Most B2B companies research one persona.
The decision-maker. The person who controls the budget. "If we win the CMO, we win the deal," they think. So all their messaging, all their content, all their strategy targets one person.
This is why so many ABM programs underperform.
When you target only the final decision-maker, you miss the people who actually influence the decision. The IT director who can veto based on integration concerns. The operations manager who raises implementation objections. The CFO's direct report who builds the business case. These people don't sign the check, but they block or accelerate deals.
Effective ABM requires research into the entire buying committee, not just the primary decision-maker. You need to understand what each stakeholder cares about, how they influence peers, and what objections they're likely to raise.
This is persona research for ABM.
Traditional B2B persona research follows a template:
This is useful for demand generation. You're trying to understand a target audience broadly. But for ABM, this persona is too generic. It doesn't tell you how the VP of Marketing influences other stakeholders. It doesn't tell you that your VP of Marketing cares about attribution, but the CFO cares about cost per lead. It doesn't tell you that the VP of Sales wants faster deal velocity while the VP of Marketing wants higher-quality leads.
ABM persona research requires a layer deeper.
Start by understanding who's actually involved in the purchase decision for your solution.
For a B2B software purchase, typical buying committee includes:
Title - Power user / department head (e.g., VP Marketing)
Influencers - Finance (CFO, Finance Manager): Budget approval, cost justification, contract terms - IT (CIO, IT Director): Technical integration, security, implementation resource needs - Operations (VP Ops, COO): Process impact, implementation timeline, change management - Executive sponsor (CEO, CRO, CMO): Strategic alignment, competitive positioning, overall buy-in
Gatekeepers - Procurement: Vendor evaluation criteria, contract negotiation - Legal: Compliance requirements, liability, contract terms
Users - Department team members who'll use the tool daily
Your buying committee size and composition varies by deal size: - Small deal (ACV <$50K): 2-3 people (VP, finance, IT) - Mid-market (ACV $50K-$200K): 4-6 people (VP, finance, IT, operations, executive sponsor) - Enterprise (ACV $200K+): 6-10+ people (multiple people per function, including legal and procurement)
Deliverable: A visual org chart for a target account showing buying committee composition.
For each role in the buying committee, research what they care about.
Finance - Goal: Justify the expense, prove ROI - Motivation: Cost control, risk mitigation, board optics - Objections: "The ROI is unclear," "We don't have budget," "This is too risky" - Influence: High (controls budget approval) - Success metric: Cost per customer acquired, payback period, lifetime value
IT - Goal: Ensure technical feasibility and security - Motivation: Integration ease, no user disruptions, security posture - Objections: "It doesn't integrate with our stack," "Is it secure?", "Implementation will take too long" - Influence: Medium-high (can block if not satisfied, high influence over VP) - Success metric: Easy integration, minimal implementation time, strong security posture
Operations - Goal: Smooth implementation and change management - Motivation: Efficiency, reduced disruption, team adoption - Objections: "Our team can't handle more tools," "Implementation will disrupt workflows" - Influence: Medium (affects VP's willingness to commit) - Success metric: Fast implementation, minimal team retraining, immediate productivity gain
Primary buyer (VP Marketing, CMO, etc.) - Goal: Solve their specific problem - Motivation: Performance improvement, team efficiency, career advancement - Objections: Varies by use case - Influence: Highest (initiates the search, owns success) - Success metric: Measurable improvement in their KPIs
Executive sponsor (CEO, CRO, CMO) - Goal: Strategic alignment with company goals - Motivation: Revenue impact, competitive advantage, reputation - Objections: "This doesn't align with our strategy," "There are better solutions" - Influence: Highest (final approval, sets priorities) - Success metric: Strategic contribution to company goals
Not all buying committee members have equal influence.
The VP of Marketing initiates the search. But their CTO peer has veto power on integration. The CFO approves the budget, but the CFO's manager actually builds the business case. Understanding these relationships helps you identify where to focus.
Power mapping exercise:
For each stakeholder, rate: - Formal authority (their official role) - Informal influence (how much their opinion matters to others) - Likelihood to advocate (will they champion or block?)
Example: | Role | Formal Authority | Informal Influence | Likely to Advocate | |------|-----------------|-------------------|-------------------| | VP Marketing | 9/10 | 9/10 | Yes | | CFO | 9/10 | 8/10 | Maybe (needs ROI proof) | | CIO | 7/10 | 8/10 | Maybe (needs integration proof) | | VP Operations | 3/10 | 7/10 | Maybe (needs implementation clarity) | | CEO | 10/10 | 10/10 | No (uninvolved unless escalated) |
This tells you where to focus. VP Marketing is already sold. CFO and CIO need specific evidence. VP Operations is an influencer you can't ignore. CEO doesn't need attention unless other stakeholders push back.
Each stakeholder evaluates your solution against different criteria.
Finance evaluates: - Total cost of ownership - ROI calculations - Contract flexibility - Payment terms
IT evaluates: - API quality - Security certifications (SOC 2, ISO, etc.) - Implementation complexity - Support availability
Operations evaluates: - Implementation timeline - Training requirements - Change management process - User interface ease
Primary buyer evaluates: - Feature completeness - Ease of use - Competitive positioning - Ability to scale
Deliverable: Create a decision matrix showing which criteria each stakeholder weighs most heavily. This is gold for your sales team.
Your best persona research comes from interviews with customers who've already bought.
