P3 — The Referred Decision-Maker
“A colleague recommended the company specifically. I just need to confirm they’re the right fit before I book a call.”
Profile
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Role | COO, VP Product, Head of Digital, or similar operational leader |
| Company size | 100–1000 employees |
| Industry | Enterprise or established scale-up |
| Location | US, UK, or Western Europe |
| Seniority | Budget holder or strong influencer in vendor selection |
Context & Motivation
This persona arrives with high intent, directed by a referral or internal recommendation. They are not browsing — they came specifically to validate the company before initiating a formal conversation. They have less technical depth than P1 but are experienced at evaluating service vendors.
They want confirmation that the company is credible, has relevant experience, and can work within their organisation’s structure. The bar for them to reach out is low if the website answers their basic questions.
Goals
- Quickly confirm the company’s credibility and relevant experience.
- Understand how the company engages (contracts, team structure, communication style).
- Get a fast response — they are ready to talk now.
Frustrations
- Having to dig for basic information that should be easy to find.
- Being routed into a long sales cycle when they’re already close to deciding.
- Talking to someone too junior to answer their questions.
Behaviour on the website
- Navigates purposefully — checks About, Case Studies, and Contact.
- Spends little time browsing; wants to act quickly.
- Most likely of the three personas to fill in a contact form if no chat is available.
Qualification signals
- Mentions who referred them.
- Asks about availability or next steps directly.
- Provides company name or role unprompted.
- Short, direct questions — not exploratory.
Chat strategy
Don’t slow them down. Acknowledge the referral if mentioned, answer their questions directly, and offer to connect them with the team immediately. This persona is closest to conversion — the chat’s job is to remove friction, not add qualification steps.
Job-to-be-done
When I’ve been recommended a specific vendor and need to act quickly, I need a fast, direct way to confirm they’re right for us and book a first conversation, so that I don’t lose momentum on an initiative that already has internal approval.