> Enrich.chat gives AI agents verified work emails and mobiles. To use it from an agent, read https://enrich.chat/agents.md . This is the Markdown version of https://enrich.chat/blog/decision-makers-in-a-company/

# Decision makers in a company: who they are and six ways to find them

A purchase at a company is rarely one person's call. Here are the roles in a buying group, how many people the research says are involved, and six ways to find each of them.

By Enrich.chat Editorial. Updated October 16, 2026.

**Short answer:** The decision makers in a company are the people who can approve, shape or block a purchase, and in B2B that is a group, not one title. [Gartner](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-05-07-gartner-sales-survey-finds-74-percent-of-b2b-buyer-teams-demonstrate-unhealthy-conflict-during-the-decision-process) found buying groups of five to 16 people across as many as four functions. Map the roles first, then search by title, seniority and company size.

## Key takeaways

- A decision maker is a role in one purchase, not a job title. The economic buyer signs, a champion pushes the deal, and evaluators, users, procurement and blockers can each stall it.
- Gartner (2025) found buying groups of five to 16 people. Forrester (2026) puts a typical decision at 13 internal stakeholders and nine external influencers.
- Six ways to find them: company pages and filings, LinkedIn filters, titles adjusted for company size, an org chart or account map, a champion's referral, and a company people lookup API.
- Titles mislead. A founder may decide at a ten-person company, while at a large one a manager or procurement may. Search by function and seniority, not one exact title.
- Enrich.chat's company people endpoint returns people at a website by title and seniority, with LinkedIn URLs. A person lookup then adds a work email with a status. It does not label buying roles.

## What is a decision maker in a company?

A decision maker is a person with the authority to approve, change or stop a business decision, such as buying software. [LinkedIn's Sales Navigator help](https://www.linkedin.com/help/sales-navigator/answer/a5938467) defines the role as the individual with the final say over whether a product or service is purchased.

In B2B buying, that authority is rarely held by one person. [ZoomInfo](https://pipeline.zoominfo.com/sales/how-to-map-a-buying-committee) describes a buying committee as everyone who approves, influences or can block a B2B purchase. It says the same group is also called a buying group or a decision-making unit (DMU). [Leadfeeder](https://www.leadfeeder.com/blog/how-to-find-decision-makers-in-a-company) adds that business decision makers are usually in leadership or management roles, with authority over operations, purchases and strategy.

This guide uses "buying group" for the whole set of people and "decision maker" for anyone in it who has a say. "Types of decision makers" can mean two things. [Dock](https://www.dock.us/library/b2b-decision-makers) sorts them by role: champion, economic, technical, end user and executive. [HubSpot](https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/how-to-sell-to-different-types-of-decision-makers) sorts them by style: the Charismatic, the Deep Thinker, the Skeptic, the Follower and the Controller. Roles tell you whom to find. Style only shows once you start talking.

## How many people are in a B2B buying group?

Published surveys put a buying group anywhere from five to more than 20 people, depending on who counts and how big the deal is. [Gartner's May 2025 release](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-05-07-gartner-sales-survey-finds-74-percent-of-b2b-buyer-teams-demonstrate-unhealthy-conflict-during-the-decision-process), based on a survey of 632 B2B buyers, found groups ranging from five to 16 people across as many as four functions.

[Forrester's 2026 report](https://www.forrester.com/press-newsroom/forrester-2026-the-state-of-business-buying/) says a typical buying decision includes 13 internal stakeholders and nine external influencers, and more for complex or strategic purchases. [6sense](https://6sense.com/science-of-b2b/meet-the-b2b-buying-group) puts a typical group at around 10 members. It also found that about 40% of buyers joined from outside the department that would use the product. 6sense sells software, so treat its survey as one vendor's study.

**Figure 1: People in a B2B buying group, by source.** Three horizontal bars compare how many people research puts in a B2B buying group. Gartner's 2025 survey found groups of five to 16 people. 6sense's 2025 vendor report found about 10. Forrester's 2026 report found 13 internal stakeholders plus nine external influencers.

