In B2B sales, we have been talking about the DMU for years: the Decision Making Unit. You know it: the buyer, the end user, the technical gatekeeper, the budget holder. Clear in theory. In practice? Not for a long time. Because today, anyone who really has an influence on a decision often no longer fits into the classic DMU model. The DMU has exploded and with it the complexity of the sales process. If you don’t understand this, you keep talking to people who are not allowed to make any decisions. Or even worse: you win the conversation, but lose the deal.
From hierarchy to network decision-making
In the past, the DMU was a pyramid. You worked your way up from user to manager, until you reached “the decision maker”. But modern organizations are flatter, project-driven and collaborate across silos.
What you see now:
- Decisions are made in networks, not in lines.
- Influence is more often with “informal” experts than with formal titles.
- Budgets are spread across multiple departments.
- Decisions are often made before you come in as sales.
In other words: you need to know not only who decides, but when, where and based on which influences.
The new DMU: five profiles to consider
- The silent influencer is often a senior specialist, architect or team lead. Not purchasing, not management, but crucial. If you miss this person, you lose on content.
- The digital researcher Decision makers who have already compared 5 alternatives before your first conversation, have read white papers and only speak to you for confirmation. If you are not visible online, you do not exist for this person.
- The political gatekeeper Does not formally object, but does know how the game is played internally. Does it feel like you have to create “internal support”? Then you talk to this player.
- The executive sponsor The only one who has the mandate to really accelerate. But only interested in impact, not in features. You have to come here with a vision, not with product talk.
- The external advisor or partner Is increasingly involved in strategic choices: consultancy, industry experts or ecosystems. You do not see them in the DMU sheet, but they do determine the direction.
What does this mean for your sales approach?
- You need to be present earlier in the process Are you waiting for the RFP or tender? Then you are too late. You want to be visible before there is even a project. You do this through thought leadership, social selling and building relevant networks.
- You need content for all roles One pitch deck is no longer enough. The specialist wants technical depth. The sponsor wants vision. The buyer wants to see risks managed. Your sales approach must be modular.
- You must be able to navigate within an organization Mapping tools, DMU analyses, digital signals: use them. But above all, train your team to recognize informal influence. That is often where the real power lies.
- Your team must work together as a single front Marketing ensures visibility. Sales opens the conversations. Experts provide trust. The DMU requires an integrated team, not a lone wolf with targets.
Modern sales means understanding who really has influence
Today’s DMU is not a list of job titles, but a dynamic network of people with different interests and perspectives. So you are not selling to one person, but to a group: formally and informally.
That requires something different from your sales approach:
- You have to be visible earlier.
- You have to be able to have multiple conversations in parallel.
- And you have to approach everyone in the right way, with the right message.
Those who do this well have a clear advantage. Because sales has long since ceased to be about the best pitch, but about understanding the people behind the decision.
Do you also want better insight into who really decides with your customers, and how you can align your sales with that?
We help organizations with modern B2B sales approaches in which sales, marketing and technology come together.