To secure a deal with a potential client lacking decision-making power, focus on building a strong relationship and establishing trust. Start by understanding their needs and challenges, positioning yourself as a valuable resource. Provide insightful information and tailored solutions that resonate with their goals. Encourage them to advocate for your proposal by equipping them with persuasive materials and data. Regularly follow up to maintain engagement and demonstrate your commitment. Additionally, seek opportunities to connect with key decision-makers through introductions or referrals, ensuring your contact feels supported in championing your offering within their organization.

Use him, haha, not in a bad way! What I mean is, build a genuine rapport with him so he becomes your bridge to the decision-maker. It’s not just about the introduction, it’s about him connecting you and creating a strong, positive impression. In the end, every connection you make is a step forward, never a wasted effort.

With a client having no decision-making power, the relationship needs to be made solid, and an attempt should be made to reach the decision-makers, too. Arm your contact with impactful value propositions and material that his leadership can understand. Go with your contact in discussions or presentations and try to sell directly against their main concerns; show interest and guarantee the value proposition of the solution to be understood by the decision-makers.

Get a satisfied client to call with a recommendation. Net Promoter Score and word of mouth are best services marketing strategies! You must always be in the path of accountability and feedback.

Evaluate if your client can help you gain better knowledge in the following areas in the sales process : 1. Does the client have information on the Decision Making Process (DMP) in the Org ? 2. Can he helped identify the names and roles of any members in the DMP ? 3. Does he have knowledge on what is the budget set for this project? 4. Does he know when and why this project must be delivered within the org aka “an impending business event”? 5. Can client at least help clarify the buying requirements aka “the specifications” of the project ? If you cannot get at least one YES from the above questions then he is not be of value to you for this project!!

In my experience you need to engage with this contact as if they do have decision making power. Be genuine, listen to the perceived need, and open to building a trusting relationship that also demonstrates how you can connect the client to essential resources in your company that would aid the client. If your approach works, word will pass very quickly to the ones with the decision making power and they will begin to be part of the interaction.

In the Facilities Management (B2B) sector, I’ve often encountered situations where my primary contact lacked decision-making authority and was hesitant to escalate the discussion. This stems from a “play it safe” mindset, where people avoid risks to protect themselves. In such cases, I focus on building trust and rapport with my contact, acknowledging their role as crucial in the decision-making process. Offering undeniable value through tailored solutions helps them see the benefits and advocate internally. At the same time, I carefully steer conversations toward engaging the decision-maker, ensuring my contact feels valued throughout. It’s a blend of respect, strategy, and persistence that has consistently worked for me.

The key is to equip them with the right information and tools to advocate for your services internally. Here's a structured approach: 1. Build Trust and Understand Their Needs. 2. Position Them as an Internal Champion. 3. Educate and Simplify. 4. Offer Value to the Organization. 5. Follow Up and Be Persistent. 6. Create Urgency. Treat them as a Collaborative partner and not just a middleman. Empowering them with the right tools, knowledge, and confidence to influence decision-makers can help secure the deal.

To secure the deal, build trust and establish rapport with the intermediary. Understand their challenges and position your solution as a benefit to both their needs and the decision-maker’s priorities. Provide clear value, offer testimonials or case studies, and ensure the intermediary feels confident in advocating for your proposal.