Technology
Oct 4, 2025
Agents Are Rewriting Vendor Evaluation
Agents Are Rewriting Vendor Evaluation
Agents Are Rewriting Vendor Evaluation
AI agents aren’t just consuming data. They’re evaluating vendors. When agents compose workflows, they rely on objective performance metrics - latency, accuracy, and cost per outcome — to decide which tools to use. This marks a major shift from demo-driven selling to data-driven evaluation.
Aditya Lahiri
Aditya Lahiri
Aditya Lahiri
Co-Founder & CTO @ OpenFunnel
From Demos to Vertical Evaluations
The traditional sales motion relied on generic demos and feature walkthroughs.
But AI agents don’t watch demos - they run benchmarks.
Each vertical now demands its own evaluation framework:
Healthcare agents optimize for diagnostic accuracy
Fintech agents measure compliance and latency
Marketing agents track engagement and conversion outcomes
Verticalized evaluations are fast becoming the new currency of trust.
How Sellers Are Adapting
Vendors are now publishing objective performance data for their verticals.
These reports go beyond marketing claims and showcase measurable impact.
They include:
Task-level performance data
Domain-specific accuracy metrics
Verticalized benchmark results
Transparency is no longer optional - it’s the product.
How Buyers Benefit
Buyers now get industry-relevant data instead of sales pitches.
The decision-making process shifts from “Can it do this?” to “How well does it do this in my domain?”
Agents perform real-world testing before humans ever get involved.
No more guesswork - the evaluation happens automatically.
The New Reality
Vendor selection is turning into a performance marketplace, where results replace marketing and agents act as the new procurement layer.
The demo era is ending - the evaluation era has begun
Agents don’t need persuasion - they need proof. The best vendors will win not by pitching, but by performing.
From Demos to Vertical Evaluations
The traditional sales motion relied on generic demos and feature walkthroughs.
But AI agents don’t watch demos - they run benchmarks.
Each vertical now demands its own evaluation framework:
Healthcare agents optimize for diagnostic accuracy
Fintech agents measure compliance and latency
Marketing agents track engagement and conversion outcomes
Verticalized evaluations are fast becoming the new currency of trust.
How Sellers Are Adapting
Vendors are now publishing objective performance data for their verticals.
These reports go beyond marketing claims and showcase measurable impact.
They include:
Task-level performance data
Domain-specific accuracy metrics
Verticalized benchmark results
Transparency is no longer optional - it’s the product.
How Buyers Benefit
Buyers now get industry-relevant data instead of sales pitches.
The decision-making process shifts from “Can it do this?” to “How well does it do this in my domain?”
Agents perform real-world testing before humans ever get involved.
No more guesswork - the evaluation happens automatically.
The New Reality
Vendor selection is turning into a performance marketplace, where results replace marketing and agents act as the new procurement layer.
The demo era is ending - the evaluation era has begun
Agents don’t need persuasion - they need proof. The best vendors will win not by pitching, but by performing.
From Demos to Vertical Evaluations
The traditional sales motion relied on generic demos and feature walkthroughs.
But AI agents don’t watch demos - they run benchmarks.
Each vertical now demands its own evaluation framework:
Healthcare agents optimize for diagnostic accuracy
Fintech agents measure compliance and latency
Marketing agents track engagement and conversion outcomes
Verticalized evaluations are fast becoming the new currency of trust.
How Sellers Are Adapting
Vendors are now publishing objective performance data for their verticals.
These reports go beyond marketing claims and showcase measurable impact.
They include:
Task-level performance data
Domain-specific accuracy metrics
Verticalized benchmark results
Transparency is no longer optional - it’s the product.
How Buyers Benefit
Buyers now get industry-relevant data instead of sales pitches.
The decision-making process shifts from “Can it do this?” to “How well does it do this in my domain?”
Agents perform real-world testing before humans ever get involved.
No more guesswork - the evaluation happens automatically.
The New Reality
Vendor selection is turning into a performance marketplace, where results replace marketing and agents act as the new procurement layer.
The demo era is ending - the evaluation era has begun
Agents don’t need persuasion - they need proof. The best vendors will win not by pitching, but by performing.
From Demos to Vertical Evaluations
The traditional sales motion relied on generic demos and feature walkthroughs.
But AI agents don’t watch demos - they run benchmarks.
Each vertical now demands its own evaluation framework:
Healthcare agents optimize for diagnostic accuracy
Fintech agents measure compliance and latency
Marketing agents track engagement and conversion outcomes
Verticalized evaluations are fast becoming the new currency of trust.
How Sellers Are Adapting
Vendors are now publishing objective performance data for their verticals.
These reports go beyond marketing claims and showcase measurable impact.
They include:
Task-level performance data
Domain-specific accuracy metrics
Verticalized benchmark results
Transparency is no longer optional - it’s the product.
How Buyers Benefit
Buyers now get industry-relevant data instead of sales pitches.
The decision-making process shifts from “Can it do this?” to “How well does it do this in my domain?”
Agents perform real-world testing before humans ever get involved.
No more guesswork - the evaluation happens automatically.
The New Reality
Vendor selection is turning into a performance marketplace, where results replace marketing and agents act as the new procurement layer.
The demo era is ending - the evaluation era has begun
Agents don’t need persuasion - they need proof. The best vendors will win not by pitching, but by performing.
