Sincerely (Insert Name):
In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital marketing, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a cornerstone in the strategies of sales and marketing teams across various industries, the Built World included. Nearly everyone is bombarded with two to three “revolutionary” AI marketing app sales calls or emails per week and dozens of AI-driven messages daily on platforms like LinkedIn. AI’s role in marketing isn’t just growing—it’s inundating. Given that Anderson|Biro represents an industry focused on networking and outreach, we are constantly tasked with discerning genuine value in these innovations. Thus, we find ourselves continually evaluating the balance between technology-driven efficiency and the irreplaceable human touch. This constant barrage prompts a pivotal question: Can the human touch of personalized messages compete with AI-assisted mass marketing?
Expansion and Challenges of AI in Sales and Marketing
AI tools are now ubiquitous in marketing departments across most industries, Land Title Insurance and essentially the entirety of the Built World sector are no exception. From customer relationship management (CRM) systems to chatbots and automated email platforms, these tools facilitate a broad spectrum of activities that were once manual and very time-consuming. Whether you’re in Real Estate Finance, Recruiting, a Lender or a Home Builder, connecting with others and maintaining an online presence is a modern must. However, with the go-to platforms like LinkedIn and X, a significant percentage of all messages are generated not by humans but by algorithms attempting to mimic human interaction—with varying degrees of success.
Your email spam folder is likely brimming with AI-generated LinkedIn messages touting revolutionary new products, jobs, or investment opportunities. These messages typically follow a multi message formula: a friendly opening, a few follow-ups chiding you for not responding, and finally, a pushy request for politeness. It’s as if each AI app has a dial for aggressiveness that’s cranked up based on desperation. Amid these numerous cookie-cutter attempts at human connection, you might find the odd genuine message from someone at a company you recognize who took the time to read your profile and craft a personalized appeal. The overwhelming volume of marketing messages can lead to user fatigue, significantly reducing engagement rates and overall effectiveness. Moreover, while AI can optimize for quantity, the quality of these interactions often plummets, as any attempt at genuine personal touch drowns in an ocean of synthetic content.
The Value of Personalization: AI and Handwritten Messages
AI’s primary advantage in marketing is its capacity for unmatched scale and efficiency. AI systems sift through vast amounts of data in an attempt to personalize messages and target users based on their behavior and perceived preferences. Using people’s “metadata” can make marketing campaigns far more strategic and data-driven than ever before. These AI tools can target and use industry buzz words like “Built World”, “Land Title”, or “FinTech” and strategically place them in your messaging and online postings to ensure content and messages are filtered to the correct audiences and ranked accordingly. Often these AI messaging apps only require someone to click a single button or two to contact thousands of individuals at once, thus saving time and money.
In stark contrast, personalized, human written messages take careful consideration. Things like, have you or anyone else from your organization connected with the targeted person in the past, are there specific products or opportunities that make more sense than others, or is there some unique or fascinating trait or interest that you share? Addressing these customized and personalized details can forge a stronger emotional connection with recipients. Often, the time taken to thoughtfully craft said messages is part of the appreciation they are given. The authenticity and human touch evident in these messages often enhance trust and engagement, making them stand out in a sea of digital noise. This approach taps into the enduring human desire for genuine interaction, which remains potent despite—or perhaps because of—the digital overload.
Future Trends and Comparative Effectiveness
Real Estate Finance, Recruiting, Land Title, and The Built World are currently and will continue to face a brave new world of AI powered tools. The integration of AI networking that mimics that personal human touch seems promising but potentially dystopian. Innovations in AI will eventually lead to networking tools that craft personalized messages that seem to perfectly retain a human touch, likely this advanced “digitized human touch” feature will be available only in more expensive upgraded versions of AI apps. This “digitized human touch” may also lose its luster once all AI tools start to perfect it. Eventually we’ll all likely have our own AI apps reading the deluge of messages from other AI apps, each will probably craft and send responses to each other in an echo chamber of simulated humanity. As AI continues to dehumanize the sales and marketing landscape, the significance of personal touch and authenticity remains undeniable. Back in the old days it was a firm handshake and looking someone in the eyes, but in the future, effectiveness may be judged on how powerful your AI tools are and can they simulate that human interaction well enough to pass the Turing Test. As we navigate this ever-evolving digital age, the challenge will likely be to harness the best of both worlds—utilizing AI to enhance our capabilities without sacrificing the genuine connections that drive customer loyalty and trust. Because surely, AI will never be able to perfectly replicate that genuine personal human touch…right?
Anderson|Biro is a full-service, Executive Search firm dedicated nationally to the Financial Services sector. We source talent to service all aspects of the Built World, including the Land Title Insurance, Settlement and Appraisal industries. We have forged successful partnerships with leading Homebuilders, iBuyers, Fintech, Servicers, Law Firms, Real Estate Brokerages, Private Equity and Lenders with direct or indirect stakes around the real estate closing table. We offer quality solutions for clients in these primary fields and beyond. Our candidates are screened for specific industry experience, outstanding track records, and values that complement your mission and culture.