B2B buyers would rather skip the sales rep, but most still want to check AI with one
Most B2B buyers would rather not deal with a sales rep, but 69% still want one to check what AI told them. That changes what the first call is for.
SourceGartner · 20 May 2026 · surveyShane Kennedy · · 4 min read
The short version
- In a Gartner survey of 645 B2B buyers, 67% prefer a rep-free buying experience. 45% said they used generative AI, mostly to research vendors and products.
- But 69% still want to check AI-generated insights with a sales rep. Buyers are split almost evenly on who’s more likely to mislead them, with 51% saying AI and 49% saying sales reps.
- By the time a buyer gets on a call, I think they’ve already formed a view from AI, your website and whatever you’ve posted. I’d make sure they’ve heard something.
Who Gartner asked
Gartner surveyed 645 B2B buyers in August and September 2025, and presented the results at its CSO & Sales Leader Conference in Las Vegas in May. It doesn’t say where the buyers are based, and there’s no Australian breakdown.
67% prefer a rep-free buying experience, and 70% prefer one that’s completely digital and self-service.
Where AI comes in
45% of the buyers said they used generative AI, and Gartner says they mainly used it to gather information on vendors and products.
Robert Blaisdell, a VP analyst in Gartner’s sales practice, says buyers are “more comfortable using digital channels and GenAI to navigate the purchase process on their own”. He also says that “does not eliminate the role of the seller”.
Seven places to look
Buyers used an average of seven information sources during a recent purchase. Gartner’s release doesn’t say which seven, and I won’t guess.
Gartner says buyers want the speed and convenience of digital and AI-assisted research, and still lean on reps when they need reassurance, context and decision support.
The twist
69% of buyers prefer to check AI-generated insights with a sales rep. That’s the same group of buyers, two in three of whom would rather skip the rep altogether.
Gartner says reps are still buyers’ most important source when they’re researching a business problem or need, identifying a preferred supplier and securing internal support, and finalising the purchase. It sees the seller’s role shifting from the main source of information to a source of validation and confidence.
Who misleads buyers more
51% of buyers say they’re more likely to come across misleading information from generative AI, and 49% say they’re more likely to get it from a sales rep.
Blaisdell says sellers “need to show up differently, engaging where they can help buyers validate information, reduce risk and move forward with greater confidence”.
What it means for IT firms that sell
By the time a buyer gets on a call with you, they’ve already formed a view. It comes from AI, from your website and from whatever you’ve posted. The call is mostly them checking you’re as good as they’ve heard.
Before a call, a buyer might ask an AI tool for a shortlist, read three websites and scroll back through each firm’s posts.
Shane’s take
Make sure they’ve
Buyers do their homework before the call. I’d want them to find something when they look.
Sources and notes
- Gartner · Gartner Survey Finds 69% of B2B Buyers Turn to Sales Reps to Validate AI-Generated Insights ·
- Gartner surveyed 645 B2B buyers in August and September 2025. The release doesn’t say where they’re based, and there’s no Australian breakdown.
- The phone chat and the seven blank source cards are illustrations. Gartner doesn’t say which sources buyers used.
- “What it means for IT firms that sell” and “Shane’s take”, including the buyer example, are my opinion, not Gartner’s.