4 Observations on Interviewing Buyers

Share insights before asking for priorities - The common approach of going to a potential buyer and trying to figure out their top 5 pains without prior context is not as effective as it might have been a few years ago. Buyers are quite tired of founders coming to interviews without a clear agenda and original insight. This has never been very effective anyways. Most buyers need some form of inspiration from the founders before they share their priorities. The ideal formula is focusing on a sub-domain, sharing differentiated insights (at least initial ones) on this sub-domain’s dynamics and having a priorities-led discussion flowing from there.

Attention span is key - The fact that there’s a pain/inefficiency existing within a certain team does not necessarily mean that it’ll be a part of its agenda for the coming months. In the end, you need to figure out buyers’ strategic attention span on top of whether an issue exists. The difference between urgency and importance is naturally relevant here. Also, whether a team has already carried out a heavy-duty implementation project in this domain in the past 2-3 years would also likely deter it from going after a new one.

C-level buyers vs. working-level buyers - Who should you interview and convince, the C-level buyer or the team lead? The answer is often both. It’s usually a good idea to start with the C-level buyer, if that’s available to you. But more often than not, you’ll then be referred to the working-level user/buyer, whose approval you’ll also need to obtain. So your pitch and approach should appeal to both levels.

Workflow disruption - Ideally, your solution won’t cause too much disruption to the current workflows of your target users. The elegance in which you can provide your solution - especially during the POV (proof of value) phase - is key. And by elegance, I mean maximizing value while minimizing discomfort. Try and figure out the path of least resistance in the road to adoption.