For years (at least at 6sense), we've known where B2B deals are really won: the Selection Phase – the quiet, buyer-led period when shortlists form and preferences harden long before anyone speaks to sales. 

That's still true.  

What's changed is when and how quickly this happens. Our annual B2B Buyer Experience Report has become something of a touchstone for reading the pulse of buyer behaviour.  

And our latest edition doesn’t fail to disappoint.  

What’s shifting (especially in EMEA)  

The 2025 Buyer Experience research (4,000+ buyers with deep European coverage) shows a clear shift – buyers are engaging earlier:  

• First contact: In EMEA, buyers are reaching out nearly 10% earlier, now around 60% of the journey (vs. 70% previously) 
• Compressed timelines: Decision making overall is faster 
• More scrutiny, sooner: Earlier engagement isn't "earlier influence" as much as earlier validation  

On paper, that sounds like more time with buyers.  

In practice, preferences are forming faster. Still without marketing or sales in the room. 

What hasn’t changed  

The fundamentals of influence remain consistent with previous years' buying reports: 

• 95% of purchases still come from the Day One shortlist 
• The #1 ranked vendor after Selection wins around 7 in 10 deals 
• Preferences form before first engagement – the winner is usually chosen during Selection 

In the world of B2B, you still need to win before first contact – or at the very least – be on that buyer shortlist to stand a chance of landing a deal. In other words: earlier contact ≠ earlier influence. The song remains the same but the rhythm is different. 

Buyers average 8-9 prior purchases in the category. This experience hasn’t just disappeared overnight. But new forces (cough, cough, AI) are having an interesting – and perhaps unexpected influence.  

Why earlier buyer engagement is happening  

The data shows that two main forces are pulling buyers forward: 

1. ‘AI Inside’: verification not novelty 

AI now features in 89% of B2B purchases. It’s here. And here to stay. While buyers use AI tools during their research – primarily in the middle of the buying journey, not at the beginning – these tools can't answer the critical questions.  

Even the most veteran buying committee is playing a form of catch up in terms of defining what ‘AI’ means. And vendors aren’t exactly helping here (look at the average B2B vendor’s website – AI claims are everywhere, but details are scant). &mDash;

In EMEA, 44% of buyers told us they're engaging vendors earlier to get human clarity on: 

• How the AI works in practice 
• Security and data handling 
• Real implementation timelines and effort 
• Total cost beyond the headline price 

Buyers still initiate 80% of these conversations. They may be reaching out earlier. But they’re still doing it on their terms.  

2. Economic uncertainty: speed with scrutiny  

The 2025 reality. Approved budgets don't feel guaranteed. Buyers move earlier to secure funding, but they don't lower the bar of expectation.  

If anything, higher stakes are driving tighter validation. Buying groups are moving faster, but they need to feel more confident than ever.  

The stakes are just as high for them as they are for you. The buyer mindset right now has shades of Bowie and Queen – Under Pressure.  

What this means for marketers: 

If it wasn’t already the case, understanding the reality of what it’s like to be a buyer right now is just so important. ‡

While the selection period may be shorter, pre-sales influence is as decisive as ever. 

• If you're not known, understood, and preferred before the first conversation, you're too late 
• Trust is shifting toward peer proof and clear, technical transparency (especially on AI) 
• Brand, reputation, and relevance still set Day One shortlists – the sales cycle largely confirms what Selection decided 

In the words of Kerry Cunningham, our Head of Research, the lesson is clear, “You must become the preferred vendor during Selection. You must aggressively enable without expectation of immediate results.”  

When buyers do engage with you at the point of validation (60% through their journey) - the truth is it’s not because of your clever campaign or an ingenious reach out from a BDR.  

It is because of the months of work you’ve done to get on that shortlist in the first place.  

What to look out for in the B2B Buyer Experience Report 2025: 

• Full EMEA cut of the data: timing, team composition, and trust patterns 
• How and where buyers actually use LLMs in the journey 
• The "AI verification moment": what buyers want to know and when 
• Regional comparisons to benchmark your go-to-market 

Join the conversation: 

I'll be unpacking these insights at B2B Marketing Live with YuLife's Lauren Berkemeyer – come find me at the session (add it to your calendar now and I’ll buy you a coffee, promise). 

I'm so excited to bring this research into the wild and discuss what it really means for B2B marketers. 

Can't make it to the event? Join our live webinar: 

18 November, 4PM GMT – Deep-dive with Kerry Cunningham, Senior Director of Research at 6sense 

Register for the 18 November webinar →

For more exclusive insights like these, check out the full 2025 B2B Buyer Experience Report (with EMEA spotlight).