In today’s B2B world, decisions are rarely made by just one person. The buying process has changed. More people are involved, and the process is more complex. To succeed, sales and marketing teams need to understand these trends and adapt.
1. 82% of B2B buying committees now include four or more stakeholders
Why this matters more than ever
Gone are the days when one VP signed off on a big tech purchase. In today’s B2B world, buying decisions involve multiple departments and people. That’s because businesses are trying to avoid costly mistakes. They bring in experts from IT, finance, operations, marketing, and legal—each with different concerns and goals.
If you’re only speaking to one contact in an account, you’re missing out on the bigger picture. The person you’re talking to might love your product, but they probably can’t say yes alone.
What you should do about it
Start by identifying the likely roles involved in the decision early in the process. This could include:
- End users who will actually work with your product
- Technical leads who want to know how it integrates
- Finance teams checking ROI
- Legal departments reviewing compliance
- Executives focusing on strategic fit
When you engage all of them proactively, you show you’re serious. It’s not just about answering questions—they want to know you “get” their world.
Create content and talking points for each stakeholder. Set up intro calls with their teams. Make your point in their language. This multiplies your chances of alignment and builds trust across the account.
2. 63% of B2B purchases involve more than one department
Why cross-department involvement complicates sales
When a company evaluates your solution, it’s not just one team evaluating it—it’s often several. For example, if you sell CRM software, you’ll deal with both sales and marketing. If it’s a cybersecurity solution, IT and compliance teams will weigh in.
Different departments have different needs. Marketing might care about integrations, while sales wants ease of use. If your messaging doesn’t speak to all of them, it won’t land.
How to handle this in real-world deals
You need to treat the account like a small village—not just one person’s house. Map out which departments care and why. Then build value stories for each one.
Here’s what works:
- Personalized demos for each team
- One-pagers tailored to each department’s goal
- Discovery calls that include multiple departments
If you hear that “legal needs to review,” don’t wait—offer to speak with them directly. The faster you can remove friction across teams, the faster the deal moves forward.
3. The average B2B deal now includes 6 to 10 decision-makers
Decision by committee is the new normal
In many deals, you’ll need to win over at least six people—and sometimes up to ten. This slows down deals and adds complexity. One person saying no can delay the whole thing for weeks.
These decision-makers include not just executives but influencers behind the scenes. Some have the power to veto. Others may push alternatives or raise red flags late in the cycle.
How to adjust your sales process
You can’t just “wing it” with this many voices. You need structure.
Here’s what works:
- Early in the process, ask: “Who else should be involved in this conversation?”
- Use mutual action plans to map out each stakeholder’s role
- Create a shared document with FAQs that everyone can reference
Also, don’t assume silence is agreement. Check in regularly with your main contact to make sure other stakeholders are aligned. If someone’s sitting on a concern, surface it early.
4. 75% of B2B buyers say decisions are significantly influenced by peers across functions
Peer influence drives consensus
Buyers listen to each other more than they listen to sellers. And that makes sense. If you’re in finance, you want to know how another finance leader feels about a vendor. This creates internal peer pressure and momentum.
Sometimes your champion will love you—but if another team feels unsure, that hesitation spreads. You lose momentum fast.
What you can do
Arm your champion with tools. Help them explain your value to others. Share examples of how companies like theirs rolled out your solution successfully.
Provide short internal slide decks your contact can use to brief their peers. Make it easy for them to advocate for you.
Also, ask if you can join internal meetings directly. If that’s not possible, record a quick video walking through your key points. Keep it short, relevant, and team-specific.
5. Multi-threaded opportunities are 2.5x more likely to close than single-threaded ones
Why single-threaded selling is risky
If you’re only talking to one person in the deal, you’re walking a tightrope. What if they leave? What if they lose interest? What if they just go silent?
Multi-threaded deals mean you’ve built relationships with more than one stakeholder. You’re not dependent on a single contact—and that makes the deal much more stable.
