The Evolution of The Sales Consultant: From Human Expertise to AI-Powered Solutions

Over the past decade, the role of the sales consultant has drastically transformed. While brick-and-mortar stores maintain traditional face-to-face interactions, the rise of e-commerce has shifted this role into the digital realm, utilizing phone, email, and chat for remote consultancy.

Now, with the advent of AI, virtual sales consultants use data to immediately respond to thousands of customer inquiries and offer product recommendations. While AI excels in speed, scalability, and personalization — especially in B2C environments — human sales consultants remain indispensable in complex B2B transactions that require deeper comprehension, empathy, and strategic thinking. This raises the question: will AI eventually replace sales consultants entirely?

In the sections that follow, we explore the evolving role of sales consultants, their impact on e-commerce, and how AI is reshaping customer interactions. Additionally, we look at key solutions the industry offers to balance the efficiency of AI with the irreplaceable qualities of human expertise in complex sales environments.

What is a Sales Consultant?

In the fast-paced world of e-commerce, a sales consultant plays a pivotal role in shaping customer experiences and driving sales. Traditionally, a sales consultant was a knowledgeable expert who could guide customers through complex purchasing decisions in physical stores. They understood the nuances of their product offerings, helped customers find exactly what they were looking for, and often went above and beyond to ensure satisfaction.

But today, e-commerce sales consultants have evolved. The modern version may not wear a name tag or stand behind a counter, but their function remains critical — albeit more virtual than ever.

The Primary Function: More Than Just Selling

At its core, the job of a sales consultant revolves around three key responsibilities: guiding customers, offering tailored product recommendations, and facilitating purchase decisions. Whether in-person or online, their job is to enhance the buying process.

In e-commerce, this means understanding customer needs through data — what they’re browsing, what they’ve bought before, and even how long they linger on specific products. The consultant, whether human or AI-driven, uses this information to recommend the right product at the right time, ensuring a personalized shopping experience. They act as a digital customer advisor, subtly nudging customers toward purchases that align with their preferences, while helping to build trust between the brand and the buyer.

Traditional vs. Digital: A Shift in Medium, Not Mission

The shift from in-store to online shopping continues to accelerate, but the landscape is far from one-sided. E-commerce is growing rapidly, accounting for over 20% of global retail sales in 2023, with projections to reach 24% by 2026.

Younger generations (like Gen Z) overwhelmingly prefer online shopping, while 65% of Boomers still favor in-store experiences for their tactile engagement and product immediacy. Yet, many retailers are blending the two: integrating online convenience (like home delivery) with the in-store shopping experience for a seamless consumer journey. This hybrid approach is shaping the future of retail, emphasizing that both channels must co-exist to meet diverse customer needs. How does this trend impact the role of a sales consultant?

Traditionally, sales consultants are physically present, offering advice based on face-to-face interactions. Their ability to read body language, gauge emotional responses, and adjust their pitch in real time was key.

In today’s e-commerce landscape, those same skills are translated into a digital realm, where consultants — often in the form of live chat assistants or AI-powered systems — must interpret digital cues like clicks, scrolls, and search terms.

This shift doesn’t mean the sales consultant’s role has diminished; rather, it has adapted. Virtual sales consultants are now essential to the online shopping journey. They ensure customers can still receive personalized guidance through automated product recommendations or real-time customer support chatbots. And as e-commerce continues to grow, these digital sales experts are becoming just as important as their brick-and-mortar counterparts once were.

Beyond the Transaction: Building Loyalty

A great sales consultant doesn’t just make a sale; they build relationships. In e-commerce, this translates to follow-up emails, personalized product suggestions based on past purchases, timely offers that feel relevant rather than intrusive, and other CRO techniques. This aspect of consulting is what often sets apart a simple transaction from a long-term customer relationship.

As online shopping becomes increasingly automated, the importance of having skilled e-commerce sales experts at every touchpoint can’t be understated. The future of sales consultancy in e-commerce lies in blending the human touch with the efficiency of artificial intelligence, ensuring that the personalized experience customers expect is maintained, no matter the medium.

What Does a Sales Consultant Do in E-Commerce? (B2B vs. B2C)

The responsibilities of a sales consultant in e-commerce vary depending on the target audience. The distinction between B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) is significant. While both require personalized guidance and strategic engagement, the extent to which human consultants can be replaced differs significantly.

