By the time a prospect speaks to one of your salespeople, they have often already formed a view of your business – and increasingly, an AI tool helped them form it. That shift is not a reason to worry about the future of selling. It is a reason to change what you ask your salespeople to do.
What the research actually says
Gartner surveyed 645 B2B buyers in late 2025 and published the results in May 2026. Three findings stand out for anyone running a sales team:
- 67% prefer a rep-free buying experience, and 70% want a completely self-service, digital journey where possible.
- 45% used generative AI in a recent purchase, mainly to research vendors and products.
- 69% still turn to a sales rep to validate what AI told them – and buyers were almost as likely to expect misleading information from AI (51%) as from a sales rep (49%).
Read together, these do not say that salespeople no longer matter. They say the job has moved. Buyers want to do the early research themselves, then use a person to check their conclusions and reduce the risk of getting the decision wrong.
The new role: from informing to validating
The traditional sales conversation front-loaded information: here is who we are, here is what we do, here are our features. Buyers increasingly have that already, accurately or not, before the first call. If your salesperson simply repeats it, they add nothing.
The valuable salesperson now does something different. They ask what the buyer has already concluded, correct anything the research got wrong about your business or the problem, and help the buyer feel confident they are making a sound decision. They are a source of validation and reassurance at the risky moments, not the primary source of facts.
What this changes for an established business
Three practical implications for how you run sales.
Hiring
The skills that matter most are shifting from presenting to diagnosing: good questions, genuine subject expertise and the judgement to tell a buyer an uncomfortable truth. A polished pitch is worth less than the ability to understand a buyer's situation quickly and respond to where they actually are.
Training and equipping
Assume your buyers arrive informed, sometimes wrongly. Equip your team to find out what a prospect already believes, and give them clear, honest answers to the hard questions – including where you are not the right fit. A salesperson who can say “that is a common misunderstanding, here is how it really works” builds more trust than one who glosses over it.
Your website and content
If buyers and their AI tools research you before any human contact, your website is now part of the sales conversation whether you like it or not. Clear, accurate, specific content – who you help, what you do, proof it works – is what AI tools read and what buyers check you against. Vague marketing language gives both nothing to hold on to. This is the same discipline we describe in how UK buyers now shortlist suppliers.
Make it easy to buy
If 70% of buyers want a self-service journey, friction costs you deals. Let people get meaningful information, pricing guidance and a booking slot without having to “request a callback” and wait. The goal is not to remove salespeople, but to let buyers come to them when they are ready, already well informed. A well-run CRM and fast follow-up, covered in speed to lead, make sure that readiness is not wasted.
Frequently asked questions
Does AI mean we need fewer salespeople?
Not necessarily. It means the salespeople you have should spend their time where they add unique value – diagnosing, validating and building confidence – rather than delivering information buyers can now get themselves. Many businesses find their people become more productive, not redundant.
Should we stop buyers using AI to research us?
You cannot, so the better move is to make sure what they find is accurate. Clear content, consistent business information and genuine reviews give AI tools the right material to work from.
How do we know what buyers researched before a call?
Ask. Open the conversation by finding out what they have already looked at and concluded. It is the fastest way to avoid repeating what they know and to correct what they have wrong.
Build a sales process that fits how buyers buy
If your sales approach still assumes the buyer knows nothing, it is fighting the way people now buy. We help established businesses align their website, content and sales process around the modern buyer. See our B2B lead generation and sales service, or get in touch.
