B2B buyers are moving faster and switching suppliers more frequently as they rely on generative artificial intelligence (AI) and digital research channels to make decisions independently, according to new survey data from Google and National Research Group.
The study found that nearly three-quarters of U.S. business buyers now complete their purchasing journey in 12 weeks or less. Rather than depending on sales representatives for discovery and education, buyers are turning to Google Search, artificial intelligence tools, social media and peer recommendations to evaluate vendors, pressure-test claims and determine value.
What Google’s survey results mean for B2B sellers
The shift is weakening long-standing supplier relationships. Google’s data shows that 58% of buyers who made a B2B purchase in the past six months also switched vendors during that same period. With easier access to information and more options visible online, loyalty has become harder to maintain.
“Buyers no longer stay simply because it’s what they’ve always done,” the report’s authors state. “If they find a better alternative, they can pivot quickly.”
The findings are based on a survey of 2,063 senior U.S. business leaders from multiple industries who completed technology, software, web services or retail purchases within the last six months. The research describes a market increasingly driven by AI-powered, trust-first decision-making.
What’s happening to B2B buying
As purchasing cycles compress, the traditional linear sales funnel is giving way to a more fluid and self-directed process. Buyers are often well-informed before they ever engage a vendor, and expectations for transparency are rising. Critical content must be easy to find and credible across every touchpoint — or buyers will narrow their options without ever initiating a conversation.
Google says the new mandate for vendors is clear: show up early with helpful information, deliver proof of performance, and make it simple for buyers to educate themselves. Only then do sellers stand a chance of earning a spot on what the company calls the “Day 1 List” — the shortlist of solutions buyers seriously consider from the beginning.
As one conclusion in the report notes, the B2B playbook of the early 2020s no longer works. Sellers must adapt to a landscape where buyers are better prepared, move faster and have little hesitation walking away.
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