Millennials lead B2B buying now, and they hold email to the highest standard

The person deciding whether to buy from you grew up on email, and they can tell at a glance when yours falls short. 

The generation in charge of B2B buying has changed. Forrester's Buyers' Journey Survey finds that Millennials and Gen Z now make up 71% of B2B buyers, with Millennials the largest single group. And new research into how 2,000 adults communicate shows that few generations scrutinize a professional email as closely as Millennials.

Key findings 

• 71% of B2B buyers are now Millennials and Gen Z, with Millennials the largest single group (Forrester) 

• 43% of Millennials use email for a job application, more than any other generation 

• 53% use email for an update from their employer, again the highest of any generation 

• 29% of Millennials cite a professional, branded email signature as a trust signal, the joint highest with Gen Z 

• 24% value consistent formatting from one email to the next, more than any other generation 

The buyer across the table is a Millennial

The generational handover in B2B buying has already happened. 

Millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, now sit at the center of business purchasing, the largest single group of B2B buyers. They research independently and form a view of a vendor long before they ever speak to one. By the time a Millennial buyer reaches out, much of the impression is already set, and email is often your first direct contact with them. A business email is judged in seconds, well before the pitch is read, and with a buyer this self-directed, that first impression does much of the work. 

They expect more from email 

This is the generation with the sharpest eye for what professional email looks like. 

Our research shows Millennials setting the bar. Along with Gen Z, they lead every other generation in treating a professional, branded email signature as a signal of trust (29%). And they value consistent formatting from one email to the next more than anyone, at 24%. They also reach for email in the moments that carry weight, using it more than any other generation for a job application (43%) and for an update from an employer (53%). It fits a broader picture of how each generation uses email differently, with Millennials leaning toward the formal and the consequential. Few generations are as fluent in email, or as attentive to how it’s done. 

Every message shapes their buying decisions 

To a Millennial buyer, the state of your email is information about your company. 

When the person evaluating you holds professional email to a high standard, the way yours appears becomes part of how they judge you. Inconsistent signatures or missing contact details read as a clue about how you operate. In a buying process where most of the decision is made through independent research, before any sales conversation, every touchpoint that looks professional feeds the impression and every one that does not works against it. Getting email right is critical for sealing the deal. 

What this means in practice 

The signals a Millennial buyer notices are the ones you can control. 

The good news is that the things this generation values, a professional and branded email signature, consistent formatting, and complete contact details, are entirely within your control. The challenge is applying them consistently across every person, device, and email your organization sends. That’s exactly where things slip when signatures are left to individuals. 

Exclaimer applies a professional, on-brand email signature automatically to every email your company sends, so the details your most discerning buyers notice are correct on each message. 

This blog draws on When it matters: How people really communicate, a report based on a survey of 2,000 adults in the UK and US conducted by OnePoll in May and June 2026. Read the full report.