Generative AI now plays a central role in how business buyers research and justify purchases, while buying groups continue to grow and procurement teams gain more control over decisions, according to a new report from Forrester released on January 21, 2026. The findings point to longer, more scrutinized buying cycles that force marketers to adapt how they influence and support buyers.
The report, The State Of Business Buying, 2026, comes from Forrester, the Cambridge, Massachusetts–based research firm. It examines how B2B purchasing behavior is shifting as buyers face tighter budgets and greater internal pressure to explain every expense. For marketers, the message is direct. You now sell into larger groups, with more checks, more skepticism, and fewer shortcuts.
Forrester’s data shows that a typical B2B purchase now involves 13 internal stakeholders and nine external influencers, including peers, analysts, consultants, and others buyers trust outside their own company. The number grows further when the purchase carries high cost or strategic risk.
Large buying groups slow decisions, yet buyers say they still see value in them. According to the report, 94 percent of buyers involved in groups of six or more say those groups help improve decision quality. Buyers cite broader input, shared validation work, and better chances of securing budget approval.
GenAI tools now sit at the start of many buying journeys. Buyers use AI-based search and answer engines to gather early information. Forrester says those tools speed up research but often return partial or unreliable answers. That gap pushes buyers to confirm claims through people they trust. Human input still matters, even as AI tools grow more common.
Procurement teams now shape decisions earlier than before. The report finds that procurement professionals act as decision-makers in 53 percent of buying cycles and often join from the beginning. They assess more than price. They examine features, workflows, and productivity gains. Procurement teams also interact with sales teams more often than many other buyer roles, which changes how marketers and sellers must support those conversations.
Trials now play a larger role in reducing risk. More than 60 percent of buyers use some form of trial before committing, whether through paid test environments or usage-based access. That share rises to 78 percent for deals valued at $10 million or more. For marketers, this shifts pressure from messaging to proof. Claims must hold up when buyers test products in real settings.
“B2B buyers are under immense pressure to justify investments and minimize risk,” said Barbara Winters, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester. She added that marketers need “dynamic, role-specific insights” that reflect how buyers assess risk and success.
The report ties these trends to a broader shift in B2B buying. Buyers now control more of the journey, rely less on vendor-led messaging, and expect evidence from multiple trusted sources. This pattern aligns with wider industry research showing declining trust in brand claims and rising reliance on peer input, analyst research, and hands-on evaluation.
For marketers, this changes daily work. You need content that supports many roles at once, from technical users to finance leaders. You also need validation that lives outside your own channels, plus trial experiences that reflect long-term value, not just quick wins.
Forrester plans to expand on these themes at its B2B Summit North America in Phoenix, scheduled for April 26–29, 2026. Analysts will discuss how buyer autonomy reshapes go-to-market models and what that shift means for companies trying to reach and influence business buyers.
The report does not claim that AI replaces human judgment. It shows the opposite. As tools multiply and information spreads faster, buyers lean harder on people they trust and on evidence they can test themselves. If you market to businesses, this is the environment you now work in.