Buyer Roles

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Buyer Roles
Proposing Persuading

• Cheryl Geisler
• Lecture 10

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Methods Problem
3
Buyer Roles
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The Relationship

• Not just logic
• I want to work with you
• I trust you to deal with my uncertainty

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Buyer Roles

• economic buyer
• user buyer
• technical buyer
• coach
• ratifier
• client

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Economic Buyer

• resource control
• veto power
• concern for performance impact and goals

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Appeals to the Economic Buyer

• strategic position
• competitiveness
• market growth
• cash flow
• profitability
• productivity
• business goals

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User Buyer

• responsible for area of projects day to day
  impact
• can sabotage subsequent projects
• can hinder acceptance implementation

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Appeals to the User Buyer

• practicality
• ease
• effects on organization

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Technical Buyer

• acts as gatekeeper
• judges technical merit
• can say no, but not yes

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Appeals to the Technical Buyer

• match to specs
• adequacy of technical solution

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Coach

• arranges introductions
• identifies buyers
• elaborates on criteria
• provides advice
• can act as champion

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Appeals to the Coach

• visibility
• gratitude
• credit
• further agenda

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Ratifier

• consulted by economic buyer for approval

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Appeals to the Ratifier

• fit with broader goals
• concern about managing conflicts

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Client

• The recipient of the benefits of the proposed
  work
• often mentioned, often not consulted
• one of the primary concerns of the user buyer

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Appeals to the Client

• Value-added to client goals
• vision of the client according to the user
  buyer
• often the problem or problematics

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The Complex Sale

• views of the situation vary by role
• degree of pain varies by role
• benefits vary by role

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The Fulcrum

• Defined Results

Situation for A
Benefits for A
Defined Results
Situation for B
Benefits for B
Situation for C
Benefits for C
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Fulcrum The CMU Example

• Defined Results

a new multi-disciplinary course, 66-171,
Fundamentals of Information Systems.
Situation for A
Benefits for A
Situation for B
Benefits for B
Situation for C
Benefits for C
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Baseline Logic for Client

• Client Students

students should understand options as
information system majors
students have made the IDS major, the exclusive
choice in information systems
Situation for B
Fundamentals of Information Systems.
Benefits for B
Situation for C
Benefits for C
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Baseline Logic for Technical Buyer
students should understand options as
information system majors

• Technical Buyer Advisors

students have made the IDS major, the exclusive
choice in information systems
Understand how information system majors are
distributed across college
lack of info for advisors, Advisory center,
and Admissions
Fundamentals of Information Systems.
Benefits for C
Situation for C
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Baseline Logic for Ratifier
students should understand options as
information system majors

• Ratifier University

Understand how information system majors are
distributed across college
students have made the IDS major, the exclusive
choice in information systems
lack of info for advisors, Advisory center,
and Admissions
Fundamentals of Information Systems.
contribute to initiatives in information
communication technology
HSS not fully contributing to IT initiative
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Baseline Logic for Economic Buyer
students should understand options as
information system majors

• Economic Buyer VP of Ed

Understand how information system majors are
distributed across college
students have made the IDS major, the exclusive
choice in information systems
make students as curious seekers of knowledge
rather than narrow problem-solvers
CMU students seen as uncreative problem solvers
lack of info for advisors, Advisory center,
and Admissions
Fundamentals of Information Systems.
HSS not fully contributing to IT initiative
contribute to initiatives in information
communication technology
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Baseline Logic for User Buyer
students should understand options as
information system majors

• User Buyer Departments

Understand how information system majors are
distributed across college
students have made the IDS major, the exclusive
choice in information systems
students establish preferences for specific
major in HSS
students will not find new majors through
brochures and advising alone.
lack of info for advisors, Advisory center,
and Admissions
Fundamentals of Information Systems.
HSS not fully contributing to IT initiative
contribute to initiatives in information
communication technology
26
Baseline Logic for Special User Buyer
students should understand options as
information system majors

• User Buyer SDS Department

Understand how information system majors are
distributed across college
students have made the IDS major, the exclusive
choice in information systems
differentiate new majors from existing IDS major
very large major some students not good fit
lack of info for advisors, Advisory center,
and Admissions
Fundamentals of Information Systems.
HSS not fully contributing to IT initiative
contribute to initiatives in information
communication technology
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Link to Choices on Methods
. taught in the spring of the sophomore year

• For Students

be team-taught, with faculty from each department
students should understand options as
information system majors
four decomposable and flexible modules from
each department
Fundamentals of Information Systems.
each module developed as variations on a common
case study
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The CMU Example
. taught in the spring of the sophomore year

• For Advisors

be team-taught, with faculty from each department
Understand how information system majors are
distributed across college
four decomposable and flexible modules from each
department
Fundamentals of Information Systems.
each module developed as variations on a common
case study
29
The CMU Example
. taught in the spring of the sophomore year

• For Departments

be team-taught, with faculty from each department
students establish preferences for specific
major in HSS
four decomposable and flexible modules from each
department
Fundamentals of Information Systems.
each module developed as variations on a common
case study
30
The CMU Example
. taught in the spring of the sophomore year

• For University

be team-taught, with faculty from each department
four decomposable and flexible modules from each
department
Fundamentals of Information Systems.
contribute to initiatives in information
communication technology
each module developed as variations on a common
case study
31
For your proposal

• Who is your
• economic buyer
• user buyer
• technical buyer
• coach
• ratifier
• client

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Coming Up
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This Week

• Conferences on Concepts for Unsolicited Proposal

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Next Week

• Style Workshop 4
• RFP Comparisons I and II
• Lecture on Field Reports

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Two Weeks

• RFP Comparisons III and IV
• Unsolicited Proposal Draft
• Lecture on Solicited Proposals

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Three Weeks

• Spring Break!

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Questions?