*Three studies, three counts. Gartner's bar is a range. 6sense reports an average of about 10. Forrester reports two groups: colleagues inside the company and outside influencers such as peers. Sources: [Gartner](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-05-07-gartner-sales-survey-finds-74-percent-of-b2b-buyer-teams-demonstrate-unhealthy-conflict-during-the-decision-process), [6sense](https://6sense.com/science-of-b2b/meet-the-b2b-buying-group), [Forrester](https://www.forrester.com/press-newsroom/forrester-2026-the-state-of-business-buying/).*

The counts differ for good reasons. The buyers 6sense surveyed made purchases with a median cost of $200,000 to $300,000, so those groups are large. Forrester counts outside influencers separately. Smaller purchases at smaller companies involve fewer people. [Mailshake](https://mailshake.com/blog/decision-maker/) says a 20-employee startup likely has only one or two decision makers.

For prospecting, use the research as a planning range. [Belkins](https://belkins.io/blog/how-to-find-decision-makers-in-company), a lead-generation agency, starts with two to three key contacts at an account and widens the list if those do not respond.

## What roles do decision makers play in a buying group?

Frameworks use different names, but most describe the same jobs: the person who can say yes, a champion who pushes the deal, people who evaluate or influence it, users, procurement and finance, and people who can block it. The table shows each role, an example title from a made-up data-tool purchase, and where the definition comes from.

| Role | What the person does | Example title | Definition from |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Economic buyer (decision maker) | Has the overall authority in the buying decision and the final say | COO, CFO or founder | [MEDDICC](https://meddicc.com/meddpicc-sales-methodology-and-process), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/help/sales-navigator/answer/a5938467) |
| Champion | Has power, influence and credibility, supports the deal and can make introductions | Director of operations | [MEDDICC](https://meddicc.com/meddpicc-sales-methodology-and-process), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/help/sales-navigator/answer/a5938467) |
| Evaluator or influencer | Tests the product or shapes the criteria, with no budget of their own | Head of IT | [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/help/sales-navigator/answer/a5938467), [Baylor](https://kellercenter.hankamer.baylor.edu/news/story/2016/identifying-and-managing-buying-center) |
| User | Uses the product every day | Dispatch lead | [Baylor](https://kellercenter.hankamer.baylor.edu/news/story/2016/identifying-and-managing-buying-center), [Dock](https://www.dock.us/library/b2b-decision-makers) |
| Procurement and finance | Run the buying process, the contract and the budget checks | Procurement lead, CFO | [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/help/sales-navigator/answer/a5938467), [6sense](https://6sense.com/science-of-b2b/meet-the-b2b-buying-group) |
| Gatekeeper | Controls the flow of information and access to the group | Executive assistant | [Baylor](https://kellercenter.hankamer.baylor.edu/news/story/2016/identifying-and-managing-buying-center) |
| Blocker | Defends what is in place and may slow or stop the deal | Owner of the current tool | [Challenger Inc.](https://challengerinc.com/the-challenger-customer-profiles/), [ZoomInfo](https://pipeline.zoominfo.com/sales/how-to-map-a-buying-committee) |

Roles are not titles. [ZoomInfo's guide](https://pipeline.zoominfo.com/sales/how-to-map-a-buying-committee) says to map roles rather than titles, because the same person can champion one deal and block the next. One person can also hold two roles at once. Figure 2 shows how a buying group cuts across an org chart.

**Figure 2: A buying group drawn on an org chart.** An org chart for a made-up company with a CEO on top and three branches: finance, operations and IT. The COO is tagged economic buyer. The director of operations under the COO is the champion. The head of IT is the evaluator and the security lead under IT is a risk reviewer. The procurement lead under the CFO is tagged procurement, the CFO is tagged finance review, and the dispatch lead is the user. The CEO is not in this deal.

