If your B2B strategy is built around one decision maker, you’re already behind. Most business purchases today involve anywhere from 6 to 10 people, each with their own needs, objections, and influence. Some never appear on the org chart you see, yet they can quietly derail a deal you thought was a sure thing.
I’ve watched brilliant solutions take ages to close because procurement wasn’t looped in early. I’ve seen sales teams pitch to the CMO without realizing the CTO was the silent veto. And I’ve seen how the right internal champion, armed with the right messaging, can move a sale forward faster than any marketing push alone.
If you’re an agency strategist, creative lead, or B2B marketing team, this is your reminder: the “buyer” isn’t just one person. Here’s how to rethink who’s really deciding — and how to reach them.
The Classic B2B Persona Isn’t Enough
A lot of B2B teams still anchor their strategy around a single decision maker: “Our target is the VP of IT.” Or “We’re selling to the CFO.” That’s a start, but it’s rarely the full picture.
Today’s B2B buying process is more committee than kingmaker. The executive sponsor might sign the contract, but they’re not the only voice that matters. Behind them is a web of technical evaluators, end users, legal teams, finance approvers, and project managers who can say no without ever saying yes.
Each of these people cares about different things:
- The CTO wants to know how you’ll impact their work flow.
- The end user wants things to get easier, not become one more step.
- Legal wants risk mitigation.
- Procurement wants better pricing.
- The executive wants ROI tied to strategic goals.
If your messaging only speaks to one of them, the others will slow things down or quietly block the deal.
Who’s at the Table (and Who’s Lurking)
In reality, B2B deals involve a mix of roles:
- Financial Buyer — Controls the budget.
- Technical Buyer — Validates feasibility.
- User Buyer — Actually uses the product or service.
- Executive Sponsor — Champions the vision.
- Gatekeepers & Blockers — Often Compliance, legal, procurement.
- Champions — Your hidden allies on the inside.
One of the most overlooked groups? The “shadow influencers” — people with unofficial sway. Maybe it’s an IT lead trusted by the C-suite or a team manager who controls how well something is adopted. Win them over and your pitch moves forward where it counts.
How to Build a Real Decision Journey Map
So how do you plan for all this? Start by mapping the real decision ecosystem, not just job titles. A simple approach:
- Make a list of everyone who might touch the sale, directly or indirectly.
- Identify their roles across the decision journey. Who’s vocal? Who stays behind the scenes but has influence? Who can approve or block the deal?
- Map out when they show up in the process. Who shapes the shortlist? Who runs the pilot? Who signs off on the final contract?
- Tailor your messaging to each one. Show the CTO technical specs, reassure Finance on total cost, prove to end users that this makes their lives easier.
When I work with clients, I often run stakeholder workshops to build these maps together. It surfaces blind spots the sales deck alone won’t catch. If that’s not possible, I can conduct stakeholder interviews and pull this information through and get it documented.
What Happens When You Get It Right
Aligning your strategy with the real buying journey makes everything work harder. Campaigns resonate because they answer actual concerns. Sales move faster because hidden blockers are addressed early. Sales and marketing stay in sync with clear messaging that works for every audience, not just the top decision maker.
This doesn’t mean you need six different campaigns. It means you need layered messaging and a strategy to provide the needed info at the right stage of the journey, and, of course, a journey map that acts as a guide, not just a slide that gets filed away.
If your B2B pipeline is stalling or your messaging isn’t landing where it should, chances are you have gaps in your decision map. I help agencies and B2B teams build persona ecosystems and stakeholder journeys that reflect how decisions really get made — and then turn those insights into comms plans, workshops, and frameworks your teams can use right away. If you’re ready to rethink your buyer map, let’s talk.