B2B2C SMEs: seen by consumers, missed by professional buyers
In brief
According to Journal du Net, in late October 2026 ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity were asked questions that did not name a French gift-card and recognition firm: it is often suggested to consumers. It almost vanishes when a manager, HR lead or works-council member asks how to support staff, while Edenred or Swile appear instead. The author says this is an exploration, not a statistical study.
What it changes for an SME
If you sell a product used by consumers but bought by an organisation, being visible to the public in AI assistants is not enough. According to Journal du Net, a firm can appear in 26 of 36 gift-card answers and then only once in 15 when an HR or works-council buyer talks about purchasing power. For an SME of 10 to 250 people, the risk is simply not appearing on the list the assistant returns, even if your offer still fits. There is no immediate compliance issue: the cost is wasted sales time and B2B deals that never start.
What you can do
- Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity the questions your professional buyers would ask, without your company name, and record who is recommended.
- Check whether the assistants link you to an HR, works-council or management need, or only to your product category.
- Decide whether you want to be chosen directly by the professional buyer or to appear through intermediary platforms.
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