How to build multiple relationships
Don’t wait until late-stage to multi-thread. From day one, ask who else you should loop in. If they hesitate, offer a reason. For example:
“This topic often overlaps with finance and operations—should we include someone from those teams too?”
Track your stakeholder map. Know who’s involved and who’s not. Use LinkedIn, CRM, and your contact’s insights to fill gaps.
If someone new enters the process, don’t treat them as an obstacle. Introduce yourself fast. Offer to recap what’s happened so far. Be proactive, not reactive.
6. 86% of lost B2B deals involved engagement with only one contact
A clear warning sign
This stat says it all. Relying on a single-threaded deal puts your entire pipeline at risk. These deals are easier to stall, ghost, or lose to internal blockers.
Even if your champion seems excited, they often lack the influence to move things forward alone.
How to reduce your risk
Audit your pipeline regularly. Flag single-threaded deals. Ask yourself:
- Do I know at least three people on this account?
- Have I spoken to someone in leadership, finance, or operations?
- Have I been introduced to a likely end user?
Make it your job to expand inside the account. Treat it like a campaign. Build momentum one thread at a time.
Also, don’t assume they’ll bring others in for you. Most contacts are too busy or unsure how to explain your value. Make it easy for them.
7. Sales cycles are 30% shorter when sellers build multiple relationships within an account
Why more relationships speed things up
When you’re speaking to just one person, everything depends on them. Every internal question, concern, or approval has to pass through them—like a slow game of telephone. But when you have direct relationships with multiple stakeholders, you reduce back-and-forth delays.
The deal becomes smoother. Questions get answered faster. Objections are handled earlier. And most importantly, you’re not waiting on one overworked person to do all the heavy lifting.
How to speed up the sales cycle
Build a stakeholder map early. Prioritize decision-makers and influencers.
When you have a discovery call, ask, “Who else usually gets involved in decisions like this?” Phrase it casually but confidently. Once you’re connected with those folks, engage with each one personally. Avoid group emails where messages get ignored.
Offer short, focused calls with each stakeholder rather than long group meetings. And don’t forget to document insights. When you connect dots across departments, you gain trust and speed.
8. Multi-threaded deals have a 34% higher average deal size
Why more threads mean more value
Multi-threading doesn’t just close deals faster—it leads to bigger deals. When you engage more people, you uncover more use cases. That means more licenses, bigger scopes, or add-on services.
For example, you might start selling to marketing. But by involving product or operations, you unlock new revenue paths. One thread grows into multiple streams.
How to unlock bigger deals
Dig into goals across the company, not just one department. Ask questions like:
- “Who else might benefit from this?”
- “Is there another team that’s facing something similar?”
Also, don’t wait until closing to discuss add-ons or expansions. Start early with discovery across departments. Plant seeds for future value.
Keep a running list of expansion points per account. Even if they don’t say yes today, you’ve laid the groundwork for upsell conversations later.
9. 89% of B2B buying journeys are non-linear due to multiple stakeholders
Straight lines don’t exist anymore
You might think a deal will go from interest → demo → approval → close. But in reality, it looks more like this: interest → silence → new stakeholder → repeat demo → procurement delay → new question → restart.
Multiple stakeholders mean the deal will move in loops, not lines. Different people jump in at different stages. Each one brings new concerns.
How to handle this loop-based reality
Plan for loops, not straight lines. When a new stakeholder joins, don’t be surprised—welcome it. Be ready to restart parts of the conversation.
Have your materials organized and easily repeatable. Use modular content: short explainer decks, quick demo videos, and executive summaries you can reuse.
Also, log everything. What questions have already been answered? What’s still pending? This saves time and builds consistency across all the touchpoints.
10. 58% of B2B buyers expect cross-functional alignment before making a purchase
Buying is a team sport now
Even when one team wants to move forward, they rarely do so alone. Before signing a deal, most buyers want to ensure that other departments are aligned. That includes IT, legal, operations, or even procurement.
If any one of them is unsure, the deal slows or dies.
