Decision makers: 5 different types and how to find, identify, and sell to them

You’ve identified the ideal prospect, crafted the perfect pitch, hosted a few phone calls, and believe you’re close to closing some new business. The only problem? Your contact tells you they’ve got to speak to their higher-ups first.

This is an all-too-familiar scenario that often sends hard work down the drain.

With the average sales cycle length between six and twelve months, speaking with the wrong contacts can derail your productivity. In this blog, we’ll dig into how you can quickly identify decision makers and get in front of them ASAP.

What is a decision maker?

In sales, decision makers are people with the power to make significant decisions, like investments, expansions, and acquisitions.

Today’s companies often put multiple layers of people between a third-party salesperson and the actual decision maker. But nevertheless, no purchase actually happens without the say-so of one or more decision makers. 

5 types of business decision-makers

The ultimate decision maker at any organization is usually a founder or the CEO. However, most companies have several departments advising leaders on the pros and cons of each investment or purchase.

Who you should contact depends on your industry and product or service. Typically, decision makers fall into one of these five categories:

1. The financial decision maker

The financial decision maker possesses a title like COO, CFO, or Chief Revenue Officer. These are the keepers of the purse strings. Reaching this decision maker may require you to go through the procurement department or a financial director.

These individuals primarily concern themselves with the company's numbers and financial health. Engaging with this decision maker means demonstrating your product's or service's financial benefits.

In other words, hard data is the key to winning over these stakeholders.

2. The technical expert

Technical experts are the masters of technology within an organization. They may carry titles like Lead Engineer, Technical Director, or CTO.

These decision makers understand and welcome technical jargon. Salespeople can engage them by discussing matters like system compatibility, product functionality, and technical specs.

3. The end user 

The end user is a person who’ll actually use the product they select. This decision maker could be a team leader or a managerial figure.

For example, if you’re selling a CRM platform, the end user may be hyper-focused on its user-friendliness, workflow capabilities, and integrations.

The optimal strategy for engaging an end user is to lean on product trials, demos, and training sessions.

4. The executive decision maker

An executive decision maker is at the highest level of an organization. It could be the CEO, CMO, or founder of the company. These decision makers have a big-picture view of the organization, focusing on its mission, vision, and strategy.

To gain influence with executive decision makers, you must show how your product aligns with their objectives and gives them a market edge.

5. The influencer

Technically, an influencer isn’t a decision maker at all, but they influence decision makers.

Influencers are often found in the middle of the hierarchy. They’re the middle managers and deputies throughout a company’s infrastructure. As internal advocates, they sway the decision makers above them.

Your goal as a third-party sales rep or sales leader should be to build strong relationships with influencers as part of a long-term sales cycle. Remember that this is a mutually beneficial relationship because, ultimately, they'll get the credit if they recommend a great product.

How to find key decision makers

Finding key decision makers is easier said than done. These days, executives purposefully put barriers between themselves and salespeople to manage their time and ensure they’re not inundated with pitches.

Here are some strategies for drilling through these layers and gaining access to a company’s major stakeholders.

Leverage platforms like LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the professional social media network, meaning it’s your first port of call to find decision makers. However, LinkedIn is incredibly saturated, meaning you may need to be a 2nd/3rd layer connection to ever show up on a decision maker’s feed.

Leveraging the platform should be considered part of a long-term strategy to target the whales in your industry. But how do you make those connections?

Begin by mapping out the company you want to approach. Selling to a smaller company may be as straightforward as searching for the founder/CEO, whereas larger companies possess an array of regional and national reps.

Next, use these techniques:

• Use industry connections: Check out your connections to see if you already have a connection with a decision maker or someone who works for your targeted company.
• Leverage titles: Browse the company's list of employees for specific job titles.
• Pick up the phone: Alternatively, pick up the phone and ask who you should speak to. Most companies will be happy to tell you who or which department you should approach.

Make cold calls and send cold emails

Cold calling (or cold emailing) is an effective sales tool even today. Make a call and ask to speak to the relevant person about your product. Sometimes, it works, and sometimes, it doesn’t.

However, according to Cognism’s 2024 State of Cold Calling report, connecting with a lead takes an average of three calls.

In short, be patient and persistent.

Read industry-related newsletters

Subscribe to newsletters from both the broader industry and companies you wish to target. You’ll be in the know on the latest hirings, market trends, and industry news. Furthermore, newsletters provide indications about a company's performance.

For example, suppose a company’s newsletter discusses a horizontal shift into a new niche. In that case, it shows fiscal comfort and aggressive expansion — two signs that the company is actively seeking new solutions.

Attend events and conferences

Attending relevant events and sales conferences is good old-fashioned networking 101.