*Illustrative example, not data. A buying group crosses reporting lines, and the champion is not the highest title. Role names follow [LinkedIn's Relationship Map](https://www.linkedin.com/help/sales-navigator/answer/a5938467) and [MEDDICC](https://meddicc.com/meddpicc-sales-methodology-and-process).*

Sign-off is also more shared than the textbook says. In its 2025 survey, [6sense](https://6sense.com/report/buyer-experience/) asked buyers which role they played. About half (52%) said they were the ultimate decision makers for their organizations. Procurement made up 15%, influencers 14%, champions 10% and financial ratifiers 10%. [6sense also found](https://6sense.com/science-of-b2b/meet-the-b2b-buying-group) that champions, procurement and influencers all reported meaningful roles in final sign-off, alongside the ultimate decision maker.

Procurement matters more than many sellers expect. [Forrester reports](https://www.forrester.com/press-newsroom/forrester-2026-the-state-of-business-buying/) that procurement professionals are decision makers in 53% of business buying cycles and engage from the start.

## How do you find the decision makers at a company?

Use six methods: read the company's own pages, search LinkedIn, adjust the title for company size, draw a map, ask a champion, and use a people lookup API when you have many accounts. The first two cover one account in an afternoon. The last scales to a list.

| Method | Best for | Main limit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1. Company pages and filings | Top executives at one account | Shows the C-suite, not the person running the evaluation |
| 2. LinkedIn search | Mid-level roles by function and seniority | The people list depends on what members add; Sales Navigator is a paid product |
| 3. Title by company size | Choosing which titles to search first | A rule of thumb from vendors, not a measurement |
| 4. Org chart or account map | Deals with many stakeholders | Manual work, and it goes stale when people move |
| 5. Ask a champion | Learning who signs and who can block | You need a first contact and some trust |
| 6. Company people lookup API | Many accounts, agents and repeatable lists | Returns people by title, not buying roles |

### 1. Read the company's own pages and filings

Start with the company's website. [PPAI](https://www.ppai.org/?p=66812), relaying advice from Cognism's Joe Barron, says to go beyond the About page to the leadership team, press releases and any department directories.

Public companies add a second source. [Regulation S-K Item 401](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/17/229.401) requires a registrant to list the names, ages and positions of its executive officers. Companies may put that list in Part I of their annual report on Form 10-K. It gives you the C-suite. It does not name the manager who runs the evaluation.

### 2. Search LinkedIn by function and seniority

LinkedIn is the usual second step. A company's LinkedIn Page lists the members who have added that company to their profile. [LinkedIn Help](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a541828) says members appear on the Page automatically when they pick the company in their Experience section, and the count can take up to 30 days to update. The list is only as complete as members make it.

[Sales Navigator's lead filters](https://www.linkedin.com/help/sales-navigator/answer/a1452817) let you narrow by company headcount, function, current job title and seniority level. A saved persona combines function, seniority, job title and geography. Two filters help with buying groups. "Changed jobs" shows people who moved in the last 90 days. "Past customer" finds people who worked at a company that was your customer, which LinkedIn calls hidden allies. See [Sales Navigator pricing](https://enrich.chat/blog/linkedin-sales-navigator-pricing/) and [its alternatives](https://enrich.chat/alternatives/linkedin-sales-navigator/) before you commit.

### 3. Adjust the title for company size

The same decision sits with different titles at different sizes. Search by department, function and seniority instead of one exact title. [ZoomInfo](https://pipeline.zoominfo.com/sales/how-to-map-a-buying-committee) notes that a "Head of Revenue Systems" at one company does the same job as a "Director of Sales Operations" at another.

| Company size | Where to look first | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A startup of about 10 to 20 people | The founder or CEO. A startup may have only one or two decision makers | [Leadfeeder](https://www.leadfeeder.com/blog/how-to-find-decision-makers-in-a-company), [Mailshake](https://mailshake.com/blog/decision-maker/) |
| Up to 250 employees | Director level and above, heads of function and C-level, who are close to operations | [Belkins](https://belkins.io/blog/how-to-find-decision-makers-in-company) |
| More than 250 employees | Managers, coordinators and specialists, who often act as gatekeepers or first contacts | Belkins |
| A large corporation | Lower-level managers or procurement may decide; expect more decision makers | [Leadfeeder](https://www.leadfeeder.com/blog/how-to-find-decision-makers-in-a-company), [Mailshake](https://mailshake.com/blog/decision-maker/) |

These are rules of thumb from an agency and from sales vendors. They are not measurements. Use them to pick your first search, then check each account.

