Buyers Playbook - Ep 2 -The Hidden Gatekeepers—Influencers, Collaborators, and Their Role in the Buying Process

Salespeople most commonly envision the decision-maker as the key audience member to be embraced because this person can say “yes” or “no.” We arrange our strategy by focusing on the only decision-maker, writing, and writing, and trying to bond just them. Meanwhile, behind each big buying decision lies a covert network—an alliance of influencers, collaborators, and even mute skeptics who, without the obvious, affect the buyer configuration. These are not simply people who corroborate in meetings by being silent—they are the main force of the cause, the designers, and the proponents of change.

Today, I will open up the conversation around these unseen forces because you can only speak to a fraction of the buyer’s true journey without understanding them. Let’s dive into how we identify, engage, and win over the hidden players in the buying process.

"Real influence in the buying journey isn't held by one person—it's carried by the hidden champions, the skeptics, and the connectors. To truly win, you must see beyond the obvious and connect with everyone who matters." — Mahesh Iyer

Who Are the Gatekeepers?

To understand the hidden gatekeepers, you need to expand your view beyond the person with “Director” or “VP” in their title. You need to look at the bigger picture of organizational decisions. Often, the actual decision-maker relies heavily on recommendations from others—people who don’t necessarily have an official decision-making title but hold tremendous sway.

1. The Research Geek Every organization has someone who is the go-to for doing the research—who gathers intel on vendors, reads whitepapers, watches product demos, and can spot fluff from a mile away. They don’t hold the purse strings but control the information flow. If you aren’t winning over the Research Geek, you’re likely not even making it to the decision-makers desk.
2. Example: Suppose you’re selling a new SaaS platform for managing project workflows. The Research Geek is the one scouring the market, creating a shortlist of potential solutions, and presenting them internally. If your pitch is just a generic overview, you’ve already lost them. These people crave depth, honesty, and data points that help them build a compelling internal case.
3. The Operational Guru The Operational Guru is the person who understands the practical side of adopting a new solution. They ask the tough questions about integration, compatibility, and day-to-day disruptions. You're not getting the green light if you don’t convince them that your solution will fit smoothly into their existing systems.
4. Practical Insight:?These people aren’t sold on promises of high-level transformation—they want proof of real use cases, integration blueprints, and examples of how you’ve solved the same problems for companies like theirs. Engaging the Operational Guru means being ready to dive deep into the details and not shying away from the nitty-gritty.
5. The Quiet Skeptics?are rarely the loudest voices in the room, but their opinions matter. The Quiet Skeptic is the person who needs convincing the most. They’re silently taking notes, cross-referencing your claims, and asking subtle but critical questions that could make or break the deal. It’s crucial to address their concerns head-on.
6. Strategy Tip: Hyperbole never wins over skeptics. Be transparent about potential challenges, share how you navigate them, and provide clear evidence. Acknowledging what’s tough about implementing your solution and how you support clients through those bumps will start building trust.
7. The Internal Champion: Then there’s the internal champion. They might not have the authority to sign off on a new solution, but they will be your greatest ally. They are the voice inside the company advocating for your product when you’re not in the room. Winning over an internal champion means empowering them with the information they need to fight your fight.
8. Example: When working with an internal champion, focus on how your product can solve pain points specific to their role. Give them detailed material they can share internally—slides, case studies, and even personalized videos that help them present your value when you're not there to do it yourself.

How the Gatekeepers Shape the Buying Journey

The buying journey today is rarely linear. It’s a series of discussions, decisions, and cross-departmental consultations that can take weeks or months. Here’s where these hidden gatekeepers wield real influence:

• The Shortlist Process: The Research Geek will typically be the first to interact with your brand. If they’re impressed, they add you to the shortlist. If not, you’re out before you even knew you were in.
• Internal Discussions: The operational guru looks at the logistics once you make the shortlist. They’re the ones who will either flag potential pitfalls or validate that what you’re selling is doable. They'll squash the deal internally if they can’t envision your solution fitting into their day-to-day.
• Convincing the Skeptics: The Quiet Skeptic’s approval will be critical. Their questions can derail a decision if not handled well. Winning them over often means providing one-on-one attention—customized demos, follow-up materials, and transparency that shows you value their scrutiny.
• The Champion’s Role: Your internal champion needs ammunition to get others on board. They’re the unsung heroes who will forward your message when meeting executives, finance, or IT. The more material and support you provide them, the more compelling they can present your case internally.

