In this video you will discover how to win more accounts by selling to the 4 buyer types. When I began to use this concept, I ended up having a lot more power and control over my selling process. I noticed people who didn't understand this concept had a lack of control over their sales process and did not understand why.
My first year using it, my sales took a massive leap forward – as did my commissions. I did not work any harder, I still had lots of free time to devote to my social life and my hobbies and I had the cash to invest in my lifestyle.
When you integrate this concept into your sales process, your sales and profits will increase. Your relationships with your accounts will deepen. They will see you as a valuable resource for their business. If you don't use this, you run the risk of being just another commodity print sales person. The video is less than 10 minutes... go check it out now.
{ 92 comments… read them below or add one }
The 4 Buyer Perspective surely
makes sense, I was not aware of the importance of missing them for generally I meet with one inquiring mind, then once we do business, I am introduced to the other buyers that would be contacts within that particular purchase, The 4 buyers gave me a better perspective of contact direction. Thank you!
I havent thought about the different kinds of buyers, listening to what you said it is true and makes complete sense
Off to track down the the other buyers in my major clients now
Thanks
The key insight for me is that the buyer type can and will change from each individual project. This has created awareness around understanding the outcomes of each client as it relates to they're buying type.
nothing beats a thorough analysis of the buyers needs anda carefulfollow up on a sale to establish the complete requirements and reinforce the relationship thanks
I do a lot of these things without realizing I understand the process and can know use it to greater effect
Going to make sure all 4 are in the meeting.
Great thanks
All very true but getting past the user buyer into the larger projects thats the art.
I have various opps within potential accounts where i don't have all 4 buyers covered. It's an interesting view as a lot of the times i am advised by decision makers not to contact the potential other contacts within the business??
This is so true, making sure you are communicating with all the 4 types will ensure when the 4 types talk with each other, they will all be talking the same language and focussing on the same benefits. They become your sales person and then it become so much easier to close the final deal. And it will close the door for your competition
More by luck than design but this is happening on a project I am currently working on.
Andrew Bartlett, iPPSA
I have read this book before and it is an excellent tool to have
A structured approach, I kindo of know this but you know, it always pays to hear good things one more time.
I've just lost a fair deal of business at a "good" customer because I had not sold to the Economic Buyer who is a newly appointed MD. I'm attempting to regain this business now by engaging with the company executive. On the flip side of that, I've recently gained more business from an existing customer by selling to all the relevent buyers, It's been a lengthy process but if succesful in the long term it will be worth it because a simple change within the customers structures like a new MD shouldn't upset the work we have done as easlily as what we have just experienced at our "good" customer.
What I learned - identify 4 buyer types.
What I will do differently - work with organization to identify 4 buyer types.
I like the idea and while we have not looked at our clients in this way, I'm looking forward to using the 4 buyer types with my next prospect and going back to exisiting clients.
What I have learned is that i it very easy in sales to "forget " and lose focus on the decision making process which as seasoned professional salespeople is easy to do as you are distracted by so many different aspects of your business. So, I found this a very good refresher from Nick. I am going to look at all my deals forecast for this quarter and ensure I can identify, and then my contact with any buyer categories not covered in each sale
Any ideas on how to, for instance, get to the economic buyer from the user buyer without appearing to be "going over their head".
Thanks Nick – I think you are spot on with this concept. So many times I find myself working closer to my “inside coach” then pursuing the additional buyer types. It works for small projects but when the big ones are in play you definitely need to know all the players. Again thank you for what you are doing to improve sales!
Many thanks for your ideas. I will look out for the coach buyer to push the process ahead in future.
Good concept. I am going to review my clients and see what "buyer types" I can identify.
Looking forward to the other resources
Intresting, but the big problem for most printers is that they often just have one contakt at the customer and feel unsecur when they have to deal with more people. I work with lot of big printing companys in sweden it would be intresting to have a contact with you.
Best regards
Looking at my own company and those in which I have previously worked I can immediately see the types... I'm sure it will help me not only sell better but BUY BETTER in the future.
Interesting I recognise that I've been selling to all four types for years but never categorised them as such. Experience means that you automatically find the types and adapt your approach to suit. In very large organisations you often find that you are shielded from the economic buyer but he/she will write the orders based on information received from the other buyers. So haven't really learnt a lot from this particular one but keep 'em coming!
Ugh! If my head wasn't already spinning --geez louise! Ok - seriously --great to put a system to this-I will now look at this with these "types" in mind-I know it will make a difference-and make my selling process "tighter". thanks.
Very good video - I like the idea of the "Coach" (although I have come across this before). However, I shall use this strategy with every serious project. It's good not to just concentrate on just the "buyer that I like"
I learned that you must go deeper into the account after identifying 4 types
all true and very interesting. I agree this works for big projects but for smaller actions it will be rather difficult and time consuming to find out who is responsible for what. The best thing is to include in an offer argumentations which are specifically focussed on each of the 4 byuer types
I learned that you must know the 4 buyer types and that they can change from project to project within the same company. I plan to find out each of these 4 people on the larger projects we quote on.
Interesting stuff that I can use right away and will surely look more proactively for all the buyer types. Thanks
Very interesting! Shoure i gonna take more attention to them!
4 Buyers! That's 3 more than I've ever considered.
What I learned is that I was not really aware of such different byers( I had other ones, more based on behaviors)
What I going to do is make a cross on my visit rapport and put names for the 4 byers types and what they are sensitive for.
Thanks a lot
Good. It gives us some insights.