### 4. Build an org chart or account map

An org chart shows reporting lines for the whole company. A buying committee map shows only the people in this purchase, the role of each and how engaged they are. [ZoomInfo](https://pipeline.zoominfo.com/sales/how-to-map-a-buying-committee) calls the org chart an input to the map, not the map itself. It suggests tracing your likely champion's manager and skip-level manager, where the budget owner usually sits, and then checking IT, security, finance and procurement.

A spreadsheet works. LinkedIn's [Relationship Map](https://www.linkedin.com/help/sales-navigator/answer/a5938467) does the same inside Sales Navigator. You save leads and tag each as decision maker, champion, evaluator, procurement or influencer. LinkedIn's FAQ says maps are built by hand from saved leads and lead recommendations, hold up to 30 leads, and show a stale alert when a lead leaves the company.

### 5. Ask a champion

Someone inside the account often knows the group better than any database. [Belkins](https://belkins.io/blog/how-to-find-decision-makers-in-company) suggests emailing one plausible contact and asking whether they are the right person or whom to contact instead. [Mailshake](https://mailshake.com/blog/decision-maker/) lists questions that surface the group: what the typical purchasing process is, what criteria the other decision makers use, and who else should see the solution. It adds that some companies require a committee for purchases that touch key systems or pass a set dollar amount.

Look for the champion by behavior, not rank. [MEDDICC](https://meddicc.com/meddpicc-sales-methodology-and-process) defines a champion as a person with power, influence and credibility in the customer's organization. [Challenger Inc.](https://challengerinc.com/the-challenger-customer-profiles/) says Mobilizers move their organizations toward consensus, and you spot them by how they react to your ideas, not by job title. Order matters too. ZoomInfo advises winning the champion first and expanding through them, and lists going around the champion as a common mistake.

### 6. Use a company people lookup API

A company people lookup takes a company website and, optionally, a title or seniority. It returns the matching people with their titles and profile links. That turns an afternoon of searching into one request per role, which suits agents, scripts and long account lists. The last section of this guide shows the Enrich.chat version. For other vendors, see our roundups of the [best sales intelligence tools](https://enrich.chat/blog/best-sales-intelligence-tools/) and the [best B2B data providers](https://enrich.chat/blog/best-b2b-data-providers/).

## How do you tell a real decision maker from an influencer or a blocker?

Ask how the decision is made, not only who makes it. A real decision maker can describe the process, the criteria and the budget, and can name who else must agree. These checks help:

- **Test authority.** [MEDDICC](https://meddicc.com/meddpicc-sales-methodology-and-process) defines the economic buyer as the person with the overall authority in the buying decision. Ask who signs and what budget the purchase comes from.
- **Ask about the process.** [Mailshake](https://mailshake.com/blog/decision-maker/) says to confirm a decision maker even when you think you have one, or you may have to present again to others.
- **Watch behavior.** [Challenger Inc.](https://challengerinc.com/the-challenger-customer-profiles/) describes Blockers as bored or disinterested people who ask no questions and give no useful information. Mobilizers pressure-test what you say and ask "we" questions. Talkers share information and take meetings but cannot drive large-scale change.
- **Expect disagreement.** [Gartner](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-05-07-gartner-sales-survey-finds-74-percent-of-b2b-buyer-teams-demonstrate-unhealthy-conflict-during-the-decision-process) found that 74% of buyer teams show unhealthy conflict, such as conflicting goals or members being overruled by outside decision makers. Groups that reach consensus were 2.5 times more likely to report a high-quality deal. A yes from one person is not a yes from the group.
- **Check that the title is current.** [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/tenure.nr0.htm) reports median tenure of 6.1 years for management occupations in January 2026. [Lusha](https://www.lusha.com/blog/b2b-data-decay-rate-measured/) recorded a job change for 12.25% of US sales VPs and C-suite leaders in a 12-month window, and says detected changes set a floor. Our [data decay guide](https://enrich.chat/blog/b2b-data-decay/) explains why lists age.

