How AI is changing B2B prospect behavior
...and what GTM strategies need to do in response.
According to reporting on Forrester’s The State of Business Buying 2026:
AI is the single most cited tool prospects use for research; however, 20% were less confident in their decision because of unreliable or inaccurate info they got from AI.
The more I learn about AI, the more I experience these same frustrations.
That mistrust moves prospects to increasingly use a “buying network” where the provider ranks last behind industry experts, peers, and analysts.
And, what motivates the prospect to reach out to providers? Forrester says it’s industry experts.
Humans still relying on other humans as the stakes and the risks increase. What are you doing to authentically make yourself more visible and trusted with the experts?
B2B purchase decisions are reported to average 13 internal stakeholders and 9 external influences. That number can double when AI is part of the features being contemplated.
Some will see this as a signal to turn spray-and-pray strategies up to eleven and for automating SDR roles. I don’t.
Let’s be real. Prospects were never waiting with eager anticipation of your call, email, txt, or InMail. They hate cold outreach more than you do doing it, especially when it’s generic messaging that they recognize more and more easily as AI-generated.
Forrester’s conclusions, which I agree with, are that providers must adapt their GTM strategy.
1. Messaging your value and demonstrable ROI has to be industry and buyer role specific, and it must be discoverable where your prospects are. More and more, that’s AI.
2. Forrester says to, “...engage intentionally with the buyer’s extended network.” For me, that means hyper-personalized outreach that’s thoughtfully constructed and respectfully executed.
3. Trials that are just product reviews are expected to convert fewer prospects compared with ones that are, “...real-world use cases, providing guided onboarding, defining success metrics and maintaining strong follow-up engagement after the trial ends.” That’s the same advice I offer: Prospects need to see themselves benefiting from your solution, not your message and not your offering’s features.
What’s changing in your GTM strategy and operations?
Note: AI didn’t generate this post. It wasn’t for lack of trying. It simply can’t generate anything that isn’t more and more obvious to me - and to you, I suspect - as AI slop.
I’m Greg Russak, founder and principal consultant of Conscientious Capitalists LLC, a B2B sales strategy, process, and leadership consulting and fractional sales leadership firm.
My mission is to help you to grow sales with greater predictably and uncomprising ethics by answering the 3 Big Questions for Sales Success.
1. Whom do you talk with?
2. What do you say?
3. Why should your prospect care?
Schedule your no cost, no pressure intro Zoom here.
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Conscientious Capitalists LLC
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