Gatekeepers
If you want to sell a product to a large company like Walmart, you can’t just walk in
the door of its corporate headquarters and demand to see a purchasing agent. You
will first have to get past of a number of gatekeepers12, or people who will decide if
and when you get access to members of the buying center. These are people such as
buying assistants, personal assistants, and other individuals who have some say
about which sellers are able to get a foot in the door.