The document discusses strategies for developing buyer personas to better understand customers and improve sales. It emphasizes identifying common characteristics of best and worst customers to develop semi-fictional representations of ideal buyers. This involves analyzing demographics like age, income, and education as well as psychographics like personality, values, and interests. The document also provides tips for prequalifying leads, conducting initial consultations, presenting design plans, and obtaining reviews and referrals.

2. THE WINS
 understanding who your buyers are
 develop a targetable buyer description you can use to close more sales
 learn to use personas and commonalities to overcome common obstacles
during the sales process

3. BUYER PERSONA
A buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer
based on market research and real data about your existing customers.

4. BUYER PERSONA
 Identify your best (and worst) customers
 Look for patterns as you go
 Identify characteristics they share.
 Neighborhood
 Gender
 Marital status
 Profession
 Income level
 Education level

5. BUYER PERSONA
Psychographics: the study of personality, values, opinions, attitudes,
interests, and lifestyles
 demographics=who, psychographics=why
 psychographic traits of your clientele can transcend demographic
categories!

7. BUYER PERSONA
 White collar professional
 Within 10-15 years
of retirement
 Recently married
 FINANCIALLY LIQUID
 Values quality
 Enjoys DIY projects
 Myriad non-garden
interests
Doctor Bob

9. PREQUALIFYING THE LEAD
BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE LOVES YOU

10. PREQUALIFYING LEADS
 Is what they want something we provide?
 Do they value what we do?
 Do they value it enough to PAY FOR IT?
 Use a script!

11. PREQUALIFYING LEADS
Do you still need to prequalify if you’re charging for the consultation?

12. SCENARIOS
 The excellent referral
 The shopper
 The “doesn’t believe in paying for design”

13. THE INITIAL CONSULTATION
ENOUGH ABOUT ME, LET’S TALK ABOUT ME

14. THE INITIAL CONSULTATION
 Purpose
 Agenda
 Logistics
 Outcome
P.A.L.O.

15. SCENARIOS
 “tell me everything I should do. Hey can you draw that out for me? How
about I take notes?”
 The idea dump (squirrel!)
 “IDK, you’re the designer, that’s why you’re here. Tell me what you’d do.”
 “I’m not giving you a budget because….”
 Client has a limited budget but HUGE ideas
 Client specifies a low initial budget but you think they’ll spend more

16. MORE QUESTIONS FOR THE PANEL
 Do you design to their budget, OR to their wish list?
 When do you find you need to say NO to a client or prospect?

17. PLAN PRESENTATION
IT’S TIME TO START THE MUSIC, IT’S TIME TO LIGHT THE LIGHTS

18. SCENARIOS
 “I don’t get it” – client is oblivious, can’t even find his house on the plan
 Objects to cost, shuts down
 “won’t this look too different from what the neighbors have?”

19. MORE QUESTIONS FOR THE PANEL
 How do you fire a problem client?
 Dealing w/ hostile and abusive clients

20. GETTING REVIEWS AND REFERRALS
ON A SCALE OF 9 TO 10, HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE ME?

22. SCENARIOS
 Asking for a review
 Asking for a referral
 Addressing a negative response

23. SCENARIOS
What scenarios have YOU encountered that you’d love to see our
esteemed panelists take a crack at?