What to do differently
Anticipate the cross-functional needs. Offer early alignment sessions. Say something like:
“A lot of our customers find it helpful to include your IT or legal teams early. Would it help if I shared a compliance brief or data security summary?”
Be the one who brings alignment, not the one who waits for it. This makes you look like a partner, not just a vendor.
Also, highlight stories where similar clients got internal buy-in quickly. Show them it’s possible—and normal.
11. 60% of B2B sales reps say account penetration is their top challenge
Getting beyond the first contact isn’t easy
Most reps admit they struggle to go beyond one or two contacts at a company. It’s not that they don’t want to multi-thread—it’s that they often don’t know how. People are busy, org charts are unclear, and gatekeeping is real.
But without deeper penetration, your deal risks stalling out.
Tactics to go deeper into the account
Start with curiosity. Ask your current contact, “Who else should be aware of this?” Or, “Who else could help us avoid surprises down the line?”
Use LinkedIn to map potential stakeholders. Then ask for warm intros, not cold ones. If your contact trusts you, they’ll help.
Also, offer value. Say:
“I’ve helped other companies speed up their process by talking directly with procurement early. Want me to handle that?”
Don’t push. Position your outreach as helpful. The goal isn’t more contacts—it’s more support inside the account.
12. 71% of high-performing B2B sales teams focus on multi-threading from the first interaction
Elite teams don’t wait to multi-thread
Top-performing sales teams don’t treat multi-threading as a late-stage tactic. They make it part of the process from the first touchpoint. That means identifying multiple contacts before even booking a demo.
It’s about setting the tone early—this is a team-to-team relationship, not a person-to-person one.
How to apply this from day one
When prospecting, mention teams instead of individuals. Say:
“Many of our customers loop in both marketing and finance to evaluate ROI—happy to speak with both.”
When booking discovery, ask if others should join. Don’t assume it’s a one-person show.
Also, keep your CRM updated with every new contact. This builds a web of relationships over time—not just one thread.
Think long term. Even if one deal doesn’t close, the relationships you build across departments pay off in future opportunities.
13. The average B2B buying group revisits information 3–5 times before reaching consensus
Why repetition is part of the process
You might think that once you’ve given your pitch or sent your deck, that’s the end of it. But in reality, B2B buying teams don’t absorb or agree immediately. They revisit your materials again and again—especially when new stakeholders get involved or internal debates happen.
Every revisit creates an opportunity. Or a risk—if your message is unclear or inconsistent.
What you should do
Make your content easy to revisit. That means short, clear, and sharable. Think:
- A concise executive summary
- A two-minute explainer video
- A PDF with key outcomes or ROI highlights
Also, version-control your messaging. If your champion is showing slide decks from three weeks ago, they might be sharing outdated info.
Every time you sense a stakeholder revisiting the conversation, re-anchor them. Say:
“Just to recap where we are—here’s the current version of the proposal and why it aligns with your goals.”
Repetition isn’t annoying. It’s necessary. Just make sure every repetition builds confidence, not confusion.
14. In tech sales, 78% of enterprise deals are lost due to lack of internal alignment
Misalignment is a silent killer
Most of the time, deals don’t fall apart because your product isn’t good. They fall apart because the buying team couldn’t get aligned. One stakeholder had an objection. Another didn’t see the value. Someone else felt left out of the process.
And suddenly, your champion goes quiet. Or the deal stalls. Or it disappears altogether.
How to prevent this from happening
You don’t need every stakeholder to love your product—but you do need them to agree it’s the right move.
Help your champion drive that alignment. Give them tools that work across departments: ROI models, comparison charts, implementation timelines.
Also, schedule checkpoints. Say:
“Would it be helpful if we scheduled a 15-minute sync with the core team to ensure we’re all aligned before next steps?”
If misalignment is likely, surface it early. Ask: “Is there anyone who might have concerns about this?”
Getting ahead of those issues shows leadership and improves your odds.
