The Buyer Stage represents internal champions building conviction through careful evaluation, becoming advocates within their organizations. They’re asking, “How do I get organizational buy-in for this approach?”
The Human Experience
“I am buying!”
People in this stage are:
- Building internal business case
- Seeking stakeholder alignment
- Navigating organizational politics
- Becoming internal champions
- Working toward decision
What They Need
Stakeholder Enablement:
- Materials for internal selling
- ROI and business case support
- Answers to executive questions
- Peer validation and proof points
Partnership Support:
- Collaborative case building
- Help navigating their organization
- Support for their advocacy
- Resources for stakeholder education
Confidence Building:
- Evidence and validation
- Risk mitigation information
- Implementation clarity
- Success stories and proof
What NOT To Do
❌ Gatekeep or create artificial barriers ❌ Pressure for premature commitment ❌ Ignore their internal challenges ❌ Focus only on your sale, not their success ❌ Abandon them during internal process
Signal Recognition
Buyers show progression through:
- Stakeholder introduction requests
- Business case development activity
- Internal advocacy efforts
- Detailed implementation questions
- Organizational navigation discussions
Supporting Their Journey
Enable Their Advocacy:
- Provide stakeholder-ready materials
- Support their internal selling
- Help them build compelling cases
- Celebrate their championship
Be Their Partner:
- Understand their organizational context
- Support their navigation challenges
- Provide what they need when they need it
- Invest in their success
The Progression
Buyers naturally progress to Value Creator when:
- Organizational alignment achieved
- Decision made and commitment secured
- Implementation begins
- Focus shifts to value realization
This is Activation—the beginning of value creation together, not just transaction completion.
Why It Matters
Supporting Buyers effectively:
- Creates confident internal champions
- Enables successful organizational adoption
- Builds foundation for value realization
- Develops sustainable partnerships
- Leads to better implementation outcomes
The Buyer’s success in building internal conviction directly impacts the success of eventual value creation.