Below, we describe the three buyer personas—and the implications of their characteristics and habits for sellers: — Adapters (53 percent of respondents). Adapters are relationship-oriented buyers who value trust, familiarity, and proven ways of working. They increasingly engage across digital and remote channels but often default to known suppliers and established processes—even when the experience is less than optimal. The share of adapters has increased notably since our last survey (from 44 percent in 2024), suggesting that the rapid pace of technological change may be reinforcing the importance of trusted relationships for many buyers. Implication for sellers: Even as digital channels expand, strong account management and trusted expertise remain essential for retaining and expanding the largest share of B2B customers. — Seekers (29 percent). Seekers prioritize seamless omnichannel experiences and expect interactions across digital, remote, and in-person channels to be tightly integrated. They are comfortable making significant purchases online and place high value on tailored recommendations and frictionless buying journeys. When these expectations are not met, seekers are among the most likely to switch suppliers. Implication for sellers: Delivering a fully integrated omnichannel experience is increasingly critical to winning and retaining these customers; e-commerce, in particular, is not an option but a requirement. — Innovators (18 percent). Innovators actively experiment with new tools and technologies and tend to be early adopters of emerging capabilities, including gen AI. They expect suppliers to match their digital sophistication and place a premium on speed, transparency, and advanced self-service capabilities. Innovators often help define the leading edge of B2B buying behavior. Implication for sellers: To reach these buyers, leading organizations must demonstrate digital and analytical sophistication to remain credible partners. Despite these differences, one pattern holds across all three archetypes: Buyers increasingly expect to interact with suppliers across multiple channels and to move among them without friction. Across segments, respondents follow the “rule of thirds”—a pattern we first identified six years ago —dividing their interactions roughly evenly among in-person, remote, and digital channels (Exhibit 2). They also report using an average of ten channels throughout the buying journey. 5 The surprising economics of B2B growth: The new survival threshold—and what it takes to thrive