## How do you reach a buying group once you have found it?

Reach one person you trust first, widen through them, and write to the group's shared goal, not one role's. [Gartner's 2025 research](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-05-07-gartner-sales-survey-finds-74-percent-of-b2b-buyer-teams-demonstrate-unhealthy-conflict-during-the-decision-process) found that content tailored to the buying group raised consensus by 20%, while content aimed at individual relevance had a 59% negative effect on consensus. Buyers who felt group relevance were three times more likely to report a high-quality deal.

Timing matters as well. [6sense](https://6sense.com/science-of-b2b/meet-the-b2b-buying-group) reports that buyers put about four vendors on a shortlist on day one, and 95% of the time buy from one of them. That favors early contact over a late pitch. Our guide to [intent data](https://enrich.chat/blog/intent-data/) covers signals that show who is researching.

A sensible order, adapted from [ZoomInfo's guide](https://pipeline.zoominfo.com/sales/how-to-map-a-buying-committee), is to win the champion, ask who signs and who could block, bring in your own executives, and send security, legal and procurement their material before they ask for it.

Finding a work email does not make outreach lawful by itself. You are responsible for the rules that apply to you, such as CAN-SPAM, GDPR and, for calls and texts, the TCPA. This is general information, not legal advice. See our guides to [cold email](https://enrich.chat/blog/cold-email/) and [B2B cold calling](https://enrich.chat/blog/tcpa-b2b-cold-calling/).

## How can an AI agent find a company's decision makers with Enrich.chat?

Give your agent a company website and the roles you want. Enrich.chat's company people endpoint returns matching people with name, title and LinkedIn URL, and the person endpoint adds a work email with a status. Your agent, or you, still decides who is the economic buyer and who is the champion.

Enrich.chat is contact and company data for AI agents and apps. The agent reads [enrich.chat/agents.md](https://enrich.chat/agents.md) once, or you add the MCP server at `https://enrich.chat/mcp`, which has a company_people tool. The [agents page](https://enrich.chat/agents/) has setup steps for ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor and more. Enrich.chat does not log in to LinkedIn. A LinkedIn URL is only a lookup key.

```text
Use www.enrich.chat to map the buying group at acme.com for a new data platform. Find the CFO, the head of IT, the head of operations and the head of procurement, with name, title and LinkedIn URL. Then find each work email and show its status. Mark anyone with no match as not found and report the total credits used.
```

| Step | Request | What comes back |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Check the account | `GET /v1/company?domain=acme.com` | Industry, employees, state and country, so you can pick the right row in the company-size table |
| List the people | `GET /v1/company/people?domain=acme.com&title=cfo` | Name, title and LinkedIn URL for each match. Add `seniority` (c_suite, founder, owner, vp, head, director or manager). `limit` runs from 1 to 25 and defaults to 10 |
| Get the contact | `GET /v1/person?linkedin_url=...` | Work email with a status of verified, catch_all or unknown |

**Figure 3: From a company website to a mapped buying group.** Four stacked steps. One, check the account with GET /v1/company, which uses 5 credits per profile found. Two, list the people with GET /v1/company/people by title or seniority, which uses 5 credits per person returned. Three, get the contact with GET /v1/person, which uses 10 credits per work email found and returns a status. Four, assign the roles in your agent or CRM, which uses no credits. A lookup that finds nothing uses 0 credits.

*From a website to a mapped buying group in four steps. Credits are used only on a match, and a lookup that finds nothing uses 0. Endpoints come from [Enrich.chat's agents.md](https://enrich.chat/agents.md).*

This is what the people call looks like. The names and the LinkedIn URL are made up.

```
GET https://enrich.chat/v1/company/people
  ?domain=acme.com
  &title=head%20of%20it
  &limit=3

{
  "found": true,
  "count": 1,
  "domain": "acme.com",
  "people": [
    {
      "name": "Jane Doe",
      "title": "Head of IT",
      "company": "Acme Logistics",
      "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-doe-it"
    }
  ],
  "credits_used": 5,
  "free_lookups_remaining": 9
}
```

Add `with_email=true` to include each person's work email in the list. Its status is `unknown`, because it is not re-checked in that call. To get a status of verified, catch_all or unknown, send the person's `linkedin_url` to `/v1/person`. Treat every contact as a strong lead, not a guarantee. The [company enrichment API](https://enrich.chat/api/company-enrichment/), [people search API](https://enrich.chat/api/people-search/) and [person enrichment API](https://enrich.chat/api/person-enrichment/) pages list every field.

