Talking to the wrong person wastes everyone's time. Here's how to find the actual decision maker.
Organizational Mapping
- Org charts: LinkedIn shows company hierarchy
- Title analysis: VP, Director, Head of = usually has budget
- Team size: Manager of 10+ = likely decision maker
LinkedIn Research
- Search company + your target function
- Look at team structure
- Check recent hires (often responsible for new initiatives)
- Review company posts for featured employees
Common Patterns by Company Size
- Startup (1-50): CEO/Founder decides everything
- SMB (50-200): Department heads have budget
- Mid-market (200-1000): Directors and VPs
- Enterprise (1000+): Multiple stakeholders, find the champion
Validation Signals
- Posts about relevant topics
- Recently changed role/got promoted
- Active in industry groups
- Speaks at events
Multi-threading: In larger companies, engage multiple stakeholders. You need a champion, but also influence on the committee.