The New Reality of B2B Sales
AI isn’t just changing how buyers research, it’s redefining who controls the sale. Marketing is rising. Sales teams are under pressure. And the buyer relationship is up for grabs.
48% of buyers now use AI to circumvent sales reps entirely. The question isn’t whether AI will reshape your go-to-market strategy, it’s whether you’ll lead the change or get left behind.
The Shift in Numbers
48%
of buyers use AI to bypass sales professionals completely
51%
say AI is creating more marketing roles (while 42% report decreasing sales budgets)
94%
have made structural or headcount changes in the past year due to AI
What You’ll Discover
Based on exclusive survey data from 250 VP and C-Suite tech executives across the US (conducted by Censuswide), this report reveals the seismic shifts happening right now in B2B sales organizations:
Four key insights:
1-The AI-Informed Buyer Paradox. 47% say AI-informed buyers are better educated and easier to sell to, yet 45% report these same buyers are making faster, less-informed decisions. Sales teams are caught correcting AI-generated misinformation instead of building relationships.
2-Marketing’s Revenue Takeover. 49% report AI is enabling marketing teams to own more of the buyer relationship, and 46% say it’s creating new CRO opportunities for marketing executives. The power dynamic between sales and marketing is fundamentally shifting.
3- Sales Under Siege. 38% agree AI has made sales teams less valuable, and only 21% believe sales will regain control of the buyer relationship. Quotas are becoming more unrealistic while credibility erodes.
4- The Presales Bottleneck Crisis. While buyers accelerate their research with AI, sales engineering resources are stretched thin. Companies are restructuring leadership (28%) and decreasing sales headcount (24%) to adapt.
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Methodology
Survey of 250 VP and C-Suite executives
Conducted by Censuswide
Fieldwork: November 7-11, 2025
Ready to navigate the new landscape of B2B sales?
Ready to navigate the new landscape of B2B sales? Download the full report and discover how leading companies are adapting.
