How AI Helps Identify Decision Makers, Users, and Influencers in the Buying Process
The Invisible Challenge in B2B Sales
Often, the sales team believes they are talking to the “right person.” But in reality, they are speaking only with a user without decision-making power or with someone who influences but does not approve the purchase.
According to Gartner (2023), on average, 6 to 10 people participate in a B2B purchasing process. This means the journey rarely depends on a single contact. And when the mapping is wrong:
- The sales cycle drags out.
- CAC skyrockets.
- Conversion rates plummet.
A study by Forrester (2024) shows that 65% of lost opportunities happen because the sales team failed to involve the right decision-maker in time.
Who’s Who in the Buying Process?
Before talking about AI, it’s important to separate the roles involved in the decision journey:
- Decision Maker: Usually the executive with budget authority (CEO, CFO, Sales Director, Marketing Director). Has the final word.
- User: The person who will use the solution daily (SDRs, analysts, coordinators, operations managers).
- Influencer: Someone who does not approve the purchase, but has credibility and influences the decision maker (internal consultants, department managers, specialists).
The success of a sales strategy depends on mapping these three levels and building adequate approaches for each.
Where the Manual Process Fails
Traditionally, sales teams try to identify these profiles in three ways:
- LinkedIn / manual research
SDRs spend hours scanning profiles, titles, and descriptions to try to understand who the decision maker is. - Generic contact lists
Purchased databases provide names but don’t indicate each person’s role in the buying process. - Initial lead interaction
Many SDRs only discover after several messages that they are talking to someone without decision-making power.
This process is slow, flawed, and not scalable.
How Artificial Intelligence Changes the Game
AI has brought powerful tools to identify in minutes what used to take days: who the decision makers, users, and influencers are in each account.
1. Large-Scale Data Processing
AI cross-references data from multiple sources — LinkedIn, corporate websites, public organizational charts, press reports — to identify a company’s hierarchical structure.
2. Analysis of Titles and Responsibilities
It’s not enough to know the title. AI analyzes descriptions, keywords, and even digital interactions to determine if a Head of Sales, for example, acts as a decision maker or merely as an influencer in technology purchases.
3. Detection of Intent Signals
AI monitors movements that reveal buying intent:
- New hires in strategic areas.
- Investment rounds.
- Announcements of expansion into new markets.
These signals help identify who is driving change within the company.
4. Continuous Learning
Each interaction recorded in the CRM feeds AI models. Thus, AI Agents continuously learn who really decides in every segment and company size.
The Role of Nuvia: AI Agents who map who matters
At Nuvia, AI Agents Allbound were designed to eliminate this bottleneck. They:
- Create qualified lists with real-time validated decision makers and influencers.
- Automatically classify contacts as decision maker, user, or influencer.
- Adjust contact cadences according to the role: strategic messages for decision makers, educational materials for users, market insights for influencers.
- Deliver the right contact into the CRM, so SDRs and salespeople save time and energy.
Practical Example: a B2B Edtech
Imagine an Edtech company that sells corporate training solutions.
- Users: HR coordinators who implement trainings.
- Influencers: organizational development managers.
- Decision makers: HR directors or CFOs.
Without AI, the sales team spends weeks talking to coordinators who like the solution but do not have the budget.
With Nuvia’s AI Agents, the right decision makers are identified early on, shortening the sales cycle by up to 40%.
Direct Benefits of Identifying Roles with AI
- Shorter cycles: reaching decision makers early speeds up the journey.
- Lower CAC: less time wasted on leads with no purchase power.
- More assertive messaging: approach tailored to each contact’s role.
- Higher conversion rate: opportunities reach the decision stage with relevance.
According to McKinsey (2024), companies that use AI to map decision makers report 35% more qualified meetings and 25% more conversions.
Conclusion
B2B prospecting is no longer a guessing game. Identifying who really has decision-making power or influence is a matter of survival.
With AI and Nuvia’s AI Agents, this process becomes automatic, fast, and assertive, allowing companies to focus their efforts on the right people at the right time.
👉 Summary in one sentence:
AI is the key to turning decision maker, user, and influencer mapping into a precise and scalable process — and Nuvia already delivers this today.