Don't say 'AI-powered' on homepages

Chris Sloane, an agency owner and marketing operator, is telling agencies to stop calling themselves “AI-powered” on their homepages and sell the result instead. (digitalagencygrowthacademy.com) Sloane said buyers hear “AI-powered” and expect a lower price, not a premium service. He said agencies should lead with specific promises such as a “72-hour creative turnaround” and then test whether the site still makes sense after deleting the word “AI.” (x.com) Sloane runs Digital Agency Growth Academy and describes himself on his site as a growth engineer and marketing data scientist. His agency training pitch says he has owned digital agencies since 2011 and launched niche marketing brands including Paving Marketers in 2020 and Garage Door Marketers in October 2022. (csloane.com) (digitalagencygrowthacademy.com) The advice lands as business buyers move further into self-directed research and ask vendors for clearer proof of value. Gartner said on March 9, 2026 that 67% of business-to-business buyers prefer a rep-free experience, and 45% said they used artificial intelligence during a recent purchase. (gartner.com) Gartner said “value clarity” now drives those deals, meaning buyers want a clear explanation of how a product improves outcomes in their own job and company. That lines up with Sloane’s pitch to talk first about bottlenecks, turnaround time, and client results, while using AI behind the scenes for quality checks and speed. (gartner.com) (x.com) Pricing consultants and software strategists are making a similar argument in adjacent markets. Boston Consulting Group wrote in August 2025 that customers increasingly want pricing tied to measurable outcomes, not just access to seats or bundled features, as AI changes how work gets done. (bcg.com) Trust is part of the same sales problem. YouGov and Meltwater said in an April 20, 2026 report based on nearly 10,000 consumers across seven countries that brands now have to manage how audiences interpret AI-generated content because credibility can be damaged when communication choices misfire. (yougov.com) Sloane’s version of that rule is blunt: keep AI in the workflow, not in the headline. On his telling, agencies should sell faster delivery, fewer errors, and better output, then let the machinery stay invisible. (x.com)