What is the common ground between a CEO, an Accountant, and an Engineer?
Or —The importance of the influencer
Talking with many business persons got me to realize that people do not always know how to identify the right contact for them in organizations they want to work with. When I’m asking, “who will you target?” or “What should be the title of your first call to the company?” Most of the answers are “CEO” or another executive title.
I guess they are not wrong. CEO and other executives are the persons who make the final decisions. However, managing a complicated business corporation required you to rely on a net of advisors and experienced workers that you value their opinion. These people can be engineers, developers, PAs, accountants, and others.
So, Who should you contact to get your foot in the door?
The answer is complicated. There is no magic in business, no rabbits to pull out of the hat. In my view, it is essential to get connected with all the levels. While you are in contact with higher management, you also need to contact other departments relevant to your business, and while you are doing that — start mapping the organization.
I am not talking about the formal organization chart. I am talking about the map that no organization will spread in front of your eyes. In this map, you will draw the hierarchy and mark influencers or suspects you have identified as influencers. These will be the people you should strive to meet with and understand better whether or not you were right.
In some cases, it will be challenging to identify the influencers. The more we learn about the organization, the sharper our senses will be to spot the influencers and connect with them.
A TRUE STORY
A while ago, I worked at a global company and had a critical meeting with one of our industry's biggest companies. It was a complicated organization, and it was hard to understand organizational structure.
To make these meetings effective, I accompanied by a senior engineer. We got into a room full of people, and I knew that the mapping task would be complicated.
After a long day of meetings, we had our last meeting with the engineering department. In this last meeting, our engineer was the conversation leader. As the meeting went, all I heard is engineering talks between both sides of the table. As we finished the formal discussion, I asked the customer’s engineer what his part is when dealing with new business lines. He smiled and answered, “I’m just an engineer. But, because I’m in this business for more than three decades, I always advise the purchasing and management regarding the right companies for the job.”
As I stated at the beginning, influencers can come in all shapes and forms! And in this specific story, it was a senior engineer whose advice was valued by the management. Apparently, after a long day of discussions, he was the most important man I had met. He was the influencer I was looking for.
Was he a decision-maker? NO!
But he sure was an influencer and an excellent contact for my company’s engineering team and me. I knew that it is vital to stay in touch and make sure he knows that he is dealing with professionals and can rely on us.
What is the common ground between a CEO, an engineer, and an accountant?
The answer is that influencers can be anyone in the organization that can affect the decision-maker's mind.
Of course, it is essential to be in contact with all of the above. But remember, the Decision-maker is not making decisions by himself. He consults with different people in different positions and levels in his company, and the more you know about his “trusא- net,” the easier it will be for you to get on his radar.