How to Find the Decision Maker in a Company

Let’s be honest – finding the right decision-maker in a company isn’t easy. Reach out to the wrong decision maker and your email or phone call goes to spam!!

We don’t want that, nobody wants that.

Worse, it allows your competitors to swoop in and close the deal before you even get to the right person. 

That’s why reaching out to the right key players is so important

This guide cuts through the noise to help you find and connect with decision-makers faster.  

How to Find the Right Decision Maker in a Company?

Now that we’ve established why decision-makers matter, let’s get into the how. 

1. Gofindy.io

The easiest and most accurate way to find decision-makers is by using a B2B database like Gofindy.io. It helps you save time and make your search as quick and efficient as possible.

Whether you’re reaching out for a job, exploring a business opportunity, or simply have a question, a B2B database like Gofindy.io is incredibly useful.

Here’s how Gofindy.io helps you find key decision-makers in any company:

• Identify accurate and relevant decision-makers.
• Access their emails and phone numbers.
• Understand their buying intent through intent data.
• Discover other decision-makers or key players within the company.
• Filter key players by department for a more targeted approach.

Gofindy also offers free trail, you can check that here: Free trail 

2. Use LinkedIn Sales Nav

LinkedIn isn’t just a networking platform— its a place full of decision makers and key players

• You can use LinkedIn Sales Navigator to check the company’s profile and identify key decision-makers.
• However, LinkedIn Sales Navigator isn’t always necessary. You can also try searching on Google using ‘CEO {Company Name} LinkedIn’ to find the right person.

Cons of using LinkedIn Sales Nav:

• Can be expensive for most companies

Pro Tip: Decision makers who frequently engage with topics in their industry on LinkedIn are easier to approach with tailored messaging. 

3. Check Into Company Websites

Most companies have an “About Us” or “Leadership” section on their website. It’s a simple but effective way to identify key players and their roles. 

 For larger companies, press releases often mention executives or department heads leading specific initiatives. 

Cons:

• An extremely time-consuming task, especially for salespeople trying to meet their targets.
• Not every website list their key players

4. Explore Third-Party Tools

Platforms like ZoomInfo, Hunter.io, or Apollo.io can save you hours by helping you find the right players in any company!

• ZoomInfo: A comprehensive tool for identifying key personnel and gathering accurate contact information. 

• Hunter.io: Ideal for verifying email addresses based on domain names. (Not too good with finding key players)

• Apollo.io: Just like Zoominfo, can help you find the right contacts in a company but very outdated data!  

5. Send an email to Support

Sometimes, the easiest way to find the decision-maker is by sending a simple, personalized email to the support or help team.

If you can’t find key players elsewhere, ask the support team to connect you with the right person.

Cons:

1. Support teams often don’t respond to such queries right away, so you’ll need to follow up multiple times.
2. Also, some key decision-makers may not have a professional email or prefer not to be contacted directly.

6. Email their colleges or team members

If you’d prefer not to contact the support team, you can email their team members or colleagues to help you connect with the key decision-makers.

You can find their colleagues on gofindy.io or LinkedIn. Be polite in your email, respect their time, and follow up thoughtfully.

Outreach Strategies for Decision Makers

Once you identify the decision-maker in a company, the real challenge begins—reaching out effectively. Many people struggle with this and end up making a poor first impression.

Here’s how you should approach reaching out to key players:

1. Personalise as much as you can

A generic email or LinkedIn message won’t make the cut—you need to show that you’ve done your homework before reaching out. Personalization not only grabs their attention but also increases your chances of getting noticed and receiving a reply.

• Example of Personalisation:  

“Hi [Name], I noticed your recent hired for {Role} at [Company]. I’d love to discuss how our we can help you 10x ROI. 

2. Provide Value Upfront

Decision-makers don’t have time for fluff. You need to get straight to the point and demonstrate value immediately. Skip unnecessary keywords and focus on what truly matters to them.

3. Follow up is the key

Most of the money is made in the follow-ups! The first email often gets overlooked, which is why follow-ups are crucial. Make them meaningful by adding value, addressing potential concerns, or sharing new insights to keep the conversation alive.

Why Decision Makers Are the Key to B2B Success?

Not everyone you speak to in a company has the authority to say yes to your offer. While they may show interest or promise to “pass it along,” your efforts could be wasted if they can’t approve the deal.

If you’re selling a product or service, focus on reaching out to decision-makers. However, if your offering is complex or highly specialized, consider contacting key players who understand your product first. They can advocate for you and help bridge the gap to the decision-makers.

