Who’s In Your Buying Group? 

Get To Know The Players And Their Roles

Major business purchases are made in the context of buying networks. These networks encompass all the parties inside and outside of the buying organization involved in the purchase decision — and even include AI. At the core of the buying network is the buying group, the internal players driving the buying decision.

Most buying group members fall into one of five roles. Understanding the motivations, information needs, and buying habits of each role can help you engage buying groups more effectively and improve your marketing strategies.

Champion

Who They Are
Champions act as the key advocates for a purchase. Though their position in the organizational chart can vary, effective champions have the credibility to persuade others in the buying organization to follow their commitment to change. Champions are often an ideal entry point into the target buying organization.

When They Are Involved
Champions participate heavily throughout the buying process.

What They Look For
Champions want to know whether an offering will meet the company’s needs. They value information from selling organizations and their rapport with sales professionals more than most other buyer roles. Marketing should partner with sales to be sure that sellers are equipped to provide champions with the information they need to begin building trust.

Decision-Maker

Who They Are
The decision-maker has the final say in purchase decisions. Often high-level executives or leaders with budget responsibilities, they aim to ensure that purchases align with organizational goals.

When They Are Involved 
Decision-makers are most heavily involved during the selection phase, scrutinizing details about business and financial value. But they also may be active earlier on, helping the buying team flesh out its solution options and making sure that the evaluation criteria align with organizational needs and objectives.

What They Look For 
Decision-makers strive to understand the business value a new solution will deliver. Customer references (both sourced from the provider and independently) are significant, as is the decision-maker’s previous experience with a provider.

Influencer

Who They Are 
Influencers include people within an organization who have a stake in a purchase decision as well as, increasingly, people outside of an organization who help shape the decision. Internal influencers include those involved in evaluating a solution, even if they will not directly use it (e.g., IT employees involved in vetting the security of a new marketing automation tool). External influencers — peers, journalists, social media personalities, industry analysts — have become increasingly important, particularly among newer generations of buyers.

When They Are Involved 
Influencers can hold sway early on in a buying process, providing information that triggers the desire to break from the status quo or explore competitive solutions. But they also help shape the middle of the buying process, when solutions are being weighed against one another.

What They Look For 
Influencers are swayed by knowledge of, or previous experience with, the selling organization (though typically not interactions with sales reps). Other factors including ease of implementation and pricing also come into play, particularly for internal influencers. Marketers should create materials that address these concerns and, to appeal to external influencers, work to build a positive consensus in the marketplace through PR and brand-building efforts.

User

Who They Are 
Users are individuals or groups whose daily activities are affected by the purchase. They might participate in product or service trials, then contribute feedback that informs the buying decision. Along with the initial purchase, users play a role in post-purchase upsell and retention opportunities.

When They Are Involved 
Users are most active in the middle and end of the buying process as they evaluate solution features and functionality and provide feedback.

What They Look For
Users want to know that a new solution will help them do their jobs better and help them achieve their goals. They are swayed by previous experience with a vendor, the caliber of customer support (which might be gauged during a trial period), and input from their peers and industry influencers.

Ratifier

Who They Are 
Ratifiers are typically brought into the buying process to manage the settlement of terms, conditions, and pricing. They often sit in the finance, purchasing, and procurement functions and, compared to other buying group members, see less direct impact on their day-to-day work from the purchase decision.

When They Are Involved
Ratifiers are most heavily involved at the end of the buying process — but their influence might be felt earlier as the buying group considers the cost of potential purchases.

What They Look For
Ratifiers care about costs, factoring in considerations such as how well a solution aligns with organizational needs and ease of implementation.