As I was listening to the presentation I could identify the different role players in some of my accounts. I'll try to sell to them based on their role and individual interests. I wonder if that explains why I do better in one on one presentations than I do in group presentations.
thought the video s made great sense... cant wait to hear more
This is very true. The best accounts do have all of these types and more. Even the receptionist can act as a coach! Nice video
Excellent aspect of the 4 buyers in the process and very interesting - I definitely will be looking at the 4 "buyers" areas to ensure I grow my sales ! Thanks Nick
Very good, new info for me, because I am coming from a HR environment.
Excellent video
deal with all people not only the people you like to deal with at custoner side. This is something i missed and i want to do
Very good content. I plan to share this with my sales team next week at our Monday morning sales meeting. Thanks!
Thanks Nick. It is hard to navigate to these type of people in all companies. Sometime buracracy gets in the way!!!!
Also what is known as Buyer Facilitation. Knowing the team.
Excellent as usual learned to look further than my contacts and I will start srtaight away
GOOD. VERY GOOD
Thank you. Good insight and makes a lot of sense.
Excellent and informative.
in the big cases this works well
We are in a smaller market and often times the owner makes the ultimate decision but it always helps to know who the coach is? He is usually the Economic buyer despite the possible difficulty the coach might have dealing directly with the print company?
I learned that knowing just one of the 4 contacts is not enough you need to know all 4 contacts. Hoping to implement this in our sales approch.
Logical and great to be reminded to stay on track
Great, plan.
I have found the 4 buyer type concept interesting & as I am working on aquiring new medium to large print buying customers plus expanding existing business I will certainly look at how this concept can help.
I hadnt thought like that, but will try and decide who is which category in future.
I hope my competition does find this blog.
Makes sense but what specific techniques to I use to discover the different buyer types? Just ask?
Execellent comments, what have I learned ;
to talk at several levels of printing companies, technical, production, financial and other managers and at first I only spoke to the owners of companies up to now. I am based in based in Bogota Colombia and represent the most finest printing equipment.
Very descriptive and relevant
OMG why wasnt I shown this 20 years ago.......
Yep, i can see where you are coming from as far as selling to all 4 buyer types. Now to start digging and getting their names and not just approaching the person i feel most comfortable with....thanks for the tip...another valuable one
We don't often deal with the end user as we sell to retailer in the industry. To be able to discuss these sales advantages to our customers to help them increase sales will ultimately increase our sales.
Interesting to hear some structure to buyer types - partly obvious that "people differ".
Now to try to put folks into these catagories
A great reminder to widen the net and really understand the customers business. I have tendency to have my main contact act as my patron and advocate for me within the account instead of talking to those other buyers directly. I will make it a point to identify and contact the other buyers.
I learned the importance of people in client organizations other than my primary contact for projects.
On future projects, I will identify who these "buyers" are and interview them about the current project to determine their objectives with it.
i have worked in print production for 16 years and have been thrown into sales, i find cold calling and banging on doors depressing in this climate no one wants to know -HELP
Interesting take on buying. I will definitely be attempting to identify who the buyer types are when pitching for new work.
Food for thought. I will digest it and hope to get a better understanding
I've not thought about 'buyer type' before.
I need to define the roles within existing customers and prospects or dig deeper if it's not apparent. Adds a dimension to the sales process.
I will now check the customer types according your classification to understand the need differences, so on.
So obvious why are we not doing it.Excellent
exactly the way it is, i have to start identifying these people more readily and apply this process. Too readily rely on the one "champion" you have on their side. Great
Wonderful and brilliant! It's good to know what to look out for
Interesting never realized there could be 4 buyer types don't see it in some of the companies I deal with, surely this number would go up or down depending on the size of the company
Thanks
I liked to see the sales process through this perspective
I've heard of champions before which is what Nick has termed coaches...In my experience these are the best keep close by as they will always fight your corner but as Nick rightly states it is crucial to identify any person who will have influence throughout the buying cycle and get them on your side to. The concept ties in very well with psychological aspects of all things that are considered before a purchase is made and it is very important, as Nick states, to find out what truly makes a person tick...or in other words tick a box or a number of boxes (metaphorically speaking) and buy from YOU! Great tutorial Nick, thanks a lot!
I learned not to just sell to the front person but get to know all the people who will be using or making decisions whether to buy from me. What I will do differently is to try to penetrate deeper into my accounts to get to know more people who use my printing or who have the say so on whether they buy from me or not.
4 buyer concept statement of the obvious, but not so obvious!
Great stuff. I want my Sales Staff to employ these tactics.
Learned that reaching out to all the buyers in an organization is important. Looking forward to reading in depth how to do so.
i've learned about the 4 buyers, I want to propose it to the MD, but how will I identify the buyers.
Learning Points: Identify the 4 types in each pitch scenario, ensuring that the pitch 'touches' them all. Action Points: At first or early contact, establish who is what, instead of just aiming for one person or department.
Great advice as always
Very valid criteria, makes a lot of sense.
Hi Nick -
Still catching up on my training and your blogs are a good part of it! On the 4 buyer types, good stuff to alert me to proper strategy to identify the right people. I do this somewhat instinctively, but having it spelled out is very valuable.
I think what I will do more differently is honestly look for more companies where there are all of those types of players. Good tool to think with to differentiate between bigger targets and the smaller businesses where this type of framework WON'T exist. Thanks
if you coach the buyer coach they do the selling for you!
Great and simple ... as always.
Very useful and good video as well
Very interesting and helpful for someone like me who is new to selling.
I am a salesperson of a small print company. I am learning from all our videos how to develop my strategies for med/larger accounts. I would have missed a buyer without watching this. I will be looking for the when my chance comes along on one of these accounts. Thanks for the helpful hints and tips.
Awesome
Another great video. Main thing I took is not to only sell to who you know and are comfortable to sell to put to identify all 4 people in the project - the more people you know in the company the better!
I can see how this is going to make a big difference!! Thank you!