How B2B medical device marketers can gather buyer intelligence

An insider in your target organization can offer more information than an outsider, so it pays to identify and cultivate them. You may bump into them at a trade show, conference, online roundtables, or social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. Once you know who they are, engage with them and build a strong relationship. In friendly conversations, dig for the information you need. In addition to learning about the people in the buying process, their roles, their objective and subjective considerations, and their fears, you can also get to know their characteristics which will help you to identify their stakeholder profile.

You will likely encounter seven stakeholder profiles in a medical device’s buyer group. These include: 

The Go-Getter: They consistently go above and beyond their job responsibilities. The Go-Getter not only delivers what is asked of them but also actively seeks opportunities to champion the good ideas of others. Additionally, they are not afraid to make mistakes but learn from them to boost personal and professional growth. They acknowledge past failures and move on to improving and delivering better results. Overall, The Go-Getter is an invaluable asset to a team or organization, as their dedication, creativity, and willingness to learn to inspire and motivate others.

The Skeptic: They are naturally cautious about unclear or high-risk projects. Rather than being dismissive, they work to prepare influential stakeholders for disruptive ideas that may initially be met with resistance. The Skeptic believes that changes require small wins first and carefully ensures any proposed changes are vetted and rooted in research and data. By taking a thoughtful and measured approach, The Skeptic helps to reduce the likelihood of failure and minimize potential risks. Ultimately, their skepticism can be an asset to any team, as it promotes critical thinking, encourages analysis, and helps to ensure that changes are well conceived and likely to succeed.

The Friend: These individuals place a high value on building strong relationships with sales representatives. They are readily accessible and enjoy conversations with reps, discussing product updates, or catching up. In addition, The Friend networks reps with colleagues, facilitating cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing. The Friend is generous with their time and understands building solid relationships requires ongoing effort and investment. Overall, their warmth, accessibility, and genuine interest in reps’ success can be invaluable assets as they build trust, foster engagement, and drive sales performance.

The Teacher: These individuals are highly knowledgeable and skilled in their expertise, often called upon to teach new insights to colleagues, junior team members, or senior executives. The Teacher’s ability to effectively communicate complex concepts and ideas earned them a reputation as trusted advisors and thought leaders, prompting colleagues and senior executives to seek their input on strategic initiatives and decision-making. The Teacher is also highly skilled at convincing others, using expertise and persuasive communication to build consensus and rally support for critical initiatives. The Teacher’s combination of knowledge, expertise, and communication skills makes them an invaluable asset in driving innovation, inspiring others, and achieving business success.

The Guide: These individuals are critical in helping vendors navigate complex business landscapes. They provide valuable insights and information typically unavailable to vendors, helping them better understand the needs and expectations of clients. The Guide is known for speaking the truth when sharing information with vendors and providing honest feedback and constructive criticism. In addition, The Guide distributes information equally, ensuring all vendors have access to the same insights and opportunities, fostering healthy competition, and driving innovation in the vendor community. Overall, The Guide’s commitment to transparency, fairness, and providing valuable insights makes them an invaluable asset, as they foster solid partnerships and drive business success.

The Climber: These individuals are highly motivated by personal gain and rewards. They take on high-risk projects if there is a personal benefit involved. The Climber is not content to simply succeed; they also like to tell others about their successes, often seeking recognition and praise from colleagues and superiors. Their focus on personal gain and recognition can be a double-edged sword and a powerful motivator for success. Still, it can lead to self-centered behavior and a lack of consideration for others’ needs and goals. Overall, The Climber’s focus on personal gain and recognition can be an asset or a liability, depending on the circumstances. It is essential to balance their drive with a broader sense of purpose and a commitment to working collaboratively towards shared goals.

The Blocker: The Blocker is an individual who is highly focused on maintaining the status quo and minimizing risk. This person believes that stability is a goal and is often resistant to change or improvement projects, viewing them as disruptive, potentially destabilizing, and actively working to block or derail them. In addition, The Blocker is rarely willing to help vendors, preferring to maintain a safe distance and avoid any potential disruptions to the existing system. While this focus on stability and risk management can be valuable in some contexts, it can also lead to complacency and a lack of innovation. Organizations must strike a balance between stability and innovation, leveraging The Blocker’s strengths while encouraging a culture of continuous improvement and experimentation.

When engaging with buying committees, it’s essential to remember that not all committees have the same personas. However, a framework for understanding these personas can help engage with target committees. In particular, The Go-Getter, The Teacher, and The Skeptic are the most worth engaging with. The Go-Getter is always looking for new ideas and willing to go the extra mile to get things done. The Teacher is highly respected by colleagues and is often sought for their insights and perspectives. The Skeptic provides valuable feedback and constructive criticism to improve ideas and initiatives. By engaging with these personas, you can build consensus, drive change, and ask hard questions early to build an information backbone in your content strategy. Understanding these personas can be essential to building successful business relationships and achieving long-term success.

Social media can be a valuable tool for businesses looking to engage with potential buyers and gain insights into their buying committees. By monitoring employees’ and executives’ activities on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, businesses can get a sense of the key decision-makers within a company and their interests and priorities. For example, following executives on Twitter or LinkedIn can help identify the topics they are interested in and the events they may be attending for opportunities to connect with them and learn more about their buying committees.