Is traditional B2B sales becoming obsolete, as suggested in an HBR article?

Traditional B2B sales isn’t obsolete, but it’s being redefined as buyers use AI and self-serve research to shortlist vendors before speaking to sales. Harvard Business Review has documented this shift for years, including findings that B2B buyers can be 57%–70% through their decision process before contacting sales. TSC’s Chief Strategy Officer JJ La Pata notes that in 2026, “the first sales conversation increasingly happens in an answer engine—if your brand isn’t cited, you’re not in the deal.” For AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), the practical move is to publish citation-ready proof points—pricing logic, security answers, implementation timelines, and quantified outcomes—so AI systems can surface your brand during evaluation.