66 must-know stats about B2B buying in 2025

Read time: 7 minutes

The way B2B buyers discover, evaluate, and commit to vendors has shifted dramatically in recent years. With economic uncertainty still rippling across industries, the pressure is on for marketers to not just generate leads but to deeply understand what drives business buyers at every stage of the journey.

Today’s B2B buyer is more self-directed, more data-driven, and more selective than ever before. They're engaging across multiple channels, demanding more value from every interaction, and expecting seamless experiences that mirror the B2C world — all while involving more stakeholders in the process. For demand generation professionals, that means intuition isn’t enough. You need data-backed insights to guide your strategy.

This is where benchmarking becomes essential. Whether you’re refining your lead nurturing workflows, optimising your content strategy, or aligning sales and marketing around buyer expectations, knowing how your audience thinks, acts, and decides can give you the edge. 

To help, we’ve pulled together 66 must-know statistics that shine a light on the modern B2B buying process.

Decision-making process

1. Growth or scaling needs is the biggest trigger for B2B buyers looking for a new solution or vendor. (Mixology Digital)
2. Businesses with 5,000-9,999 employees are most likely to be dissatisfied with their current vendor solution. (Mixology Digital)
3. 42% of buyers reported poor customer service from their current vendor as a trigger to seek out alternatives. (Inbox Insight)
4. 51% of respondents cited poor integration with their existing tech stack as a reason to explore new vendors. (Inbox Insight)
5. 51% of B2B buyers said identifying the right solution or vendor was the most challenging or time-consuming stage of the buying process. (Mixology Digital)

6. The biggest challenge for businesses with 10,000+ employees is gaining internal alignment or stakeholder buy-in (54%). (Mixology Digital)
7. 63% of buyers in enterprises with more than 10,000 employees say six or more people are involved in buying decisions. (Mixology Digital)
8. 65% of buyers say they are likely to switch suppliers if they run into hiccups. (McKinsey)
9. 68% say it takes less than 3 months to find a new vendor. (Mixology Digital)
10. 76% of B2B buyers say there are more than 3 people involved in the decision-making process. (Mixology Digital)
11. During the software selection process, the CFO always or frequently holds the final decision-making power (79%), while the legal team tends to slow or block purchase (61%). (G2)
12. 89% of purchases involve two or more departments. (Forrester)

Research and discovery

13. The average buying team evaluates 4.6 vendors. (6Sense)
14. Those that research and recommend solutions are more reliant on peer recommendations than other types of decision-makers. (Mixology Digital)
15. While only 19% of B2B buyers may start with peer recommendations, 58% will use them at some point to help evaluate a potential vendor. (Mixology Digital)
16. 33% of B2B buyers dedicate 3-9 hours per month to researching new technologies they are considering purchasing. (Inbox Insight)
17. 40% of B2B buyers start their research via search engines. (Mixology Digital)
18. 42% of respondents reported consulting 4-6 sources of information when researching a purchase. (Inbox Insight)
19. 45% of B2B buyers said that reputation in the industry is how they establish a vendor as credible and trustworthy. (Mixology Digital)
20. 60% of B2B buyers prefer to use software comparison websites when researching business challenges. (Inbox Insight)
21. Buyers spend roughly 70% of their journey identifying a short-list and a favoured vendor. (6Sense)
22. 91% of B2B buyers say personalised content is very important in the research phase. (Mixology Digital)

Content consumption

23. 40% of B2B buyers will frequently share vendor content with fellow decision-makers. (Mixology Digital)
24. 42% of B2B buyers said case studies and success stories are the most influential type of content. (Mixology Digital)
25. 48% of B2B buyers said they only engage with gated content if it’s highly relevant. (Mixology Digital)
26. 58% of B2B buyers want to see more interactive tools such as calculators and self-assessments. (Mixology Digital)

27. 74% of B2B buyers want to see an outline of features and capabilities on a vendor’s website. (Mixology Digital)
28. 81% of B2B buyers are happy with accessing gated content, as long as the content is of value. (Mixology Digital)
29. 88% of B2B buyers either agree or strongly agree that they trust a brand more if they receive valuable content from that vendor. (Inbox Insight)

