Why AR in B2B Sales Is More Hype Than Help

Augmented Reality (AR) in B2B sales is like 90s 3D gaming: full of promise, but often clunky, frustrating, and far removed from what’s actually useful. Sure, AR demos look flashy in a sales pitch or a marketing campaign, but when the dust settles, they rarely deliver meaningful value where it matters most—closing the deal.

Before you jump on the AR bandwagon for your sales process, let’s break down three compelling reasons why AR might be more of a distraction than a solution.

1. Complexity Without Clarity

AR often prioritizes "wow factor" over usability, turning what should be a straightforward sales tool into a cumbersome experience. Configuring industrial equipment or complex products demands precision and clarity, not bells and whistles. While AR may help visualize a product, it often falls short of answering the critical questions:

• Does this configuration meet the customer’s specifications?
• Are the options and constraints accurate and manageable?
• Can the sales team easily update and maintain the setup?

In most cases, the answer is no. AR tools can add layers of complexity for sales teams to manage while providing little real value to buyers. The time and effort it takes to set up and maintain AR demos could be better spent on refining your configuration logic and ensuring your prices are always accurate.

2. High Costs, Low Reward

AR isn’t cheap. Developing and maintaining AR models requires specialized skills, expensive hardware, and constant updates to keep the visuals aligned with your product catalog. While it might impress prospects during an initial pitch, it doesn’t directly contribute to what closes deals: accurate configurations, competitive pricing, and high-quality proposals.

Instead of pouring money into AR, businesses would do better to invest in tools and processes that ensure:

• Configurations are easy to update and maintain.
• Pricing is always accurate and aligned with the latest data.
• Outputs like quotes, proposals, and drawings are professional and error-free.

When resources are tight, doubling down on these essentials will always generate more value than an AR gimmick.

3. Buyer Expectations vs. Reality

B2B buyers are sophisticated and pragmatic. They want certainty, speed, and reliability, not flash. AR often sets expectations it can’t meet, leading to disappointment when the experience doesn’t match the buyer’s practical needs.

For example:

• AR might show a crane or machine beautifully superimposed in a virtual space, but does it clearly communicate the technical constraints or exact specs?
• A buyer might be impressed by a visual demo, but will it replace their need for a precise quote and accurate documentation to move forward?

The answer is no. What buyers truly need is confidence that the product will work for their application, delivered with speed and clarity. That comes from robust configuration tools, reliable pricing, and clean outputs—not AR bells and whistles.

Focus on What Really Sells

When you strip away the hype, successful sales come down to three things:

1. A Manageable Configuration Setup: Easy-to-use tools that ensure your sales team can quickly configure products without errors.
2. Accurate Pricing: Automated pricing mechanisms that ensure your quotes are both competitive and profitable.
3. High-Quality Outputs: Professional, error-free proposals, drawings, and other documents that make your company look trustworthy and competent.

These are the building blocks of a solid sales process. They deliver value to your buyers while keeping your operations lean and effective.

Don’t Let a Polygon Sell Your Product

Ultimately, a 90s-style polygon might give you a warm nostalgic flashback, but it won’t help you close deals. AR is fun to look at, but it rarely addresses the real challenges of B2B sales. Instead of chasing flashy trends, focus on what matters: creating a sales process that’s efficient, predictable, and built to deliver value.

Leave the polygons in the past, and let’s build a sales process that works for the future. Want to discuss how to achieve that? Reach out for a virtual coffee at Meet CPQ.se.