Your Deal Isn't Stalled: You Might Be Talking to the Wrong Influencer

Ever had a prospect LOVE your demo, tell you how incredible your solution is, and then... nothing? Weeks turn into months. The deal stalls. Or worse, you lose to "No Decision."

Here's a hard truth: Just because someone loves your product doesn't mean they can get their organization to buy it.

Three Types of Influencers

In my book, Health Tech Giant Slayer, I break down three types of influencers that every founder-led sales organization needs to understand.

• Product Influencers: They love your technology! They want to see how it works, explore the features, and schedule another demo.
• Process Influencers: They're focused on workflows, efficiencies, and how your solution makes life better for their department and end users.
• Performance Influencers: They're focused on organizational outcomes, strategic initiatives, and financial performance. They're less concerned with HOW your product works and more concerned with WHY it matters to the organization.

One Conversation Changed Everything

Here's a real example.

Years ago, when I was a CRO, one of our sales reps and their manager had a deal that was going nowhere.

The service line loved the solution. We had buy-in from the Product and Process Influencers.

But the deal was stuck.

I happened to know the CFO from my earlier days as a sales rep. One conversation changed everything.

We shifted the discussion from product functionality and departmental efficiencies to organizational impact and strategic priorities. Suddenly, what looked like a dead deal was signed.

The product didn't change. The conversation did.

And they didn't buy because they knew me, they bought because we gained access to the person that understood what mattered to the organization.

Who Your Key Influencer Really Is

Here's what founders need to understand.

Your Key Influencer isn't necessarily the person with the biggest title, the budget, or the authority to sign the contract. It's the person who can influence organizational alignment and help drive a decision.

Product and Process Influencers are critical. You need their support.

But if you're a startup, your core messaging and commercialization strategy must be built around Performance Influencers.

And identifying them is only half the battle. You need a strategy to REACH them, ENGAGE them, and connect your solution to the outcomes they're accountable for.

Because trust me, they're not sitting around reading your posts, waiting for your next cold email or product demo!

The WHO Before the HOW

At 5 Stones Growth Systems, this is why we focus so heavily on the WHO before the HOW.

If you haven't identified your Performance Influencer and developed a strategy to engage them, you may not have a qualified opportunity. You may just have an interested prospect.

And there's a BIG difference.