Energy Efficiency Buyers are changing. They have new priorities and a new buying process. A buyer persona will help you know your buyers and their new needs. “It’s almost like cheating, like getting the test a week before the exam.” Buyer Persona Manifesto.
What is a Digital Buyer Persona?
A Digital Buyer Persona is a fictional, detailed composite of the person you want to reach and their buying process. It is an imprint of the digital searchers who will become your Energy Efficiency leads, and ultimately your customers and promoters. In this post, you will learn the six key questions to ask in interviews as well as a few of today’s top Energy Efficiency Buyer needs. When you download the ebook, How to Build a Digital Buyer Persona for B2B Energy Efficiency Buyers, you will also get the Buyer Persona template.
A digital buyer persona will tell you exactly what happened the day the decision was made to solve the problem that your business services address. It will tell you about how your prospect narrowed her list from five companies to the three who received the RFP. Buyer Personas increase sales by pinpointing Buyer needs. You will begin to help solve problems for your buyers.
Companies who exceed lead and revenue goals are over twice as likely to create personas as are businesses who miss these goals (Understanding B2B Buyers, 2016).Energy Buyer Persona
What will a Buyer Persona tell You about Your Energy Efficiency leads?
The Buyer Persona Institute defines the five areas of insight in an effective persona as:
- Priority initiatives – these big goals have budgets, timelines, and high stakes attached. If your product or service does not add value here, it doesn’t matter what you say, and you will not get the deal.
- Success Factors – this is a success as defined by the customer. You may be thinking that the purchase of energy-efficient hand dryers is a no-brainer while the customer is considering the risks. For this client, reducing risk is a priority initiative.
- Perceived Barriers – these are the real or imagined problems with your product, as seen by the customer.
- Buyer’s Journey – this begins with the day the decision was made to solve the problem your product addresses, the digital footprint, and extends to your companies core values.
- Decision Criteria – What were the features and benefits of your competitor’s product that they wanted that you didn’t have.
What Questions Do I Ask my Energy Efficiency Leads and Customers?
Asking the right questions is a critical skill for building a Digital Buyer Persona. It’s a discipline to stay on task and ask the right question at the right time. Once you get the conversation started, most buyers will give you insights about the real process they used to choose a solution. Six key questions that will begin the discussion are:
- What happened the day you decided to look for a solution to the problem?
- What did you do first to look for a solution?
- Once you found a few options, how did you narrow down your list?
- How did you decide which companies to keep on your list?
- Who else was involved at that stage?
- How did you decide on the final choice?
- The Buyer Persona will be the critical ingredient for creating great content that delivers value to your top leads. Download your free E-book NOW
