The Robots Aren't Buying. Why Your Business Needs to Be More Human.

I tried to sort out a simple phone bill query online yesterday. After five minutes of arguing with a chatbot that didn’t understand basic Singlish, I gave up and walked to the provider's store at Raffles City. The person at the counter sorted it out in two minutes with a smile.

The ‘efficient’ digital experience was a complete failure. The human one was a success.

The Robots Aren't Buying. Why Your Business Needs to Be More Human.

This isn’t a one-off complaint; it’s the most important story in business right now. For years, we’ve been obsessed with labels—B2B, B2C—and building automated systems to serve them. But in our rush to be efficient, we’ve often stripped the humanity out of our businesses.

As of mid-2025, it’s clear that customers are tired of it. They are tired of being funnelled, processed, and pitched to by algorithms.

It’s time we focused on the only label that matters: H2H. Human-to-Human.

The Automation Hangover

We’ve all felt the cold shoulder of technology that was meant to make our lives easier.

Think about the sales pitches that clog your LinkedIn inbox. They are so obviously a copy-and-paste job that hitting ‘delete’ is a reflex. This is the automation hangover: we built tools to reach more people, but in doing so, we forgot how to talk to them. Response rates to cold, automated outreach have plummeted because people can spot a robot a mile away.

It's the same story in customer service.

Many major retailers and service providers who leaned heavily into AI chatbots are now quietly bringing back more human support staff. They discovered that while a bot can handle a simple query, it can’t handle a frustrated customer. It can’t empathise. It can only follow a script, leaving people feeling unheard and misunderstood.

What H2H Actually Looks Like in the Wild

This isn't a call to abandon technology. It's a call to use technology to free up our people to do what they do best: connect with other people. The businesses that are winning today are the ones that put genuine, empathetic human interaction at the centre of their strategy.

• Look at HubSpot. Their entire ‘inbound’ philosophy was built on H2H principles long before it was a buzzword. They chose to be helpful first, offering valuable content and building trust over time instead of using aggressive, interruptive sales tactics. They understood that you earn the right to sell by first solving a person's problem.

  
  

• Consider the new wave of B2B software. Companies like Airtable or Notion operate in a fiercely competitive space. Their success wasn't built on traditional corporate sales teams. It was built by creating a product people loved and then fostering a community around it. They made their users feel like insiders, not just entries in a CRM. Their early growth was driven by a legion of fans who felt heard and valued.

  
  

• Think about your own LinkedIn experience. Imagine you received a 30-second video message from someone who said your name, mentioned a post you recently shared, and asked one smart question. Now compare that to the generic, text-block sales pitch you got five minutes ago. Which one are you more likely to reply to? The one that took a moment of genuine human effort, every single time.

  
  

How to Put the ‘Human’ Back into Your Business

Embedding an H2H approach doesn't require a massive budget, but it does require a shift in mindset.

1. Ditch the Corporate Voice. Read your last marketing email out loud. Does it sound like something one human would actually say to another? If not, rewrite it. Use clear, simple language. Be direct.

   
   

2. Shut Up and Listen. The best way to understand what people need is to stop talking and start listening. Use social media not just to post, but to read the comments. Run simple surveys. Most importantly, encourage your team to have real conversations.

   
   

3. Be Genuinely Helpful. Before you create a piece of content or a campaign, ask one question: "Does this actually help someone?" If the answer is no, don't do it. Your goal is to solve problems, not just to make noise.

   
   

4. Show the People Behind the Logo. People connect with people, not faceless brands. Share stories about your team. Admit when you make a mistake. Let your company's personality shine through. Authenticity is magnetic.

   
   

5. Play the Long Game. A human relationship isn’t transactional, and a good business relationship shouldn't be either. Follow up thoughtfully. Keep your promises. Check in with customers long after the sale is complete.

   
   

Your Strongest Asset Isn't Your Tech

The old labels of B2B and B2C are less relevant than the fundamental human need for genuine connection. In a world increasingly filled with automated replies and algorithmic funnels, your strongest competitive advantage is no longer your tech stack or your sales script.

It’s the person who can listen to a frustrated customer and make them feel understood. It's the salesperson who takes the time to send a personal video. It's the marketer who writes something that is truly helpful. Your strongest asset is your people.