15. 80% of B2B buyers say vendor trust increases when multiple roles are engaged
Multi-threading builds credibility
When you talk to only one person, it can feel transactional. But when you take time to engage their peers, managers, and technical experts, it shows you’re invested. And that builds trust.
Buyers see you’re not just chasing the signature—you’re trying to support their whole organization.
What this looks like in practice
Let’s say you’re selling a data platform. You speak with the marketing lead, but you also set up a call with IT to answer security questions. And you send a tailored use case to the finance team about ROI.
That’s multi-threading done right. It’s not about more contacts for the sake of it. It’s about showing you care about each person’s role in the decision.
When buyers see you doing that, it elevates your reputation. You become a partner, not a pusher.
16. 45% of B2B sellers don’t engage more than one contact per account
A major missed opportunity
Almost half of B2B sellers stop after engaging a single contact. They might get a demo booked, have a great call, send a proposal—and then wait. But that’s not selling. That’s hoping.
These deals are fragile. If your one contact leaves the company or loses budget authority, the deal dies with them.
How to do better
Make it a rule: every account should have at least three engaged contacts. If not, it’s at risk.
Even if your main contact seems solid, branch out. Say:
“I’d love to make sure we’re aligned with the rest of your team—who else should I loop in?”
Treat multi-threading like pipeline insurance. Because that’s what it is.
17. Organizations with multi-threaded outreach see 59% higher win rates
Multi-threading doesn’t just protect deals—it wins them
The data is clear: companies that take the time to build multi-threaded relationships win more often. Why? Because they reduce risk, build trust, and align better with how buying teams actually operate.
One person can’t carry the weight of a six-figure decision. Multiple engaged contacts increase your influence and your chances.
How to increase your win rate
Audit your deals right now. Which ones are single-threaded? Fix that. Use a simple outreach sequence to loop in others.
When you engage more contacts, stagger your messaging. Don’t copy-paste emails. Make each one relevant to their role.
And track your progress. Over time, you’ll notice something important: the more threads you build, the fewer deals fall through.
18. 66% of B2B buying teams conduct independent research before involving sales
Buyers show up informed
Most buying teams don’t start with a call to sales. They start with research. They Google, read reviews, look at case studies, and even talk to peers. By the time you get in the room, they already know a lot.
But here’s the twist: each person on the team does their own research. And they don’t always share it with each other.
What to do as a seller
Control the narrative. Make your public-facing content match what you’ll say in person. That includes:
- Your website messaging
- Customer case studies
- Product reviews and G2 ratings
Also, help your champion curate content for their peers. Send them a “starter pack” with key materials:
“Here’s what your finance, IT, and ops teams usually ask about. Thought I’d get ahead of it.”
That way, you shape how the research gets shared—before the meetings even start.
19. Multi-threaded engagement improves upsell likelihood by 32%
Why more threads unlock more value
When you’re deeply connected across an organization, you don’t just win the initial deal—you unlock long-term opportunities. Upsells don’t happen by accident. They happen because you’ve built relationships in more than one place.
If your product helps multiple departments, each one becomes a chance to grow your footprint.
How to position for upsell early
Start by identifying future use cases during the initial discovery. Even if the first sale is narrow, ask:
“Would it make sense to talk with [another team] about this down the line?”
After the first win, follow up with those secondary teams. Share outcomes. Offer additional value. Don’t push—invite.
For example:
“Your marketing team has seen strong results. Want to explore how the product team could benefit from a similar setup?”
It’s all about staying curious and keeping doors open across the account.
20. 52% of B2B buyers say they require consensus from at least five people
Majority rule, not solo approval
In today’s B2B buying environment, more than half of buyers need at least five people to agree before moving forward. That means you’re not convincing one person—you’re earning consensus across a group.
And the challenge is, each of those five may care about different things.
How to help a buying group align
Your job is to reduce friction. The more you understand what each person needs, the easier it is to build a shared vision.
Ask your champion:
“Can I provide something tailored for each team’s priority? I want to help everyone feel confident.”
Create bite-sized materials for different personas. Keep it short. Show them what success looks like for them, not just the company overall.
