans the entire revenue workflow—from prospecting and deal management to retention and expansion.
This isn’t about replacing humans. It’s about elevating them. Sellers still lead the strategic conversations, but AI ensures that every step leading up to that moment is optimized. Think of it as a well-rehearsed orchestra, where AI plays the instruments and humans conduct the symphony of trust.
Tackling the Generational Divide
One striking point Mitra raised is the generational gap in AI adoption. Younger sellers dive in eagerly, while many over 55 hesitate. But as Mitra reminded me, his own mother—well past that age bracket—uses ChatGPT daily. The key isn’t age. It’s the mindset.
The solution lies in company-wide rollouts of vetted AI platforms, not shadow IT tools scattered across laptops and phones. Outreach itself has achieved ISO certification for AI governance, giving enterprises the confidence to scale adoption responsibly.
Looking Three Years Ahead
What will sales organizations look like in three years? Mitra is clear, “agents will handle the grind. Humans will handle the strategy.”
That vision resonates deeply. The sales organizations that thrive will be the ones that embrace AI not as a threat, but as a teammate. They’ll empower their reps to do more of what they love—building trust, solving problems, and closing deals—while the AI quietly eliminates friction in the background.
As I left my conversation with Mitra, one thought stayed with me, the future of sales isn’t man versus machine. It’s a man with a machine. And those who grasp this truth today will be tomorrow’s market leaders.
To capture the great insights of the interview with Mitra, watch this 20-minute video now:
To learn more about Outreach, visit www.outreach.io.
Today’s blog post is by Gerhard Gschwandtner, Founder and CEO of Selling Power.
