Why a job title does not prove decision-making authority
A title in a contact list is a starting point, not proof. An IT director may select a solution while the finance director approves the budget; procurement may collect proposals while an operational leader defines the requirements. Send every person the same meeting request and the conversation often ends with “please forward this to the relevant colleague.”
| Task | Who influences the choice | Who approves it |
|---|---|---|
| CRM implementation | Head of Sales, IT | Commercial Director or owner |
| Equipment supply | Chief Engineer, Procurement | Business-unit head or Director |
| Outsourced accounting | Chief Accountant | Finance Director or owner |
Before building a list, define a role map rather than looking for a generic “director”: the problem owner, user, expert, and final approver. This is how a targeted decision-maker contact list is built for a specific product, not around impressive-sounding titles.
How the first email helps confirm the recipient’s role
An email to a decision-maker does not need to sell the whole service. Its job is to confirm the context quickly and make replying easy. Instead of “We can optimise your business processes,” write: “Ivan, we saw that you operate several regional warehouses. Does the choice of a contractor for routes between them sit with you or with the head of logistics?”
A reply such as “the head of logistics handles this, I’m copying them” is valuable because it clarifies the route. “Send a proposal” is not yet proof of interest; ask one qualifying question, for example: “Are you reviewing new carriers this quarter?” Agree the handover rules in advance with your reply handling and lead qualification process.
Do not turn role-checking into a disguised interrogation. One question in the first touch is enough; a five-point questionnaire is more likely to be sent to a general inbox.
In a campaign for an IT integrator, the message went only to IT directors and proposed a system implementation. One recipient replied that the budget was not theirs and production defined the request. The next wave separated the roles: the production director saw the cost of manual records, while the IT director saw the integration requirements. The product was the same, but the reason to discuss it was different.
When looking for one decision-maker will not work
One contact will not resolve a long procurement process, a tender, or a product used by several departments. Trying to bypass everyone to find “the person in charge” can create resistance, because the recipient does not want to own colleagues’ decision. You need account-level work across several roles and different reasons to engage: this is the logic of an account-based marketing campaign.
- Do not start with decision-maker research when the offer is unclear and you cannot explain which problem it solves.
- It is not enough when a company buys only through a public procurement process: an email may open a conversation, but it does not replace the formal procedure.
- Do not send a small-business owner a technical specification when a specialist is actually preparing the decision.
Across our campaigns, 48,100 companies replied out of 811,200 companies contacted. That does not promise a reply from any particular person; it shows that results depend on role accuracy, the reason for reaching out, and whether the company is ready to discuss the task.
Terms worth distinguishing from an LPR
An LPR is often confused with a lead or the person who first replies to an email. A lead is a contact or company showing signs of interest; an LPR is a role in the buying decision. A responding manager may be the route to the right person, not the final owner of the deal.
- Define your ICP: the type of company for which the offer makes sense.
- Name the roles that influence the purchase and the signs of their authority.
- After a reply, record the contact’s status: decision-maker, expert, user, intermediary, or non-target recipient.
These distinctions keep any reply from being counted as a win and give sales a conversation with a clear next step. See the related glossary entries on B2B outreach and cold email.