Often, yes: many B2B buying groups form and rank a vendor shortlist before their first conversation with sales, and the vendor they prefer early frequently wins. But that does not make sales irrelevant. Recent surveys suggest buyers still value sellers for contextual guidance and validation—and that first contact may be happening earlier than it used to.
How often do buyers choose a preferred vendor before speaking with sales?
In 6sense’s 2025 B2B Buyer Experience Report, 94% of surveyed buying groups said they ranked their shortlist by preference before engaging sellers. Among the report’s initial-survey respondents, 77.0% (n=3,744) said their first vendor conversation was with the eventual winner. These are findings from 6sense’s survey, not universal rates for every B2B market or purchase.
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Shortlists also appear to narrow the field early. 6sense reported that buyers evaluated an average of 5.1 vendors, with 3.6 on the Day One shortlist; 95% of purchases in the study came from a vendor on that initial shortlist. The report included two surveys totaling more than 4,000 responses, including a supplemental survey of 766 respondents. Its 81% first-conversation-with-the-winner figure comes from that separate supplemental sample, so it should not be combined with the 77.0% initial-survey result.
What does “before the pitch” mean in the buyer journey?
6sense describes two broad phases. In the Selection Phase, a buying group researches options, compares vendors, and develops a preferred choice. In the Validation Phase, it engages vendors to test fit, resolve outstanding questions, and finalize a decision. This is a useful description of the report’s findings, not a proven map for every industry, deal size, or purchase.
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The pre-contact phase remains substantial, but the reported timing is shifting. 6sense estimated that buyers completed 61% of their journey before first seller contact in 2025, compared with about 69% in 2024—roughly six to seven weeks earlier contact, according to the report. These are study averages, not a timetable for an individual buying group. 6sense said buyers’ need to assess how vendors implement AI in their products contributed to earlier outreach.
For historical context, 6sense’s 2024 report surveyed 2,509 recent B2B buyers and described roughly the first 70% of the journey as selection and the final 30% as validation. The 2025 report is the more recent evidence for current timing and shortlist findings.
Do buyers still want to talk to sales?
Yes, but the useful role of a seller is not necessarily to repeat information buyers can find on their own. Gartner’s June 25, 2025 release reports that 61% of 632 B2B buyers surveyed in August–September 2024 preferred an overall rep-free buying experience. The same release says buyers prefer digital self-service for general information and learning, while turning to sellers for contextual intelligence, such as whether an offering fits their organization.
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Why can poorly timed or inconsistent outreach backfire?
In the same survey summarized by Gartner, 73% of buyers said they actively avoided suppliers that sent irrelevant outreach, and 69% reported inconsistencies between information on a supplier’s website and what sellers provided. Gartner’s Robert Blaisdell, a VP analyst in its Sales Practice, said: “Bad prospecting actively damages relationships with potential customers.”
The practical lesson is not that sellers should wait a fixed number of weeks or avoid contacting every early-stage prospect. Gartner’s release does not establish one optimal contact schedule for all buyers. It does support making outreach relevant and ensuring that sales explanations match published information.
What does the software-buyer evidence add?
G2’s 2024 Buyer Behavior Report surveyed 1,940 B2B decision-makers focused on software purchases. It found strong self-service preferences across software buying stages, while also indicating that buyers value vendor involvement at selected moments. In that software-specific report, 69% said they usually engaged a software-company salesperson only after making a decision. That result should not be generalized to all B2B categories.
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Together, the studies point to a distinction worth keeping clear: preferring to research independently, having a preferred vendor before contact, and wanting a rep-free process are related but different behaviors. The reported percentages measure different concepts, populations, and periods.
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What should sales and marketing teams do with this pattern?
Make independent evaluation possible
Present clear information on product capabilities, category fit, pricing where available, implementation, and evidence that helps buyers assess options. Gartner’s findings support self-service for general information; buyers should not have to request a sales call just to understand the basics.
Use sales for context, not repetition
Equip sellers to answer questions that require knowledge of the buyer’s situation: how a product fits existing systems, what implementation entails, and where the offering does or does not meet organizational needs. Those are more useful contributions than generic explanations already available online.
Keep claims consistent
Check that website content, product materials, and sales explanations agree. Gartner’s survey indicates that buyers notice discrepancies between those sources, which can undermine confidence during validation.
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Match outreach to evidence of readiness
Do not assume that every early content interaction means a buyer wants a call. 6sense’s 2024 report cautions that early-stage content form fills can be mistaken for readiness; its interpretation is that some lead-quality problems may actually be timing problems. That is the publisher’s interpretation, not independent proof that a particular lead-scoring or outreach strategy will improve results. Gartner’s findings favor relevance, but do not prescribe a universal contact schedule.
How strong is the evidence—and what can it establish?
| Source | Scope | What it helps explain | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6sense, 2025 | Global B2B buyer study; two surveys totaling more than 4,000 responses | Shortlist ranking, first-contact timing, and reported relationship between the initial shortlist and purchase | Commercial research publisher’s survey; findings should be attributed to 6sense and not treated as universal benchmarks. |
| Gartner, 2025 release | 632 B2B buyers surveyed in August–September 2024 | Self-service preferences, seller value, outreach aversion, and information consistency | The release presents selected findings, not the full questionnaire, sampling details, or confidence intervals. |
| G2, 2024 | 1,940 B2B decision-makers focused on software buying | Self-service and vendor touchpoint preferences in software purchases | Software-specific findings; they should not be generalized to every B2B category. |
These surveys describe reported buyer behavior and preferences. They do not prove that publishing more content, delaying outreach, or using any single tactic causes a vendor to become the preferred choice or win a deal. The evidence supports a more measured conclusion: buyers often form a preference before sales contact, but relevant guidance can still help them validate that choice.
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