Interview template:
Conduct 10-15 customer interviews. Patterns will emerge. The CFO asked these 5 questions every time. The CIO always needed security evidence. The operations person in every deal asked about implementation timeline.
Your sales team lives in these buying committees. They know the patterns.
Interview template:
Interview your top 3-5 sales reps. Have them recount their last 3 deals. Compile the patterns.
You can also research personas by interviewing prospects during the sales process.
This is sensitive. You're trying to understand their buying process without being pushy. Frame it as research, not a demo pitch.
"In our conversations with companies like yours, we've found that multiple teams are involved in decisions. Can you walk me through your evaluation process and who's involved?"
Most prospects will answer. They're evaluating multiple vendors and appreciated the vendor who's trying to understand their process.
Competitors have already figured out who matters in the buying committee. Their messaging reveals which personas they're targeting.
Review competitors' websites, webinars, and content: - Do they have a CFO-specific guide? That tells you finance is critical. - Do they emphasize security and integration? That tells you IT is a gatekeeper. - Do they talk about implementation support? That tells you operations matters.
Consolidate your research into formal persona profiles. For ABM, create profiles for:
Primary buyer (the person initiating the search) - Title, typical seniority - Specific challenges they're trying to solve - Success metrics they care about - Major objections - Information sources they trust - Key decisions they're responsible for
Finance decision-maker - Title, reporting structure - What ROI looks like - Approval requirements (budget, ROI threshold, etc.) - Typical questions - Risk concerns - Influence over primary buyer
Technical gatekeeper (usually IT) - Title, reporting structure - Technical requirements - Integration concerns - Security requirements - Implementation concerns - Influence over primary buyer
Operational influencer (usually Ops or department head) - Title, reporting structure - Change management concerns - Adoption concerns - Training needs - Timeline sensitivity - Influence over primary buyer
Executive sponsor (for larger deals) - Title, typical seniority - Strategic priorities - Win-loss criteria - Competitive perspective - Likely involvement level
Each profile should include: - Background and motivations - Specific concerns and objections - Success criteria - Information sources they trust - How they typically influence the deal - How to best approach them - Messaging that resonates
When planning an account, reference your persona research: - "This account is mid-market, so the buying committee likely includes finance, IT, and operations" - "Based on historical patterns, the IT director usually raises security concerns first" - "The CFO in this industry cares most about payback period"
Create content for each persona based on research: - Finance guide: "ABM ROI Calculator" - IT guide: "Integration and Security Specifications" - Operations guide: "Implementation Timeline and Approach" - Primary buyer guide: "ABM Platform Comparison"
Train your sales team: - "In tech companies, the CIO often has veto power even though they're not the buyer" - "Finance always asks about payment terms; have the answer ready" - "Operations managers worry about disruption; focus on minimal team impact"
Assign account team members strategically: - Account lead: Always owns primary buyer relationship - Marketing person: Owns overall messaging but personalizes by persona - Finance-focused SDR: Calls IT directors and CFOs with technical/financial questions - Implementation lead: Builds relationships with operations stakeholders early
Research by segment, not just role. A VP Marketing at a 50-person startup has different concerns than a VP Marketing at a 5,000-person enterprise. Research personas by segment (size, industry) alongside role.
Update personas quarterly. Your buying committee changes. New people join. Priorities shift. Review persona research quarterly with your sales team. Update based on recent deals.
Identify the persona who says "no." Most teams focus on who says "yes." Better to understand who might say "no" and how to address their concerns. Every deal has a potential blocker. Identify them early.
Don't assume hierarchy reflects influence. The Chief Revenue Officer might be formally in charge, but the sales ops director might actually control whether the tool gets implemented. Research actual influence, not just titles.
Create anti-personas too. Identify the account characteristics where buying committees are larger, sales cycles are longer, or your value prop doesn't work. Maybe startups (no budget) or very large enterprises (too complex) or government (procurement nightmare) aren't worth pursuing.
Q: How many personas should we develop?
A: 3-5 core personas (by function: Finance, IT, Primary buyer, Operations, Executive sponsor). Add 2-3 more if you serve different industries with different buying committees.
Q: What if our buying committees vary widely by account?
A: They do. Every deal is different. But patterns emerge. Research enough deals to understand the common patterns, then note variations. Your framework should be "Typical buying committee includes X, but sometimes Y happens based on company size/industry."
Q: Should we segment personas by company size?
A: Absolutely. The CFO at a 100-person company thinks differently than the CFO at a 5,000-person company. Create persona variants by size if you sell across a wide range.
Q: How do we share persona research with our sales team?
A: One-page profiles per persona. Include: role, motivations, objections, how to approach, messaging that resonates, example questions they'll ask. Sales should memorize these.
Q: When should we revisit our persona research?
A: Quarterly after you've sold for a while. After 10-15 deals, you should have solid patterns. Update annually minimum; update quarterly if you're selling to a new market segment.
Most ABM fails not because the strategy is wrong, but because teams don't understand the buying committee. They target the wrong person. They miss critical gatekeepers. They don't address the real objections.
Persona research fixes this. When you understand who's actually involved in the decision and what they care about, ABM becomes focused and effective.
Abmatic helps B2B teams conduct persona research that informs better ABM strategy. From buying committee mapping to stakeholder motivations to messaging development, we help you target the right people with the right message.
Book a demo with Abmatic to see how persona-driven ABM outperforms generic targeting.