Top-performing organisations are pulling ahead by embedding AI directly into commercial workflows, assigning clear ownership, and redesigning processes end to end.
New research from Bain & Company reveals a widening gap between ambition and execution among B2B companies, as AI disruption and geopolitical uncertainty take their toll on revenue performance.
The consultancy’s latest B2B Growth Agenda report, drawn from interviews with more than 1,100 senior executives across 18 industries globally, found that while 86% of leaders expected to meet their 2025 growth targets, 42% ultimately fell short — up from 32% the year prior. Despite this, confidence heading into 2026 remains high: 91% of executives expect to hit their targets, with projected revenue growth rates running 20% above last year’s.
Jamie Cleghorn, global head of Bain’s customer practice, described volatility as a permanent condition rather than a passing disruption, and warned that closing the performance gap requires faster, more adaptive execution and a fundamentally more responsive commercial system.
The report positions AI as a critical growth lever — but one most companies are not yet equipped to use at scale. While 90% of executives say they are implementing AI in some form, 60% acknowledge their technology stacks are not ready, limiting meaningful returns.
Top-performing organisations are pulling ahead by embedding AI directly into commercial workflows, assigning clear ownership, and redesigning processes end to end. The payoff is significant: these companies are seeing twice the AI-driven revenue growth and 1.8 times greater cost efficiency compared to peers.
Beyond technology, Bain’s findings point to a more basic challenge — many companies cannot clearly articulate why customers should choose them. Only 4% of executives say their organisation has a well-defined and consistently understood value proposition.
The commercial impact is stark. Companies with a clear value proposition reported 19% revenue growth in 2025, versus 12% for those without one.
Macroeconomic and geopolitical pressures are forcing industries to rethink their commercial strategies. Healthcare and life sciences firms are navigating sustained pricing pressure, while technology, media, and telecom companies are focused on customer acquisition and retention in fast-moving markets.
Across all sectors, Bain argues that organisations need a more adaptable commercial playbook — one that can rapidly translate market signals into action, with AI serving as an enabler rather than a standalone solution.
