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How to Qualify the Decision Maker (DM)

How to Find the Qualified Decision Maker (DM)
The Decision Maker (DM) is the person or persons who have the authority to approve the purchase of a Web site. Sometimes, you are inadvertently diverted to someone who isn’t qualified to make advertising decisions. To avoid wasting valuable time and energy with the wrong person, it’s critical that you speak with only the DM when selling a Web site.

Many assume that the business owner is always the decision maker. This is not true. In some cases, a partnership or committee makes them or there is a sales/marketing manager who handles them. To avoid any confusion, always ask who makes the decisions before you schedule the appointment.

A great way to find out how decisions are made and who makes them is by asking them a qualifying question such as:

“Normally I speak with the business owner in regards to the advertising, is that you?”

The following are more examples of qualifying questions that can be used to determine who is the DM:

¨ “When you see something that you believe would be beneficial for the company, who do you consult with before making a final decision?”

¨ “How exactly would you make your decision to spend money on a Web site?”

¨ “Are you the sole decision maker?”

¨ “Do you have a committee of people who all vote before coming to a final decision?

Once you confirm that you are indeed speaking with the DM, you need to determine their interest-level in purchasing a Web site. A good question to ask to verify this is:

“If what you see is everything you want and need in a Web site, is there anything that would prevent you from doing business with us at the time of your appointment.”

Optimally, you are looking for a decision maker who is interested in purchasing the Web site at the time of the appointment. If you meet both these criteria, than you have a “Qualified DM”.

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