MarTech Interview with Nikolaus Kimla, CEO of Pipeliner CRM

Nikolaus Kimla shares his journey, views on AI in sales, and why human relationships must remain at the heart of CRM innovation.

Welcome to MarTech Cube, Nikolaus. To begin, could you please share a bit about your professional journey and what led you to founding and leading Pipeliner CRM?

I have always possessed a strong entrepreneurial spirit. I started my first company at age 16, selling shirts and other items. Over my 40-year career, I have launched six businesses, three of which are still thriving today.

The launch of the first Apple Macintosh personal computer in 1984 was a pivotal moment in my life. It made me realize the significance of software in automation. I opened Austria’s first Apple dealership, called uptime ITechnology. The company was split into two divisions: hardware sales and services, and software development. There, we developed World-Check, a risk intelligence platform for the banking industry that was sold to Thomson Reuters for $520 million.

Frustrated with the failure of existing CRM platforms to accurately map the sales pipeline, I started developing what is now Pipeliner CRM. The company truly reflects my experience as an entrepreneur, software developer, and salesperson.

The sales pipeline is at the core of Pipeliner CRM. I strongly believe that when a CRM solution aligns with a company’s sales process, salespeople and managers feel more empowered and energized to perform effectively.

AI has transformed many industries, including sales. Do you believe AI in sales is currently heading in the right direction—or are we losing sight of the human element?

We are currently at a tipping point for AI in sales. Businesses are readily embracing its potential to improve sales, but the rise of agentic AI could push the industry in the wrong direction if we’re not careful. For instance, customer-facing AI agents are not the future of successful sales. 

That’s not to say agentic AI can’t serve a purpose or function in the modern sales process. Where we risk going wrong is confusing agentic AI as a replacement for human talent. Instead, sales leaders need to treat AI, whether agentic or otherwise, as an enhancement for their existing sales talent, handling tasks that traditionally divert their sales reps from strategic and human-driven activities, such as networking and relationship building.

How can organizations strike the right balance between leveraging AI tools and maintaining the authentic, relationship-driven side of sales?

Organizations can strike the right balance with AI by strategically building their tech stack. This involves selecting solutions that meet all their needs instead of getting caught up in the hype around AI. Ideally, they want an all-in-one, AI-powered CRM platform.

It’s with this mindset that we created Pipeliner CRM. It’s built using open-source technology, allowing us to easily implement the latest AI technology as new use cases and applications emerge, with no disruption to our customers. Additionally, our platform is designed to provide the tools necessary to support all sales functions in one place, thereby limiting the need for users to switch between working environments and minimizing potential disruptions.

Some argue that sales has become too transactional. How can AI actually help bring relationships back to the forefront of selling?

AI can help restore the relationship between sales and selling by enabling sales professionals to focus on more strategic tasks. AI automation can handle rote tasks, like data entry and reporting, easing the daily burden most sales professionals face when balancing customer interactions with the need to stay on top of administrative work, for fear of falling behind.

Additionally, AI can help sales professionals evaluate data more efficiently. Providing real-time statistics on account health, recommending upsell and cross-sell opportunities and offering insights into which strategies are or are not working, so that teams can adjust accordingly.

Data-driven growth is a big buzzword. In your view, how can sales leaders use data effectively without overwhelming teams or eroding trust with customers?

We live in a data-centric world. While there is no such thing as too much data, there is a real risk of focusing on the wrong data or getting lost in details. Sales teams can use AI to simplify reporting and analysis, helping them focus on the key data and trends that matter most when measuring KPIs and ROI. Although it’s important to maintain a human-in-the-loop approach, leveraging AI to handle most of the data analysis and reporting can reduce the chance of being overwhelmed by data.

Personalization is key to modern sales strategies. How do you see AI enabling personalization that feels genuine rather than automated?

When implemented strategically, AI can help sales teams make significant strides in personalization. Due to its ability to analyze vast amounts of data and provide real-time insights, AI can offer sales professionals more detailed customer insights than ever before. 

Where organizations need to be careful is in how they act upon these insights. To maintain a personalized touch, sales professionals still need to be the ones acting on these insights, rather than leaning on AI agents to conduct outreach on their behalf.

How do you address concerns from sales teams who fear that AI might replace the human touch or even their own roles in the future?

Though their fear is valid, the future of AI for business is not in replacing human talent. As it currently stands, there are functions that AI cannot successfully execute on due to its lack of human empathy and intuition. Rather than fear AI for its potential to replace them, teams should be encouraged to embrace AI as an opportunity for personal and professional growth. AI, when implemented strategically, can augment the strengths of sales professionals, enhancing their work performance.

On a personal level, what strategy do you use to stay focused on building meaningful relationships in business while also embracing technology?

There’s no doubt about the potential for AI, which is incredibly exciting. That said, I regularly remind myself that its potential is limited and it’s not a replacement for human intuition, empathy and capabilities.

“I call Salespeople, Salespreneurs – because they are Entrepreneurs in an Enterprise.”

“ Salespeople are wealth creators and peace producers.”-   Nikolaus Kimla, CEO of Pipeliner CRM

What advice would you give to sales leaders who want to integrate AI into their process but are worried about losing authenticity?

The use of AI in sales is proven. What brands can no longer do is ignore AI altogether. For sales leaders concerned about losing authenticity to AI, it’s about maintaining a human approach and not seeing AI as a replacement for sales talent but as an enhancement.

If AI is implemented with this mindset from the beginning, it will be much easier to maintain a human-centric perspective on every new application and capability you add. Also, keep an open customer feedback loop. By maintaining ongoing conversations, you’re more likely to get immediate and valuable insights into what is working and what isn’t, allowing you to adjust quickly and resolve any issues that come up.

Finally, what key message would you like readers to take away about the future of sales, AI, and the importance of keeping relationships at the center?

Don’t be afraid to embrace AI as a key part of your sales strategy. Where sales teams need to be cautious is in striking a balance between AI-driven automation and human-driven strategy, intuition, and execution. If you train your team to use AI strategically and establish the right workflows, leveraging AI will result in improved KPIs.

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