How to Find the Decision-Maker in a Sale
In short
- Do not ask "are you the decision-maker?" Ask how decisions like this get made.
- Most business purchases involve several people: a user, a champion, a budget holder and sometimes legal or IT.
- Work with your contact to reach the others; never around them.
- If you cannot meet the decider, equip your contact to sell for you.
To find the decision-maker, ask how the company made its last purchase like this one, rather than asking your contact whether they have authority. "Are you the decision-maker?" gets a yes from nearly everyone, because nobody likes to say they are not important. A question about process gets the truth.
Questions that reveal who decides
- "How did you choose the last tool or supplier like this? Who was involved?"
- "If you decided you wanted to go ahead, what would happen next on your side?"
- "Who else will care about this decision, and what will each of them care about?"
- "Who signs the agreement?"
- "Is there anyone who could say no at the last minute?"
The people in a typical decision
| Role | What they care about | What they need from you |
|---|
| User | Will it make my day easier? | To see it working on their real tasks |
| Champion | Will this make me look good? | Material they can pass on with confidence |
| Budget holder | Is it worth the money and the risk? | The cost of the problem and a clear return |
| Technical or security reviewer | Will it break anything or expose data? | Straight answers, in writing |
| Legal or procurement | Are the terms acceptable? | Documents early, not at the end |
In small companies one person may hold three of these roles. In larger ones, missing any of them can stall a deal that everyone else wanted. Frameworks that track this are in MEDDIC vs MEDDPICC.
Reaching them without going around your contact
- Ask to be included: "Would it help if I joined when you take this to your director, so I can answer the detailed questions?"
- Offer something for them: "What will your finance lead want to see? I can prepare a one-page summary."
- Bring a peer: "Our founder would be glad to speak with yours for fifteen minutes."
Never contact the boss behind your contact's back. You lose the one person inside who was on your side.
When they say "I need to run it by my boss"
"Of course. What do you think they will ask? ... And if it were only up to you, would you go ahead? ... Then let us make that conversation easy. Shall I put together a short summary with the numbers you gave me, and can we book fifteen minutes after you have spoken to them?"
Three things: you learn the boss's likely objections, you test whether your contact is convinced, and you leave with a date. More on that stall in how to respond to I need to think about it.
If you never meet the decider
Then your contact is your salesperson. Give them what a salesperson needs: the problem in one sentence, the cost in their own numbers, the three reasons it fits, and answers to the two questions the boss will ask. Keep it to one page. The email to carry it is in the sales follow-up email after a call.
On a live call, Crack Sales flags when no decision-maker has been identified and when an authority gap appears, while there is still time to ask. It is free to use and starts after a 15-minute intro call: book a demo.
Frequently asked questions
How do you ask who the decision-maker is?
Ask about process rather than authority: "How did you choose the last supplier like this, and who was involved?" or "If you wanted to go ahead, what would happen next on your side?"
What is an economic buyer?
The person who controls the budget and can approve the spend. They may never use the product, so they judge it on cost, return and risk.
What do you say when a prospect needs to talk to their boss?
Ask what the boss is likely to ask, check whether your contact would go ahead if it were their decision, offer a short summary for them to share, and book a time to speak after that conversation.
Try it on your own calls
Crack Sales is free to use on your own sales calls, and it starts after a 15-minute intro call. Book a demo.
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