Understanding Buying Intent: A Guide to Crafting Effective Sales and Marketing Strategies
Vinayak Ravi
Building Epic Slope Partners a boutique marketing agency focused on demand generation.
Ever feel like you’re spinning your wheels trying to get prospects to convert? It might be because you’re not fully understanding their buying intent. Not all intent signals are created equal, and knowing how to read them can make all the difference. Let’s break down the three main types of buying intent and how you can tailor your approach to each.
Learning Intent audience: "I want to be better at my job."
Buying Intent: Low
Buyer Stage: Top of the funnel
Example Journey: The Journey of Learning Intent
Imagine Sarah, a marketing manager eager to level up her skills and stay ahead in her industry. She starts by hunting for educational content, looking for insights and best practices to improve her performance. As she dives into her search, she stumbles upon your brand’s content—a treasure trove of articles, videos, and webinars that catch her eye.
Intrigued, Sarah decides to follow your updates, finding the material incredibly relevant and binge-worthy. Each piece she consumes makes her more curious about your solution. While buying isn’t on her mind, she wonders how your product aligns with the insights she’s been gaining. Her curiosity leads her to request a demo, just to see how it works and what benefits it might offer.
With a better understanding of your solution, Sarah tries to pitch it internally, excited about the potential improvements it could bring. However, she quickly realizes that, for now, investing in a new tool isn't a priority for her company. Despite your follow-up emails, Sarah’s main goal was learning, not buying, and she moves on, leaving your sales efforts unanswered.
Targeting people like Sarah is crucial for building brand awareness and trust. By providing valuable content that helps her improve her skills, your brand becomes a trusted resource, establishing thought leadership and positioning your company as an industry authority. This engagement fosters a long-term relationship, ensuring your brand remains top-of-mind when Sarah's company prioritizes a purchase. Additionally, Sarah's interactions with your content can drive organic growth as she shares insights with her network, attracting more potential customers. Her feedback also offers valuable insights for refining your offerings. Ultimately, today's learners like Sarah are tomorrow's buyers, filling your sales pipeline and enhancing their overall experience with your brand, leading to stronger customer relationships and better word-of-mouth referrals. Investing in these relationships today sets the stage for sustainable future success.
Strategy Tips for Learning Intent Audience
Solution Intent audience: "We need a solution to a high priority problem."
Buying Intent: Medium
Buyer Stage: Middle of the funnel
Example Journey: The Journey of Solution Intent
Let’s imagine a startup facing a sudden challenge that demands immediate attention. This trigger event shifts their focus entirely, prompting them to seek out solutions. They dive headfirst into research, scouring search engines, consulting their network, and engaging with industry groups. Amidst their search, your brand catches their eye. They start evaluating your solution, discussing it internally multiple times to see if it aligns with their needs. Intrigued, they reach out to request a demo, aiming to understand your offering better. However, they don’t stop there; they continue exploring other options, weighing all possibilities. Eventually, they reach a decision point: they might opt to tackle the problem internally or decide on a different solution type altogether. If they conclude that your solution isn’t the right fit, your follow-up efforts may not gain traction, leading to a potential drop-off.
Targeting this audience group is crucial for several reasons. These individuals are actively seeking solutions to pressing challenges, meaning they have a higher likelihood of making a purchase decision soon. Engaging with them during their exploration phase allows you to position your brand as a viable option early on, increasing the chances they’ll consider you when they make their final decision. Additionally, by understanding their specific needs and concerns, you can tailor your messaging and offerings to better resonate with them, enhancing your ability to stand out among competitors. Even if they initially choose a different path, maintaining a relationship with this audience keeps your brand top-of-mind for future needs, fostering long-term customer loyalty and potential future sales.
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Strategy Tips for Solution Intent Audience
Vendor Intent audience: "We want a solution like yours."
Buying Intent: High
Buyer Stage: Bottom of the funnel
Example Journey: The Journey of Vendor Intent
Imagine if in the previous example the startup after careful consideration, decides to put you onto their shortlist. This is a crucial moment—your chance to shine.
Next, they work on building internal consensus. They gather their team, review their needs, purchase criteria, and the various options available. Your solution gets discussed multiple times, and more of their colleagues start getting involved, diving deeper into what you offer.
Then comes the decision-making phase. They might pick a competitor if it fits their needs better, but if you’re the best fit, they go all in. They understand the total cost, see the return on investment, and have a clear plan for implementation. They’re ready to handle the required change management and have a proof of concept plan to mitigate any risks.
Finally, you pass the procurement process, getting the green light to move forward. Targeting this group is essential because they are actively looking for a solution, making them more likely to make a purchase decision soon. Engaging with them early and understanding their needs can position your brand as the top choice, leading to long-term customer relationships and future sales.
Strategy Tips for Vendor Intent Audience
Key Takeaways
Not all intent signals are equal, and even hand-raisers might not be ready to buy right away. Here’s what to do:
By understanding and responding to different types of buying intent, you can create a go-to-market strategy that resonates with prospects at every stage of their journey. Ready to rethink your approach? Would love to connect and chat. Let’s make it happen!