What SMBs Ask AI

We recently polled 500 U.S. SMB principals to find out what they ask AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, and Gemini at each stage of the sales cycle. Here are their top questions:

Awareness/Discovery

• Very small businesses (VSBs, <20 employees): “How can I do [business task] faster/cheaper/better?”
• Small businesses (SBs, 20-99 employees): “What products/services exist for [business challenge]?”
• Midsized businesses (MBs, 100-1,000 employees): “What product or service would make [business task] easier?”

Research

• VSBs: “Best product or service for [business challenge]”
• SBs: “Compare [Product A] to [Product B]”
• MBs: “Compare [Product A] to [Product B]” and “What are the best tools for [business  challenge]?” (tie)

Purchase Decision

• All size segments:  “Which option is best for my business?”

Top SMB AI Queries: First Learning About Products & Services‍

‍When you are first learning about products or services for your business, what types of questions do you ask AI tools? Select all that apply.

Top SMB AI Queries: Researching Products & Services ‍

‍When you are researching products or services for your business, what types of questions do you ask AI tools? Select all that apply.

Top SMB AI Queries: Making a Purchase Decision‍

‍When you are making a purchase decision on products or services for your business, what types of questions do you ask AI tools? Select all that apply.

Need expert SMB insight? With an exclusive focus on the SMB market, decades of research experience, and advanced data tools, Bredin delivers actionable custom and omnibus research. Contact us to learn how we can support your 2026 GTM, product, content, PR, social, and sales goals.