How to Engage the Hidden Players

1. Create Multi-Layered Content Every gatekeeper has different needs. The Research Geek wants detailed comparisons, the Operational Guru wants integration details, the Quiet Skeptic wants honest answers, and the Champion wants shareable value-focused assets. One of the best ways to engage them is to create content that serves their unique interests. For instance, offer a technical whitepaper for the Operational Guru, an FAQ for the Skeptic, and a polished, visually engaging slide deck for your Champion. Remember, giving each persona exactly what they need to feel confident in you is key.
2. Acknowledge All Perspectives in Your Demos Too often, sales demos focus exclusively on the “wow” factor for the decision-maker. Instead, create demos that call out specific concerns that a Skeptic or Operational Guru might have. Bring those tough questions into the light early—don’t leave them as a question mark in someone’s mind.
3. Example: In a demo, explicitly say, “You might wonder how this integrates with your existing system. Let me show you exactly how we do that.” You demonstrate that you understand their world's complexities by directly addressing their concerns.
4. Give Champions the Tools to Win Your internal champion is your best advocate. They must be armed with simple yet compelling tools to tell your story. Create a tailored toolkit that helps them showcase your product’s value—short video clips, email templates, or a step-by-step ROI calculation. Make them feel like a hero for bringing you in.
5. Follow the Influence Trail Influence isn’t static; it moves and shifts across different levels of an organization. The Research Geek might kickstart the conversation, but as the journey progresses, the Skeptic and Operational Guru gain increasing weight. Recognize these shifts and adjust your outreach accordingly—always keep an eye on who’s actively shaping the decision at each stage.

Winning the Hidden Majority

Let me give you a real-life example of how understanding these hidden gatekeepers helped a payment gateway company crack its first enterprise deal while I was working as their Fractional CRO.

This payment gateway company struggled to break into the enterprise market, and its sales team kept hitting dead ends. They approached me, and after looking at their pipeline, I quickly realized that their strategy was too focused on the end decision-maker. They weren’t accounting for the other influencers who had significant sway in the buying decision.

The challenge was simple but deep: They needed buy-in from every relevant person who could influence the deal. I identified key personas within their target customer organization—the Research Geek, who had the authority to suggest solutions; the Operational Guru concerned with integration; the Quiet Skeptic, who had been burned before by similar promises; and our potential Internal Champion.

Here’s how I tackled it:

• Winning the Research Geek: I started by arming the sales team with deep, research-oriented content. We created detailed whitepapers and comparison charts, highlighting the differences between our solution and competitors’. The idea was to help Research Geek build a compelling internal case. Instead of broad messaging, we focused on targeted, insightful content that showed why our solution was not just an option but the best one available.
• Engaging the Operational Guru: The Operational Guru was skeptical about how our gateway would integrate with their existing infrastructure. To overcome this, I organized a technical workshop specifically addressing integration. We went through the nuts and bolts with their technical team, showing them exactly how our solution would fit and preempting any compatibility issues. I also brought in a customer from a similar industry to speak directly about their positive integration experience.
• Convincing the Quiet Skeptic: The Quiet Skeptic was concerned about scalability and potential risks. I knew sugar-coating wouldn’t work here. Instead, I acknowledged the challenges upfront. I spoke about potential difficulties during the onboarding phase, but I also laid out how we mitigate those risks with transparent timelines and dedicated support channels. This honesty was a turning point—by the end of the discussion, we had earned the skeptic’s respect.
• Empowering the Internal Champion: Finally, for our Internal Champion, I created a toolkit that included a visually engaging presentation, a financial ROI breakdown, and even a few short video clips summarizing our value. I ensured our champions had everything they needed to present internally confidently and enthusiastically. Our champion could articulate why our solution was not just good but essential.

In the end, this approach turned things around. We built consensus across multiple gatekeepers, and each one became an advocate for our solution.

The result? We closed their first enterprise deal, a major win that transformed their revenue outlook and the confidence of the entire sales team.

The real power in the buying journey lies beneath the surface. It’s not just about the single decision-maker—it’s about all the voices they listen to, the concerns they have to address, and the internal hurdles they need to jump through. If you’re only focused on one person, you’re missing out on the majority of influence that shapes the final decision.

Winning sales today is about building genuine trust at every level of the organization—not just with the executive but with everyone from the Research Maven to the Quiet Skeptic. It’s about seeing the unseen, hearing the unsaid, and empowering internal champions who will carry your message when you’re not in the room.

This is how we transform from product pushers to buyer enablers, from sellers to trusted advisors. In this new world, the best sales strategies understand the complexity of human influence and adapt accordingly.

If this episode made you rethink your approach, I’d love your thoughts. The future of sales is buyer-centric, and it starts by recognizing everyone who matters in that journey.