How Artificial Intelligence improves collaboration between suppliers and customers.
In B2B, information determines the speed, trust, and success rate of business decisions. Yet this is precisely where gaps often emerge: while suppliers know their products inside out, buyers are frequently confronted with uncertainty. Missing specifications, unclear benchmarks, or limited market transparency lead to delays, misunderstandings, and missed deals. This information asymmetry hampers efficiency — and costs money.
How missing information impacts decision-making
Information gaps can significantly influence the buying process in the following ways:
- Unclear needs: A lack of problem awareness prevents companies from recognizing opportunities. As a result, projects stall or are never initiated.
- Delayed decisions: Approximately 60% of executives postpone investments due to missing or incomplete information. The fear of making the wrong choice inhibits innovation.
- Price over value: Nearly every second B2B purchase is driven primarily by price. Often because buyers lack reliable comparison data or clear value arguments.
How AI enables greater clarity, speed, and trust
Artificial Intelligence delivers data-driven transparency, builds confidence, and accelerates decision-making — across the entire B2B buying journey. The following five use cases demonstrate how AI can effectively close information gaps:
#1 AI-powered knowledge bases & self-service portals
Today’s buyers want to inform themselves before contacting sales. AI-powered knowledge systems analyze user queries in natural language, understand context, and deliver the most relevant content instantly — whether it’s technical data sheets, instructions, or real-world use cases. This empowers better decisions with fewer delays.
#2 Automated product recommendations & content creation
AI automatically generates relevant content such as product suggestions, specifications, or value-based arguments tailored to the buyer’s industry, role, and use case. This provides clarity and relevance early in the journey — often before a sales conversation even begins.
#3 Digital AI assistants for 24/7 support
Virtual assistants provide real-time support throughout the buying process — answering common questions, offering suggestions, and guiding users step by step. Available around the clock, they improve accessibility, reduce workload for internal teams, and enhance the customer experience — even outside business hours.
#4 AI-driven product configurators
AI-powered configurators guide users through complex product portfolios. Based on specific requirements, a tailored solution is automatically assembled, technically validated, and presented in a user-friendly format. This reduces back-and-forth communication and accelerates decision-making.
#5 Conversational intelligence for deeper insights
AI-driven analysis tools evaluate emails, meetings, and chat transcripts to detect patterns, uncertainties, or unanswered questions. These insights help improve messaging, close content gaps, and enable more targeted coaching for sales teams.
Conclusion: Sharing Knowledge Means Selling Smarter
In B2B, success is driven by trust, relevance, and speed. AI can be the key to systematically closing information gaps — scalably, personally, and efficiently. Companies that proactively guide their customers through the decision-making process create clarity instead of complexity — and gain a competitive edge.
Further Reading
Belz, C., Dannenberg, H., & Pahl, M. (2018). Veränderte Kaufprozesse im Business-to-Business Marketing gestalten: Fakten und Folgerungen. Thexis.
Plotkin, C. L., Stanley, J., & Harrison, L. (2024). Five fundamental truths: How B2B winners keep growing.
Sherrard, S., Dave, R., & MacGregor, M. P. (2022). What B2Bs need to know about their buyers. Harvard Business Review.