Business to Business Buyer Types

This marketing tip is borrowed from the 2 Bobs podcast episode, Selling to Different Buyer Types — 2Bobs.

Consider four buyer types based on the valuing of differentiation and the pain tolerance for price.

1. Convenience Buyer
   The convenience buyer is willing to pay a higher price, but does not have a high value for differentiating your consulting or advice. This means they value convenience more than quality. For consulting engineering services, the convenience buyer is usually a developer who needs speed and will pay for speed. The convenience buyer may also be a client in need of a quick solution due to regulatory fines or penalties.
2. Price Buyer
   The price buyer wants the lowest price and does not value your brand of consulting or advice. They only value the lowest price. The price buyer sees the engineer as a necessary evil. They do not value your service, only your seal to get them to the next stage of their project.
3. Relationship Buyer
   The relationship buyer values your brand of consulting and is willing to pay for that brand. They understand your methods, your culture of helping and appreciate it by paying you what you deserve. The relationship buyer has a high need for consistent and repeat engineering advice and wants the loyalty and trust of a predictable engineering firm.
4. Value Buyer
   The value buyer only has a low tolerance for higher prices because they have to see a good return-on-investment (ROI). They value good engineering, but will negotiate the price to maximize their ROI. This buyer values your engineering expertise and will pay appropriately for it if you can demonstrate a good ROI.

Think about several of your clients. How would you categorize them into one of these four buyer types. Which buyer type do you prefer to work for and why? Which type do you not want to work for?

When pre-qualifying a prospective client, consider what type of buyer they may be. Adjust your services accordingly or be willing to walk away if you do not enjoy working for that buyer type!