In the last five weeks, I’ve gone viral three times. Not by design, and not with flashy gimmicks—but by simply talking about what it’s like to be a founder and growth leader in real time. The lesson? People crave realness.

In a landscape dominated by automation, what cuts through the noise is the human voice.

Human connection is currency. And no matter how sophisticated AI becomes, it can’t replicate the kind of trust that comes from genuine, personal communication. That’s why we don’t see AI as a replacement for marketers—we see it as a force multiplier.

Let AI Work For You, Not Instead of You

We use AI to do what it does best:

• Analyzing large datasets

• Surfacing insights

• Predicting lead behavior

• Informing smart follow-up strategies

But once AI tells me, “Hey, this lead just took a high-intent action,” that’s my cue. That’s when I step in with messaging grounded in behavioral science—the kind that speaks to emotion, psychology, and decision-making patterns.

When someone’s on the edge of a decision, I reach for tools like:

• Curiosity: “I noticed you checked this out—did you know you could also do this?”

• Scarcity: “We only have a few spots left.”

• Urgency: “This offer closes soon.”

• Exclusivity: “You’ve been specially selected for this opportunity.”

One of My Favorite Psychological Superpowers: The Ovsiankina Effect

This is one I used during my time at HubSpot, and I still leverage it in our client sequences today. The Ovsiankina Effect is the idea that people feel a strong pull to finish what they’ve started. Think about someone who starts filling out a form but doesn’t hit submit. Or someone who books a time on your calendar but doesn’t confirm.

That’s a psychological hook—and it’s gold.
We build automations around those moments to gently remind, re-engage, and guide people back to the action they almost completed. These aren’t just follow-ups. They’re completions in progress.

What If You Don’t Have Big Tools?

No Einstein? No Sixth Sense? No problem.

Start simple. If you’re early-stage, I recommend using ChatGPT or an internal GPT. Then:

• Study which touchpoints consistently lead to meetings or conversions

• Map the buyer’s journey so you know when and how to engage

• Align your CTAs to where the prospect actually is, not where you wish they were

So many B2B marketers misfire because their messaging doesn’t match the moment. If someone’s just getting familiar with your brand, don’t come in hot with a hard pitch. If they’re mid-funnel, don’t bore them with intro-level content. Timing is everything. Luckily, we have AI to help us beat the clock.