April Dunford on product positioning, segmentation, and optimizing your sales process
Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career
Persona generation for B2B sales
In B2B sales, particularly for enterprise software, the purchasing decision typically involves five to seven stakeholders, with a key focus on a specific persona known as the 'champion.' This champion, who may be a decision influencer like a sales ops manager, is critical in navigating consensus and promoting the purchase within the organization. While marketing often creates detailed personas for various stakeholders, the champion's needs and challenges take precedence. Successful positioning must resonate with the champion to secure a spot on the shortlist. If marketing fails to connect with this persona, the opportunity to progress further in the sales process diminishes significantly. The primary objective should be to empower the champion with the necessary tools and arguments to gain buy-in from other stakeholders, ensuring they can effectively advocate for the solution. The emphasis should be on supporting the champion rather than spreading efforts too thin across multiple persona profiles, acknowledging their pivotal role in driving the deal forward.