What Happens When You Don’t Target Decision Makers?

1. Endless Follow-Ups: You keep chasing someone who isn’t even in a position to move the needle.
2. Dead Leads: The conversation fizzles out when the person you’re talking to realizes they can’t help you.
3. Lost Deals: No reply, No deal. While your competitors might be reaching out to key players and closing the deal.  

Simply put, if you want to sell smarter (not harder), you need to get to the decision maker. 

Who Are Decision Makers in a Company?

Let’s break this down –  Not every decision maker is same, decision makers come in different forms, depending on the company’s size, and industry

Different Types of Decision Makers

C-Suite Executives: like CEOs, CFOs, and COOs—are often the final authority on big-budget decisions. However, they aren’t the decision-makers for every aspect of the business. If you’re selling a low-priced product, CXOs usually don’t handle those decisions. Instead, you should focus on reaching out to key players who are the end users of your product, as they are more likely to influence or make those purchasing decisions.

Department Heads: These are leaders of key areas like marketing, IT, or HR, who often control their department’s budget. They’re ideal to reach out to if your product or service can make their job easier, improve efficiency, or help them achieve greater recognition within their organization.

For example, a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) might prioritize digital transformation tools, while an HR leader might be interested in employee engagement platforms. 

Procurement Officers: Professionals who specialize in evaluating vendors and managing purchases. 

Particularly in sectors like manufacturing and healthcare, procurement officers are gatekeepers for vendor relationships. 

 Challenges in Identifying Decision Makers (And How to Solve Them)

1. Lack of Clear Information

Smaller companies or start-ups often don’t have detailed information about their employees or founders and it can become really difficult to find them. 

To encompass this use gofindy.io, Crunchbase or AngelList to identify founders and core team members. 

2. Gatekeeper Barriers

As mentioned earlier, gatekeepers are trained to filter communication.  

Focus on building trust with the gatekeeper or use LinkedIn InMail to connect directly. 

3. Complex Hierarchies

In large organizations, decision-making authority is often shared among multiple stakeholders.

Use tools like Gofindy.io to identify these stakeholders. It helps you locate key decision-makers in a company based on their department and role, ensuring your outreach is targeted and effective.

4. Inaccurate Data

Outdated databases can ruin your outreach campaigns, damage your reputation, and hurt email deliverability.

To find fresh, up-to-date contacts, use tools like Gofindy.io, Lusha, or Sales Navigator for accurate and reliable information.

How to do Lead Generation for Decision Makers

Effective lead generation is the backbone of finding decision makers. 

Key Tools 

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator: Helps you find and connect with high-level professionals. 

• CRM Software: Tools like Salesforce or HubSpot keep your outreach organized and track progress. 

• Email Automation: Platforms like Mailchimp or Outreach.io ensure consistent and professional follow-ups. 

Best Practices 

1. Segment Your Audience: Target specific industries or job titles to refine your lead pool. 

1. Leverage Data Insights: Use analytics to identify which leads are most likely to convert. 

1. Create Compelling Content: Blogs, webinars, and whitepapers can attract decision makers to your brand. 

How to Reach out to Decision Makers

Reaching out to decision-makers is becoming increasingly challenging, making it harder for salespeople to meet their targets. However, if you know the right channels and strategies, you can stand out and achieve better results.

1. Email Outreach

Email remains one of the most effective ways to connect with decision makers, but there are best practices you should follow to ensure your emails stand out. 

• Craft Personalized Subject Lines: The subject line is the first thing a decision maker sees. Make it relevant and personalized. A subject line that speaks directly to their pain point or offers a benefit is more likely to get opened. 

• Clear, Actionable Call to Action (CTA): Your email should have a clear purpose, whether it’s scheduling a demo, requesting a meeting, or sharing a case study. The best approach? Use a soft CTA—something simple and low-effort for your prospects

• Follow-Up Emails: Don’t be afraid to send multiple follow-ups because money is in the follow ups!

2. Phone Calls

Most people are afraid to do Cold calling but it can be an effective method for reaching decision makers—if done correctly. Here’s how you can ensure your calls don’t fall flat: 

• Research First: Before calling, gather information about the company and the person you’re reaching out to. Personalise your pitch by making it relevant and keep it short

• Get to the Point Quickly: Decision makers are busy people, so make sure your introduction is concise. Offer a quick overview of how you can add value to their organization and ask for a few minutes of their time. 