Then, summarize alignment often. Say:
“Here’s what I’ve heard so far from each team—and how we’re addressing it.”
That kind of clarity moves deals forward when consensus is required.
21. 47% of decision-makers are outside the department where the solution will be used
Influencers are everywhere
Nearly half of the people influencing buying decisions aren’t even in the department that will use your solution. A sales tool might be used by the sales team—but operations, IT, and finance could still weigh in.
So if you’re only talking to the team that benefits directly, you’re missing critical influencers.
How to expand your reach
Look at the full org chart. Ask questions like:
- “Who else needs to weigh in before this moves forward?”
- “Has finance or IT reviewed tools like this before?”
Offer to loop them in early. Don’t treat them as obstacles—treat them as allies.
Create versions of your pitch tailored to indirect stakeholders. Show them how your product reduces risk, saves time, or improves compliance—even if they won’t use it every day.
When you respect their role, you earn their support.
22. Sales emails sent to three or more stakeholders get 21% higher reply rates
More contacts mean more traction
Emails often go unread. But when you loop in multiple stakeholders, the reply rate jumps. Why? Because someone is more likely to respond. It creates urgency. It builds shared visibility.
No one wants to be the person who drops the ball.
How to use this to your advantage
When you have multiple contacts at an account, don’t default to one-on-one emails. Use small group threads—just two or three people per message.
Make the email relevant to all of them. A good structure is:
“[Name 1], thanks for our chat last week. [Name 2], adding you here since your team may benefit too. Here’s a quick summary…”
Keep the message tight and clear. And always end with a simple call to action.
Group visibility creates group momentum.
23. 73% of enterprise sales deals that close involve executive-level stakeholders
Leaders still have the final say
Even if your main champion is mid-level, most enterprise deals require sign-off from executives. These leaders care about alignment with strategy, cost, and implementation risk.
If you don’t engage them early, you might get blocked late.
How to engage executives
You don’t need to pitch them everything—just what they care about. That means:
- Business outcomes
- Risk mitigation
- ROI in plain terms
Create a short summary deck tailored for the executive audience. Offer your champion this message:
“Would it help if I prepared a 2-slide summary you could share with [executive name]?”
Or, better yet, offer to join that meeting directly. Be concise, confident, and focused on outcomes. That’s what executives remember.
24. 68% of B2B buyers say conflicting priorities within buying groups slow decisions
Internal confusion kills speed
When different stakeholders want different things—or have different timelines—everything slows down. One team wants to move fast. Another needs more time. One wants Feature A. Another sees no value in it.
That back-and-forth causes delays, indecision, or even deal collapse.
How to bring alignment
Act as the neutral guide. Start each deal by helping the team define shared goals.
Say:
“From what I’ve heard, [team A] is focused on speed, and [team B] cares about compliance. Let’s map out how this solution supports both.”
When you acknowledge different priorities and connect them, you build unity.
Also, provide a shared doc that outlines agreed steps. Make it visible to all stakeholders. When people see their input reflected, they move faster together.
25. Sellers who identify and engage champions across departments are 3x more successful
Internal champions drive deals
If you can find someone inside the account who’s excited about your solution and willing to advocate for it—you’ve got a champion. And if you find one in more than one department? You multiply your momentum.
Internal champions carry credibility that external sellers don’t have.
How to find and support champions
Champions aren’t always loud. Look for those who ask smart questions, respond quickly, or offer to share internally.
When you spot them, make their job easy. Give them content they can send to others. Offer to join team meetings. Ask how you can support their internal conversations.
Also, recognize their effort. A simple thank you goes a long way.
The more support you give, the more invested they become in getting your deal over the line.
26. Multi-threaded ABM campaigns result in 27% higher engagement rates
Why one-to-one isn’t always enough in ABM
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is about targeting specific companies with tailored messaging. But even in ABM, if you’re only focusing on one person per account, you’re leaving money on the table.
When your ABM campaigns reach multiple stakeholders, engagement rises—because each person sees something that speaks directly to their needs.
