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Blog · 4 posts · 5 sources

Discovery call research

The short answer

Research for discovery calls, with every figure linked to its source. The average B2B buying decision involves 13 people, and 86% of purchases stall, Forrester found in 2024. Gartner's 2026 research found 69% of B2B buyers turn to sales reps to validate AI-generated insights. And in conversation studies, people who ask follow-up questions are liked more.

Updated October 29, 2026 · Veracity · Every figure links to its source
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4 postsThe numbers behind a discovery call

Each post takes one finding, draws it to scale and shows the question to ask because of it.

13people involved in the average B2B buying decisionForrester, 2024
86%of B2B purchases stall during the buying processForrester, 2024
69%of B2B buyers turn to sales reps to validate AI-generated insightsGartner, 2026
30–40%of what people say is about their own experiences, as Tamir and Mitchell notePNAS, 2012
Data post · 5 sourcesDiscovery call statistics: what the research saysWho decides, how often deals stall, how buyers use AI, and why follow-up questions work. Forrester, Gartner and two peer-reviewed studies in one place.Read the statistics →
A Veracity question card marked Evolved, uses what they said: You mentioned five or six plants send the wrong format, what does that do to payroll and comp?
Data post · 2 sourcesWhat the research says about follow-up questionsPeople who asked more follow-up questions were liked more, in a 2017 chat study of 398 people and a speed-dating study of 110 (Huang et al.).Read →
On your callThe other 12
Data post · ForresterHow many people decide a B2B purchase, and what it means for your first call13 people are involved in the average B2B buying decision, and 89% of purchases involve two or more departments (Forrester, 2024). What to ask about the ones you can't see.Read →
Veracity's answer mode: a line to say about Python scripts and maintenance, a question to ask back, and the three documents it came from
Data post · Forrester and GartnerHow buyers use AI before they talk to youAlmost 95% of buyers expected to use generative AI to buy (Forrester, 2024). 67% of B2B buyers prefer buying without a sales rep, and 69% turn to reps to validate AI-generated insights (Gartner, 2026). How to answer the check.Read →
01 / How figures are chosen

Where do the figures on this blog come from?

Every figure comes from the publisher's own release or the paper itself, and every post lists its sources with links. Five sources cover all four posts so far: one Forrester release, two Gartner releases and two peer-reviewed studies.

  • From the source itself. The publisher's own page or the paper, never a roundup of statistics.
  • Quoted the way the publisher states it. "Almost 95%" stays "almost 95%", with the date and a link.
  • Limits said out loud. When a study wasn't run on sales calls, the post says so.
  • Written in words, too. Every chart's figure is also in its caption and the text beside it.
02 / How charts are drawn

How are the charts drawn?

To scale. Bars run from 0 to 100%, a figure is drawn to its value, and a range is drawn as a range. Here are two figures from the posts, drawn the way every chart on this blog is.

A value and a range
Forrester, 2024 and Tamir & Mitchell, PNAS, 2012. Each bar runs from 0 to 100%.
B2B purchases that stall during the buying process1
86%
Share of what people say that's about their own experiences, as Tamir and Mitchell note5
30–40%
0%50%100%
86% runs to 86. 30–40% is a band from 30 to 40. A range is never drawn as its top number.
03 / Sources

Every source on this blog

Each post links the sources it uses. All five were checked on October 29, 2026.

  1. 1
    Forrester. "Forrester: To Master B2B Buying Mayhem, Providers Must Prioritize Buyers' Needs." Press release on The State Of Business Buying, 2024. December 4, 2024. forrester.comUsed for: 13 people, 89% two or more departments, 86% stall, 81% dissatisfied, almost 95% expect to use generative AI.
  2. 2
    Gartner. "Gartner Survey Finds 69% of B2B Buyers Turn to Sales Reps to Validate AI-Generated Insights." Press release. May 20, 2026. gartner.comUsed for: 69% turn to sales reps to validate AI-generated insights.
  3. 3
    Gartner. "Gartner Sales Survey Finds 67% of B2B Buyers Prefer a Rep-Free Experience." Press release. March 9, 2026. gartner.comUsed for: 67% prefer buying without a sales rep.
  4. 4
    Huang, K., Yeomans, M., Brooks, A. W., Minson, J., & Gino, F. (2017). "It doesn't hurt to ask: Question-asking increases liking." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(3), 430–452. doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000097Used for: follow-up questions and liking, the chat studies (398 people; 15-minute chats) and the speed-dating study (110 people).
  5. 5
    Tamir, D. I., & Mitchell, J. P. (2012). "Disclosing information about the self is intrinsically rewarding." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(21), 8038–8043. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1202129109Used for: 30–40% of speech, the reward system finding, 17% and about 25% of earnings given up.
04 / Questions

Questions, answered

From Forrester's and Gartner's published research releases and two peer-reviewed studies, each listed with a link. Every figure is quoted the way its publisher states it.
On average, 13 people inside the buying company, according to Forrester's State of Business Buying, 2024. 89% of purchases involve two or more departments.
In studies of conversations between strangers, people who asked more questions, especially follow-up questions, were liked more (Huang and colleagues, 2017). The studies were not run on sales calls.
Most expect to. Almost 95% of buyers expected to use generative AI in their buying process within 12 months, Forrester found in 2024. Gartner found in 2026 that 69% of B2B buyers turn to sales reps to validate AI-generated insights.
Keep reading
GuidesSales call guidesDiscovery calls, MEDDPICC, SPICED, objections and prep.Read → GuideHow to run a discovery call (with example questions)The call from the opening question to the next step.Read → ExplainerWhat is real-time sales coaching?Help on the call itself, while there's still time to use it.Read →

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