Chapter 11: Personas & Archetypes for B2B

Executive Summary

B2B personas are fundamentally different from B2C: they represent job roles (Admin, Analyst, Executive) not lifestyle segments, they operate within organizational constraints (budget cycles, compliance, politics), and purchasing decisions involve multiple personas with conflicting goals. This chapter presents a framework for creating actionable B2B personas rooted in Jobs To Be Done (Chapter 2), stakeholder dynamics (Chapter 7), and discovery insights (Chapter 8). Unlike marketing personas (demographics, psychographics), product personas focus on: jobs, tools, workflows, pain points, success metrics, and organizational context. By designing for role-based archetypes—each with distinct needs across the customer lifecycle (evaluation → onboarding → daily use → renewal)—teams create experiences that serve the entire buying committee and user ecosystem, driving faster adoption, higher task success, and measurable retention lift.

Definitions & Scope

Persona (B2B Product Context)

A research-based archetype representing a user role with specific jobs, workflows, pain points, and success criteria. Unlike marketing personas (age, income, hobbies), product personas focus on:

• Job Role: Admin, Analyst, Executive, Developer, Field Worker.
• Jobs To Be Done: What they're hired to accomplish.
• Tools & Workflows: Current tools, daily workflows, integrations.
• Pains & Gains: Obstacles and desired outcomes.
• Success Metrics: How they define "win."
• Organizational Context: Budget authority, stakeholder relationships, decision influence.

Persona vs. Archetype

• Persona: Detailed, named profile (e.g., "Sarah, IT Admin at mid-market SaaS"). Includes quote, photo, story.
• Archetype: High-level role category (e.g., "Admin"). Umbrella for multiple personas.

B2B Persona Types

1. Economic Buyer: Budget authority, ROI-focused (CIO, VP Ops, CFO).
2. Champion: Internal advocate, adoption-focused (Product Owner, Manager, Director).
3. Admin/IT Ops: Configuration, provisioning, security (IT Admin, SysAdmin, DevOps).
4. End User (Power User): Daily, intensive use (Analyst, Developer, Designer).
5. End User (Occasional): Periodic use, low engagement (Executive, Field Worker, Casual User).
6. Gatekeeper: Compliance, security, legal (CISO, Legal Counsel, Procurement).

Scope

This chapter applies to B2B IT product teams (PM, Design, Research, Eng) and customer-facing teams (CS, Sales, Marketing). Covers all touchpoints: product UX, onboarding, support, sales demos, marketing content.

Customer Jobs & Pain Map

Framework / Model: The B2B Persona Development Framework

Five-Step Persona Creation Process

Step 1: Role Identification (From Stakeholder Map)

• Start with stakeholder map (Chapter 7). Identify 5–8 key roles.
• Cluster by job similarity. Example: "IT Admin" and "SysAdmin" likely same persona.
• Prioritize by frequency and business impact. Example: If 80% of users are Analysts, prioritize Analyst persona.

Output: List of 5–8 persona archetypes (Economic Buyer, Champion, Admin, Analyst, Executive, Field Worker, Developer).

Step 2: Research & Data Collection

• Use discovery methods (Chapter 8): Interviews, contextual inquiry, shadowing, surveys.
• For each persona, collect:
  • Demographics (Work Context): Role, department, seniority, company size/industry.
  • Jobs To Be Done: Top 3–5 jobs (from JTBD framework, Chapter 2).
  • Tools & Workflows: Current tools used, daily workflows, integrations.
  • Pains & Gains: Top frustrations, desired outcomes.
  • Success Metrics: How they measure success (KPIs, qualitative outcomes).
  • Organizational Context: Budget authority, stakeholder relationships, decision influence.
  • Lifecycle Needs: What they need at each stage (evaluation, onboarding, daily use, renewal).

Sample Size: 8–15 participants per persona (mix of interviews, surveys, contextual inquiry).

