Businesses Turning to GenAI for Purchase Decisions

The B2B buying cycle is far different today than it was just a few years ago, with generative artificial intelligence and human intelligence playing a much greater role, Forrester Research notes in a new report.

In fact, 36 percent of buyers are using genAI to help discover, evaluate, and purchase products and services. GenAI has become the top source of information for purchasing decisions today, far outpacing other previously prominent sources, including vendor websites, social media, conferences, trade shows, and seminars.

GenAI helps surface vendors who might not have otherwise been considered and helps reduce initial research time, though the time from discovery to purchase hasn’t changed, according to the research.

At the same time, though, while genAI searches offer speed and efficiency, buyers increasingly rely on human validation and trusted networks to reduce risk and justify investments.

“Buyers are using genAI strongly, but they don’t trust it implicitly,” says Forrester vice president and principal analyst Barbara Winters.

Companies are seeking to combine the benefits of AI technology as well as the insights of humans to justify spending and minimize risks in the current economic and geopolitical environment, according to Winters.

The result is an expansion of buying groups and earlier influence from procurement professionals, Winters adds.

Buying is increasingly through buying groups, not by a single person or just a few individuals. These buying groups have expanded into an average of 13 internal stakeholders and nine external influencers, with that number rising for more complex or strategic purchases.

Although large groups seem challenging, 94 percent of buyers with groups of six or more report clear benefits, including a better ability to secure budget, broader perspectives, and lower risk, according to Miller, who adds, “They are also more likely to engage with providers based on information from industry experts rather than AI tools.”

Procurement professionals are decision makers in 53 percent of business buying cycles, often engaging from the start to scrutinize features and functions, according to the report.

To lessen risk from buying a solution that doesn’t deliver what is promised or expected, more than 60 percent of business buyers now use trials to evaluate potential solutions, even more (78 percent) for purchases of more than $10 million.

With buyers being ever more careful in their buying decisions, companies looking to sell today need to prove business value and help buyers mitigate risk through differentiation. B2B providers, Miller says, must recalibrate their engagement strategies to meet buyers who are under pressure to justify every dollar and minimize risk.

“To earn trust, vendors must deliver differentiated value propositions that clearly demonstrate ROI, operational efficiency, and resilience with messaging that speaks directly to buyer needs, industry context, and business outcomes,” she adds.

Sellers also need to engage with and intentionally activate buyers’ buying networks, according to Miller. Buyers now rely on third-party sources as much as or more than the provider to inform their buying decisions. External perspectives and validation help alleviate the fear of making the wrong choice and build consensus across the buying group. Providers must understand who their buyers are turning to and make the proper investments to create a chorus that builds a positive consensus within buying groups

Miller also urges sellers to treat trials as strategic conversion tools and design them to prove value and minimize uncertainty. They must go beyond offering access and, where possible, create trials that reflect real-world use cases, she says.