• Respect Gatekeepers: When dealing with gatekeepers, be polite and professional. Gatekeepers are often your first point of contact, and building rapport with them can significantly increase your chances of connecting with the decision maker. 

3. Social Selling

This is time consuming but a very solid way to connect with decision makers:

• Engage with Content: Before sending a direct message, engage with the decision maker’s posts or articles on LinkedIn. This creates familiarity and makes your outreach feel more natural. 

• InMail Messages or Cold Email: Not everyone will accept your connection request, even if you engage with their content. The best approach? Send a LinkedIn InMail message or a well-crafted cold email to get your foot in the door.

Using a combination of phone calls, emails, and social selling allows you to increase your chances of getting noticed by decision makers, even if they don’t respond immediately. 

How to Increase the Chance of Reply from Decision Makers: Test, Test and Test

Finding decision makers isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. What works for one company may not work for another. This is where testing comes into play. By continuously testing and refining your approach, you can increase your chances of success. 

1. A/B Testing

A/B testing allows you to compare two different approaches to see which one performs better. This can be done with emails, subject lines, or even call scripts. For example, you could test a value-driven approach (“We help companies like yours increase revenue by 35%”) against a pain-point approach (“Are you struggling with X, we have been helping companies solve X pain point in 30 days!”). 

Why This Matters?

 A/B testing helps you understand which messaging gets more replies and meetings with key players and allows you to optimize your outreach over time. 

2. Analyse Email Metrics

To continually improve your approach, it’s important to track key metrics. 

• Open Rates (Not a Reliable Signal Anymore): The percentage of emails opened can indicate the effectiveness of your subject lines. However, in 2025, open rate tracking is no longer a reliable metric. It can even harm your deliverability and increase the risk of your emails landing in spam folders.

• Response Rates: The percentage of prospects who reply to your outreach. This is one of the most reliable metrics and a personal favorite for A/B testing. It helps you identify which messages, subject lines, or approaches resonate best with your audience.

• Conversion Rates: The ultimate metric—how many of your conversations with decision-makers lead to a sale or a meeting. Your campaign’s ROI will reveal its success. Based on the results, you can adjust your focus by targeting a different country, industry, or set of key players to optimize outcomes.

By analysing these metrics, you can determine what’s working and make adjustments accordingly. 

Very Important – Building Relationships with Decision Makers

While technology and data are powerful tools, they can only take you so far. In B2B sales, building genuine relationships with decision-makers is crucial. Without strong relationships, you’re less likely to get replies or close deals. Relationships are everything in this space.

1. Show Understanding

One of the most important aspects of sales is understanding your prospects—their pain points, challenges, and goals. When you show relevance, it signals that you truly understand their needs. This builds trust and opens doors for meaningful conversations.

2. Have Social Proof

If there’s one thing that can make or break your sales, it’s having strong testimonials. In a world flooded with cold emails, testimonials provide proof of your work and build trust—making it much easier to secure those appointments.

What to Avoid When Reaching out to Decision Makers

Now you know how and who to reach out to! But that’s just the beginning. If you don’t know when and why to reach out, your efforts won’t be effective. When selling your products or services, consider these key points:

1. Focusing Only on Title

While job titles are important, they don’t always determine who has the final say in purchasing decisions. For example, a Marketing manager might have more influence over marketing decisions than the Chief Operating Officer, even though CFO is higher

Look beyond job titles and focus on who might be the end user of your product. In smaller companies, key players are often the CXO-level people, but that doesn’t mean they are always the ones you should reach out to. Sometimes, CXOs delegate decision-making power to those working beneath them, so identifying these individuals can be just as important in your outreach.

2. Sending personalized but not relevant emails

With AI, you can certainly personalize your emails, but what really matters to your prospects is whether you’re solving their problems. Go beyond just personalization—focus on how you can make their life easier and address their specific challenges.

3. Relying Too Heavily on Automations

While automations are important for efficiency, relying solely on them can harm your outreach efforts. It’s crucial to research your industry, segment your prospects into different campaigns, and craft tailored outreach messages for each segment based on their unique pain points.

 Final Thoughts

Finding the right decision maker in a company is very simple with gofindy.io. You get access to 15+ filters that you can use to find the right decision makers in a company. By employing a multi-channel approach, leveraging technology, and personalized outreach, you can dramatically increase your chances of success. 

The key is to not only identify the decision maker but also build  relationship by showing upfront value. 

By being proactive and using the strategies outlined in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to connecting with the right decision makers and ultimately closing more deals.