Adience Study Uncovers Major Shift in B2B Buyer Expectations Ahead of 2026

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New research reveals B2B buyers want vendors who simplify, listen, and personalise - and where AI can help

B2B buyers are pushing back against traditional sales tactics - and they're running out of patience. According to new research from Adience, nearly one-third (30%) of buyers say vendors waste their time with repetitive questions and irrelevant content, eroding trust and delaying deals.

The study highlights a growing B2B Buyer Backlash that will define how vendors engage in 2026. Buyers want vendors to act as partners, helping them make better decisions. And while this may sound like old news, this recent research shows that buyers still feel they are being sold to rather than supported in making the right decisions.

Vendors - stop selling, start helping

The survey of 350 B2B buyers across the US, Europe, APAC, and Africa/Middle East shows that for today's decision-makers, success isn't based on discounts but on clarity, understanding, and alignment. Chris Wells, Managing Director, Adience, says: "The seller's job is to help buyers take the right decisions and make the right choices. The best discovery builds confidence, not fatigue. Vendors that simplify, listen, and personalise earn trust fastest."

B2B buyers' top frustrations

Buyers' frustrations centre on what Adience calls "discovery theatre" - lengthy, repetitive questioning and presentation decks that add little value. The top frustrations are:

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Asked poor or repetitive discovery questions (30%)

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Shared irrelevant decks, PDFs, or demo links (29%)

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Didn't understand our industry or use case (29%)

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Focused on features over business impact (27%)

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Didn't answer all RFP questions (27%)

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Tried to bypass procurement (26%)

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Misused AI (robotic tone, obvious autofill, or wrong facts) (26%)

Joe Kopyt, Director of Integrated Marketing at Responsive - a leading AI-powered proposal and sales enablement platform, says: "What really resonates is the idea of 'discovery theatre'. We've all sat through pitches where the vendor asks the same tired questions. Buyers want insight and relevance - the ones who listen, not lecture, are the ones we remember."

How vendors can use AI to help shape up for 2026

As buyers raise the bar, tomorrow's top-performing vendor teams will blend empathy with data fluency and a more thoughtful use of AI. Adience's study found that one in four buyers (26%) is turned off by obvious AI-generated outreach. That's not to say AI isn't considered a necessary skill - one third (33%) of B2B buyers say AI competence will define the best-performing vendor teams in the next two years.

"Buyers want vendors who can interpret data, understand context, and run fair, efficient evaluations," says Wells. "Let AI speed analysis and drafting, but keep a human layer for tone, accuracy, and context. Vendors who master this balance between human insight and smart technology will lead the next era of B2B engagement."

Ant Newman, Director of Content at Spectro Cloud - a next-generation Kubernetes management platform, agrees with this finding. "What we're seeing is that AI is helping target our marketing and sales outreach and distil the huge amounts of information and insight available during the sales process. But once the conversation starts, the best sales teams still have to build trust and real human connections, lead with value not features, and challenge their customers with bold new perspectives. AI can assist in the process, but it can't replace those skills."

A new playbook for B2B success

Adience's Buyer-ready Playbook outlines practical guidance to help vendors meet changing B2B buyer expectations - including how to streamline discovery, personalise outreach, and use AI effectively. Download the full Adience report for free: The B2B Buyer Backlash: How to earn trust in 2026, at https://www.adience.com/blog/insights/the-b2b-buyer-backlash-2025-2026-report/

Methodology

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Survey of 350 B2B buyers across the US, Europe, APAC, Africa/Middle East.

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Roles: procurement (n=100) & non-procurement (n=250).

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Industries: technology, financial services, healthcare, insurance, media and entertainment, manufacturing/automotive, and other.

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Fielded as a single pulse: four multi-select questions.

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Fieldwork ran from July 2nd to July 17, 2025.

About Adience

Adience is a global B2B market research consultancy dedicated to helping organisations make smarter sales and marketing decisions. We specialise exclusively in business-to-business research-working with senior decision-makers in sectors such as transport & logistics, SaaS, fintech, IT hardware, construction, and industrial. With a senior team rooted in consultancy and strategy, we deliver custom, actionable insights-not just data-to drive change and growth for clients.

Media Contact
Company Name: Adience
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City: London, WC1H 9BB
Country: United Kingdom
Website: http://www.adience.com

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