Human Insight Still Wins: 75% of B2B Leaders Pick People Over AI When the Two Clash

Seismic just dropped a report that’s turning a few heads in the B2B world. It’s called The New Go‑to‑Market Standard for B2B Selling, and, in plain English, it says the old adage “people do business” is still very much alive – especially when AI and humans don’t see eye‑to‑eye.

Look, AI has handed buyers a tidal wave of data. You can crank up a chatbot, pull up endless product specs, and get a quick‑fire ROI calculator in seconds. But that flood of info is making enterprise purchases feel more like a maze than a straight‑line checkout.

What the research shows is that 75 % of senior leaders say they trust a human’s take more than an algorithm’s when the two conflict. And it’s not just a gut feeling – almost half (46 %) admit they lean on people even more now that AI has made the decision landscape denser.

In practice, this means you’ll still see buyers knocking on a vendor’s door, not just their inbox. More than half (55 %) say they turn to a sales rep or subject‑matter expert when it’s time to hammer out pricing or contract terms. Close to five‑in‑ten (49 %) ask a human to help judge whether the ROI stacks up, and 45 % look for a person’s perspective on risk and potential downsides.

Even the nitty‑gritty of “does this solution fit my specific use case?” is getting a human filter – 43 % of respondents said they rely on a vendor representative to translate the tech talk into real‑world value.

Rob Pinkerton, Seismic’s CMO, calls this the start of a “selling renaissance.” He argues that as AI hands over the heavy lifting of data gathering, the real competitive edge shifts to sellers who can cut through the noise, frame the economics clearly, and guide stakeholders through tough trade‑offs. In his words, “the higher the stakes, the more buyers turn to people.”

That shift raises the bar for every sales professional. It’s no longer enough to just push product specs; you’ve got to be the trusted interpreter who connects the dots between the buyer’s context and the solution’s promise. Over half of the leaders surveyed (51 %) said sellers would add value by quantifying ROI in a way that’s easy to act on.

Bottom line? AI is a powerful research buddy, but when the rubber meets the road – the contract signing, the risk assessment, the budget sign‑off – humans still wear the crown. For GTM teams, the challenge is clear: embed solid judgment, customer context, and reliable guidance into the daily workflow so every rep can step up when the moment matters most.

Want to dig deeper or explore how your organization can ride this wave? Drop a line to psen@itechseries.com for exclusive editorial packages and programs.