Buying Behavior Statistics By Complexity And Sales Process (2026)

Introduction

Buying Behavior Statistics: The buying behavior in 2026 mixes value-seeking with digital discovery and the need for credible evidence. Studies show that consumers consider convenience and positive reviews as top priorities in their shopping experience. Furthermore, when buying B2B software, users rely on AI-driven recommendations but have to go through a number of security and financial checks before making the purchase.

The article makes a distinction between consumer shopping behaviour and buying B2B software in terms of the behavior reported by consumers, attitudes expressed, and intentions in the context of the evolution of consumer behavior. The research is not the end of the study and provides only preliminary insights into the results of 2026.

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1. B2B purchases for the workplace require the cooperation of 13 people and 9 outsiders.
2. Median buyer groups of deals greater than US$50,000 grew to 11.2, compared to 9.7 in 2024.
3. 79% of B2B transactions need the approval of the Chief Financial Officer. 
4. 73% of B2B buyers avoid the outreach of sales representatives that they find to be spammy, and 61% prefer the B2B buying process to be mostly sales rep-free.
5. The winning seller is known by buyers in the B2B buying process early on, with an estimated 95% market presence.
6. 82% of software buyers reported that they had used the recommendations of an AI chatbot at some point in the last two years. 
7. Only 9% of buyers were willing to trust the recommendations of an AI for the entire purchasing process. 
8. Only 2% reported that they would allow AI agents to make the purchasing process an automated activity without oversight.
9. 72% of buyers used apps from retailers or online marketplaces and 45% used social media to buy goods.
10. 70% of shoppers reported purchasing from retailers based in another country.
11. 94% of surveyed business buyers used AI during purchasing, whereas 29% identified AI-assisted search or analysis as a meaningful interaction across the three buying phases.

B2B Buying Committee Statistics: Size, Complexity, and Decision-Making

• More stakeholders are involved in the buying process now than ever before. Forrester’s State of Business Buying 2026 stated that it takes an average of 13 people on the internal side to complete a buying process, along with 9 people on the outside to facilitate the transaction. 
• For buying processes within the public sector, the internal count goes to 14. For buying processes of US$50,000+, Forrester and 6sense noted a median buying group of 11.2, up from 9.7 in 2024. 
• The increased complexity of B2B buying is noted in Demandbase’s 2025 research, stating that 72% of all B2B purchases have complex buying groups. 
• More than half (54%) of the buying groups have changed the ways they make decisions, and contemporary buying groups can encompass as many as 10 different types of decision-makers.
• Having decision-makers who possess different perspectives in a group setting calls for strong collaboration and open, clear communication.
• Buying groups, CFO approval included, still play a major role in the B2B buying process. 
• According to TrustRadius, 79% of buying groups require CFO approval, and in more than half (52%) of buying groups, decision makers are at the VP or a more senior level. 
• In fact, more and more complex B2B sales call for buying groups of 8.2 members, a 21% increase over the last decade (according to Sopro’s State of Prospecting 2025).
• More stakeholders generally means more time taken to close a sale. The average time taken for sales cycles in the mid-market is 121 days, whereas for sales cycles in the enterprise sector it’s 218 days. 
• Buyer demographics are another aspect to consider: Sopro reports that younger buyers involve 6.8 buying group members in comparison with 3.5 buying group members for buyers in the older demographic. 
• Buyers in the younger demographics will also continue to become a larger part of the buyer landscape. 
• By the year 2025, buyers aged under 40 (Gen Z and younger millennials) will account for the majority of the buyer landscape.
• Sales teams and marketing teams need to address B2B. A sale doesn’t just take the approval of one decision-maker. 
• Effective B2B marketing needs to address finances, operations, and buyer demographics, in addition to bringing all buying group members into the evaluation process. 
• Salespeople need to focus on building a shared understanding instead of focusing on persuading one decision-maker.

B2B Buyer Behavior Statistics: How Buyers Shape the Sales Process

• In the last few years, the control buyers have over the sales cycle has increased. In 2025, 6sense stated that buyers start the sales outreach about 80% of the time, and their 2024 research showed that number at 81%. 
• This also corresponds with the results of a 2025 survey from Gartner, in which 61% of buyers said they would prefer a sales process with no involvement from a sales representative and 73% avoid suppliers that engage them in sales activities that are not relevant. 
• 6sense’s 2025 research found that, in most cases, by the first day of the sales cycle, a buyer has a list of four or five vendors, and the winner is usually one of those five. 
• In addition, their 2024 research reported that 81% of buyers enter the buying process after considering one vendor. 
• Further research showed that buying groups rank their shortlisted vendors, and the top-ranked vendor wins 80% of the time. 
• TrustRadius noted that in their study, 71% of the participants chose their preferred product after reviewing a short list.
• Emblaze’s 2025 research found that the winning percentage of sales is higher with a proactive sales style than with a reactive style, with winning percentages at 33–41% compared to 18–25% for reactive. 
• Additionally, proactive sellers bring in 19–30% higher sales revenue per year and have a higher profit margin.
• Salespeople should build a preference for their offering with the prospect before the formal evaluation phase of the purchasing cycle begins. 
• Being prepared with relevant, useful, and timely insights that help the prospect form an opinion will set a positive foundation for the initial engagement with the buyer.