B2B: The Power of Human Consultancy

In B2B e-commerce, the role of a sales consultant is irreplaceable. Businesses making large-scale purchases or negotiating complex deals often require tailored advice that goes beyond what AI can offer. A B2B e-commerce consultant helps clients navigate complex product lines, develop custom solutions, and negotiate terms. They engage in multi-step processes, often providing consultation across email, video calls, and live chat to address the specific needs of businesses.

For example, when a company is purchasing industrial machinery, an AI chatbot could provide product specs, but a human consultant is needed to discuss how the equipment integrates with existing systems, negotiate multi-year contracts, or customize specific components. This process involves multiple stakeholders, compliance checks, and significant financial investment — all areas where a human consultant excels.

Thus, B2B relationships tend to be long-term and built on trust, which a human sales consultant is uniquely positioned to cultivate. They manage contracts, ensure compliance with industry standards, and help companies make informed decisions that involve significant financial commitments.

B2C: The Rise of AI and Automation

In contrast, B2C e-commerce allows for far greater automation. With advancements in AI-driven chatbots and recommendation algorithms, many aspects of a sales consultant’s role can be automated without sacrificing the quality of the customer experience. AI analyzes consumer behavior, purchase history, and even real-time browsing habits to provide personalized product recommendations, making the online shopping journey feel intuitive and responsive.

While human interaction still adds value in certain high-end or personalized product categories, most B2C platforms can rely heavily on digital sales consultants to facilitate upselling and cross-selling and provide 24/7 customer support. The emphasis is on scalability, as AI systems can engage with thousands of customers simultaneously, offering real-time support that mimics a human consultant.

Take a fashion retailer, for instance. An AI sales assistant can recommend outfits based on the customer’s browsing history, suggest accessories, and handle size-related queries. It can also provide 24/7 support to answer common questions like shipping times or product availability. This level of efficiency and personalization in B2C doesn’t usually require human intervention, as AI can handle most transactional tasks effectively.

However, when a customer wants to purchase a high-end luxury item or requires advice on a personalized product, a human consultant might still step in to offer deeper, customized assistance that builds rapport and trust.

By splitting the focus between B2B and B2C, e-commerce sales consultants must adapt to their audiences. In B2B, they remain indispensable for closing large deals and maintaining ongoing relationships, whereas, in B2C, they increasingly take the form of automated solutions that enhance convenience and efficiency for shoppers.

Can AI Replace Sales Consultants?

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape e-commerce, the question arises: can AI truly replace sales consultants? The answer lies in balancing efficiency with human intuition.

The Advantages of AI: Speed, Scale, and Personalization

AI brings undeniable strengths, especially in B2C e-commerce. AI sales assistants offer 24/7 availability, instant response times, and the ability to handle thousands of customer queries simultaneously.

By analyzing customer data in real time — such as browsing history, preferences, and past purchases — an AI sales consultant can offer personalized recommendations that often rival human suggestions.

This level of speed and scalability is unparalleled in human consultants, making AI especially effective in high-volume B2C e-commerce, where quick, data-driven decisions enhance the customer experience.

The Human Element: Where AI Falls Short

However, AI struggles with intricate, multi-step queries that require deeper comprehension. These queries, particularly common in B2B e-commerce, involve complex decision-making, such as integrating custom solutions, negotiating contracts, or handling multi-faceted product inquiries. In such cases, human consultants are invaluable because they offer not only product knowledge but also strategic thinking, empathy, and adaptability — skills that AI, with its reliance on predefined responses, simply cannot match.

For example, while an AI chatbot for e-commerce might efficiently handle simple product recommendations, it cannot navigate complex, multi-part negotiations or tailor solutions in real time as a human e-commerce sales consultant can. AI lacks the nuanced problem-solving ability to address unique client needs or anticipate potential complications in long-term relationships.

AI as a Complement, Not a Replacement

The future of sales consulting will likely involve a blend of both human expertise and AI-driven automation. AI-powered sales consultants can handle high-volume, transactional queries and provide personalized product suggestions in B2C e-commerce, but they fall short in scenarios requiring empathy, long-term relationship building, or deep strategic insight. In B2B environments, where client relationships are built over time and involve complex purchasing decisions, the human element remains irreplaceable.

In conclusion, while AI has revolutionized many aspects of customer interaction, it’s clear that artificial intelligence in customer service is best viewed as a tool that enhances, rather than replaces, the vital role of human sales consultants.

