In other words, sales reps shouldn’t wimp out and avoid trying to build a relationship with the decision-maker, but it’s not always urgent to get there from the beginning (though it is a big help). Is reaching the ultimate decision-makers any less important? No! Win over your internal champions and coaches first; build the case. Then you’ll be perfectly positioned to win over the final decision-makers. You do want to build a relationship with the decision-makers early, but don’t “sell” them until you’ve begun winning over the influencers – or at least until they’ve begun to agree with the
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