AI-Assisted Buying Behavior Statistics

• Artificial Intelligence helps researchers and business buyers explore and compare products, helping them make more informed decisions. 
• Using AI for research, however, doesn’t mean buyers are willing to let AI finish the process by making the purchases for them. 
• 38% of consumers say they have used AI for shopping purposes by means of AI virtual assistants and chat tools. However, that figure refers to shopping and browsing. 
• 45% of surveyed U.S. consumers say they used Generative AI for local businesses, but those are different audiences and different purposes.
• B2B buyers also use AI in the process of researching software. G2’s 2026 survey found 82% of buyers in the B2B software market used AI chatbots to find their recommendations. 
• Of the buyers, about 50% reported that AI’s greatest contribution was narrowing and comparing software, indicating that AI could support a buyer in the research process when various products look nearly the same.
• There are evident constraints when it comes to the level of confidence users are willing to invest in an AI. 
• G2 discovered that approximately 9% of consumers are willing to let an AI assistant purchase products, provided there are pre-established limits in place. 
• Almost 2% of users are even willing to bypass pre-authorization to let the AI assistant perform a purchase. 
• At the same time, TrustRadius noted that around 71% of users reported having their first preference selection be a product on their list, supporting the idea of encouraging buyers to define their preferences while shopping.
• Product information and pricing, along with other key business information (service, independent reviews), should be easy to locate. 
• Artificial intelligence can reduce friction in the discovery process for customers, but purchasing decisions still require customer confidence. 
• AI research should be used to support rather than replace human customer purchasing decisions.

Online Shopper Research Findings

• Research shows online shopper habits have moved well beyond retailer websites. DHL reports that 72% of online shoppers use retailer or marketplace apps and 45% of shoppers make their online purchases on social media. 
• Many shoppers use a combination of these behaviors, as shopper journeys are non-linear. 
• DHL reported that 46% of shoppers have purchased an online ad on a retailer website, a social media ad, or even an online ad on a streaming site. This category is much broader than just social media ads.
• The most important lesson for businesses to understand is the channels used for shopper product discovery, shopper product research, and shopper product purchasing. 
• Instead of assuming the final channel receives all credit for a sale, businesses should learn all the channels shoppers use for all of those activities.
• In their survey, DHL found that 70% of shoppers had purchased online from retailers outside their home country. 
• While shopper interest in purchasing online across country borders was strong, DHL noted the importance of understanding the challenges to purchasing online across country borders, like delivery and return challenges.
•  For example, DHL noted that 57% of shoppers would purchase from online retailers in another country if there was free delivery, while 43% reported that free returns would incentivize them.
• Organizations should offer a unified buying experience on all apps, platforms, and other channels.
• Presenting information clearly about products, having a quick and convenient payment process, and showing clearly and plainly all terms of shipping and returns also eliminate buyer ambiguity. 
• The above figures also reflect what has been observed regarding buyers’ behaviors and preferences, but there is no guarantee that providing a particular benefit will lead to more sales.

Dark Social and Peer Communities’ Roles in Modern B2B Buying Decisions

• Although there is no firm data that supports the claim that the majority of a buyer’s journey is via “dark social” or through non-direct interactions, the buyers themselves have made this the norm. 
• As such, direct sales reps should be engaged with buyers in the late stages of their buyer’s journey.
• 6sense’s 2025 Buyer Experience Report showed direct sales reps first interacted with buyers at the 61% mark, or two-thirds of the way, through their buying journey, down from 69% from the previous year. 
• This metric measures the buyer’s journey through direct engagement with sales reps, not interactions via private channels or groups.
• According to Gartner’s March 2026 findings, 67% of surveyed B2B buyers wanted a buyer’s journey without sales reps. This was based on a survey of 646 buyers in August and September 2025, with 45% using AI for their most recent purchase. 
• Forrester’s 2026 report, The State of Business Buying, surveyed over 18,000 business buyers globally and revealed that the buying process takes an average of 13 internal stakeholders and 9 external participants.
• A report from Forrester states that 94% of business buyers they surveyed use AI when making a purchase. 
• However, business buyers are still looking for confirmation from their peers, product experts, industry analysts, and others. 
• Forrester analyzed on October 22, 2026, and established that relevant business information and conclusions based on the customer’s feedback and peer reviews have become one of the effective features to build trust. 
• According to the analysis, 29% of buyers who took part in the three analyzed buying stages consider the use of AI in search solutions and analysis tools the most important element.
• Thus, it leads to practical advice: create informative evidence that is easy to find, share, and check.
• Private communities can influence decision-making processes, but their influence is hard to measure in quantitative terms. 
• Businesses should pay more attention to relevant experience of customers and transparent content, rather than assuming that every interaction.

Conclusion

The buying behavior in 2026 indicates more independent research, bigger decision-making groups, and an increase in the use of artificial intelligence in both consumer and business purchasing. The findings of Forrester have shown the complexity of the process of business buying, while according to 6sense, it becomes apparent that buyers’ preferences are formed even before they get in touch with sales representatives.

According to G2, AI can assist in choosing the software, though buyers do not feel comfortable when making purchases through AI. At the same time, DHL data confirm the importance of retailer applications, social commerce, and international shopping.

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