In B2B sales, there are four main buyer types that you may be trying to woo. They each have different needs and interests, so it is important to know who you’re dealing with right from the beginning when you initially engage with them. Knowing who you’re working with, right from the get-go, ensures you put in place a winning sales strategy right from the start.

So who are you wooing? Let’s dig in! 

1. User – Someone who will use – or be involved with – the product on a regular basis as instructed by a manager or director. Usually an associate or assistant level. Be prepared to fully equip this contact with a business case on why they should hire/buy from you that they can turn around and give to their boss and their boss’s boss. 
2. Influencer – ​​Another contact that will likely be major users of the service. Influencers are typically managers or department heads and will have a lot of weight when helping the seniormost make their decision. Make sure they’re bought in. Ask them questions for their use case such as “do you think XYZ can improve your process?”, and make sure they see the value. 
3. Decision Maker  – A “seniormost” contact that may or may not be involved with the use of the product and may or may not be involved in the sales conversations. But usually they recognize the need to solve a problem, improve a process, and be more efficient. This person also oversees the budget and can approve the expense. 
4. Procurement – Many larger corporations have “procurement teams” whose role it is to solely focus on negotiating the “best” (or less expensive) priced solution. Procurement is always going to be the toughest. Winning against procurement may require a long-term view. You may need to make sacrifices early on just to get the new logo in your portfolio then continue to prove your value over time, slowly increasing the fees back to market value.

So now you know the main buyer types, but how do you figure out who is who? Have a scoping or “discovery” call and ASK QUESTIONS!

1. What is your role? Both in general and as it relates to this project.
2. What are your goals? Why are they your goals?
3. What happens if those goals are not achieved?
4. Do you have a budget? or How much do you have allocated to this solution?
5. Who else would be involved with this product? Any other teams or departments? Would you like them to join our next conversation or hold-off? “Happy to have as many calls as necessary to make sure all those involved are able to weigh-in to the decision making.” You can say “usually we work with XYZ teams.”

Asking these questions allows you to get the full picture of your prospective client including their role, their buying power and the urgency with which they need to find a solution.

Identifying the buyer-type is the number one piece of information to figure out as soon as you start conversations with the prospect.

About 615innovations

615innovations is a sales, marketing and branding consulting agency that empowers small businesses in and around Nashville, TN with innovative development strategies that drive long-term success. Through hands-on consulting, we work behind the scenes to equip SMB owners and their teams to reach new heights through powerful storytelling and branding, scroll-stopping digital marketing, and impactful sales skills, processes and pitch that guarantee revenue to skyrocket. Our almost 15 years experience in sales makes 615innovations the leader in knowing what it takes to generate and close qualified leads.