Org Chart Decisions: Mapping the Enterprise Buying Committee

Enterprise deals don't close with a single buyer. They close with a committee.

At Hortonworks, we lost a $5M deal because we didn't map the buying committee. We had the champion, the economic buyer, and the technical buyer. But we missed the procurement gatekeeper who killed the deal in the final week.

Here's how to map enterprise buying committees and accelerate deals.

The Enterprise Buying Committee

Every enterprise deal involves multiple stakeholders. Your job is to identify them, understand their roles, and navigate their relationships.

The typical committee includes:

• Economic Buyer - Controls the budget
• Technical Buyer - Evaluates technical fit
• User Buyer - Will use the product daily
• Champion - Your internal advocate
• Influencer - Has sway but no direct authority
• Gatekeeper - Can block the deal (procurement, legal, security)
• Decision Maker - Final approval authority

Most sellers focus on the first three. The winners map all seven.

The Org Chart Mapping Framework

Step 1: Identify All Stakeholders

Start with your champion. Ask: "Who else is involved in this decision?"

The questions:

1. Who needs to approve this purchase?
2. Who evaluates vendors?
3. Who will use this product?
4. Who controls the budget?
5. Who could block this deal?
6. Who has influence but no direct authority?

The framework:

Create a visual org chart. Map each person's:

• Role and title
• Influence level (high/medium/low)
• Support level (champion/neutral/blocker)
• Relationship to other stakeholders

Step 2: Understand Each Stakeholder's Motivation

Every stakeholder has different motivations. Your champion's pain isn't the economic buyer's pain.

Economic Buyer:

• ROI and business impact
• Budget constraints
• Strategic alignment

Technical Buyer:

• Technical fit and capabilities
• Integration requirements
• Security and compliance

User Buyer:

• Ease of use
• Daily workflow impact
• Training requirements

Gatekeeper (Procurement/Legal):

• Contract terms
• Risk mitigation
• Compliance requirements

The framework:

For each stakeholder, document:

• Their primary concern
• Their success criteria
• What they need to see to approve
• Their timeline and urgency

Step 3: Map Relationships and Influence

Stakeholders don't operate in isolation. They influence each other.

The questions:

1. Who influences whom?
2. Who has the most political capital?
3. Are there conflicts between stakeholders?
4. Who can accelerate or delay the deal?

The framework:

Create an influence map:

• Draw lines between stakeholders
• Label relationships (supports/conflicts/neutral)
• Identify the power center
• Find the path to approval

Step 4: Identify Decision Gates

Enterprise deals have gates. Miss a gate, and the deal stalls.

Common gates:

• Budget approval
• Technical evaluation
• Security review
• Legal review
• Procurement approval
• Executive sign-off

The framework:

For each gate:

• Who controls it?
• What's required to pass?
• What's the timeline?
• What could block it?

Step 5: Develop a Stakeholder Strategy

Not all stakeholders are equal. Focus your energy strategically.

The framework:

High influence, high support: Your champions. Nurture them.

High influence, neutral: Your targets. Convert them.

High influence, blocker: Your challenges. Neutralize them.

Low influence: Don't ignore, but don't prioritize.

The Power Map

Visualize your buying committee:

                    Economic Buyer
                         |
                    [High Influence]
                         |
        ┌────────────────┼────────────────┐
        |                |                |
    Champion      Technical Buyer    Gatekeeper
    [Supports]    [Neutral]         [Blocking]
        |                |                |
        └────────────────┼────────────────┘
                         |
                    User Buyer
                    [Supports]

The rules:

1. Identify the power center - Who has the most influence?
2. Map the approval path - How does this decision get made?
3. Find the blockers - Who can kill this deal?
4. Build the coalition - Who supports you?

Common Org Chart Mistakes

Mistake #1: Assuming the champion is the decision maker

Your champion may have influence, but they may not control the budget. Map the full committee.

Mistake #2: Ignoring gatekeepers

Procurement, legal, and security can kill deals. Engage them early.

Mistake #3: Not understanding relationships

Stakeholders influence each other. A blocker can become a supporter if you understand their relationship with your champion.

Mistake #4: Focusing on titles instead of influence

A VP may have less influence than a director who's been there 10 years. Map influence, not titles.

The Stakeholder Scorecard

Score each stakeholder:

Influence:

• High (3 points): Can approve or block
• Medium (2 points): Has significant influence
• Low (1 point): Limited influence

Support:

• Champion (3 points): Actively supports you
• Neutral (2 points): Open to your solution
• Blocking (1 point): Opposed to your solution

Access:

• Direct access (2 points): You can meet with them
• Indirect access (1 point): Through champion
• No access (0 points): Can't reach them

Total possible: 8 points per stakeholder

Qualification:

• 7-8 points: Critical stakeholder, prioritize
• 5-6 points: Important stakeholder, engage
• 3-4 points: Monitor, don't prioritize
• <3 points: Low priority

Real-World Example: The $10M Deal That Almost Died

At Cockroach Labs, we had a $10M deal with a Fortune 500 company. We mapped the committee:

• Economic Buyer: CFO (champion)
• Technical Buyer: CTO (neutral)
• User Buyer: Engineering VP (supports)
• Champion: VP of Engineering (strong supporter)
• Gatekeeper: Procurement Director (blocking)

We focused on the CFO and VP of Engineering. We ignored procurement.

The problem:

Procurement killed the deal in week 12 because we didn't meet their vendor requirements. We had the technical fit, the budget, and the champion. But we missed the gatekeeper.

The solution:

We re-engaged procurement early. We addressed their concerns:

• Vendor registration
• Security certifications
• Contract terms
• Compliance requirements

We closed the deal in week 16. Four weeks later than planned, but we closed it.

The lesson:

Map all stakeholders. Engage gatekeepers early. Don't assume your champion can navigate all gates.

The Bottom Line

Enterprise deals close with committees, not individuals.

Map the org chart. Understand motivations. Navigate relationships. Engage gatekeepers early.

That's how you accelerate enterprise deals and avoid the deals that die in committee.

Related: Learn how to identify and enable champions and use MEDDIC to qualify deals.