Something’s wrong when your store feels more like a parked car waiting for a ride than a business ready to conquer the market. What are you doing: selling, or just waiting for the doorbell to ring?

You know that rideshare driver who parks in a strategic spot and just waits, hoping the next trip pops up? Many stores are doing exactly that. They’re “online,” open, at the point… but not selling. They’re waiting for the customer to show up with a clear purchase in mind, card in hand, and everything figured out. That’s the Uber logic. But is that the right logic for your business?

The problem is that this “uberized” model of selling — being available, responding when called, hoping to be chosen — doesn’t work anymore in a world where the customer has every option in the palm of their hand. Your competitor isn’t next door anymore: it’s in your customer’s pocket, in the form of an app.

While you’re waiting for the client to walk in, Shein already knows what they want before they do. Amazon has already shipped the product to a nearby distribution center. And Temu? Temu already slashed the price and threw a blinking coupon in their face. That’s not passive selling — that’s aggressive execution with technology, data, and scale.

Since the pandemic, what used to be an exception has become the norm: consumers no longer go to stores out of habit — they go with a purpose. And that purpose can’t just be “to buy.” Buying happens from the couch. What they expect from you is connection, provocation, experience. And you don’t deliver that standing behind a counter waiting for Instagram’s algorithm to work miracles.

If your team only knows how to serve, but not to sell, then you don’t have salespeople — you have receptionists. And let’s be honest: the future is brutal to those who only serve. Customer relationships aren’t about fancy CRMs or WhatsApp promos. They’re about building an active client base, a network of promoters — people who come back because they feel it’s worth it.

So, answer honestly: is your store selling, or just waiting for the next ride?

Artificial intelligence — especially generative models like ChatGPT — is hailed as a productivity game changer. However, its environmental impact is far from negligible. Each interaction with these systems consumes an average of 519 milliliters of water — roughly a bottle — used to cool data center servers. That seemingly small figure becomes massive when multiplied across millions of users globally.

And the trend is worsening. Data center energy consumption for AI could triple by 2028, with water usage projected to reach between 4.2 and 6.6 billion cubic meters by 2027 — equivalent to Denmark’s annual consumption or half of the UK’s.

For business leaders, this isn’t just trivia — it’s a strategic wake-up call. How can we balance the efficiency gains of AI with the urgent need for sustainable, ethical practices? The answer lies in intentional choices — from selecting green suppliers to rethinking how we interact with technology.

Below, I share five ways to use AI more sustainably — and more intelligently.

1. Be direct in your interactions
🔴 Instead of: “Hi there, I’d like to know if you could maybe help me with some marketing ideas…”
✅ Try: “What are three effective digital marketing strategies for B2B businesses in 2024?”

➡️ Clarity reduces computing load. Get straight to the point.

2. Plan before asking
🔴 Unplanned: “How do I scale my company?”
✅ Try: “What are the main challenges of scaling a B2B service company with 10 employees and $100K monthly revenue?”

➡️ Well-structured questions cut down unnecessary back-and-forths.

3. Use AI with intention, not laziness
🔴 Lazy: “Write a debt collection email for me”
✅ Try: “Write a friendly debt collection email for a client who’s 15 days overdue, preserving the relationship.”

➡️ Use AI to add value — not to dodge basic tasks.

4. Group your questions
🔴 Fragmented: “What’s CAC?” “What about LTV?” “How do I calculate?”
✅ Try: “Explain how to calculate and interpret CAC and LTV in SaaS businesses, with examples.”

➡️ A well-framed query saves both time and resources.

5. Reuse what you’ve already generated
🔴 Repeating prompts weekly
✅ Build a prompt and response repository — from email templates to strategy blueprints.

➡️ Digital sustainability starts with reusability.

Conclusion:
In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, it’s crucial to ask: Are we using AI ethically and sustainably, or simply adding another digital luxury to our routines? The choice is ours. As business leaders, we must guide our companies toward practices that respect not only profit — but also the planet and society.