How to multi-thread in ABM
Build campaigns with layers. Start with one central theme, but customize the message for each persona. For example:
- Send a performance-focused message to the VP of Sales
- Send a compliance message to the IT lead
- Send a cost-benefit breakdown to finance
Make sure each contact sees why your product matters to them, not just the company. Don’t overcomplicate the campaign—keep it tight, but personal.
Use LinkedIn ads, email cadences, and direct mail in sync, targeting 3–5 people per account. That’s where the engagement boost kicks in.
27. 49% of B2B purchases stall due to lack of internal agreement
Misalignment doesn’t just delay—it kills deals
Almost half of deals stall out not because of budget or product fit—but because the buying team can’t get on the same page. Someone disagrees. Someone’s unclear. Someone’s nervous.
When there’s no internal alignment, nothing moves.
What you can do
Create clarity. From early on, ask: “What does internal agreement look like for your team?”
If they don’t know, help them define it.
Also, guide the process with simple tools. A shared action plan. A stakeholder checklist. A timeline with approval milestones.
Most importantly, don’t just hope for alignment—facilitate it. Be the person helping the team get to a shared decision faster.
When you lead the alignment, you don’t just win deals—you prevent them from going dark.
28. 62% of companies with over 1000 employees use formal buying committees
Committees make decisions differently
In larger organizations, buying isn’t just a function of need—it’s a formal process. These committees have rules. Steps. Gatekeepers. And unless you navigate those carefully, your deal can get stuck.
The buying committee might include legal, finance, IT, procurement, and business leaders—all with different concerns.
How to sell to a committee
First, confirm the process. Ask your contact:
“Is there a formal buying process or committee for decisions like this?”
Once confirmed, map it out. Identify who sits on the committee and what their decision-making role is.
Prepare tailored materials for the group. Summarize what’s in it for each stakeholder. Then, align your proposal timeline with their review cycles.
When you show respect for the process, you earn faster traction within it.
29. On average, it takes 17 interactions across 6 stakeholders to close a B2B deal
Sales is about consistency, not one-off wins
Seventeen interactions. Six people. That’s the average it takes to get a B2B deal done. Which means if you’re not following up, multi-threading, or staying top of mind—you’re losing ground.
Every touchpoint matters. Each one builds trust or loses momentum.
How to manage this without burning out
Use systems. Build sequences for email, calls, and social. Track who you’ve spoken to, who’s replied, and where gaps exist.
Make each touchpoint valuable. Don’t just check in—add insight. Share a new case study. Offer an updated ROI estimate. Provide a relevant industry report.
Also, vary your communication. Don’t only email. Use LinkedIn messages, short videos, and live calls.
Be visible. Be helpful. Be steady. That’s what gets you through all 17 interactions without losing the deal.
30. Multi-threading from day one reduces ghosting rates by 41%
Why deals go silent—and how to stop it
One of the worst feelings in B2B sales is getting ghosted. You’ve had great calls, shared a proposal, maybe even received a verbal “yes”—then silence. No replies. No updates.
Often, it’s because the only person you were talking to lost momentum internally. Or worse, something changed and you weren’t in the loop.
The fix? Multi-thread early
When you’re connected to multiple people, ghosting becomes less likely. Someone will still reply. You’ll have context. You’ll stay part of the internal conversation.
So, from the first meeting, ask:
“Is there anyone else it would make sense to include in our next chat?”
Then follow up accordingly. Build rapport with each contact. Make sure they know you’re here to help—not pressure.
When you’re multi-threaded, you’re not just chasing one person. You’re building a presence inside the account. That keeps communication alive, even when things get quiet.
Conclusion
The way B2B buyers make decisions has changed—and it’s still changing. Single-threaded selling is no longer enough. Multi-threaded engagement isn’t just a tactic—it’s a competitive necessity.
These 30 stats tell a clear story. More stakeholders are involved. More touches are needed. And the sellers who build deeper, broader relationships are the ones who close more—and grow faster.
