Help! I Can't Find Decision-Makers!

Sales novices often find it difficult to locate the right decision makers in a large organization. A former colleague of mine (who's new to selling) recently sent me the following em...ail:

When you have a product that's applicable to both small and large co's - typically at the smaller targets, it's very clear who the decisionmaker is ... but at the larger companies, there are almost too many doors to knock on. I'm finding that for most larger co's that I'm trying to sell into, the initial intro to the product could be made to any one of tens or hundreds of potential targets - and that when I am successful in closing the sale, it usually comes down to a by committee decision (rather than one person pulling the trigger). When I am unsuccessful in selling to these large co's, often it is because while I got that initial person's ear and got them to check out the product (with positive feedback), I never really knew what happened beyond that point.

1. Access Owners. These are people are willing to talk to you and potentially sponsor you to the rest of the organization. You are correct in assuming that there are many of these. Your challenge is to pick the one who will best be able to help you sell.
2. Problem Owners. These are the operational managers whose departments actually need your offering. Sometimes they're also (partial) budget owners, but often they do not really have real control of their budgets when it comes to large purchases.
3. Budget Owners. These are people who control the money. In large companies, spending authority is typically shared between various people, each of whom can say "No" to a deal. The number of individuals involved (and their titles) differ according to the size of the purchase.

• STAGE 1: Enlist the Access Owners. Access Owners are primarily interested in their own credibility and position in the hierarchy. They will want to be certain that you are credible and can deliver as promised, so that bringing you forward will enhance their status. At this point in the sale, your emphasis is on creating an aura of personal credibility and building a strong relationship.
• STAGE 2: Convince the Problem Owners. Problem Owners are typically too busy to talk to you unless somebody else in the organization (i.e. an "access owner") is willing to put his job on the line by sponsoring you. The "problem owner" is primarily concerned with whether your offering will have an actual benefit in the part of the business that's the responsibility of the "problem owner." At this point in the sale, your emphasis is on the solution and the benefits that it will provide.
• STAGE 3: Satisfy the Budget Owners. Budget Owners aren't interested in your offering, per se, but on the impact that your offering will have on the bottom line. So at this point in the sale, it's all about making the decision to buy into a no-brainer. The way you do this is to make your Access Owners and Problem Owners into your advocates.