| Targeting BUGS: Four Types of Buyers |
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There are just four types of buyers. I call them the Bosses, the Users, the Gatekeepers, and the Supporters. They're the BUGS you must learn to manage. Bosses These are the ones who hold the purse strings of the organization. If things have been done one way for a long while, a Boss can move the organization (and the attendant budgets) in another direction. So it's absolutely critical that they be identified for every prospective sale. You need to know what the Boss's intended path is so you can craft your proposal to match their direction. Users These folks want to know that your proposal will work for them and solve the problem they are responsible for managing because they have to deal with the day-to-day details. You need to know what their operating environment is like so you can meet their needs with your proposal. Gatekeepers These people can say "No" but they can't say "Yes." Their function is to monitor the process and make sure your proposal meets the requirements of the organization. They often want to be identified as Bosses, but you can often identify them as Gatekeepers because they'll tell you that they're the final decision-maker. "Yessir," they'll say, "the buck stops here. The folks upstairs just 'rubber stamp' my decision." This attitude makes them dangerous because if you take them at their word and believe they really ARE Bosses, you'll never find out what the Boss upstairs REALLY wants. Gatekeepers are important to the process (they'll make sure you know that!) but they aren't ever the only Buyer in an organization. Supporters This might be a User who became enamored of the product at a demonstration, or someone who has worked with you before and feels your work would be a good value for their organization. They're familiar with your solution and want to see it applied in their organization, and you should enlist their help. But rather than trying to sell them, you should use them to coach you on who the players are for the target project in front of you. Next page in the Magic of Winning Proposals |
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