AI Marketing & Sales Tools That Actually Worked in 2025 + 2026 Predictions - EP 132 🇬🇧 | Theresa Engl & Lars Thalmann (@Holycode)

Startups test dozens of AI tools, but most teams end up overwhelmed and go back to square one. Stacked tools, no adoption, no real impact. One founder told me: “AI was supposed to make sales easier. It only added complexity.”

Theresa Engl (VP Sales) and Lars Thalmann (GTM & Growth) have seen and tested a lot - and built a focused AI stack that actually works. After scaling to 150+ enterprise clients, they share what really moved the needle in 2025 and what’s coming in 2026.

1. The Notetaker Advantage
ReadAI isn’t just a call recorder. They use it in technical implementation meetings. Developers miss buying signals — ReadAI doesn’t. Sales gets alerts automatically.

2. Why Mass Outreach Died
Lars: “Copy-paste outreach was still a thing in 2024. Completely dead now.”
The shift: AI-written, personalised outreach that’s actually pleasant to receive. Less volume, more relevance.

3. AmpleMarket’s Untapped Power
Not just cold outreach. Three overlooked use cases:
– Re-engage old SQLs when timing flips
– Track existing customers for upsell signals
– Signal-based workflows triggered by buying intent

4. Content Upcycling > AI Content Flooding
Bad marketing = spamming LinkedIn with AI-generated fluff.
Smart marketing = create one piece of real content, then upcycle it across formats using tools like Eddy + LLMs.

5. Their Lean AI Stack
ReadAI → notes + BANT sync
AmpleMarket → outbound + follow-up
Mailchimp → human content, AI-assisted formatting
SIFT/Leadfeeder → visitor intel
Zapier → workflow visibility
Key: every tool has multiple use cases; no tool-collecting.

6. 2026: AI Agents Arrive
Lars: “Startups will build their own AI agents sooner than they think.”
I shared my investment in Sillage — full-cycle agents: research → outreach → expansion.

7. AI Cold Calls? Already Here.
Theresa judged the Swiss Sales Championship: one contestant used AI for the cold call — and many didn’t notice at first.
For complex sales? “Not there yet.”

8. Personalisation at Scale for Key Accounts
With 150+ clients, personalisation sounds impossible. They disagree: AI will power tailored newsletters and account-specific insights based on past project data.

About Theresa Engl & Lars Thalmann

Theresa Engl is VP of Sales & Business Development with deep expertise in consultative B2B sales and AI-powered sales automation. She's a judge at the Swiss Sales Championship and specialises in helping teams shift from manual outreach to intelligent workflows. Theresa is a strong advocate for BANT qualification and value-first selling.

Lars Thalmann is a Go-to-Market and Growth specialist, advisory board member at Beyondbot AI, and expert in outbound engine optimisation. He helps early-stage and scale-up startups build signal-based sales automation that actually converts. Lars focuses on sustainable growth strategies that replace mass outreach with AI-personalised engagement.