The document provides a comprehensive guide on how to engage effectively with decision makers in sales, emphasizing the need to discover the decision-making process, identify key approvers, and secure support from influential stakeholders. It outlines strategies such as building rapport with CXOs, identifying mobilizers instead of talkers, and preparing for high-level conversations. Additionally, it stresses the importance of understanding the business challenges and interests of decision makers to tailor the sales approach effectively.

1. Reaching Decision
Makers
Brian Groth
Sales Enablement Manager, Xactly
http://www.linkedin.com/in/bgroth
@BrianGroth

2. Agenda
1. Discover the decisions to be made,
who approves & who signs
2. Get the support of more than just
one “champion”
3. Be prepared for that CxO-level
conversation
4. Work with Mobilizers, not Talkers

3. First a few assumptions: You’re at least
getting a foot in the door
1. You are using their corporate web site to find people
2. You are responding to e-mail and web form requests
3. You are using LinkedIn and other tools to find people
4. You are attending events (in-person, online) to find
people
5. You finally get at least one person to talk to, so when
you meet in person or talk on the phone…

4. Discover the decisions to be made,
who approves & who signs

5. Discover the decisions to be made
“The secret to finding the decision makers is to define what
decisions need to be made to complete a transactions.” –
Brian Burns, Host at The Brutal Truth About Sales & Selling –
PodCast
1. Who will your product impact? Who will determine if
Sales, Finance and IT support the solution? (few solutions
impact only one function)
2. Are there any specific steps in the process, meetings or
reviews that need to happen before a decision can be
made? Who needs to be at those meetings?
3. Are there compliance reviews that need to happen?
4. Are there security reviews that need to happen?

6. Discover who approves the project
1. What are you (champ) personally
accountable for?
2. Who needs to be involved in evaluating
and approving the solution?
3. Who needs to be involved in making the
final purchase decision?
4. Does legal have to review and approve
anything?

7. Discover who signs the paperwork
1. Who needs to sign off on the purchase order, the
agreement, the SOW? (signatory versus approval)
2. Who owns the budget or can create the budget?
3. Does the amount of the deal make an impact signer?
4. Can anyone block the order? Procurement?
5. Is anyone who needs to sign going to be out (vacation,
etc.) when we expect to get the paperwork signed?
6. Process: Who will write the purchase requisition and
justification for the purchase?

8. Earn the right to talk to the CxO

9. Get the team’s support first
1. “When it does come time to decide, the
decision maker wants to know he’s got the
strong backing of his team.”
2. “You can’t just elevate the conversation and
cut everyone else out because it’s exactly that
team input that the decision maker values most
when it comes to loyalty.”
Source: “The Challenger Sale”

10. Ask to get introduced
1. To others involved in the project – be the one who
treats them like a team working on the project (the
project is to buy, implement and live with a solution)
2. Once you have names of decision makers and
influencers, ask to be introduced to them and/or to
have your champ set up a meeting for you with
them
“69% of B2B buyers are more likely to choose a vendor who is
recommended to them”
“46% more likely to choose a vendor who builds relationships
with the buyer’s other stakeholders.”
Source: LinkedIn Global Study of 1,500 B2B Decision-Makers and Influencers, May 2014

11. Sound like the CxO

12. You will be taken to the person you
sound like
1. Learn the lingo of a Sales VP, CFO, CMO, CIO, tec.
2. Participate in group discussions on LinkedIn
3. Share relevant content on LinkedIn
4. Go to their website and look at their recent press
announcements. Understand their business challenges.
5. Google their company name with an added word like
“problem”, “issues”, or “challenges”. See what pops up.
6. Look at their operating statement. Are they any numbers
that are worse than they were the year before?

13. Understand the CxO before selling
1. Motivation: Understand what they will care
about, not the people below them
2. Interests: Social Selling if possible, but always
know account and industry related news
3. Business & Financial Acumen: Have business-
level conversation, not a product pitch
4. Build Rapport: Quickly mirror tone of voice,
volume, tempo and words

14. Choose the right “champion”

15. Find the Mobilizers, Avoid the Talkers
“Mobilizers” drive organizational
action and bring healthy debate to
sales discussions
The “Talkers” can help you find
information, but won’t drive action?
Source: Corporate Executive Board

16. Recognize the “Mobilizer”
Is your contact:
1. Challenging you on the insights you’ve share? Ask you
thought-provoking questions”
2. Interested in using your solution to drive behaviors that
align to company goals? Refer to the org. more than
themselves?
3. Willing to work on the next steps of their buying process
with you? Willing to do some of the tasks?
If your contact does not show these traits, then ask for
others in the account that you can talk to, with a goal of
finding a mobilzer.
Source: Corporate Executive Board

17. Summary
 Discover the decisions to be made, who approves & who signs
 Discover the decisions to be made
 Discover who approves the project
 Discover who signs the paperwork
 Earn the right to talk to the CxO
 Get the team’s support
 Ask to get introduced
 Sound like the CxO
 You will be taken to the person you sound like
 Understand the CxO before selling
 Choose the right “champion”
 Find the Mobilizers, avoid the Talkers
 Recognize the “Mobilizer”

18. Brian Groth
Sales Enablement Manager, Xactly
http://www.linkedin.com/in/bgroth
@BrianGroth