Your prospects are starting to let AI agents pick their vendor shortlists before you even know they exist. While most marketing teams optimize websites for human browsing, some buyers are already using AI agents to research, compare, and rank solutions. The change is happening now.
I tested this by using ChatGPT’s Agent Mode to mystery shop project management tools as if I were a marketing ops manager. The AI didn’t just browse and gather information, it clicked through websites, tried to sign up for webinars, and formed clear opinions and recommendations. This goes beyond AI research tools that just analyze content.
This is important for competitive positioning.
Key insights from this week’s newsletter:
➡︎ AI doesn’t just show information, it picks favorites and tells prospects which vendor to choose
➡︎ AI weighs multiple factors to form preferences and recommend specific vendors for each situation
➡︎ You can see the exact moment when AI asks permission before handling personal information
➡︎ You’ll spot competitive problems and research patterns that human browsing might miss as these tools spread
➡︎ Small differences in how you present pricing and features can swing AI recommendations in organized evaluations
The mystery shopping approach gives you a practical way to walk in your customer’s shoes. You’ll understand what your prospects will increasingly experience and know where your competitive positioning succeeds or fails under AI review.
Big thanks to David Rich (CMO at DTN) and Andy Crestodina (Co-Founder and CMO at Orbit Media Studios) for sharing their perspectives on changing buyer behavior and website experience optimization.
See full breakdown in the newsletter below.
To cater to different learning styles, see link in the comments for a 15-minute AI podcast version (link in the comments) of this newsletter with two AI hosts.
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