Buyer Personas, Revised and Expanded

A fresh look into understanding your prospective customer's buying decisions to influence them and win more business Building on the groundbreaking success of the first edition, this newly revised and updated version of Buyer Personas enables marketers to stop wasting time and resources on their best guesses and start drilling down to understand what buyers truly care about—then harness this newfound knowledge to create strategies and messages that break through the clutter and reach buyers on their level. In a world where buyers frequently struggle to get the information they need to evaluate competitive alternatives and feel confident in their choices, this book lays out a step-by-step approach used by hundreds of companies to understand what buyers want to know and experience as they search for a solution to meet their needs, weigh their options, and make a buying decision. In this book, you'll learn: Why understanding the buying decision is far more important than knowing a few things about the individuals or roles involved in that decision How to develop a modern Buyer Persona based on five types of buying insights that will inform nearly every marketing and sales decision you make Why interviewing recent buyers is the best way to develop your Buyer Persona and how to do it effectively How to use AI and quantitative survey research to enhance your Buyer Persona Ways to use Buyer Persona insights to increase awareness of your products and services, drive consideration, and convert more business The revised and expanded Buyer Personas is a complete guide to go beyond benefit-heavy, undifferentiated marketing and focus only on what buyers care about most. It earns a well-deserved spot on the bookshelves of entrepreneurs, executives, marketers, and other business professionals looking to influence their prospective buyers.

Introduction: Listen First, Then Speak 1 PART I The Art and Science of Buyer Personas 9 Chapter 1 Understanding Buying Decisions and the People Who Make Them 13 Chapter 2 Focus on Insights That Guide Marketing and Sales Enablement 31 Chapter 3 Decide How You Will Discover Buyer Persona Insights 43 PART II Interviewing for Buying Insights 55 Chapter 4 Setting Up Your Buyer Persona Study 57 Chapter 5 Gain Permission and Schedule Buyer Interviews 73 Chapter 6 Conduct Probing Buyer Interviews 87 PART III Creating Your Buyer Persona 109 Chapter 7 Mine Your Interviews for Buying Insights 111 Chapter 8 Communicate Buying Insights for Impact 131 Chapter 9 Conduct Survey Research to Enhance Buying Insights 147 PART IV Aligning Your Strategies to Win More Business 167 Chapter 10 Decide What to Say to Buyers 169 Chapter 11 Adjust Strategies to Deliver the Knowledge and Experience Buyers Want 185 Chapter 12 Start Small, with an Eye to the Future 201 Acknowledgments 213 About the Authors 215 Index 217