Leadership in Manufacturing Why Judgment Still Wins in an AI-Assisted Sales World
AI is making reps faster. But faster is not the same as better. The rep who brings value still wins. The question is how you build that value when the tools are changing.
In the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast, host Sannah Vinding speaks with Hunter Starr, CPMR, President at Performance Technical Sales, to explore how the manufacturers rep role is evolving as AI reshapes research, outreach, and customer engagement in the electronics and component industry.
The conversation focuses on practical AI adoption at the field sales level — not theory, but what Hunter's team is actually doing. From using ChatGPT with curated manufacturer data to improve cross-reference accuracy, to building shared industry-specific messaging templates that scale across the team, Hunter shares a grounded view of Phase 1 AI integration in a rep firm.
Hunter also gets specific about what AI cannot replace: the judgment call after the research, the follow-through after the meeting, and the trust that builds over time with engineers and purchasing teams. He talks about leading without a formal title, running open Monday team meetings where nothing is off limits, and why persistence is still the most important skill a new rep can develop.
This episode is for manufacturers reps, field salespeople, FAEs, and sales leaders in electronics and component distribution who want to understand how to adopt AI tools practically without losing what actually builds business.
In this episode, you will learn:
- Why access to engineers has changed and how to adapt your approach
- How to use AI for part cross-referencing with better accuracy and less risk
- Why constraining AI to curated manufacturer data produces more reliable output
- How to build messaging templates that your whole team can use across verticals
- What manufacturers are building with AI that will change how reps interact with customers
- Why follow-through and persistence still outperform speed in technical sales
- How to lead a team and build trust without relying on a formal title
About the guest: Hunter Starr, CPMR, is President of Performance Technical Sales, a manufacturers rep firm serving OEM engineers and purchasing teams across Eastern North and South Carolina. With nearly a decade in manufacturer representation, Hunter supports customers across industrial, off-highway, defense, agricultural, and appliance markets. He is a Certified Professional Manufacturers' Representative and was recognized as a Rising Star by the Electronic Representatives Association.
Hosted by: Sannah Vinding is an engineer, B2B marketing strategist, leadership educator, and host of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast. She helps leaders across electronics, manufacturing, and supply chain lead technical teams with clarity, trust, and confidence as complexity and AI reshape how work gets done.
Listen to more episodes, sign up for the weekly leadership newsletter, and explore insights at: https://leadershipinmanufacturing.com/hello/ Stay curious. Keep learning. Keep leading forward.