In this report, we dig into our survey insights, examining the characteristics that increasingly define the survival threshold in B2B sales and exploring the three engines that are widening the performance gap between leaders and laggards. We look at the three different archetypes of B2B buyers, offering strategic advice on how best to meet them where they are. This is no longer a moment for pilot programs or incremental improvement. For B2B organizations, the commercial baseline has shifted—and the path to sustained growth now runs through a fundamentally redesigned operating system capable of propelling sales growth in the years to come. The three buyer personas shaping today’s B2B market To navigate this new competitive moment, it helps to begin with a clear understanding of who—and where—your customers are. In last year’s report, we identified three distinct buyer archetypes based on how they prefer to research, evaluate, and purchase from suppliers. This year’s survey confirms that despite rapid technological change, B2B buyers continue to cluster into these three recurring archetypes, which appear across industries and geographies. Most organizations serve a mix of all three, which means commercial strategies must be flexible enough to meet different expectations within the same market (Exhibit 1). Exhibit 1 Web <2026> Exhibit <1> of <8> ffflfffi-ffi          ffififififfififfi     fi ffiffiffi ffi ffflfi-ffi    ffiffi    flfi fi-ffiffi    fl  ffi flfi-fi ffi- ffflfi-ffi   ffflfi- ffflfi-ffi   ffflfi ffflfi-ffi fi ffflfi-ffi   flflffi ffi ² ffflfi-ffi           ffi ffflfi-ffi         flffiflffifl ffiffi    ffi- fi --flfi ffflfifi-ffi      -ffiffi fiffi --  ffflfi-ffi        ffiflffiffifififi flffi ff flfi-ffi    ff flfifi-ffi  - ffflflfifl-ffi ffflfi-ffi   fi fl fl-       fl ³ ff flfi-ffi ff-        ff ⁴ ffflfi-flffi        flfififfi ⁵ ffflflfi-ffi -fifl ffifi flfi ⁶ ¹To create a set of differentiated and actionable segments, we selected key statements via factor analysis to be used as inputs to identify groups of respondents. Next, we use hierarchical k-means clustering to evaluate different options of clusters of respondents based on their responses to the key inputs. Finally, we refined the clusters to get sharper differentiation and a more distinct segment profile. Adapter segment is ~53% of respondents, innovators are 18%, and seekers are 29%. ²Significantly above or below average means number is ± different than average, while high and low is ±10%. ³Question: “What is the maximum order value that you would purchase through end-to-end digital self-serve and remote human interactions for a new product or service category?” ⁴Question: “When considering different ways to buy online from your suppliers, how comfortable or not are you with the following types of e-commerce options?” ⁵Question: “For each of the following elements, please tell us how likely or not likely you would be to stop working with a supplier if they did any of the following actions.” ⁶Question: “In B2B buying and sales journeys, which actions or stages do you think can benefit the most from gen AI?” 4 The surprising economics of B2B growth: The new survival threshold—and what it takes to thrive