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Free template
The 1-Page Buyer Persona Template
Five behavioral fields per persona. Plus the 5-question interview script and an exclusion-persona worksheet. Same format we use internally at WeActive8.
Most SMB persona docs are demographic fanfiction. They describe age, location, and hobby; they do not change a single line of copy. This template is the one we use internally: five behavioral fields per persona that map directly to hero copy, social proof, and exclusionary positioning. Plus the 5-question interview script that surfaces those fields from real customers. Plus a worksheet for naming who you are explicitly NOT for.
What’s inside
- Five behavioral fields per persona: the job (JTBD), the trigger, the alternatives rejected, the trust signal, the exclusion.
- Three blank persona worksheets ready to fill from interviews.
- The 5-question interview script that surfaces every field in 20 minutes per customer.
- Exclusion-persona worksheet, name who you are NOT for and why.
- A worked example referencing WeActive8's own 7-persona framework so you can calibrate against ours.
Frequently asked
How many personas should an SMB have?
Two to four for most SMBs. More than four means you are not segmenting; you are describing every possible customer. Pick the 2 to 3 personas that drive 80% of revenue and stop there. WeActive8 runs 7 because we operate across 7 verticals, most SMBs serve one or two.
Behavioral vs demographic, what is the difference?
Demographic personas describe what the buyer looks like (age, location, job title). Behavioral personas describe how the buyer decides (the job they are hiring you for, the trigger, the alternatives they rejected). Demographic data does not change a line of copy. Behavioral data changes every line.
Do I need real customer interviews?
Yes, if you want personas that actually change copy. Five to ten interviews × 20 minutes each is enough signal to fill 2 to 3 personas confidently. Inventing personas from your own assumptions reproduces the bias that is costing you conversions in the first place.
What is the exclusion-persona worksheet for?
Naming who you are NOT for is the sharpest filter available. If your hero copy reads 'for founders running B2B service businesses under $5M ARR,' you have excluded 95% of unqualified visitors before they cost you a discovery call. The exclusion worksheet helps you write that filter explicitly rather than leaving it implied.
Can I publish customer names in the persona?
Only after they sign off on the metrics and the testimonial. Otherwise use illustrative first names (Sarah, Mike, Emily) and generic role labels. We never attach fabricated numbers to a real customer's name, and you should not either.
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