The Role of Reaching Decision Makers in Predicting Sales Success
11:36 02 July
in Research Blog
In today’s complex selling environment, it’s no longer enough for salespeople to build relationships with friendly contacts or enthusiastic product users. Reaching decision makers, the people with the actual authority to approve or reject a deal, is a critical competency that can make or break a sale. When sellers consistently access the right individuals at the right points in the process, they dramatically improve their ability to close deals and shorten sales cycles.
How Reaching Decision Makers Fits into the Core Selling Competencies
Reaching decision makers sits squarely within the Tactical Competencies that every successful salesperson needs to master. While Sales DNA governs natural tendencies and mindset, and the Will to Sell measures drive, Tactical Competencies reflect the specific skills that help sellers navigate a sales. Together, these three areas form the foundation of the research-backed 21 Core Sales Competencies that predict success in sales. The ability to reach decision makers is one of these essential tactical abilities. It enables sellers to align their efforts with where real decisions happen, ensuring their solutions are considered by those who can say yes.The Impact of Reaching Decision Makers on the Sales Process
Salespeople who are proficient in reaching decision makers have more meaningful conversations. This competency influences several key sales outcomes:- Higher win rates – Engaging with true economic buyers means sellers are presenting solutions to those who can act, not just those who can advocate.
- Better identification and navigation of the Buying Committee – Sellers who target decision makers gain clearer visibility into the structure, priorities, and dynamics of the buying team.
- Decreased sales cycle timelines – When sellers engage decision makers early and at critical stages, they reduce delays caused by unnecessary gatekeepers or stalled internal discussions.
- Fewer deals lost to indecision – Working directly with those empowered to decide helps keep deals moving and reduces the risk of stalled opportunities due to internal inertia.
How to Ensure Your Sales Team is Proficient
Despite its importance, only 46% of salespeople are proficient at consistently reaching the right economic buyer—the individual who holds final approval authority. This gap creates unnecessary obstacles and can significantly lower a team’s overall sales effectiveness. Sales leaders must focus on helping their teams:- Recognize the true decision maker rather than stopping at an interested contact or technical evaluator.
- Develop strategies and skills for gaining access to higher levels, including leveraging referrals, tailoring value-based messaging, and confidently requesting introductions.
- Prioritize conversations that matter, ensuring time and effort are invested in engaging stakeholders who can advance or finalize deals.
How to Measure and Improve This Competency
Objective Management Group (OMG) assessments are designed to give leaders precise insights into how well their salespeople perform in reaching decision makers. Specifically, OMG evaluations measure seven skills sellers need to excel in this area, including:- Not starting with a proposal. Effective sellers focus first on identifying problems and aligning with decision makers, rather than rushing into solution mode with those who can’t buy.
- Speaking directly with decision makers at critical points
- Sellers must engage decision makers early in the process and during key milestones like solution fit, proposal delivery, and final negotiations.
- Using tactical skills to gain faster access. From crafting messaging that resonates at the executive level to navigating complex org charts, sellers need a toolbox of strategies to reach decision makers quickly and effectively.
By identifying where individual sellers excel or struggle in these areas, sales leaders can provide targeted coaching, training, and development that leads to stronger, more consistent performance.