2025 EDITION

The Evidence Gap: Why Buying Has Gotten Easier — But Selling Has Gotten Harder

We surveyed 811 B2B buyers, sellers, and marketers to uncover the exact types of customer proof that actually build trust and boost buyer confidence.

There’s a deep disconnect looming – and it’s causing your buyers to go elsewhere

“I’ve seen this play out in the middle of deals more times than I can count. Marketing is producing these beautiful assets, and sellers are sharing whatever’s easiest to grab. Meanwhile, the buyer is sitting there thinking: “This doesn’t answer my question at all.” So what do they do? They find the answer themselves. We think we’re arming the field, but in reality, buyers are already halfway down the road with somebody who gave them something authentic.”

Kyle Lacy

CMO at Docebo

What this year’s data reveals
(and how it’s already costing you deals)

AI search is reshaping discovery.

58%

of buyers start their research with AI tools

Anonymous credibility trumps brand names.

60%

of buyers implicitly trust blind-but-verified testimonials

Competition is everywhere, but competitive evidence is nowhere.

97%

of buyers are considering multiple solutions (and half evaluating four or more), but only 35% of marketers create –– and 32% of sellers share –– competitive evidence like battle cards.

Younger generations trust different types of proof.

31%

of buyers aged 20-30 start their buying journey with analyst reports, compared to 50% overall

Each year The Evidence Gap grows — and so do lost deals

Buyers’ behaviors and mindsets are shifting every year –– and now, we have the data to prove it.

Is your sales team equipped with the proof they need to win?

2024

67% Percent of sellers who report that deals have been slowed or lost due to lack of evidence in the past year

2025

53% Percent of sellers who report that deals have been slowed or lost due to lack of evidence in the past year

This is the data that puts an end to your costliest guessing game

The highest-performing GTM teams know that The Evidence Gap is real, and it’s costing them in sneaky ways (stalled deals, “no-decision”, and misaligned sales and marketing efforts). This report is the North Star for GTM teams to get aligned on how they can close their Evidence Gap fast.

Kevin Lau

VP of Global Customer Marketing, Freshworks

In a world where AI search is changing how buyers discover vendors, this report is essential reading. The data makes it clear: the companies that operationalize trusted customer evidence will have the edge.

Jess Cook

Head of Marketing, Vector

There’s the customer evidence marketers think is most valuable, and there’s the customer evidence buyers think is most valuable—and they are not the same. If you’re a marketing leader who wants to source and create the most powerful proof for your would-be buyers, this report will show you where that sweet spot lies.

Jason Oakley

Founder, Productive PMM

B2B marketing is rapidly changing in front of our eyes, with new strategies and tools making all kinds of crazy stuff possible. But you know what never seems to change? The importance of real, relevant customer evidence. This report is a refreshing break from the AI hype cycle and a reminder of what really matters in earning buyer trust and closing deals.

Close the customer evidence gap

Buyers today need more substance. They want data, relevance, and actual proof. This report not only identifies gaps exist but also gives you a game plan to fix them.

Up your customer evidence game

Collect, curate, and scale the customer proof your buyers need with UserEvidence.

Let’s talk

The Evidence Gap: Why Buying Has Gotten Easier — But Selling Has Gotten Harder

There’s a deep disconnect looming – and it’s causing your buyers to go elsewhere

What this year’s data reveals
(and how it’s already costing you deals)

AI search is reshaping discovery.

Anonymous credibility trumps brand names.

Competition is everywhere, but competitive evidence is nowhere.

Younger generations trust different types of proof.

Each year The Evidence Gap grows — and so do lost deals

Are you showing up with the right proof, in the right places?

Is your sales team equipped with the proof they need to win?

2024

2025

Do you have the right evidence at the ready to win buyer trust?

This is the data that puts an end to your costliest guessing game

Close the customer evidence gap

The Evidence Gap: Why Buying Has Gotten Easier — But Selling Has Gotten Harder

There’s a deep disconnect looming – and it’s causing your buyers to go elsewhere

What this year’s data reveals (and how it’s already costing you deals)

AI search is reshaping discovery.

Anonymous credibility trumps brand names.

Competition is everywhere, but competitive evidence is nowhere.

Younger generations trust different types of proof.

Each year The Evidence Gap grows — and so do lost deals

Are you showing up with the right proof, in the right places?

Is your sales team equipped with the proof they need to win?

2024

2025

Do you have the right evidence at the ready to win buyer trust?

This is the data that puts an end to your costliest guessing game

Close the customer evidence gap

What this year’s data reveals
(and how it’s already costing you deals)