### What does it cost to map a buying group?

Each IP address gets 10 free API lookups a day with no signup, and one call that returns people counts as one lookup, however many people come back. Beyond that, a person returned uses 5 credits, a work email found uses 10, and a lookup that finds nothing uses 0. Six people at one account, each with an email, use 90 credits. Mapping 200 accounts that way uses 18,000 credits, which fits the Growth plan at $29 a month. Plans bill monthly, with unlimited seats and no annual contract. See [Enrich.chat pricing](https://enrich.chat/pricing/).

### What to watch out for

- **It returns people, not roles.** The endpoint filters by title and seniority. It does not label an economic buyer or champion, draw an org chart or show reporting lines. A title match is a lead until you confirm it with the methods above.
- **It takes a website domain.** Company names are not supported yet. There is no intent data, visual list builder, native CRM app or Chrome extension. SDKs are planned, and plain HTTPS works today.
- **A list is a snapshot.** People move. Run the lookup again before each campaign. Anyone can ask to be removed at [enrich.chat/opt-out/](https://enrich.chat/opt-out/), and requests are processed within 15 days.

To turn a profile of your best customers into target accounts first, see the [ideal customer profile guide](https://enrich.chat/blog/ideal-customer-profile/). For a quick list from a plain English description, try the free [lead list builder](https://enrich.chat/tools/lead-list-builder/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Who are the decision makers in a company?

They are the people who can approve, shape or block a decision, and in B2B buying that is a group. The economic buyer holds final authority and the budget. A champion pushes the deal inside the company. Evaluators, users, procurement and finance each check one piece. [Gartner's 2025 research](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-05-07-gartner-sales-survey-finds-74-percent-of-b2b-buyer-teams-demonstrate-unhealthy-conflict-during-the-decision-process) found buying groups of five to 16 people. See the [ideal customer profile guide](https://enrich.chat/blog/ideal-customer-profile/) for choosing which accounts to map.

### What are the types of decision makers?

It depends on the scheme. By role, [LinkedIn's Relationship Map](https://www.linkedin.com/help/sales-navigator/answer/a5938467) uses decision maker, champion, evaluator, procurement and influencer, and [Dock](https://www.dock.us/library/b2b-decision-makers) uses champion, economic, technical, end user and executive. By style, [HubSpot](https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/how-to-sell-to-different-types-of-decision-makers) lists the Charismatic, Deep Thinker, Skeptic, Follower and Controller. Roles tell you whom to find. Style tells you how to talk to them.

### How do you find out who the decision maker is?

Check the company's leadership page, search LinkedIn by function and seniority, and ask a contact how the decision gets made and who else must agree. [Mailshake](https://mailshake.com/blog/decision-maker/) suggests asking about the purchasing process, the criteria other decision makers use, and who else should see the solution. For many accounts, a [company people lookup API](https://enrich.chat/api/company-enrichment/) returns people by title and seniority from a website.

### Is the CEO always the decision maker?

No. [Belkins](https://belkins.io/blog/how-to-find-decision-makers-in-company), a lead-generation agency, says CEOs of large organizations rarely handle vendor research directly, and suggests department heads or team leads who can evaluate a product and champion it. [Leadfeeder](https://www.leadfeeder.com/blog/how-to-find-decision-makers-in-a-company) says you may need the CEO at a startup with ten employees. Company size decides. If you do need the top, see our guide to [finding a CEO's email address](https://enrich.chat/blog/find-ceo-email/).

