B2BSalesMagic released the 2026 State of Atlanta B2B Buyer Preferences Report on June 10, 2026, based on surveys of more than 100 business buyers in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The study found that 43% of Atlanta-area B2B buyers will turn to artificial intelligence tools for answers if they cannot find sufficient information on a vendor's website, bypassing the sales team entirely.
The finding has direct implications for B2B companies with Atlanta-area customers. Buyers who do not find adequate product, pricing, or comparison information on a vendor's website are increasingly using AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude to fill the information gap, often before making initial contact with a sales representative.
The report identified several categories of information most likely to trigger an AI-assisted search: detailed pricing, competitor comparisons, technical specifications, and implementation timelines. Vendors who do not publish this information publicly risk losing consideration at the earliest stages of the buyer journey.
Atlanta's business technology sector provides context for the research. The city is home to major MarTech companies including Salesloft, CallRail, Cardlytics, and Terminus, and was the site of DigiMarCon Southeast (June 3-4, 2026), one of the region's largest digital marketing and advertising conferences. The Altera Festival, scheduled for June 16-17, 2026, focuses specifically on how generative AI is reshaping brand communications and content production at scale.
The B2B buyer preference shift toward AI-assisted research reflects a broader change in how buyers evaluate vendors before engaging with sales teams.
Source: PR Newswire -- https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/43-of-atlanta-b2b-buyers-turn-to-ai-instead-of-sales-new-study-finds-302796666.html