The 4 Small Business Technology Buyers

The 4Small Business Technology Buyers According to the 2013 Infusionsoft research study, there are four distinct types of small business technology buyers, depending on their attitudes and behavior. Understanding the motivations of each segment can help you tailor your sales approach to different small businesses. STRIVERS CUSTOMIZERS • Eager to use new technology > Believe that their business is too customized to be supported by • May not have an effective technology strategy in place for the technology to support • May fear that technology will hinder their personalized approach MAXIMIZERS SUPPORTERS • Believe that technology is essential to growth • Eager to use technology that's designed specifically for small businesses > Technology can give them a competitive advantage Believe that their needs are significantly different from larger companies Percent that spend 5 hours per week or less on sales and marketing activities. STRIVERS SUPPORTERS CUSTOMIZERS MAXIMIZERS 38% 30% 28% 20% Percent that use Facebook for sales, marketing, or customer service. SUPPORTERS CUSTOMIZERS MAXIMIZERS STRIVERS 59% 49% 49% 40% Percent that spend more than 21 hours per week on sales and marketing. MAXIMIZERS CUSTOMIZERS SUPPORTERS STRIVERS 89% З0% 25% 18% STRIVERS 72% Percent that agree that they need assistance choosing MAXIMIZERS 57% the right tools to help manage their sales and marketing. CUSTOMIZERS 58% SUPPORTERS 49% Percent that spend $1,000 per month or less on marketing. %24 %24 %24 %24 STRIVERS SUPPORTERS CUSTOMIZERS MAXIMIZERS 66% 57% 49% 39% Percent that indicate they could use help developing a strategy to convert prospects to STRIVERS CUSTOMIZERS MAXIMIZERS SUPPORTERS customers. 74% 54% 52% 46% VENDOR ADVICE Vendors should emphasize their training and post-sale support programs. - Vendors should provide supplemental education on business strategy for ongoing success, then provide automation to support those processes. STRIVERS Vendors should establish relationships with customers before attempting to demonstrate how technology can improve their business. Vendors should use testimonials from existing clientele to assist in explaining how personal service can be maintained. CUSTOMIZERS - Vendors should demonstrate the return on investment Maximizers will receive from new technology. • Vendors should communicate the way their technology can scale growth. MAXIMIZERS Vendors should have a passion for small business. Vendors should communicate their connection to and understanding of small business. SUPPORTERS Infusionsoft. We help small businesses succeed. www.infusionsoft.com Source: 2013 Infusionsoft research study, The American Dream: What Really Motivates Small Business Owners DI