A business-to-business, or a B2B company usually deals in high-value transactions resulting in bigger profits. To keep these profits secure, and to aim for more profits, B2B companies need to create buyer personas.

Buyer personas are typically standard models of potential buyers. Creating a buyer persona helps the marketing team visualise the type of client they will be selling to. It also helps them promote their product in a way that would be appreciated by the client. For any business that sells a product or service, it is important to know their client, their preferences, and their likes and dislikes. With an accurate buyer persona, companies can understand their clients better and plan their promotional campaigns accordingly.

Consulting the sales team

A company’s sales team is always in close contact with clients. They say and do the right things to make a sale. So, naturally, the sales team would be familiar with the kind of products that a client may be looking for, and the type of incentives that would tempt the client into sealing the deal. Many B2B companies use this technique because it means getting reliable information right from the source.

In order to get the necessary information, it is important to ask the sales representatives the right kind of questions. Asking about the demographic location(s) of the client’s business, the questions they tend to ask while making a purchase, the scope of their business and so on, will help in creating accurate buyer personas.

Interviewing potential clients

By using this method, companies can go straight to the primary source. Interviewing potential clients can make it easier for B2B companies to understand the type of clients they are working with. Through these interviews, companies are able to understand what their clients want.

Most clients look for products or services that are low-cost, high-value propositions. They often buy a product or service to help address a specific issue they may be facing, or to fulfill a specific business need. Understanding these needs will help companies promote their product in a better way.

Support staff – a valuable resource

Similar to the sales team, the support team or client relationship team is regularly in touch with clients. In fact, client relationship personnel are the best resource in understanding client requirements, because they are also aware of the problems clients are facing with the company’s products. This information could be extremely helpful in troubleshooting common or repetitive issues raised by clients.

Interviewing client relationship personnel can help in understanding the preferences of clients. They will have information about whether clients like getting freebies or other offers that work like incentives. On gaining this knowledge, companies can chart out a strategy and create effective buyer personas.

Keeping up with social media

Believe it or not, like in the B2C sector, social media is taking over the marketing tools that were previously used by B2B companies as well. Social media platforms are the best places to understand clients. In an interview with potential clients, it might be difficult to get honest answers. However, on social media websites, both, needs and preferences are more apparent. These platforms offer a glimpse of the client’s business, thereby facilitating a greater understanding of their needs.

B2B companies often use various types of tools to help them keep track of social media websites, and the type of content that is generated on these websites. Advanced monitoring tools may cost more money, but they do the job quite well. With the help of these monitoring tools, companies can better understand the trends within their industries.

Buyer personas keep you in the competition

Being competitive is crucial for a B2B company. By creating accurate buyer personas, companies can sell their products to a targeted group of people without having to rethink their marketing strategies. Buyer personas also help writers write suitable advertising content that matches the demographic that the product is meant for.

When creating a buyer persona, it is important to have a proper perception of the buyer’s professional life, their personal life, and the problems they face. At times, buyer personas prove to be completely useless when developing marketing content. This is because the wrong kinds of questions were asked while creating the personas. The most important questions to ask the sales team are about the changes expected after using the product, and the obstacles faced when using them.

B2B companies construct buyer personas so that buyers can manage the subtle changes. Personas constructed in the right way can help improve marketing strategies.

Thoroughly researching the market, consulting sales teams, and the client relationship teams, can help companies create marketing strategies that are consistent with the buyer personas that are identified. This ensures that marketing efforts are result-driven, and address the bottom-line of the business.

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