### How do you find a decision maker's email address?

First get the person's name, title and LinkedIn URL, then look up the work email. With Enrich.chat, an agent sends the LinkedIn URL to `/v1/person` and gets a work email with a status: verified, catch_all or unknown. A lookup that finds nothing uses 0 credits, and 10 lookups a day are free with no signup. See [how to find anyone's work email](https://enrich.chat/blog/how-to-find-someones-email/).

### How many contacts do you need at one account?

Plan for several. [Belkins](https://belkins.io/blog/how-to-find-decision-makers-in-company) starts with two to three key contacts and widens the list if they do not respond. [ZoomInfo](https://pipeline.zoominfo.com/sales/how-to-map-a-buying-committee) says its own analysis found deals with a single contact have low odds of closing. Gartner's range of five to 16 buying group members shows why. Start with the economic buyer, a likely champion and one evaluator, then add roles as you learn who is involved.

## Sources

1. [Gartner Sales Survey Finds 74% of B2B Buyer Teams Demonstrate Unhealthy Conflict During The Decision Process](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-05-07-gartner-sales-survey-finds-74-percent-of-b2b-buyer-teams-demonstrate-unhealthy-conflict-during-the-decision-process)
2. [Forrester: The State Of Business Buying, 2026](https://www.forrester.com/press-newsroom/forrester-2026-the-state-of-business-buying/)
3. [2025 B2B Buyer Experience Report](https://6sense.com/report/buyer-experience/)
4. [The B2B Buying Group: Roles, Responsibilities and Insights](https://6sense.com/science-of-b2b/meet-the-b2b-buying-group)
5. [Relationship Maps in Sales Navigator FAQ](https://www.linkedin.com/help/sales-navigator/answer/a5938467)
6. [Sales Navigator lead and account search filter definitions](https://www.linkedin.com/help/sales-navigator/answer/a1452817)
7. [Members associated with a LinkedIn Page](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a541828)
8. [MEDDPICC Sales Methodology: Acronym and Meaning](https://meddicc.com/meddpicc-sales-methodology-and-process)
9. [Identifying and Managing the Buying Center](https://kellercenter.hankamer.baylor.edu/news/story/2016/identifying-and-managing-buying-center)
10. [The Challenger Customer profiles](https://challengerinc.com/the-challenger-customer-profiles/)
11. [How to Map a Buying Committee: A 6-Step Guide for B2B Sellers](https://pipeline.zoominfo.com/sales/how-to-map-a-buying-committee)
12. [How to Sell to Decision Makers: Types, Hierarchy, and Approaches](https://www.leadfeeder.com/blog/how-to-find-decision-makers-in-a-company)
13. [How to identify the key decision-makers in B2B companies](https://belkins.io/blog/how-to-find-decision-makers-in-company)
14. [How to Identify the Decision Maker in a Company + Qualifying Questions](https://mailshake.com/blog/decision-maker/)
15. [5 types of B2B decision makers (and how to sell to each one)](https://www.dock.us/library/b2b-decision-makers)
16. [5 Types of Decision Makers and How to Sell to Each One](https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/how-to-sell-to-different-types-of-decision-makers)
17. [5 Ways To Find A Company's Decision-Makers](https://www.ppai.org/?p=66812)
18. [17 CFR 229.401 (Item 401): Directors, executive officers, promoters and control persons](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/17/229.401)
19. [Employee Tenure Summary](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/tenure.nr0.htm)
20. [B2B data decay rate, measured](https://www.lusha.com/blog/b2b-data-decay-rate-measured/)

## Try this prompt

Map the buying group at a company

```text
Use www.enrich.chat to map the buying group at acme.com for a new data platform. Find the CFO, the head of IT, the head of operations and the head of procurement, with name, title and LinkedIn URL. Then find each work email and show its status. Mark anyone with no match as not found and report the total credits used.
```

## Related

- [Find a CEO's email address](https://enrich.chat/blog/find-ceo-email/)
- [Ideal customer profile template](https://enrich.chat/blog/ideal-customer-profile/)
- [Company enrichment API](https://enrich.chat/api/company-enrichment/)