A deal is a decision made by several people
Treating a deal as a lever you pull misses how large companies buy. A deal is a decision made by people, inside a system of relationships. Each person sees it through their own priorities, and one unconvinced person can stop it.
So the preparation changes. Before the pitch I want one page: who decides, what each person values, what holds them back and who is open to something new.
The seven roles to look for
Most complex purchases involve these roles, often with one person in several of them:
- Executive sponsor: wants a visible result and a plan they can defend to their peers.
- Budget holder: wants to know the cost, the risk and what it replaces.
- Gatekeeper: wants the process followed, and no surprises for their team.
- Day-to-day owner: wants something that works in their routine and does not add work.
- Informal influencer: someone others ask before they decide, often without a title for it.
- Sceptic: wants proof, and is useful because they find the weak point early.
- Champion: already believes, and needs materials they can pass on.
For each person, write three things
What they need in this decision, what they want, and what sits underneath. The first two are usually said out loud. The third is what the conversation is really about, for example a wish to be seen as someone who moves things, or a fear of being blamed if it fails.
Then write one first question for each person, one that opens the conversation instead of pushing the offer. For a sponsor it might be: what would make this a win you are proud to present?
Build it from what you already know
Start from the CRM history, meeting notes and LinkedIn, then correct it after every conversation. An AI agent can draft the first version from your notes and past contacts. You check it, because the map is a working guess about people and it has to be corrected by meeting them.
What the map changes
It decides who you meet first, what each person gets in the materials, and where a deal is likely to stall. In the spin-offs I worked on, mapping the deciders early is a large part of why first contact to commercial commitment took under three months instead of two years or more.
Questions
How many people are in a buying committee?
In a complex B2B purchase it is usually several, from a sponsor to technical, legal and procurement people. The map exists so you know which ones matter in your deal.
Is this only for large companies?
It matters most where several people decide, so large companies and industrial buyers. The same questions help in smaller deals, just with fewer people.
Is the map a personality test of the buyer?
No. It describes what someone cares about in this decision, in this role. People change from day to day, so you correct the map as you learn more.
Want to talk it through?
Write me a few lines about the company and where it stands. If it helps, we can start with two hours on your own AI agent, which gives time back in the first week and shows how I work.
Write to me