In developing new business it is often hard to reach the true economic buyer. The gatekeepers are pretty good at keeping consultants at bay. Do you have any advice on how to connect with economic buyers?

Connecting with an economic buyer is more than just identifying who it is and getting past gatekeepers a meeting with them. Focusing on just getting past gatekeepers misses an opportunity to make sure the meeting itself produces the results we want.

Know as much as you can about the company. Develop a cadre of inside resources likely connected to the economic buyer. Get to know personnel in HR, research, legal counsel, marketing, and other departments related to areas of activity in which you'd like to work.

Tip: Get to know them, find out about their work, and learn about the needs of the company. Once you have done this, let them specifically know about your desire to meet with the economic buyer. Describe your intended services, confirm that the person you think is the economic buyer is indeed the right person, and ask their advice on how to make that contact. This will give you a robust view of how best to describe and present your services to the buyer. It also pays dividends later by having a ready made groups of allies who can help you best serve the client organization.

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