Buyer Personas

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.

Table of Contents

PART I The Art and Science of Buyer Personas

Chapter 1 Understanding Buying Decisions and the People Who Make Them

Chapter 2 Focus on Insights That Guide Marketing and Sales Enablement

Chapter 3 Decide How You Will Discover Buyer Persona Insights

PART II Interviewing for Buying Insights

Chapter 4 Setting Up Your Buyer Persona Study

Chapter 5 Gain Permission and Schedule Buyer Interviews

Chapter 6 Conduct Probing Buyer Interviews

PART III Creating Your Buyer Persona

Chapter 7 Mine Your Interviews for Buying Insights

Chapter 8 Communicate Buying Insights for Impact

Chapter 9 Conduct Survey Research to Enhance Buying Insights

PART IV Aligning Your Strategies to Win More Business

Chapter 10 Decide What to Say to Buyers

Chapter 11 Adjust Strategies to Deliver the Knowledge and Experience Buyers Want

Chapter 12 Start Small, with an Eye to the Future

About the Author

Jim Kraus is the President of Buyer Persona Institute (BPI) and a leading authority on buyer personas. BPI’s persona methodology has become the gold standard for thousands of marketers in hundreds of global companies seeking real insight into how to improve their connection with prospective buyers. Jim is an author, speaker, and consultant with decades of experience leading high-performing market insight teams that consistently deliver significant enhancements in lead generation, win rates, and sales.