Nearly 60% of Buyers Prefer AI Agents in the Sales Process– New Report Demonstrates Their Value in Driving Sales Conversions

Conversica, Inc., the leading provider of Conversational AI agent solutions for enterprise revenue teams, announced the findings of its new research, the Conversica AI & Customer Experience Market Report. The research was conducted to equip go-to-market teams (GTMs) with insights into when and where modern buyers prefer to engage–or avoid engaging–with AI agents. The Report reveals buyers prefer engaging with AI agents during the initial purchasing process throughout the exploratory and education phases, underscoring the growing impact of AI agents on delivering personalized brand experiences and accelerating new customer acquisition and growth.

Conversica AI & Customer Experience Market Report Highlights

According to the Report, business buyers consistently prefer engaging with AI agents vs. humans throughout the sales funnel, indicating they may not be ready to speak with a sales representative. B2C buyers favor AI agents at a 3:1 ratio in the initial ‘exploration’ phase. However, human involvement remains essential in the final ‘ready to buy’ stage, where salespeople primarily fulfill contracts.

Primary Insights from the Report Include:

• Nearly 60% of all respondents agree ‘strongly’ or ‘somewhat agree’ that AI agents are helpful in the sales process while only 6.7% ‘strongly disagree.’
• Buyers prefer AI interactions when learning about solutions, with respondents favoring personalized engagement with AI agents vs. humans during the exploratory phase.
• Security risks (40%) and fear of inaccuracy (41%) were the biggest barriers to AI interaction in purchasing.
• Most respondents across all age ranges believe AI understands them ‘about half the time or more.’ Younger consumers are more likely to say AI ‘always’ understands them, while older users are more likely to report AI ‘never’ understands them.

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The Report Indicates Urgency to Adopt AI

The Report highlights how a timely, structured AI strategy surpasses human-driven results. For AI agents to be viewed as helpful, the market demands GTM’s meet decision-makers’ needs in appropriate, relevant, accurate, and trustworthy ways.

“Our research makes it clear–regardless of industry, business type and size, or target consumers, companies that prioritize brand and customer experience but do not integrate AI into their sales funnels risk falling behind, or worse simply failing,” said Jim Kaskade, CEO of Conversica. “Conversely, businesses that leverage AI agents alongside a well-prepared human workforce are seeing accelerated sales cycles, enhanced efficiencies, and increased revenue opportunities. No longer is the use of AI a nice-to-have, but a requirement for customer-facing organizations. Adopt or die.”

Speed and convenience are the top reasons buyers engage with AI agents, with half of the respondents prioritizing these benefits. This strong preference for convenience underscores a critical shift with prospects and buyers expecting a personalized, on-demand journey. To stay competitive, sales and marketing teams must provide relevant, tailored, information immediately at every stage of the buying process, 24/7.

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Building Trust Between AI Agents and Buyers

With nearly 60% of buyers already finding AI helpful, consumer comfort with AI agents is increasing, particularly in online shopping. Most respondents felt ‘neutral’ or ‘comfortable’ interacting with AI agents across various purchasing experiences, though security risks (40%) and fear of inaccuracy (41%) remain key deterrents. Notably, those ‘extremely uncomfortable’ with AI were more likely to report this in banking, financial services, car dealerships, and healthcare interactions. Interviews and focus groups revealed that distrust in AI largely stems from inaccuracy–suggesting that as AI agents become more precise and reliable, trust and adoptions will continue to rise.

“We are at a tipping point where buyers are moving past trust and beginning to expect it–buyers demand that companies prioritize data security, accuracy, and full transparency in their AI use. Thus, simple wrappers created on top of leading LLM services isn’t enough,” added Kaskade.

Detailed Report Findings

The findings offer GTM leaders key insights, serving as a guide for companies as they integrate AI agents into marketing and sales processes. The research highlights important takeaways in four categories: Helpfulness, Timing and Topics, Trust, and Openness to AI agents in the Sales Process.

• Openness to AI Agents in Sales: Nearly 60% of B2B buyers prefer AI agents early in the buying process, but preference evens out as they move through the funnel. The only clear preference for human interaction is at the ‘ready to purchase’ stage, with a slight preference also detected at transaction completion.
• Helpfulness: Business buyers ‘agree,’ AI agents are helpful with brand engagement, with 25% reporting they ‘strongly agree.’ 67.7% report AI agents accurately understand their needs at least half the time or more. Convenience, speed, and accuracy remain top priorities across all groups.
• Timing & Topics: Customers favor AI agents early in the buying journey, with 21% more preferring it over humans in the exploration phase. 24/7 availability with AI agents is critical for quick, low-pressure support, but human representatives are still preferred for complex issues such as contractual transactions, highlighting the need for advanced AI solutions.
• Trust: Security (40%) and accuracy (41%) are top concerns, making trust a key barrier to AI adoption. Customers prefer transparency and are wary of AI agents handling complex issues. Many hesitate to share sensitive data, and 43.9% would seek a human representative if AI failed to meet their needs.