Key takeaways:
- Bringing in procurement, finance and security gives the biggest single-role win rate lifts
- The best-performing deals had 4 or more roles working together
- Role combos like C-suite + Sales + Marketing + IT drove win rates up by over 150%
- Some roles may slow the process - but the payoff is worth it
You already know multi-threading matters. But winning deals is not about adding more people to the conversation. It is about involving the right mix of stakeholders at the right time.
We analysed thousands of trumpet Digital Sales Rooms, or Pods, to understand which stakeholder personas, when present alongside a champion, have the biggest impact on deal outcomes.
The results were clear. Certain role combinations can increase win rates by more than 150 percent.
Not all stakeholders contribute equally
Most reps focus on the usual suspects. A champion early on, with legal or procurement pulled in later.
But the highest-performing deals followed a different pattern.
They were not just larger buying committees. They were well-structured buying groups, with early input from commercial, technical, strategic, and financial stakeholders.
These Pods were built for alignment, not just coverage.
The biggest win rate lifts from individual roles
To understand which personas matter most, we looked at the impact of adding individual roles alongside a champion.
Win rate impact by role
- Procurement increased win rate by 83%
- Security increased win rate by 70%
- Finance, excluding CFO, increased win rate by 51%
- Marketing increased win rate by 47%
- Sales stakeholders increased win rate by 24%
One finding stood out.
Involving procurement early significantly increased win rates, even though it often slowed the deal down.
Slower does not mean worse
Some roles improved outcomes but extended timelines.
Roles that added time to the deal
- Procurement extended deal cycles by 48%
- Legal extended timelines by 24%
- IT extended timelines by 12%
C-suite, sales, and security involvement had smaller impacts on timing.
This slowdown is not a negative signal.
It reflects increased scrutiny, more rigorous evaluation, and stronger internal alignment. Deals that survive this phase are far more likely to close.
The magic is in the mix
When we looked at Pods with multiple personas involved, the pattern became even clearer.
The highest win rates came from cross-functional combinations, not seniority alone.
Highest-performing stakeholder combinations
- C-suite, Sales, Marketing, and IT increased win rate by 158%
- C-suite, CFO, Sales, and Marketing increased win rate by 158%
- Sales and IT increased win rate by 78%
- Sales and Product increased win rate by 60%
- Finance and Sales increased win rate by 60%
- C-suite, Sales, and Marketing increased win rate by 117%
- IT, Sales, and Marketing increased win rate by 68%
- IT, C-suite, and Sales increased win rate by 37%
These are not just buying groups.
They are alignment engines. Cross-functional teams that can make decisions and defend them internally.
Why this matters now
Deals are more complex. Budgets are under greater scrutiny. Consensus is harder to achieve.
That makes stakeholder mix a strategic lever, not a box-ticking exercise.
Getting the right voices involved early is often the difference between:
- A champion who loses momentum
- A buying team that can secure approval
How to build smarter stakeholder Pods
Identify your champion’s blind spots
Your main contact may not think to involve marketing, IT, or security.
Prompt them with questions like:
- “Do other teams usually weigh in on this?”
- “Would it help if I added something tailored for security or finance?”
Tailor content for each persona
A CFO does not want a product deck. A security lead wants risk and compliance answers up front.
Design your Pod for cross-functional review, not just sales conversations.
Track who is present and who is missing
Trumpet shows which roles are engaging. If key personas are absent, nudge your champion early.
Use Templates built for real decision processes
Top-performing teams use Pod Templates that include explainer videos, security documentation, ROI summaries, and clear timelines.
Final thoughts: mix matters more than volume
Winning complex deals is not about casting a wider net. It is about inviting the right people into the conversation.
The strongest Pods are not filled with contacts. They are built for alignment, with content that speaks to every stakeholder in the room.
When you get the mix right, you do not just increase win rates. You create a deal team that can say yes and stand behind the decision.
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