Step 3: Synthesis & Persona Profiles

• Aggregate data per persona. Identify patterns.
• Create 1-page persona profile per archetype. Include:
  • Name & Photo: (Fictional but realistic. Example: "Alex, IT Admin")
  • Role & Context: Title, department, company size.
  • Quote: Represents core pain/job. Example: "I need to provision 500 users in under 30 minutes, not 4 hours."
  • Jobs To Be Done: Top 3–5 jobs.
  • Tools Used: Current stack (e.g., "Uses Okta for SSO, Slack, Jira, AWS").
  • Pains & Gains: Top 3 pains, top 3 gains.
  • Success Metrics: How they define "win" (e.g., "Onboard team in <1 day, zero security incidents").
  • Lifecycle Needs: What they need at evaluation, onboarding, daily use, renewal.

Format: Visual (1-page infographic) + detailed (2–3 page doc with verbatim quotes, workflow diagrams).

Step 4: Validation & Refinement

• Share personas with 5–10 customers (same roles). Ask: "Does this resonate? Anything missing?"
• Test with internal teams (Sales, CS, Eng): "Can you identify this persona in your customer base?"
• Refine based on feedback. Common refinements: Adjust pains, add tools, clarify jobs.

Step 5: Operationalize (Embed in Workflow)

• Product Design: Use personas in design reviews. "Which persona is this for? Does it serve their job?"
• Onboarding: Create persona-based onboarding paths. Admin sees setup wizard, Analyst sees data tutorials.
• Sales/CS: Use personas in demos, QBRs. "I know you're an IT Admin, so I'll focus on provisioning and security."
• Marketing: Persona-specific content (Admin: setup guides, Analyst: use-case tutorials, Exec: ROI one-pagers).
• Analytics: Tag events by persona (role). Track usage, task success, satisfaction per persona.

Update Frequency: Review personas annually. Refresh based on new discovery, market shifts, product evolution.

Diagram description: Visualize as layered model: Base = Job Roles (Admin, Analyst, Exec). Layer 1 = Jobs To Be Done. Layer 2 = Tools & Workflows. Layer 3 = Pains & Gains. Layer 4 = Success Metrics. Top = Lifecycle Needs (Evaluation → Renewal). Each persona is a vertical slice through all layers.

Implementation Playbook

0–30 Days: Create First 3 Personas

Week 1: Identify & Prioritize Personas

• Review stakeholder map (Chapter 7). List all roles (Economic Buyer, Champion, Admin, Analysts, Execs, etc.).
• Cluster similar roles. Prioritize by: frequency (% of users), business impact (revenue, churn risk).
• Pick top 3 personas to start. Example: Admin, Analyst, Executive.

Week 2: Research (Per Persona)

• Recruit 8–10 participants per persona (use CS, Sales to recruit).
• Conduct: 5 interviews (1:1, 60 min), 3 contextual inquiries (observe workflows), 1 survey (jobs, pains, tools).
• Document: Jobs, tools, workflows, pains, gains, success metrics, org context, lifecycle needs.

Week 3: Create Persona Profiles

• Synthesize data. Create 1-page persona profile per archetype.
• Include: Name/photo, role, quote, jobs, tools, pains/gains, success metrics, lifecycle needs.
• Use template (visual infographic). Add 2–3 page detailed doc (quotes, workflow diagrams, data).

Week 4: Validate & Share

• Share with 5 customers (same roles). Get feedback: "Does this resonate?"
• Share internally (PM, Design, Eng, Sales, CS). Train: "Use personas in design, demos, onboarding."
• Publish: Accessible location (Confluence, Notion, shared drive).

Artifacts: 3 persona profiles (1-page visual + detailed doc), validation feedback, internal training deck.

30–90 Days: Expand & Operationalize

Month 2: Create Remaining Personas

• Repeat Week 2–4 for next 2–3 personas (e.g., Champion, Field Worker, Developer).
• Total: 5–8 personas by end of Month 2.

Month 2–3: Embed in Workflows

• Product: Design reviews require persona tag. "This feature is for Admins (persona). It solves their job: bulk provisioning."
• Onboarding: Build persona-based onboarding. Detect role on signup, show relevant path.
• Sales/CS: Persona-based demo templates. Admin demo focuses on provisioning, Analyst demo on reporting.
• Marketing: Persona-specific content library. Admin: setup guides, Analyst: use cases, Exec: ROI decks.
• Analytics: Tag product events by persona (role field). Dashboard: Usage, task success, NPS per persona.

Month 3: Measure Persona Impact

• Track: Task success rate by persona, NPS by persona, feature adoption by persona.
• Hypothesis: Persona-based onboarding increases task success. Measure: Admin onboarding (persona-based) vs generic.
• Result: If persona-based onboarding → +20% task success, scale to all personas.

Checkpoints: 5–8 personas created, persona-based onboarding live, sales/CS using personas in demos, analytics tracking by persona, impact measured.

Design & Engineering Guidance

Design Patterns for Persona-Based UX

Role-Based Onboarding

• Detect persona on signup (job role dropdown or auto-detect from domain/email).
• Show persona-specific onboarding path:
  • Admin: Guided setup (SSO, user provisioning, permissions).
  • Analyst: Data connection + first report tutorial.
  • Executive: Dashboard overview + mobile app setup.
• WCAG 2.1 AA: Ensure all persona paths accessible (keyboard nav, screen reader, high contrast).

Adaptive UI (Role-Based Views)

• UI adapts to persona:
  • Admin sees: User management, audit logs, integrations, settings (admin portal).
  • Analyst sees: Data, reports, dashboards, API access.
  • Executive sees: High-level dashboards, summaries, mobile-optimized views.
• Implementation: RBAC (role-based access control) + UI logic to show/hide features.

Persona-Specific Help

• Contextual help based on persona. Example: Admin in "User Provisioning" screen sees: "SSO Setup Guide for Admins."
• In-product tooltips, video walkthroughs, help docs tailored to persona jobs.

Engineering Patterns for Persona Data

Persona Data Model

• Extend user schema: Add role field (Admin, Analyst, Executive, Developer, Field Worker).
• Capture on signup or infer from behavior (e.g., user who accesses API docs → Developer).

Persona-Driven Analytics

• Tag all events with role. Example: Event report_generated includes role: Analyst.
• Segment analytics by persona: DAU by role, task success by role, feature adoption by role.

Personalization Engine

• Use persona to personalize: onboarding, UI, recommendations, notifications.
• Example: Field Worker role → Show mobile app download prompt, offline mode setup.

Accessibility, Security, Privacy by Persona

• Accessibility: If persona includes assistive tech users (e.g., "Visually Impaired Analyst"), ensure flows tested with screen readers.
• Security: Admin persona has high-privilege actions (user deletion, data export). Require MFA, audit all actions.
• Privacy: For personas handling PII (e.g., "HR Admin"), enforce data minimization, encryption, audit trails.

Back-Office & Ops Integration

CS Persona-Based Workflows

Persona-Specific Onboarding Playbooks

• Admin onboarding: CS focuses on SSO setup, user provisioning, security config. Success: Provision 100+ users in <1 hour.
• Analyst onboarding: CS focuses on data connection, first report, automation. Success: Generate first insight in <7 days.
• Executive onboarding: CS focuses on dashboard setup, mobile app, team usage visibility. Success: Daily dashboard checks within 14 days.

Persona Health Scoring

• Calculate health per persona:
  • Admin health: SSO configured (yes/no), user provisioning frequency, audit log usage.
  • Analyst health: Reports generated/week, data quality score, API usage.
  • Executive health: Dashboard views/week, mobile app usage, QBR attendance.
• Aggregate persona health into account health score.

QBR by Persona

• Tailor QBR slides to personas present:
  • For Economic Buyer: ROI, TCO, compliance status.
  • For Admin: User growth, provisioning efficiency, security posture.
  • For Analyst: Reports generated, time saved, data quality.

Sales Persona-Based Workflows

Persona-Specific Demos

• Identify personas in prospect account (during discovery, Chapter 8).
• Customize demo:
  • Admin in room: Show SSO setup, bulk provisioning, audit logs.
  • Analyst in room: Show data connection, report building, automation.
  • Executive in room: Show high-level dashboards, ROI, mobile experience.
• Demo script per persona (Sales playbook).

Persona-Driven Proposals

• Structure proposal by persona needs:
  • Economic Buyer section: ROI analysis, TCO, risk mitigation.
  • Admin section: Implementation plan, SSO setup, training.
  • End User section: Onboarding timeline, support, feature roadmap.

Metrics That Matter

Instrumentation:

• User profile: Capture role field (Admin, Analyst, Executive, Developer, Field Worker).
• Events: Tag with role. Track: onboarding completion, task success, feature usage, NPS per persona.
• Dashboards: Segment all metrics by persona (DAU, task success, NPS, retention).

AI Considerations

Where AI Helps

Auto-Persona Detection

• AI infers persona from behavior. Example: User accesses "User Management" → likely Admin. User generates 10 reports → likely Analyst.
• Use for: Personalization (show relevant features), analytics (segment by inferred persona).

Persona-Based Recommendations

• AI suggests next actions based on persona. Example: "You're an Admin. Set up SSO next (80% of Admins do this on Day 1)."

Persona Content Personalization

• AI customizes help content, tooltips, onboarding by persona.
• Example: Admin sees "SSO Setup Guide," Analyst sees "API Quick Start," Executive sees "Dashboard Interpretation Guide."

Guardrails

Accuracy of Auto-Detection

• AI may mis-infer persona (e.g., classify Admin as Analyst based on early behavior).
• Avoid: Allow users to self-identify role (dropdown on signup). AI supplements, doesn't replace.

Avoid Persona Stereotyping

• Don't assume all Admins are male, all Execs are non-technical.
• Avoid: Use inclusive language, images. Test personas with diverse user groups.

Privacy in Persona Data

• Role field may reveal org structure, seniority. Ensure access control (only authorized teams see).
• For GDPR: Role is personal data. Provide export/delete options.

Risk & Anti-Patterns

Top 5 Pitfalls

1. Marketing Personas in Product (Demographics Over Jobs)

   • Use marketing personas (age, income, hobbies) in product design. Irrelevant for B2B. Design fails.
   • Avoid: Use job-based personas (role, jobs, tools, workflows). Marketing personas ≠ Product personas.

2. Too Many Personas (10+ Personas, Unusable)

   • Create 15 personas. Team can't remember or design for them. Personas ignored.
   • Avoid: Limit to 5–8 personas. Cluster similar roles. Focus on highest-impact personas.

3. Personas Without Data (Fictional Assumptions)

   • Create personas based on assumptions, no research. Don't reflect real users. Design misses mark.
   • Avoid: Base personas on research (interviews, surveys, analytics). Minimum 8–10 participants per persona.

4. Static Personas (Never Updated)

   • Created personas in 2020, never refreshed. Market changes, roles evolve, personas stale.
   • Avoid: Review personas annually. Update based on new discovery, product evolution, market shifts.

5. Personas as Wallpaper (Created, Never Used)

   • Beautiful persona posters, never cited in design reviews, demos, or roadmap decisions.
   • Avoid: Embed in workflows (design reviews, onboarding, sales demos). Measure: % of decisions citing persona.

Case Snapshot

Company: B2B SaaS (workflow automation platform) Challenge: Low adoption (45% DAU/MAU), high churn (24%). One-size-fits-all onboarding. Generic product UX. Admins and Analysts both struggled, but for different reasons (not understood).

Persona Intervention:

• Research: Conducted 40 interviews (15 Admins, 15 Analysts, 10 Executives). Contextual inquiry with 10 Admins, 8 Analysts.
• Personas Created (3):
  1. Alex, IT Admin: Job: Provision users fast + secure. Pain: Manual provisioning takes 4 hours. Success: Onboard 200 users in <1 hour.
  2. Jordan, Data Analyst: Job: Automate reports. Pain: Repetitive manual work. Success: Automate 80% of weekly reports.
  3. Taylor, VP Operations (Executive): Job: Monitor team productivity. Pain: No visibility into team usage. Success: Daily dashboard checks, ROI tracking.
• Persona-Based Design:
  • Onboarding: Detect role on signup. Admin sees SSO wizard + bulk provisioning tutorial. Analyst sees data connection + automation setup. Executive sees dashboard overview + mobile app.
  • UI: Admin portal (user management, audit logs). Analyst workspace (reports, API). Executive dashboard (team usage, ROI).
  • Help: Persona-specific docs, video tutorials (Admin: "SSO Setup," Analyst: "API Guide," Exec: "Dashboard Interpretation").

6-Month Results:

• Adoption: DAU/MAU: 45% → 68%. Persona-based onboarding increased activation (first value in <7 days): 52% → 78%.
• Task Success: Admin provisioning success: 60% → 92%. Analyst automation setup: 55% → 84%.
• Churn: 24% → 16% (33% reduction). Retention by persona: Admin 91%, Analyst 88%, Exec 94%.
• NPS: +22 points overall. Admin NPS: +28 (highest lift, persona was most neglected pre-intervention).
• Feature Adoption: Persona-specific features adopted 2.5x more (Admin: audit logs 68%, Analyst: API 52%, vs generic features <25%).

Checklist & Templates

Persona Development Checklist

• Review stakeholder map (Chapter 7). List all roles.
• Cluster similar roles. Prioritize by frequency and business impact.
• Select 5–8 personas to create (start with top 3).
• Recruit 8–15 participants per persona (mix interviews, surveys, contextual inquiry).
• Conduct research: Jobs, tools, workflows, pains, gains, success metrics, org context, lifecycle needs.
• Synthesize data per persona. Create 1-page profile (name, photo, quote, jobs, tools, pains, gains, metrics, lifecycle needs).
• Validate with 5 customers (same roles). Refine based on feedback.
• Share internally (PM, Design, Eng, Sales, CS). Train on persona usage.
• Publish personas (Confluence, Notion). Make accessible to all teams.
• Embed in workflows: Design reviews (persona tag required), onboarding (persona-based paths), sales demos (persona-specific).
• Tag user profiles with role (Admin, Analyst, Executive, etc.).
• Tag product events with role. Analytics: DAU, task success, NPS by persona.
• Build persona-based onboarding (detect role, show relevant path).
• Create persona-specific content (help docs, tutorials, QBR slides).
• Measure persona impact (task success, NPS, retention by persona).
• Review personas annually. Refresh based on new discovery, product/market shifts.

Templates

• Persona Profile Template (1-page): [Link to Appendix B]
• Persona Detailed Template (2–3 pages): [Link to Appendix B]
• Persona Research Guide (Interview/Survey): [Link to Appendix B]
• Persona-Based Onboarding Map: [Link to Appendix B]
• Persona Content Library Template: [Link to Appendix B]

Call to Action (Next Week)

3 Actions for the Next Five Working Days:

1. Identify Top 3 Personas (Day 1–2): Review your customer base (CRM, product analytics). List all job roles. Cluster similar roles. Prioritize by: (a) Frequency (% of users), (b) Business impact (revenue, churn risk). Pick top 3 personas to start (e.g., Admin, Analyst, Executive).

2. Recruit & Interview 5 Users per Persona (Day 3–4): For one persona (start with highest priority), recruit 5 users (via CS, Sales). Conduct 5 interviews (60 min each). Ask: What's your role? Top 3 jobs? Tools you use? Biggest pains? How do you define success? What do you need at onboarding? Daily use? Document: Jobs, tools, workflows, pains, gains, success metrics.

3. Create First Persona Draft (Day 5): Synthesize 5 interviews. Create 1-page persona profile. Include: Name (fictional), role, quote (verbatim from interview), top 3 jobs, top 3 tools, top 3 pains, success metrics. Share with PM, Design, or CS. Ask: "Does this resonate? Recognize this user type?" Iterate based on feedback.

Next Chapter: Chapter 12 — Journey Mapping (Multi-Threaded)