The Buying Matrix: How to Win Over Every Decision-Maker
Sales Success Isn’t Just About Your Contact
In complex B2B sales, it’s rarely a single decision-maker calling the shots. Today’s buying journeys involve a wide cast of characters, each bringing different priorities, agendas, and pain points to the table. Selling to just one stakeholder is like trying to win a football match with only a striker – you might get lucky, but the odds aren’t in your favour.
This is where the buying matrix comes in. Understanding who’s involved, what they care about, and how they influence one another can make the difference between another stalled deal and a signed contract.
At Broadley Speaking, we’ve helped our clients decode this matrix across sectors from industrial automation to SaaS. Let’s look at how you can win over every decision-maker.
The Modern B2B Buying Reality
According to Gartner, the average B2B purchase involves 6–10 decision-makers, each of whom independently gathers information and shapes internal thinking.
Key roles often include:
Budget holder (often CFO or financial controller)
End user or technical lead
Procurement
Operations lead
Legal/regulatory approver
Executive sponsor
This complexity often leads to indecision – what researchers call “buyer paralysis.” Deals get delayed not because they’re wrong, but because stakeholders can’t align.
Step 1: Map the Buying Matrix
Start by identifying the full decision-making unit (DMU). Don’t just rely on org charts, look at who has influence, who signs off, and who has veto power.
Tip: Ask your main contact, “Who else will be involved in making this decision?” early in the process. At Broadley Speaking, we train the sales team to use conversational intelligence to uncover silent stakeholders.
Step 2: Tailor Your Messaging to Each Persona
A one-size-fits-all pitch doesn’t work. Each stakeholder has a different lens:
- Finance wants return on investment and risk mitigation.
- Operations wants ease of implementation.
- End users want usability.
- IT wants integration and security.
What we do: For one client in the industrial automation space, we created tailored scripts and collateral for four key personas across 20+ target accounts. Engagement tripled compared to previous outreach.
Step 3: Use Omnichannel Influence
Don’t limit your interaction to email and Zoom calls. Decision-makers are active on LinkedIn, attending webinars, reading sector publications. We use our model to:
- Map and engage buyers across digital and social channels
- Use shared connections and third-party influence
- Surround the account with tailored touchpoints
This “surround sound” approach helped one of our industrial clients convert 20% of engaged accounts into active proposals.
Step 4: Build Internal Champions
Even if you’re not in the room, your message can be. Identify and equip internal advocates who can carry your story forward.
65% of our sales conversations are with a coach, someone we have built trust with and a critical relationship where they then champion our client’s product or service. These coaches are critical and arm our clients prospects to sell for them internally. Increasing their influence across the buying groups and positioning them to win.
Step 5: Uncover Friction and Objections Early
Silence is rarely a sign of agreement. Use discovery calls, insight-led questions, and content engagement to proactively draw out concerns.
At Broadley Speaking, we track the engagement of each stakeholder with tailored content to reveal blockers – even when they’re not vocal.
Final Word: Sales Is a Team Sport
Winning modern B2B deals means winning the room and that room has many people in it. By mapping the matrix, tailoring your message, and engaging every role, you shift from a single-threaded sale to a multi-stakeholder movement.
Don’t sell to one contact. Sell to the decision-making ecosystem.
With 3 decades of experience in B2B Sales & Marketing, Broadley Speaking is skilled in turning obstacles into opportunities. We partner with our clients to create tailored strategies that drive growth, even in uncertain times. From implementing intelligent CRM solutions to crafting personalised ABM campaigns, our approach is built on delivering measurable results and creating lasting partnerships.
1McGraw-Hill Research study | 2Harvard Business Review | 3Advertising Research Foundation | 42017 Marketing Performance Management Report | 52020 state of ABM report
