Six Personas — Framework Overview
The Six Personas framework identifies the six key stakeholders who influence B2B eCommerce decisions inside a distributor or manufacturer. Each persona has distinct goals, fears, and language. Vendors who speak each persona’s language close more deals. Platform designers who understand each persona build better products.
The Six Personas at a Glance
#
Persona
Title Examples
Primary Concern
Core Fear
1
Owner/CEO
Owner, President, CEO
Revenue growth, legacy protection
Losing competitive position; making the wrong bet
2
CIO/IT Leader
CIO, IT Director, VP IT
Systems stability, ERP protection
Breaking the ERP; failed implementation
3
CFO
CFO, Controller, VP Finance
ROI, cost control, cash flow
Overspending without measurable returns
4
VP Supply Chain
VP Operations, VP Supply Chain, COO
Inventory, logistics, fulfillment efficiency
Disruption to fulfillment; order accuracy
5
Digital Leader
VP eCommerce, Director of Digital, Head of Digital Strategy
Platform performance, adoption, budget
Poor UX, low adoption, losing internal credibility
6
Marketing
CMO, VP Marketing, Digital Marketing Manager
Brand, product content, demand generation
Irrelevant content; poor product data quality
How the Personas Form a Buying Committee
B2B eCommerce decisions are rarely made by a single person. They form a buying committee — see buying-groups. The typical dynamic:
- Owner/CEO provides strategic vision and final sign-off
- CIO owns technical evaluation and integration risk
- CFO controls budget and demands ROI justification
- VP Supply Chain must approve any change to order/fulfillment flows
- Digital Leader is usually the internal champion who drives the initiative
- Marketing advocates for product content quality and brand standards
The CEO and CIO are the “greenlight or kill” pair. The CFO and VP Supply Chain often control final approval. The Digital Leader is your champion. Marketing is your ally on content.
Vendor Strategy Application
- Discovery — identify which personas are present; adapt opening language accordingly
- Proposal — lead with the dominant persona’s language; include a one-pager per non-champion persona
- Objection handling — map every objection to its persona origin; use persona-specific proof points
- Champion enablement — give the Digital Leader tools to sell internally (ROI calculators, case studies, adoption frameworks)
- Final approval — prepare CEO/CFO business case language separate from technical specs
Key Insight from C2
“We led with personalization and shopping journeys — instead of talking about ERP integration, inventory sync, contract pricing, and workflows. The CEO stood up, thanked us, and ended the meeting.”
— C2, Module 1 Lesson 1
The wrong persona language ends deals. The right persona language opens them.