Every failed B2B startup has the same story.
"Users love us! Look at our engagement metrics! Check out these testimonials!"
Cool. Who signs the cheques?
"Well, the users will convince their managers..."
No. They won't. And you'll die waiting.
The cast of characters who actually matter
Your developer champion? He's just one actor in a play. Here's the full cast.
The Champion (loves you, can't pay you)
Usually your end user. Desperately wants your product. Has exactly $0 in budget authority.
The Economic Buyer (can pay you, doesn't know you exist)
Controls the budget. Never heard of you. Doesn't feel the pain your product solves. Cares about different metrics entirely.
The Influencer (the hidden king-maker)
The person the economic buyer trusts. Sometimes it's the IT director. Sometimes it's their golf buddy. Sometimes it's a Gartner report.
The Veto Holder (the deal killer)
Can't say yes, but can say no. Legal. Security. Compliance. That one VP who hates change.
The Purchasing Department (the price destroyer)
After everyone says yes, they appear to cut your price by 50%. Just because they can.
Miss any of these characters? Your deal dies. Usually slowly and painfully.
The $2M deal that died from one question
True story. Startup spends nine months winning over an entire team. Champion loves them. Team loves them. Even the CFO is on board. $2M deal ready to sign.
IT Security asks one question: "Where are the servers located?"
"AWS East Coast."
"Our data can't leave Europe."
Deal dead. Nine months wasted. Nobody thought to ask IT.
The questions that reveal your real DMU
Stop selling. Start investigating. Ask your champion:
"If we built exactly what you want, what would need to happen for you to actually buy it?"
Then watch their face fall as reality hits.
- "Well, I'd need to convince my manager..."
- "Who needs to convince their director..."
- "Who needs budget approval from finance..."
- "After IT security signs off..."
- "And legal reviews the contract..."
- "Oh, and procurement will want three competing bids..."
Suddenly your "quick sale" becomes a nine-month odyssey through corporate hell.
The influence map nobody draws
Here's what you need to know about each person.
For the economic buyer
- What metrics determine their bonus?
- What's their biggest fear this quarter?
- Who do they trust for advice?
- What's their budget cycle?
For the influencer
- What's their relationship to the buyer?
- What makes them look good?
- What have they recommended before?
- Where do they get their information?
For the veto holder
- What killed the last deal?
- What are their non-negotiables?
- How can you make them a hero instead of a villain?
- What's their actual concern (vs. what they say)?
One founder discovered the IT director's real concern wasn't security. It was looking bad if something broke. Solution? A direct phone number and 24/7 support promise. Veto removed.
The pattern recognition test
Map the DMU for five potential customers. See a pattern? Good. You have a repeatable sales process.
No pattern? Bad. Either:
- Your market isn't segmented enough
- You're talking to the wrong personas
- You don't actually have a market
One startup discovered their DMU was completely different for 50-person companies vs. 200-person companies. Same product, totally different buying process. They picked one. Focused. Won.
The DMU reality check
Before you build another feature, answer these:
- Does your champion have any budget authority?
- Have you spoken to the economic buyer?
- Do you know who influences them?
- Have you identified all veto holders?
- Do you understand procurement's process?
Can't answer these? You're not ready to sell. You're barely ready to build.
The truth about B2B sales
Consumer sales: convince one person, most of the time.
B2B sales: navigate organisational politics, always.
Your product doesn't sell itself. Your champion can't sell it for you. You need every member of the DMU to at least not hate you.
The startup graveyard is full of products that users loved and buyers never heard of.
Don't join them.
Because the person who loves your product usually can't buy it.
But the person who can buy it might not even know you exist.
Fix that, or die trying.