Buyer research
Map the B2B buying committee before you write the campaign
Map the people who use, influence, evaluate and approve a B2B purchase. Includes a role-and-evidence worksheet to separate facts from assumptions.
The short answer
Map the buying committee by the roles people play in the decision, not just their job titles. Identify each person’s question, influence, evidence needs and next action, then validate the map with customer and sales conversations.
A title is a clue, not the whole story.
The person who requests information may not be the person who approves the purchase. A technical evaluator may have no budget responsibility and still be able to stop a decision. An enthusiastic user may become the champion—or may have little influence outside their team.
Map the roles people play before writing messages for them. One person can hold several roles, and the group can change as a purchase becomes more serious.
The useful question is not only “who are we targeting?” It is “what does each person need to understand or believe for this decision to move forward?”
Put the decision in the middle.
| Role | What to understand | Possible evidence need |
|---|---|---|
| User | The work they need to do and what makes it difficult | A relevant workflow or application explanation |
| Champion | Why they care and what they need to explain internally | A concise story and evidence they can share |
| Technical evaluator | The conditions that determine whether the solution fits | Accurate technical detail and access to an expert |
| Commercial or procurement reviewer | The information required to evaluate the supplier relationship | Clear scope, capabilities and approved commercial information |
| Approver | The business case and the risk of the decision | Supported value, tradeoffs and a clear account of responsibilities |
Separate what you know from what you assume.
For each role, record where the information came from. A customer interview, a sales conversation and a guess based on a job title are not equivalent evidence.
Ask about a real recent purchase. Who became involved, when did they appear and what did they ask? What had to happen before approval? A concrete account can reveal more than asking someone to describe an ideal buying process.
Look for missing perspectives. If the map comes entirely from champions, you may not understand the concerns of the people who questioned the purchase. If it comes entirely from closed deals, you may miss why other buyers chose not to proceed.
Give each question somewhere to go.
Use the map to plan the content and conversations that help. A technical explanation belongs near the relevant capability. A customer story should make its context clear. A short summary can help a champion bring someone else into the discussion.
Keep the core position consistent. Different roles need different supporting answers, not contradictory promises. Validate the claims with the people who deliver the work.
For SaaS buyers, that may mean connecting a user’s workflow question with a technical evaluation. For manufacturing buyers, it may mean connecting an application need with process and supplier evidence. These are examples to test against the actual purchase.
Use the map as a working document.
Review it with sales as the conversation develops. If a new reviewer appears, add the role and the question. If a presumed objection never comes up, revisit the assumption rather than keep producing content for it.
The worksheet below includes a field for evidence and a field for what still needs validating. Keeping both visible makes the map more useful than a polished persona that everyone is afraid to change.
Put it to work
B2B buying committee worksheet
Download the editable text file and use it with your team. No form needed.
Download the worksheet