Vendor engagement

30. The top three most frequently used touchpoints are a company’s website, in-person sales, and interactions via video conference. (McKinsey)
31. Most decision makers use ten or more distinct channels with suppliers along the journey. (McKinsey)
32. Final decision-makers are more likely to download a piece of gated content (19%) than others in the buying group. (Mixology Digital)
33. 44% of millennials prefer no sales rep interaction in a B2B purchase setting. (Gartner)
34. 56% of B2B buyers say vendors have a poor understanding of their business needs. (Mixology Digital)

30. Typical buyers don’t reach out to sellers until they are 69% of the way through
    the buyer’s journey. (6Sense)
31. 69% say they usually engage a salesperson at a software company only when they have made their decision. (G2)
32. A lack of transparent pricing was the top frustration for 69% of B2B buyers. (Mixology Digital)

38. 72% of B2B buyers expect one-on-one consultations with subject matter experts from their vendors. (Inbox Insight)
39. 75% of B2B buyers prefer a rep-free sales experience. (Gartner)
40. Buyers initiate contact with sellers 81% of the time. (6Sense)
41. In 81% of cases, the buyer has chosen a preferred vendor before talking to sellers. (6Sense)
42. 83% of B2B buyers prefer for sellers to reach out to them via email. (Inbox Insight)
43. 85% of buying teams have their purchase requirements mostly or completely set before engaging vendors. (6Sense)

Decision drivers

44. 11% expect to see positive ROI immediately after purchase. (G2)
45. 54% of technology buyers consult user reviews during the buying journey. (TrustRadius)
46. 57% of buyers expect to see positive ROI within 3 months of purchase. (G2)
47. Peer validation is more important for the final decision-maker (61%) than any other member of the decision-making team. (Mixology Digital)
48. 64% of C-suite answered that they would be less likely to purchase software if the vendor requires personal information (email, etc.) before providing pricing information. (G2)
49. 65% of B2B buyers say that price or ROI is a top factor that influences the final decision. (Mixology Digital)
50. 72% of buyers use consultants or analysts to guide their decision-making. (6Sense)
51. 74% of B2B buyers expect clear and detailed pricing upfront. (Mixology Digital)

52. 75% of respondents are required to go through an RFP (Request for Proposal) process or get multiple prices from their procurement department. (Inbox Insight)
53. Price or ROI is the biggest influencer for businesses with 10,000+ employees (78%), closely followed by integration or compatibility with existing tools (71%). (Mixology Digital)
54. 82% say the experiences of their peers play a significant role in their provider selection process. (G2)
55. 87% of technology buyers have adjusted their buying process to ensure they only buy mission-critical products that will provide ROI. (TrustRadius)
56. 90% say that post-purchase support or relationship management has significant influence when choosing a vendor. (Mixology Digital)
57. 94% of buyers stated that demos tailored to their specific use case and preferences were important when evaluating different products. (TrustRadius)

Barriers to conversion

58. 25% of B2B buyers say that vendors focus too much on the features of their product or solution and not enough on the business needs of potential clients. (Mixology Digital)
59. The biggest barrier to conversion for B2B buyers is overpromising and underdelivering (40%). (Mixology Digital)
60. 43% say the information needed to justify spending has increased. (TrustRadius)

Emerging trends

61. 100% of buyers want to self-serve all or part of the buying journey. (TrustRadius)
62. 54% of B2B buyers rely more on digital research and tools than they did 2 years ago. (Mixology Digital)
63. 55% of final decision makers trust AI tools to help with the buying journey. (Mixology Digital)

64. 72% of B2B buyers say their buying process has changed in the last 2 years. (Mixology Digital)
65. 84% of B2B buyers said they trust AI and automated tools to help with the buying process. (Mixology Digital)
66. Almost 95% of buyers anticipate using genAI to support their decision and purchase process in the next 12 months. (Forrester)