B2B buyers trust AI less than marketers think | MarTech

"70% of B2B buyers prefer a digital, self-service buying experience, and nearly half use generative AI tools to research vendors and products. The challenge for marketers is that buyers are running into misinformation along the way. More than half say they have gotten misleading information from AI tools, and 69% rely on sales reps to validate what they found."

"As AI becomes a larger part of the buying journey, marketers need to make sure AI systems are surfacing accurate and trustworthy information. It also means marketers need stronger credibility signals across their content and digital presence. Analyst reports, customer stories, third-party reviews, and detailed case studies all become more valuable in this environment. Buyers want proof that the information they are seeing is accurate and backed by real experience."

"Gartner predicts that by 2027, 95% of sellers' research workflows will begin with AI. Buyers do not need another PDF packed with specs they can already find online. What they still need is help understanding business impact, internal tradeoffs, and risk. Those conversations still lean heavily on human experience and judgment."

"The Gartner data shows that human reps continue to outperform AI in key parts of the buying process. Buyers said sales reps were far better at understanding their needs, building confidence, and helping move decisions forward. That gives marketers an opportunity to rethink how they sup"

Seventy percent of B2B buyers prefer a digital, self-service buying experience, and nearly half use generative AI tools to research vendors and products. Many buyers encounter misinformation from AI tools, with more than half reporting misleading information. Buyers often rely on sales reps to validate what they found. As AI search grows in the buying journey, marketers must ensure accurate, trustworthy information and strengthen credibility signals across content and digital presence. Analyst reports, customer stories, third-party reviews, and detailed case studies become more valuable. By 2027, most sellers’ research workflows are expected to begin with AI, but buyers still need help understanding business impact, internal tradeoffs, and risk. Human reps outperform AI in understanding needs, building confidence, and moving decisions forward.

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