The age of the informed consumer

Today’s consumers and B2B buyers are more informed, more independent and more sceptical than ever before. With instant access to reviews, comparison tools and peer recommendations, buyers are no longer relying on businesses to guide their decisions in the same way. Instead, they are forming opinions long before a salesperson enters the conversation. Gartner research (updated through 2025) indicates that most B2B sales interactions now occur in digital channels, reflecting a sustained shift away from traditional sales-led engagement.

But that shift hasn’t just empowered buyers, it has also raised expectations. People don’t want to feel like a sale. They want to feel informed, respected and in control of their decisions. 

This is the reality of the “informed consumer” and it is fundamentally reshaping how businesses need to approach sales.

From persuasion to credibility —

In the UK, that shift is happening against a backdrop of low trust. Edelman’s 2025 Trust Barometer shows that while business is still more trusted than government or media, public trust is volatile and expectations on transparency and honesty are rising.

According to our latest research, fewer than a quarter of people say they trust sales professionals, and many approach interactions expecting pressure rather than value. More than half (53%) of people say they would trust a salesperson more if there were no pressure to make an immediate decision, while more than a third (35%) of people say they feel pressured during sales interactions, particularly over the phone.

For businesses, especially SMBs, this means traditional tactics are increasingly out of step. High-pressure outreach, generic messaging and urgency-led selling can reinforce the very perceptions businesses need to overcome.

The signals that build trust are surprisingly simple: less pressure, more transparency, and more balanced, honest conversations. Buyers want to feel that a business is helping them make the right decision rather than pushing them towards one.

This creates a strong opportunity for SMBs, particularly as larger organisations tend to rely on scale, while smaller businesses can often move faster to create more personal, more relevant interactions. For smaller firms, this ability to build authentic, relationship-led engagement can act as a meaningful differentiator against more process-driven competitors.

The limits of AI when trust matters —

AI is playing an increasingly visible role in sales with many teams already using it to handle routine interactions, freeing up time for higher-value work – helping their businesses automate tasks and improve efficiency. McKinsey (2025) reports that AI adoption in sales and marketing continues to grow year-on-year, particularly in areas like personalisation, forecasting and customer insights.

This suggests that while automation can improve speed and scale, it cannot replace the human elements that underpin trust. In fact, we found that half (50%) of the public say they do not fully trust AI, while 45% say they value human connection in sales interactions and those who already distrust salespeople are far less likely to engage with AI-driven tools, highlighting that technology alone cannot fix a credibility gap.

In some cases, over-automation risks reinforcing the very concerns buyers already have, such as interactions feeling impersonal, scripted or driven by efficiency rather than understanding. There is also evidence that overly automated experiences can reduce engagement if customers feel they are not being heard or understood.

That’s why, rather than being overly reliant on AI, teams need to be using it as a tool alongside human oversight for administrative tasks, surfacing insights and enabling more personalised conversations. At the same time, qualities such as empathy, judgement and emotional intelligence are becoming more important, not less, as businesses look to differentiate in a trust-constrained environment. These human capabilities are increasingly what define standout customer experiences in an otherwise automated landscape.

The new competitive advantage —

For years, urgency has been used to drive action. But today’s buyers are more likely to disengage when they feel pressured. Buyers want open conversations.

By reducing friction, simplifying decisions and being upfront about costs, customers feel more confident in their choices. That confidence leads to stronger, more sustainable outcomes, building trust, encouraging loyalty and ultimately supporting long-term growth.

All of this points to a broader shift in what sales is. Buyers are now forming opinions through content, reviews and recommendations. That means credibility must be established before direct contact even happens. This also changes how outreach is perceived. For example, our data says that while phone calls remain the most common sales channel, they are also the most likely to create friction, with 65% of buyers primarily contacted this way holding unfavourable views of salespeople.

That’s why, in a market where buyers are more informed and more selective, first impressions matter more than ever. Those that invest in building credibility early, communicate with transparency and engage buyers on their terms will be better positioned to earn attention and trust.

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