G2 has its latest Buyer Behavior report out and while most of its take-aways are things we know or should know, it’s a wake-up call for anyone thinking AI isn’t important in their category:
🚀 Top 5 SaaStr Learnings from G2’s 2025 Buyer Behavior Report
1. AI Is No Longer a Nice-to-Have — 88% of power users won’t even shortlist software without AI functionality
- The Reality: 88% of power users won’t even shortlist software without AI functionality
- The Action: Stop treating AI as a feature differentiator. Build it into your core value prop or risk being eliminated before you even get to pitch
- The Opportunity: 4 out of 5 buyers report positive ROI on AI investments, and they’re willing to pay 20-30% premiums for proven AI value
2. The Mega-Deal Era Is Over — Enterprise deals are clustering in the $100K-$150K range
- The Shift: Enterprise deals are clustering in the $100K-$150K range (down from ZIRP-era budgets)
- The New Model: 39% of buyers prefer pay-as-you-go pricing. Variable pricing models are becoming the norm
- The Strategy: Design your pricing to start small with automatic expansion based on usage. Align sales comp with net revenue retention, not initial ACV
3. Google Is Losing to AI Search + Software Reviews: 29% of buyers start research with AI search more than Google.
- The Disruption: 29% of buyers start research with AI search more than Google. Enterprise buyers favor software review sites over traditional search
- The Implication: Your SEO strategy is becoming obsolete. You need GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
- The Fix: Optimize for AI crawlers, invest heavily in G2 reviews, and ensure your content shows up in ChatGPT/Claude responses
4. Buying Committees Are Shrinking But Getting More Technical
- The Change: Committees down from 5-8 people to 3-4 people, but IT involvement jumped to 47% of all deals
- The Challenge: IT leaders are now “AI orchestrators” focused on integration and risk management
- The Response: Build separate pitch decks for technical buyers. Lead with integration capabilities and security compliance, not just business outcomes
5. Your Sales Team Needs to Get Comfortable Being Ghosted (Until Later)
- The Trend: 62% of buyers don’t want to talk to sales until evaluation/decision stage (+17% YoY)
- The Reality: Buyers are using AI and peer reviews to eliminate vendors before ever speaking to humans
- The Adaptation: Invest more in product-led growth, self-serve trials, and champion enablement tools. When buyers do engage, they’re much more qualified but need faster, more technical conversations
Bottom Line: The SaaS buying journey has been completely rewired by AI. Companies that adapt to smaller deals, AI-first discovery, and technical buyer requirements will thrive. Those still optimizing for 2022 playbooks will struggle to even get into consideration sets.
Download the full report here.
🔥 And … 5 More Unexpected SaaStr Learnings from G2’s Report 🙂
6. CFOs Are Losing Power to Department Heads (Yes, Really)
- The Surprise: Department leads now make 24% of final purchase decisions (up from 18%), while CFO influence is declining
- The Why: Smaller deal sizes mean CFO approval thresholds aren’t triggered as often
- The Implication: Stop pitching to finance teams first. Your real buyer is probably the VP of Marketing or Head of Sales who can approve a $75K annual spend without CFO sign-off
7. Generative AI Chatbots Beat Human Salespeople in Trust Rankings
- The Shock: GenAI chatbots (17.2%) are now MORE trusted than vendor salespeople (9.3%) for final purchase decisions
- The Reality: Buyers trust AI recommendations over human sales pitches because AI synthesizes multiple data sources without agenda
- The Response: Your sales team needs to become more like consultants and less like pitchers. Buyers have already done their homework with AI
8. Asia-Pacific Is the Most AI-Optimistic Region (And It’s Not Close)
- The Data: APAC leads all regions in software spending optimism and AI adoption rates
- The Insight: While US/EU companies are being cautious about AI compliance, APAC buyers are going all-in
- The Strategy: If you’re expanding globally, prioritize APAC markets for AI-heavy products. They’re 12-18 months ahead of Western markets in adoption curves
9. “No Shortlist” Is Becoming a Real Buying Strategy
- The Trend: 8% of buyers (doubled from 4% in 2023) skip shortlists entirely and make direct purchase decisions
- The Explanation: AI search gives buyers enough confidence to go straight from research to purchase
- The Opportunity: Being the “obvious choice” in AI responses is now worth more than being #1 on a 5-vendor shortlist
10. Small Businesses Are the Most Price-Sensitive, But Enterprise Is the Most AI-Hungry
- The Paradox: SMBs stick to modest deal sizes despite AI enthusiasm, while enterprises pay premiums for AI but demand smaller initial commitments
- The Split: SMBs want AI functionality bundled at no extra cost; enterprises will pay 40%+ premiums but want to start with pilots
- The Pricing Strategy: Create a “freemium AI tier” for SMBs and “AI pilot packages” for enterprises. Same technology, completely different go-to-market approaches
