Gartner surveyed 646 B2B buyers between August and September 2025. 67% prefer a rep-free purchase, and 45% used AI tools during a recent buy. Digital Commerce 360’s read: manufacturers and distributors will step up spending on digital commerce, self-service, and pricing transparency.
What the article says
Two out of three buyers in Gartner’s sales survey prefer to complete a purchase without a sales representative. Nearly half used AI during a recent purchase. Buyers who feel confident in their decision are twice as likely to report a high-quality deal. Gartner’s Alyssa Cruz, quoted in the piece: “B2B buyers are progressing through critical buying tasks in more autonomous ways, and sellers can’t rely on static collateral to carry influence in those moments.” Digital Commerce 360 expects distributors and manufacturers to accelerate investment in digital commerce, AI-driven product discovery, and self-service tools.
Why it matters at the top of the house
Most industrial companies still sell through relationships, and this survey does not say relationships are dead. It says two out of three buyers want to do most of the work without one. The question for a president is which parts of the sale the reps still own, such as configuration, exceptions, and negotiation, and whether the website and the distributors’ portals can carry the rest. Read it alongside Gartner’s finding that 69% of buyers still validate AI research with a rep: fewer conversations, and each one matters more.
Source: Digital Commerce 360, “Gartner: Two-thirds of B2B buyers prefer rep-free purchasing as AI reshapes sales,” March 17, 2026. Research: Gartner Sales Survey, March 9, 2026. The Marketing Table shares the link and a note on why it matters; the article and its copyright belong to the publisher.
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