To succeed in sales, you don’t just need exceptional communication techniques, a great offer, and plenty of confidence. You also need to understand what type of buyers your company targets, and how they’re likely to respond to specific deals and offers.
Knowing what types of buyers you’re trying to reach means you can adjust your sales pitch, language, and even your offer to boost your chances of closing a deal. Unfortunately, even in today’s competitive marketplace, many business leaders make the mistake of assuming every buyer is alike.
Today, we’re going to challenge that idea, by introducing 4 of the most common buyer types, as well as a few insights into how you can sell to them successfully.
What are the 4 Most Common Types of Buyers?
Knowing your “buyer type” is essentially the same as understanding your target audience. Every business has a specific group of potential consumers who are more likely to respond to their offers and deals than most. When you know who your audience is, you can use that information to create more effective sales strategies and conversations.
While there are potentially dozens of different “buyer types” out there, depending on your niche and vertical, some are more common than others. Here are the four types of buyers you’re likely to encounter in the sales landscape.
1. The Analytical Buyer
Often most common in the B2B landscape, this buyer type is driven by data and logic. Analytical buyers like to assess each purchasing situation carefully, collecting as much information as they can about the product, service, or business before they make a purchase.
Analytical buyers are often difficult to influence with personal stories and emotional conversations. They respond best to facts and figures, as well as clear evidence of your company’s values. In some cases, analytical buyers can appear withdrawn and introspective, but the reality is they’re just committed to making the right decision with their money.
How to Sell to an Analytical Buyer
Since this type of buyer is driven primarily by logic, the best thing you can do as a seller is provide them with as much information as possible. Try to predict what kind of questions and objections your buyer will have before making a purchase, and provide them with all the data they need to guide their decision. Sharing case studies, testimonials, and authentic data can be extremely useful here.
2. Emotional Buyers
Sometimes referred to as expressive buyers, emotional buyers are driven heavily by their emotions, and their desire for approval. They’re excellent at building relationships, as they’re often committed to forming strong bonds with the people they meet. However, they will often shy away from closing deals with people who don’t share the same values and vision.
Emotional buyers don’t always make purchases on impulse, or without logic, but they will rely heavily on gut instinct when making decisions.
How to Sell to An Emotional Buyer
To sell to an emotional buyer, you’ll need phenomenal soft skills. In other words, you’ll need to learn how to communicate, build relationships and connect with other people on a deeper level. Closing deals with emotional buyers can take time, because they require you to commit to developing a personal relationship with them.
However, the good news is if you can cement that relationship, an emotional buyer is more likely to become a loyal customer than an entirely logical one.
3. Leader Buyers
Leader buyers aren’t just people who hold leadership positions in a B2B environment. They’re individuals who think carefully about how their decisions will influence their appearance, and how they’re perceived by others. They’re motivated by power and respect, and committed to maintaining a specific image at all times.
This type of buyer can be very difficult to sell to, as they’re often extremely skeptical. They’re often afraid people will attempt to take advantage of them, which can make them more resistant to a deal.
How to Sell to a Leader Buyer
The easiest way to sell to this buyer type, is to earn their trust. Build rapport through frequent conversations, and share information that presents you as an authoritative figure in your industry. Demonstrate why they should believe in you and the solution you’re offering.
Since leader buyers like to maintain control over most situations, it might be worth making sure you’re prepared to negotiate and offer a range of options with this type of customer.
4. The Amiable Buyer
Amiable buyers are often complicated because they attempt to constantly please everyone. Although they might be receptive to your stories, friendly on the phone, and informative, they’ll struggle to make decisions without first getting approval from as many different people as possible. This can make the sales process last a lot longer than you’d expect.
This buyer type purchases with a group mindset, often thinking carefully about how their decisions will affect others. This means you’ll need to demonstrate your value not just to them specifically, but to the people around them too.
How to Sell to an Amiable Buyer
If you’re dealing with an amiable buyer, the best thing you can do is listen to their concerns, and take them seriously. Address how your solution will benefit both them, and the other people they’re worried about. At the same time, it might be worth considering a collaborative approach to sales.
Consider inviting the other people involved in the decision making process into a group conversation, so you can answer questions directly and make sure everyone feels more comfortable.
Get to Know Your Buyer Type
Knowing the different types of buyers your company interacts with, and how you can convert them correctly can not only save you time and money, but significantly increase your revenue. The more time you spend getting to know your buyer types, the more likely you are to excel in your industry.
