Rocket Fuel - Types of Buyers
This week, I thought I'd follow on from the conversation we had last time about that phrase, “are you the decision maker?”, and how we can get that information by using different terminology which helps to not upset anybody or tread on any toes.
Hi everybody, Julie here, the Sales Ace bringing you another sales tip to help you skyrocket the sales within your business.
This week, I thought I'd follow on from the conversation we had last time about that phrase, “are you the decision maker?”, and how we can get that information by using different terminology which helps to not upset anybody or tread on any toes.
What goes along really nicely with that topic is talk to you a little bit about buyer types. So as much as finding out they’re the decision maker within the business, it's always really useful if you're working within an organisation where there's a number of different people that play a part in that buying process, just to try to understand who they are and what your contact's role is.
Type 1: User Buyers
The first type is called a User Buyer, and they're the ones that will use your product or service. Their success in the role is very much dictated by how well your product does, so they've got a vested interest in using your product. They might be the ones that you'll initially talk to, but it needs to go up to maybe some upper echelons within the business to get final approval.
Type 2: Technical Buyers
A Technical Buyer is looking at the sort of details of what your product or service might be. Does it meet a certain spec that's required by the business? A Technical Buyer will look at that element, and if it fits the brief, then they will or will not sign it off depending on how that goes. They'll be looking at the finer details of your offering.
Type 3: Financial Buyers
Well, that kind of does a little bit what it says on the tin: Financial Buyers hold the purse strings. They're going to be looking for returns on investment from actually buying your product. So as much as maybe a Technical Buyer or User Buyer could sign off on that, a Financial Buyer could actually say “no, it's too expensive. There's no budget. We're not going to get the return on investment that we want.”
So, just be aware of those.
Type 4: Advocate Buyers
The last one I want to put on the table are what I call Advocate Buyers. They’re people that could be User Buyers, and they want your product, they want you within the business and they are your champion. They're really good people to have because they already want to do business with you. They want to bring your product or your services within the organisation, and they're ones that really will help champion you through those organisations. When you find one, they'll hold your hand through the buying and onboarding process. So they're really good to have.
There we go! I hope that helps you and really helps with your sales process and I'll see you next week for another sales tip.
