The Trump Blog

You have spent a lot of time thinking about who your customers are. Perhaps you sell educational products to young professionals with children. Or you sell moderately priced clothing to retired people on fixed incomes.

Yes, you know who your customers are, and that is essential. But the wisest marketers take it one level deeper. They  sell more - by understanding the roles of all the decision-makers who participate in a decision to buy.

Let’s say, for example, that you own an auto dealership. One day a family of five comes into your showroom. They aren’t just a demographic group. They all are involved in a purchase decision. And they can all comprise the sale you are trying so hard to make.

Within that family, different individuals have probably taken the following roles:

The Gatekeeper - This individual controls your access to the members of the decision-making unit. He or she was the one who said to the rest of the family, “Look at this car ad I saw in the newspaper.”

The Initiator - He or she started the decision-making process. ("We really need a new car now.")

The Influencer - This person has an interest in the outcome of the purchase decision and contributes opinions that control the outcome. ("I'd really like to buy a minivan so each of the children can have a seat.") Or it could be the son who is urging the family to buy an SUV, not a minivan, so he can have something flashier to show off to his friends.

The Decider - He or she “signs off” and makes the final decision, but may not be the most important member of the decision-making unit. ("I'll see what money we have in the bank.")

The Vetoer - He or she has the power to stop the purchase. ("I won't drive a car unless it has side air bags.")

The User -  He or she is the end-user of the product or service. ("I need to have space for our children and the neighbor's children.")

Some decision-making unit members may assume more than one role. A teenager may suggest the need for a new car and may also provide information about cars to parents, for instance. Other decision-makers might restrict themselves to just one role. For example, the decider might be a father who controls the family’s money but who has little interest in which minivan the family buys because he will never drive it.

Good salespeople are skilled at selling strategically to the people who fulfill each of these roles within any decision-making unit. But understanding the decision-making structure of your buying units isn’t just for members of your sales staff. It’s vital for marketers and advertisers too.

In the end, your marketing efforts convince individuals to buy, not demographic groups. The more you keep that in mind, the more effective your marketing efforts will be.