Decision-Makers vs. Decision-Influencers in B2B Sales

In B2B, it's tempting to think success solely comes from convincing the one with authorization to say "yes. While that’s important, it’s only part of the equation. There is always a crowd of decision makers behind every major choice, who inform, analyse and debate before the ultimate decision is outcome decision-makers and decision-influencers. 

In B2B selling, it is necessary to learn how to address both and how to address them in the right way. Whether you’re building email lists, qualifying B2B sales leads, or refining your B2B lead generation strategy, recognizing the roles of these key players is crucial.

Who Are Decision-Makers and Decision-Influencers?

Decision-Makers

Decision-makers are those who have authority to make the ultimate decision. They are typically top-level executives--C-level executives such as CEOs, CFOs or procurement directors. They are thinking about the top down concepts—such as return on investment (ROI), lasting effects, and how your solution fits into their company's big picture objectives.

Decision-Influencers

Decision-influencers, however, are those who help the decision to be made. They may not have the ultimate decision, but their contribution is also crucial. These may include department managers, team leaders, or technical staff. They normally assess, compare, and present to decision-makers their solutions.

In many cases, influencers are the ones researching and shortlisting potential vendors—making them the first people you need to win over.

Why Both Roles Matter

In today's work environment of collaborative working, critical decisions are seldom made by a single person. A typical B2B sale involves 6–10 stakeholders, each with different priorities and concerns.

Decision-makers have confidence in influencers to validate solutions and recommend them. In the meantime, influencers are trying to find solutions that are convenient for the functionality of their team, and at the same time, they are easy to apply. If you can't attract in either of the groups you risk the contract.

For example: 

• Ignore influencers and you risk being rejected before you even get to the decision-maker.

• Bypass decision-makers, and you risk proposing solutions that do not match their high level strategy.

• For the close, you have to talk to both the audiences, but not in a way that they would care about.

Using Email Lists to Target Decision-Makers and Influencers

B2B lead generation, however, email marketing can be a great medium until it is used to send the perfect message to the right destiny. Here’s how to use email lists to connect with decision-makers and influencers.

1. Segment Your Email Lists

Not all prospects are the same, so your emails shouldn’t be either.

For decision-makers: Craft emails that focus on the big picture. Demonstrate cost savings, ROI and how your solution fits into their business objectives.

For influencers: Dive into the details. Supply the specifications of the product, case studies and descriptions of how it addresses the challenges of their everyday work.

2. Personalize Your Messaging

People can tell when they’re receiving a generic email. Employ the information you possess—for example, job titles, industries, or prior engagements—to personalize your outreach. For example, a CFO versus an IT manager will have drastically competing priorities, even working for the same organization.

3. Provide Value

Nobody likes being sold all the time. Take advantage of your email lists to distribute beneficial information such as industry perspectives, how-tos, and success cases. This puts you as a source of trust and not just other salespeople.

Strategies for Generating B2B Sales Leads

Top-tier B2B sales leads are the backbone of a good sales plan. In order to be effective with decision-makers and influencers that exist today, a multifaceted approach is required that addresses these decision-makers' and influencers' needs, respectively.

1. Focus on Account-Based Marketing (ABM)

ABM is a specific technique by which you narrow down target high-value accounts. Knowing all the important role-players in a company—decision-makers and influencers—you can develop targeted campaigns that are effective for all roles played in the purchase flow.

2. Create Content for Both Audiences

Content that you produce will need to satisfy the needs of both of these groups.

• For decision-makers: Share whitepapers, ROI calculators, and market insights that highlight the strategic value of your solution.

• For influencers: Provide product demos, case studies, and technical-guides that address their daily working requirements.

By publishing this content via your email list or targeted ads, you are leveraging the power of lead nurturing.

3. Host Webinars and Product Demos

Webinars and demos are excellent means of reaching out to influencers, many of whom are required to test your solution. Extend the invitations to decision-makers also, however, frame their involvement around the top-level gains rather than their technical aspects.

4. Build Relationships with Influencers

Influencers can be your biggest allies. Addressing the fears of your constituents and making your solution clear as to how it helps them perform their jobs helps them become proponents of you within your organization.

5. Qualify Leads Strategically

Not all leads are created equal. Employ tools such as lead scoring to identify and target prospects actively consuming your content or showing demand for your solution. This ensures you’re spending time on the leads most likely to convert.

Avoid These Pitfalls

1. Ignoring Influencers

Concentrating on decision-makers alone can ostracize the ones who will back your solution inside your organization.

2. Failing to Tailor Your Messaging

Sending the same email to everyone doesn’t work. Decision-makers and influencers have their own agendas, and your communication has to reflect that.

3. Overlooking the Follow-Up

Both groups require nurturing. A few emails, or a demo is not enough to close a deal - that's where a good follow-up is crucial.

The Takeaway

In B2B sales, it is just not right to only target decision-makers or influencers—you also have to be able to relate to them, together. Ultimately decision makers are the ultimate authority, however influencers make a significant contribution towards influencing the decision they are to make.

Through building targeted email lists, delivering relevant messaging to their unique needs, and better targeting of B2B lead generation, you'd be able to reach both groups effectively. But when you respond to their needs and their issues you are not simply trying to sell them a product, you are framing yourself as a partner they can trust, someone who knows their pain points, and can provide them a real solution.

This human-centered approach is not only getting the account but also creating trust and laying the groundwork for the long-term relationship. In the end, it's what great B2B sales leads is all about.

FAQs:

1. Why should I engage both decision-makers and decision-influencers?
   Engaging both groups guarantees that your solution is landed from a strategic (decision-maker) as well as a practical (influencer) point of view, making it most likely to close the deal.

2. How can I use email marketing to target decision-makers and influencers?
   Segment your email lists to tailor your messaging. For decision makers, the focus should be return on investment and strategic value propositions, and for influencers, product features and utility.

3. What are the best ways to generate B2B sales leads?
   Leverage account based marketing (ABM), content targeting decision makers as well as influencers, and conduct webinars or demos to appropriately engage your prospects.