AI-Powered Sales Consultant Apps for Major E-Commerce Platforms

The rise of AI sales consultant apps has revolutionized how businesses interact with customers, and platforms like Magento, Shopify, and Shopware are leading the way. The corresponding AI-powered solutions provide scalable, personalized engagement that mimics traditional sales consultants — offering product recommendations, answering customer inquiries, and guiding buyers through the purchasing process. Read more about AI in ecommerce to discover the whole spectrum of modern solutions that reshape the industry.

Chatbot – The New Name For Sales Consultant

On Magento, the Mirasvit GPT Chatbot is a game-changer. This tool harnesses the power of GPT to offer AI-driven conversations, helping customers find products, answer questions, and improve their overall shopping experience.

Mirasvit’s AI-Powered Chatbot for Magento 2

Its ability to provide real-time, personalized recommendations allows businesses to scale customer interactions without sacrificing quality.

Get Mirasvit GPT Chatbot Sales Consultant for Magento

Meanwhile, for B2B companies seeking to integrate human sales reps into their workflow, Amasty’s Sales Reps and Dealers solution offers a dedicated tool for managing complex sales processes and relationships, though it’s more focused on human consultancy rather than automation.

For Shopify merchants looking for a robust AI sales consultant, SalesGPT offers a powerful B2C-focused solution. This app acts as a virtual sales rep, engaging customers directly on the storefront, answering questions, and providing product suggestions based on real-time browsing behavior. It’s designed to simulate the experience of having a live sales assistant but at the scale required for e-commerce. By learning from customer interactions, it continuously improves its recommendations, ensuring personalized assistance that drives conversions.

Shopware also embraces AI through tools like the Webkul AI Chatbot. This OpenAI-powered chatbot integrates seamlessly into Shopware stores, offering conversational AI that enhances customer support and product discovery.

Like its counterparts, this app aims to provide a personalized shopping experience by understanding customer preferences and behavior. Whether answering FAQs or guiding shoppers to specific products, the chatbot adds a layer of interaction that can significantly boost customer satisfaction in B2C e-commerce environments.

These AI-powered sales consultant apps represent the future of e-commerce platforms, allowing businesses to engage with their customers in real time, provide tailored recommendations, and scale their customer service operations with minimal human intervention.

Personalized Product Recommendations – Sales Consultant Duty That Chatbots Don’t Do

While chatbots act as virtual sales consultants, they never deal with personalized product recommendations – one of the key responsibilities of a good sales consultant. That’s when AI tools aimed at personalization enter the game, taking customer interaction to the next level. Across Magento, Shopify, and BigCommerce, these AI-powered solutions help e-commerce platforms tailor product recommendations, offers, and content to individual preferences, ensuring higher engagement and conversion rates.

On Magento 2, tools like Nosto (also available for Shopify and Shopware) and Adobe Sensei enable businesses to create data-driven, personalized experiences. Nosto analyzes user behavior to deliver product suggestions, targeted content, and personalized offers across multiple channels. Adobe Sensei, integrated with Adobe Commerce, leverages AI to offer personalized product recommendations, optimize search results, and analyze customer behavior to boost conversion.

Personalized Product Recommendations by Nosto

For Shopify, ConvertWise AI Personalization and Perzonalization AI-Suggestions serve as robust tools to improve the customer experience. ConvertWise uses advanced machine learning to analyze customer interactions and provide real-time product suggestions and personalized offers, while Perzonalization AI-Suggestions delivers relevant recommendations that evolve based on individual browsing patterns, increasing engagement and conversions.

For Shopware, two standout AI tools bring advanced personalization to e-commerce stores. Proto AI Commerce provides a powerful platform that tailors product recommendations and user experiences based on real-time data and individual browsing behaviors. This AI tool aims to enhance customer engagement by adapting to the shopper’s preferences dynamically. Another key solution, Product Recommendations Using AI, focuses on AI-driven suggestions, helping merchants maximize cross-selling opportunities and boost sales through intelligent recommendations.

These personalization tools, coupled with the rise of AI-powered sales consultants, are shaping the future of e-commerce by creating deeper connections between businesses and customers through tailored experiences that drive both engagement and loyalty.

Conclusion

The role of the sales consultant has transformed dramatically in e-commerce. What once relied solely on human expertise and personal interaction has evolved into a blend of human and AI-powered systems.

AI sales assistants offer unparalleled efficiency and personalization, automating tasks like product recommendations and customer support at scale. However, in complex sales situations, especially in B2B e-commerce, the human touch remains indispensable.

The future lies in combining the best of both worlds — leveraging AI for scalability and performance while maintaining human consultants for nuanced, relationship-driven sales.