Stakeholder Mapping
Stakeholder mapping is the process of identifying every person involved in a B2B buying decision at an account and recording each one's role, influence and view of the purchase.
Also called: buying committee mapping, org chart mapping
Why it matters
B2B purchases are rarely made by one person. A deal may need a budget holder, a technical evaluator, a daily user, a procurement lead and someone from security or legal. If the seller only talks to one contact, the deal can stall when an unknown stakeholder objects late. Mapping the group early lets the team plan outreach and content for each role.
A stakeholder map usually labels people as economic buyer, champion, influencer, user or blocker, and notes their priorities and relationships. It differs from a buyer persona, which describes a type of person across many companies. A stakeholder map is specific to one account and one deal, and is updated as the sales team learns more.
Example
An account executive selling a data platform to a retailer builds a stakeholder map. The VP of Data is the champion, the CFO controls budget, two analysts will use the product daily, and the IT security lead must approve it. She sees no contact with security yet, so she asks her champion for an introduction before sending the proposal.
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