Connect with Decision Makers, Not the Fakers, Takers, or Partakers

Too many professionals waste energy focusing on the wrong people instead of investing time on strategic connections. Know when to be decisive and pivot to the decision makers.

Read Time: 5 Minutes

QUESTION: Who is the most important person to talk to when you are involved with the following activities?

- Landing a new job

- Selling a product or service

- Launching a new project or program

ANSWER: The decision maker

Unfortunately, decision makers aren’t always easy to spot. There are many of us who believe …

But the obvious decision maker isn’t always the final decision maker. That is, the person we think is the decision maker is actually not.

Here are the types of people we need to be wary of if we need to connect with the decision maker:

• Fakers - Those who act like they make the decisions but don’t. They will lead you on and feign interest, but usually never purchase your product or service. The last words you usually hear with these types of people are “I need to get this approved".
• Takers - Those who have ulterior motives. They are more interested in taking your information and knowledge to use it for their own benefit rather than using or sharing it to make a decision on your product or service.
• Partakers - Those who take part in the decision making process but “stand on the sidelines” when a decision needs to be made. They don’t really contribute to the decision making process or have decision making authority.

So, how do we find the “true” decision makers?

How to Find the Decision Makers

• Research: Before diving in, understand the structure and the kind of product or service you're offering. This will help you identify the relevant department and the roles that typically hold decision-making power for purchases of your nature
• Leverage social media: The Internet is a goldmine for professional information. For example, on LinkedIn you can search for a company and then filter by keywords related to your offering. Look at profiles of people in leadership positions or those managing departments that would be interested in your product or service.
• Ask strategic questions: Sometimes, a simple question can reveal who the decision maker is. Reach out to the company's sales or customer service department and inquire about the buying process.

Leverage AI for Help

• Data Analysis and Insights: AI can sift through vast amounts of data on companies and organizations, including public filings, social media, and news articles to help you to identify individuals with relevant titles, experience, and decision-making authority.
• Predictive Modeling: AI-powered tools can analyze past interactions and company structures to predict who holds the most influence in a particular situation which can help you target the right people.
• Automated Research and Lead Generation: AI can automate tasks like searching for contacts and compiling information on potential decision-makers. This frees up your time to focus on building relationships and growing your network.

One final note … decision makers don’t operate in a bubble. There are project teams, department heads, and office staff that play important roles in the decision-making process as well. But we will review that on another day.

In the meantime…

Engage with anyone.

Be kind to everyone.

Network with your selected ones.

And connect strategically with the decision makers.

- Mike

www.mikemarcellus.com