Sales Mistakes - Who are you selling to?

Ever had a client seem super interested, only for them to disappear after they “talk it over” with their team? Yep—that’s what happens when you sell to one person instead of the actual decision-makers.

If you’re only pitching to the first person who inquires, you’re playing a dangerous game. Because guess what? They might not have the power to say yes—but they can definitely say no.

Let’s talk about why sales fall apart when you don’t have all stakeholders involved, how to find out who really calls the shots, and how to get buy-in from multiple people so you can close deals faster.

The Problem: Selling to the Wrong Person = Lost Sales

If you’re only talking to one person, you’re leaving your fate in their hands. And that’s risky.

Here’s what happens when you don’t loop in the full decision-making team:

❌ Your contact isn’t the final decision-maker. They’re just gathering info, but someone else (who you haven’t met) is making the call.

❌ You lose control of the message. Your contact has to “sell” your services to their team—but they won’t do it as well as you would.

❌ The sale gets stalled… or ghosted. If the real decision-makers aren’t involved early, the deal can drag on forever—or disappear completely.

Your job isn’t just to sell to one person. Your job is to find out who makes the decisions and make sure THEY hear your pitch.

The Fix: How to Identify the Real Decision-Makers

Before you waste time pitching to the wrong person, ask these questions upfront:

1️⃣ “Who else is involved in the decision-making process?” → This politely nudges them to mention other stakeholders.

2️⃣ “How does your team typically make vendor decisions?” → This reveals if there’s a committee, a boss, or multiple layers of approval.

3️⃣ “Would it be helpful to have everyone on a quick call so we can answer all questions at once?” → This gets you in front of the whole team, so you’re not relying on one person to deliver your pitch.

If they hesitate to bring in others, that’s a red flag. A strong lead won’t mind connecting you with the real decision-makers.

The Fix: Getting Buy-In From Multiple People

Once you’ve identified the full decision-making team, make sure everyone is on board. Here’s how:

🔥 Tailor your pitch for different priorities. The CEO might care about ROI, while the event planner cares about logistics. Address what matters to EACH person.

🔥 Get them in the same conversation. A quick group call or meeting can prevent miscommunication and speed up the process.

🔥 Provide materials they can share internally. A simple one-pager or proposal summary makes it easy for them to present your value to the team.

🔥 Create urgency. Decision-making teams love to “think about it.” A gentle deadline (“Our calendar is filling up fast for that date”) keeps them moving.

Final Takeaway: Sell to the Right People, Close More Deals

Stop selling to just one person and hoping for the best. Find out who actually makes the decision, get them involved early, and watch your close rate go up.

🚀 Sell smarter, not harder. Your time is too valuable to waste on the wrong person.