Ep. 5 – Rethinking Buyer Behavior in the Age of AI with Tim Sanders, VP of Research Insights at G2

In this episode, Dan Fleetwood chats with Tim Sanders, VP of Research at G2, about the 2025 Buyer Behavior Report and why AI is now a baseline expectation, not a bonus. From survey design to buyer churn, Tim explains how AI is reshaping B2B decisions, and what sellers need to know about adoption, value, and the future of software discovery.

 

Guest:

Tim Sanders – VP of Research & Insights at G2 and executive fellow at Harvard’s Digital Data Design Institute. Tim is a bestselling author and former Yahoo executive, known for his human-centric take on technology, strategy, and growth. At G2, he leads AI research and buyer trend analysis for the world’s largest software marketplace.

 

Topics and timestamps:

[00:00] Intro 

[00:38] Tim Sanders’ background and role at G2 

[02:35] Using AI for survey design, question logic, and visualizations 

[06:14] AI’s obsession with bias detection 

[07:37] Why “AI Always Included” became the 2025 headline 

[08:51] How to spot real vs. superficial AI in software tools 

[10:41] AI’s core value: optimization, personalization, automation 

[11:30] Understanding the AI agent gradient: From copilots to systems 

[14:16] Why enterprise buyers now prioritize adoption over ROI 

[17:41] The rise of central IT as the main AI funder 

[20:12] Why marketers must learn to speak to tech leaders 

[21:35] Which GTM strategies companies are overlooking most 

[23:05] 4 out of 5 buyers say AI has changed how they research 

[23:48] 29% of software buyers now start with a chatbot 

[24:06] How Google is losing ground to AI search in enterprise 

[25:35] The new buyer path: LLMs → review sites → vendor site 

[27:31] Why natural language platforms like G2 outperform static sites 

[29:55] Final advice: get rid of your traditional subscription model 

[33:02] Outro

 

Useful links:

Tim Sanders on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timsanders

Dan Fleetwood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danfleetwood

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