Buyer Types
The four Buyer Types, what each cares about, and how power differs from influence.
Buyer Types are labels you apply for your own use to describe the kind of influence each Buyer has in a particular opportunity. Think of them as hats a Buyer wears. They have nothing to do with job titles, so don't infer a Buyer's type from their position.
The four Buyer Types
| Economic Buyer | User Buyer | Technical Buyer | Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Role in the decision | Gives final approval. Controls the money and holds the power of veto. | Directly affected. Lives with the result every day. | A gatekeeper. Measures, defines specifications and makes recommendations. Can't say yes, but can say no. | A source of intelligence and advice. Typically has no formal part in the decision. |
| Main focus | Return on investment | Getting the job done | Meeting the specification | Wanting you to succeed |
Things to remember
- A Buyer can wear one hat or several. In a single-Buyer opportunity, that one person wears all of them.
- There is typically one Economic Buyer, although it may be a group such as a committee or board acting together.
- In a multi-Buyer opportunity there should be at least one Buyer of every type. If you can't identify one, you haven't found them yet.
- A Coach wants you to succeed, often simply because they like you. Coaches are Buyers because they influence the outcome, even though they take no part in evaluating or deciding. It is better if they have no formal stake, because that avoids a conflict of interest.
Power and influence are different
Power belongs to a position. A chief executive has power whoever sits in the chair. Influence belongs to the person. A receptionist may have little power and a great deal of influence.
Senior people rely on the people around them for advice. Those advisers often have no formal power, but they can get power to act. So don't aim only high. Learn who influences the decision-makers, and learn how to work with them.
| Types of power | Types of influence |
|---|---|
| Legitimate (the authority of the office) | Informational (access to needed information) |
| Coercive (ability to punish) | Expert (specialised skill or knowledge) |
| Reward (ability to hire, fire or review) | Connection (networks and relationships) |
| Financial (ability to commit funds) | Referent (charisma and integrity, the most effective) |
Beware of typecasting
It is tempting to conclude that because someone is, say, the purchasing officer, they will behave in a particular way. That blends four separate things into one assumption: their position, their organisation, the person themselves and the opportunity. Treat each separately. Only knowing the person tells you how they are likely to behave.
Next, see Assessing each Buyer for how to assess influence, power, Motivation, Support and more.