Here is one of the most interesting contradictions in B2B sales right now.
Buyers increasingly want to research companies without speaking to salespeople.
But when they really need to make a decision, they still want a human.
Gartner recently found that 45% of B2B buyers used generative AI during a recent purchasing process.
At the same time, 69% said they prefer to validate AI-generated insights with a sales representative.
That combination says a lot about where B2B buying is heading.
Buyers want independence.
They also want reassurance.
AI Is Becoming Part of the Buying Committee
Think about how someone might evaluate a vendor today.
Instead of searching Google for:
"Best demand generation companies"
they can ask an AI tool:
"Give me five B2B demand generation companies that work across EMEA, explain their strengths, compare their services and tell me which would suit an enterprise technology campaign."
That is an entirely different buying experience.
The buyer may know quite a lot about a company before anyone from that company knows the buyer exists.
They may compare competitors.
Check reviews.
Read articles.
Analyse positioning.
Look at employees on LinkedIn.
Then ask AI to summarise everything.
By the time a form is completed or a meeting is requested, a substantial part of the buying journey may already have happened.
But There Is Something AI Cannot Completely Solve
Risk.
B2B decisions carry consequences.
Choose the wrong software.
Choose the wrong agency.
Choose the wrong data partner.
Choose the wrong media partner.
Someone usually has to explain that decision internally.
That changes behaviour.
AI might help somebody create a shortlist.
But when budgets, targets and reputations are involved, buyers often want to hear another person say:
"Yes, this will work."
They want context.
They want an answer to a question that does not fit neatly into a comparison table.
They want to understand what happens when something goes wrong.
That is where human interaction becomes incredibly valuable.
Maybe Sales Is Not Disappearing. Maybe Bad Sales Is.
Gartner has also reported that 67% of B2B buyers prefer a rep-free experience.
At first glance, that sounds terrible for salespeople.
We see it differently.
Buyers probably do not dislike salespeople.
They dislike unnecessary sales interactions.
Nobody needs a 30-minute discovery call just to receive information that could have been available on a website.
Nobody wants six follow-up emails because they downloaded one PDF.
But a knowledgeable person who understands the buyer's problem and can answer difficult questions?
That still has value.
Possibly more value than before.
This Changes Demand Generation Too
The traditional idea of demand generation often focuses heavily on capturing contact information.
But if buyers are doing more research before identifying themselves, marketers have to think beyond the form fill.
What information are buyers finding before they engage?
What does an AI system understand about your company?
Does your website explain what you actually do?
Does your content demonstrate expertise or simply target keywords?
And when somebody finally does raise their hand, is the follow-up relevant to what they are actually trying to solve?
AI may make the early stages of buying more automated.
But the later stages may become more human.
That is not a contradiction.
It may simply be the new B2B journey.
