The 6sense 2026 B2B Buyer Experience Report, published in November 2026 and drawing on 3,596 completed purchases and 1,011 evaluations that ended without one, shows that B2B buyers are never fully out of market. Ninety-six per cent keep up with their category between evaluations, and 94 per cent enter a new one with existing vendor perceptions. For Irish B2B leaders, this makes customer experience between purchases the strongest preference-building asset available.

The research points to three opportunities for Irish B2B organisations building a cx strategy: treating every customer interaction as preparation for the next buying decision, equipping customers who advocate internally, and staying useful when evaluations pause. Together they form a customer centric strategy built on the long relationship rather than the single sale, and they reward consistency over campaigns.

Buyer opinions keep evolving between purchases. Seventy-one per cent say their view of vendors changed between cycles, and the sources they rely on most include vendor websites, industry events, and review sites. Every support exchange, event, and customer story therefore shapes the opinions buyers carry into the next decision. Harvard Business Review's retention research confirms the commercial value of keeping the right customers, and organisations that invest in customer success and service excellence after the sale are building the next shortlist before it forms.

Buyers choose vendors they already know. The winner was on the Day 1 shortlist in 92 per cent of journeys, the pre-contact favourite won 82 per cent of the time, and in 73 per cent of cases buyers had prior experience of the winner. In the UK and Ireland, 78 per cent of buyers report that their organisation had worked with the winning vendor before. Delivering customer satisfaction and earning customer loyalty among current accounts is the most direct route to that shortlist.

Pauses are opportunities rather than losses. Seventy-eight per cent of buyers in stalled evaluations expect to revisit within 12 months, and most expect budgets, stakeholders, or requirements to change. Buying groups average ten members, and 71 per cent begin with conflicting vendor preferences, so customers who advocate internally need clear, shareable proof. Voice of the customer programmes and customer insights from existing accounts supply the outcomes language that finance and IT colleagues find persuasive.

Three steps would allow Irish B2B leaders to act. First, treat support, success, and events as deliberate preference-building, tracking the experience of key accounts through CXi Ireland benchmarking. Second, equip champions with findable, shareable proof of outcomes across every digital customer experience touchpoint, written for finance, IT, and procurement colleagues. Third, preserve context on every paused evaluation and re-engage with materials that address what changed, such as budget, stakeholders, or requirements.

The 6sense 2026 report offers Irish B2B leaders a reassuring message: relationships built through consistent experience remain the most reliable route to the next shortlist. For the exporters and suppliers that Enterprise Ireland supports, delivering customer experience excellence between purchases means being understood, trusted, and preferred when buyers re-enter the market. The opportunity is practical and available now.