As a sales leader, you’ve probably been there. Your rep is confident, the demos are going well, conversations are flowing, and yet… the deal stalls. Or worse, it disappears. When you dig deeper, you uncover the truth: they never actually got access to the decision maker.  This scenario plays out every day. Reps are often speaking with influencers, champions, users, or blockers — but not the person (or group) who can say “yes.”

Many see identifying and accessing the decision-maker as a tactical move, and I completely agree, but it’s also a strategic, coachable skill. And as a sales leader, it’s your job to help your team develop that skill. It’s about creating a culture where uncovering and engaging the real power in a deal is a standard part of the sales process, not a lucky accident.

In this article, we’ll break down how the buying process has changed, how to understand who really holds the decision-making power, how to gain access without alienating existing contacts, and how to coach your team through each step.

A New Era of Buying – From Kingmaker to Committee

The days of the single-decision-maker sale are largely over.

It will vary from prospect to prospect, but today it is not untypical for the average B2B buying group to involve six to ten decision-makers.   Each of them will be armed with their own research, priorities, and preferences. Even in small to mid-sized businesses, decisions that once sat solely with the CEO are now shared across departments. Finance has a say. Legal has questions. Operations wants reassurance. IT needs to vet security.

This diffusion of power has created a “decision-by-committee” environment, where consensus trumps authority. It’s no longer about finding the one person who signs the cheque — it’s about understanding the ecosystem of stakeholders, and strategically navigating your way to influence and alignment.

For sales reps, this means two things:

1. You can’t rely on a single contact to get the deal done.
2. You must develop the skill to map and engage the buying group — or risk being left out of the conversation that matters most.

And for sales leaders, this is a coaching moment. Are your reps being trained to uncover the committee? Do they know how to identify who holds power, influence, or veto? Are they trained to build consensus — not just relationships?

Identifying the Real Decision Maker (and the Cast Around Them)

Coaching your reps to find the right decision maker starts with teaching them how to build a stakeholder map.

Here’s the nuance: the “decision maker” isn’t always the most senior person in the room — it’s the person or group whose buy-in is essential for the deal to move forward.

Help your team look for these roles:

• Economic Buyer: Controls the budget and can sign the cheque.
• Technical Buyer: Assesses the feasibility or integration (common but not exclusive to IT-heavy sales).
• Champion: Advocates internally for your solution.
• User Buyer: The person or team who will use your product day-to-day.
• Blocker: Someone who can say “no” but not “yes.”

Coach your team to ask smart, direct, respectful questions like:

• “Who else will be involved in the final decision?”
• “What does the internal approval process look like?”
• “How have similar decisions been made in the past?”

Coach them to listen for cues — mentions of “I’ll need to check with…” or “Our CFO would want to see…” — and log these as signals for stakeholder mapping.

Also encourage reps to use tools like LinkedIn and CRM history to uncover reporting lines, past buyer behaviour, and organisational politics.

This isn’t about going over anyone’s head — it’s about creating a complete picture of the buying landscape.

Gaining Access to the Decision Maker Without Undermining Your Champion

This is where many deals die — or at least get delayed. A rep identifies the real decision maker… but doesn’t know how to approach them without upsetting their existing contact.

Here’s where coaching becomes critical.

The first thing to understand, and make sure your reps understand, is this is not a betrayal — it’s part of good selling. But it must be handled with emotional intelligence, transparency, and partnership.

Coach them to:

1. Gain permission — “Would it be possible to include [decision-maker] in our next conversation, to make sure we’re aligned with their priorities too?”
2. Position it as support — “I’d love to give them the full picture of how we’re helping you and your team. You’ve done a great job framing the need.”
3. Offer to collaborate — “Would it help if I put together a quick summary or deck you could use to bring them up to speed?”
4. Ask how decisions usually work internally — rather than assuming you know the structure.

Importantly, coach your reps to remain loyal to the champion — never implying they’re not important or capable. The goal is to elevate, not sideline.

In your one-on-ones, roleplay this moment. Challenge your reps to practice having this conversation. You’ll be amazed how many know what to do in theory — but freeze in practice.

Coaching Reps to Build Power-Based Deal Discipline

Most salespeople focus on the relationship — not the power dynamic. As a sales leader, your job is to help them see the difference.

Use your pipeline reviews to coach on questions like:

• “Who in this deal has the authority to say yes?”
• “Who can say no?”
• “What would happen if your current contact left tomorrow?”
• “What steps have you taken to access the economic buyer?”

Make decision-maker engagement a non-negotiable step in your sales process — not an afterthought.

If you’re using a sales methodology like MEDDICC, ensure reps are tracking metrics like Economic Buyer identified? Yes/No. Engaged? Yes/No. Hold them accountable.

Create a safe culture where it’s okay to say “I don’t know who the decision-maker is yet” — but not okay to stop there. 

Lastly, encourage your reps to reflect: What mindset or fear is stopping them from asking for access? Often, it’s about confidence or fear of rejection. This is where your coaching can really shine.

Conclusion: The Real Decision Is Yours

The best sales leaders don’t just look at closed-won revenue—they look at how the revenue was won.

When your reps consistently engage the right decision-makers, your pipeline becomes more accurate, your deal cycles shorten, and your win rates climb.

But perhaps most importantly, your team gains confidence—not from bravado, but from the discipline of running powerful, strategic sales cycles.

Coach your team to seek out power—not avoid it.   It’s not who you know… it’s who decides.

If you’d like to explore how to help your sales team identify and engage the real decision makers in your deals, I’m offering a free 30-minute consultation. No pressure, no sales pitch — just practical ideas you can put into action straight away.

The Sales Doctor

Consult | Assess | Recommend | Execute

Post by Ray King, 20th August 2025