In sales, we often hear about the importance of identifying and working with influencers—those individuals who play a pivotal role in shaping a customer’s decision. But a critical truth is often overlooked: not all influencers are created equal, and more importantly, no two individuals can have exactly the same level of influence over a decision.

Why the Influence Level of One Individual Must be Assessed as Relative to Another Influencer

Imagine walking into a sales opportunity and hearing, “We’ll be making this decision as a team.” Sounds collaborative, right? But if you stop there, you miss the point. While a team might be set up to make a decision as a group, not every voice on that team carries equal weight in shaping that decision.

Assigning equal influence to multiple stakeholders creates confusion. It flattens your strategy and treats everyone’s input as equally important. Some people gather information. Others push agendas. A select few make the final call or hold the power to stall or escalate a decision.

Sales success comes not from engaging everyone equally, but from engaging the right person most effectively.

Susan’s Story: Getting It Right

Susan, a top performer in her sales organization (and the main character in our book Ignite your Sales Strategy), understood this distinction well. In a competitive sales cycle with a regional construction firm, she identified multiple contacts who were engaged and positive. A couple of those individuals had similar titles and appeared – on the surface – to have a similar level of influence in the decision-making process.

When Susan completed the Influencer Snapshot® for that opportunity, she discovered that it was difficult to determine how to stack-rank the most influential individuals. It seemed like the top two influencers were equally influential over the decision! Susan realized this couldn’t be the case and decided to do more to further assess the influencers and determine what set them apart. To start, Susan started to ask questions, such as: “Who has the most at stake if this decision fails?” and “Whose goals are most directly impacted by this solution?”

Through careful questioning, Susan discovered a key insight: while the Director of Purchasing was an advocate, it was the CIO and Director of Operations who held true influence—they had the authority and the metrics tied to the project’s success.

As a result, Susan adjusted her approach. She didn’t just nurture her vocal supporters—she prioritized her time with the individuals who had the greatest amount of influence, aligning her solution to the outcomes those individuals were measured by. In doing so, she shifted internal perceptions, built executive credibility, and ultimately won the business.

Sales Questions to Stack-Rank Influence

When it appears that multiple stakeholders hold the same level of influence, here are some questions that help set them apart:

  • “If this decision gets delayed, who feels the heat internally?”
  • “Who owns the results this solution is intended to impact?”
  • “Whose budget does this fall under?”
  • “Who will be held accountable if this initiative fails or succeeds?”
  • “Whose approval is absolutely required for this to move forward?”

These questions cut through surface-level engagement, create a greater sense of urgency, and help pinpoint who actually drives the deal forward.

Your Strategic Advantage: Clarity

Using tools like the Influencer Snapshot®, salespeople can visualize levels of influence in sales—not based on job titles or enthusiasm, but on the real level of influence those individuals have on the decision process and on others who might be involved in the process. This distinction gives you clarity, enabling you to prioritize conversations, tailor your message, and avoid wasting time on contacts who may support you, but don’t truly drive outcomes.

In sales, advocacy is helpful—but influence is decisive.

Kevin Jones is Principal Partner with Ignite Selling. You can connect with or follow Kevin here on LinkedIn.