Meeting people in person often allows you to bypass the traditional gatekeepers and leave a more impactful impression. Plus, it can give you another “in” with other contacts you wouldn't have otherwise uncovered. 

Find and manage their contact information using online solutions

Are you still managing your outreach using Excel spreadsheets and physical diaries?

If so, it’s time to streamline how you find and manage contact information. Thankfully, numerous online solutions simplify the process, enabling you to spend more time cultivating those relationships and less time on admin.

Examples of tools to help you source contacts fast include:

• ZoomInfo
• Clearbit Connect
• Voila Norbert

All these tools function similarly. You enter some basic information, such as a contact or company name, and then you can see their contact information. With so much data at your fingertips, you’ll need a way to manage it in your inbox to simplify and streamline your sales process.

Streak’s CRM tool is your go-to option for managing your Gmail contacts. This cloud-based email tracking tool delivers the benefits of a sales CRM directly to your inbox.

You can take advantage of power tools like mail merge, snooze, snippets, and thread splitter to manage your contacts. Plus, it’s easy to add notes on each contact and provide all of the information you and your teammates need to gain control over your virtual Rolodex.

How to sell to decision makers

Decision makers are challenging to access for a reason. They’re busy people who don’t want to listen to salespeople fumble their way through pitches.

So, how do you go about engaging in a genuine way with decision makers? 

1. Get past the gatekeeper

Most decision makers have intentional or unintentional gatekeepers. This could be a secretary, a receptionist, a deputy, or a middle manager.

Anyone who stops you from getting to the person you want to speak to is a gatekeeper. So, how do you overcome them?

Build a relationship with them

Like it or not, the gatekeeper decides whether you’ll reach the decision maker. Ultimately, they want to protect the decision maker from wasting time.

Here are some tips for building an authentic relationship with them:

• Use their first names
• Ask them how they’re doing
• Treat them as equals
• Respect their role
• Above all, don’t try to lie your way in

Treat them as a resource, not an obstacle

Gatekeepers hold so much power over a decision maker’s schedule. Lean into it by engaging with them. Treating them like a valued partner goes a long way toward reaching the company's C-suite. 

Changing your mindset toward gatekeepers also yields other benefits. For example, they know the decision makers you want to reach better than anyone else, so talking to gatekeepers is a chance to learn information that’ll make your future pitch more tailored and relevant.

Name-drop a connection

Namedropping someone the gatekeeper likely knows shows that you’re serious and have done your homework (or proves that you have enough of a connection that you’re automatically cleared to chat with a decision maker). Even if you know someone who happens to work at the same company, it can soften up a gatekeeper to make the connection.

2. Do your research

Researching a decision maker yourself can also help you build a relationship early in the process. Knowing who they are ahead of time can tell you a lot. For example, maybe you find out you both worked for the same company many years ago. It’s a small thing but one that instantly builds rapport.

Above all, ensure you know what your solution can bring to their business. No decision maker wants to waste their time with an unsure salesperson. Double-check that they fall into your ideal customer profile (ICP) because decision makers can spot a salesperson trying to shoehorn their product in from a mile away.

3. Ask the right questions

Questions reveal information. This information provides clues for where to go next to close that sale.

Ask well-placed discovery questions based on your research and what the decision maker tells you. Being helpful and knowledgeable always makes a strong impression.

Examples of great discovery questions include:

• What are your short/long-term goals?
• What's keeping you from achieving those goals?
• What happens if these problems go unresolved?
• Who else is involved in choosing a solution?
• What problems have you had with solutions in the past?
• What implementation timeline are you looking at?
• What's your rough budget?

Crucially, your goal is to connect your offer with what they need.

4. Be open to conducting multiple demos

Pressure sales tactics are rarely effective in the B2B space. Sales cycles often take months, so you must be open to repeating yourself to multiple decision makers. This also extends to demos. Be open to multiple visits and demonstrations to showcase the best of your solution.

Ultimately, be patient. Don't see B2B decision makers as obstacles but rather as people to win over. Though extra demos and calls are inconvenient at times, these extra touchpoints can further solidify relationships and improve your odds of winning a new long-term client.

Improve your sales process by simplifying contact management with Streak

Identifying key decision makers is a critical step in closing a deal. But as you can see, connecting with them is an adventure in and of itself.

There’s no silver bullet for selling to decision makers, but there is a way to make relationship-building more efficient. With Streak, you can have a CRM directly inside of your Gmail to simplify contact management.

Try a 14-day free trial of Streak and see how much time you save. It takes just 30 seconds to set up, so there’s no hassle. Here’s to reaching decision makers faster than ever.

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