Got it. So then what are Seller Personas?
We haven’t heard as much about Sellers Personas, but they are just as important. Think about when you are making a purchase decision — for example, let’s say you’re looking to buy a new car. When you get to the car dealership, you want to speak with someone who is knowledgable about the car you are interested in. Here are some examples of how Seller Personas would work in three different scenarios:
Seller Persona #1: The Family Man
A mother is looking to purchase a new minivan for her young family. The ideal Seller Persona would be someone relatable, who not only knows all of the ins and outs of the vehicle, but is a parent themselves and knows what is important. How carseats fit in the middle row, how the headrest DVD players work, and how the trunk space works with strollers, for example. The mother is going to have a lot of questions about functionality and safety, and will likely feel more confident with someone who understands a parents’ needs.
Seller Persona #2: The Protective Father
A father is looking to purchase a new car for his newly-licensed daughter. In this scenario, the ideal Seller Persona would be someone he could trust, and who would understand (and predict) the questions this father will ask: what are the safety features? Does it have bluetooth so his daughter can avoid distracted driving? What kind of gas mileage does it get, since he’ll be footing the new car bills 🙂 He likely wouldn’t trust dealing with a flashy, young salesperson who wants to show off the latest highspeed sports car.
Seller Persona #3: The Young Executive
A young man just received a big promotion at work and is looking to celebrate by buying a flashy, expensive new sports car. He needs the Seller Persona who can speak his language, get him excited about the fully-loaded option, and take him on a fast test-drive. It might be hard for him to relate to a salesperson who is a bit more reserved, or responsible 🙂
Do you see the difference between the three? The whole idea around Seller Personas is trying to align the right sellers with the right buyers, so that communication between the two is more effective from the start. There are just certain personas that are less effective with some buyers, and that disconnect will only hinder, delay or completely stop the sales process from progressing further.
When building your Buyer Personas, you should also be thinking about what types of Seller Personas would enable the greatest connection and strongest alignment…and this will help you make better decisions about who to put in your inbound and outbound sales roles.
If you’re still looking for more help with your Buyer Personas, check out our downloadable guide, which will help you build them from scratch:
