How to Handle:
“I'm not the decision maker”
One of the most common objections in B2B sales. The prospect is telling you they don't have final authority to approve the purchase. This is often true, but sometimes it's also used as a polite way to end the conversation.
Why Prospects Say This
There are typically three reasons behind this objection: (1) They genuinely aren't the decision maker and want to be transparent, (2) They're using it as a brush-off to avoid engaging further, or (3) They're part of a buying committee and need to involve others. Your job is to determine which scenario you're in and navigate accordingly.
Best Responses
The Multi-Stakeholder Acknowledgment
“That makes total sense—most decisions like this involve multiple stakeholders. In your experience, who else would typically be involved in evaluating something like this? And what role do you play in that process?”
Why It Works
Validates their position while gathering intelligence about the buying process. By asking about their role, you often discover they have more influence than they initially let on.
Best For
Enterprise sales, complex B2B purchases with multiple stakeholders
The Champion Builder
“I appreciate you being upfront about that. Can I ask—if you saw something you thought could really help your team, how would you typically go about bringing that to the decision maker's attention?”
Why It Works
Pivots from 'you can't decide' to 'you can influence.' Positions them as a potential internal champion and gets them thinking about advocacy.
Best For
Mid-level managers, team leads, users who will benefit from the product
The Collaborative Approach
“No problem at all. Would it make sense for me to share some information with you first, so you can determine if it's even worth bringing to the decision maker? That way you're not wasting their time—or yours—on something that's not a fit.”
Why It Works
Gives them a low-commitment next step. Appeals to their desire to protect the decision maker's time while still moving forward.
Best For
Gatekeepers, executive assistants, junior team members
The Direct Ask
“Totally understand. Who would be the right person to speak with about this? I'd love to loop them in so we can have a productive conversation.”
Why It Works
Sometimes the simplest approach works best. Gets a direct referral without over-engineering the situation.
Best For
Prospects who seem genuinely willing to help, straightforward sales cycles
Do's and Don'ts
Do This
- Ask about their role in the evaluation process—they often have more influence than they admit
- Position them as a champion who can bring valuable solutions to decision makers
- Offer to provide materials they can share internally
- Ask for a warm introduction to the decision maker
- Understand the full buying committee and their concerns
Don't Do This
- Dismiss them or immediately ask to speak with someone else
- Make them feel unimportant or like you're going over their head
- Push for a decision they clearly can't make
- Assume the objection is always legitimate—sometimes it's a brush-off
- Overload them with information meant for decision makers
Follow-up Questions to Ask
“What role do you play in evaluating solutions like this?”
“Who else would typically be involved in a decision like this?”
“If you found something valuable, how would you bring it to the decision maker's attention?”
“What would the decision maker need to see to take this seriously?”
“What's the typical process for evaluating new vendors at your company?”
Industry-Specific Variations
“Our CTO handles all software decisions.”
“That makes sense—technical decisions often sit with the CTO. What I'm curious about is: as someone who'd be using this daily, what would make YOU excited to bring this to their attention?”
“This would need to go through our compliance team.”
“Absolutely, compliance is critical in healthcare. Would it be helpful if I prepared some compliance-specific documentation you could share with that team? And are you the one who typically brings new solutions to their attention?”
“Our procurement team handles vendor decisions.”
“I completely understand—procurement plays a big role in financial services. In your experience, what do they typically need to see before they'll evaluate a new vendor?”
Pro Tips
- The person you're talking to often has more influence than they realize or admit. Treat everyone as a potential champion.
- Ask 'What would need to be true for you to bring this to the decision maker?' to uncover internal buying criteria.
- Offer to do a joint call with them and the decision maker—this keeps them involved and invested.
- If they're truly not involved, get a referral and mention them by name when you reach out to the decision maker.
- Document everything they tell you about the decision-making process—this intel is gold for navigating the organization.
Tired of Handling Objections?
Let us handle the prospecting and objections for you. We book qualified meetings with decision-makers who are ready to talk - no cold call rejections.
Get Qualified Meetings