Why You Should Never Present Without the Decision-Maker

Last Thursday, I ran a training program for a boutique strategy consulting company based in Asia (comprising alumni from Deloitte, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, United. Yes, they were a bunch of really smart operators). We dove into a controversial discussion: how should you handle a presentation or pitch when the decision-maker suddenly can't attend?

Do you carry on in their absence to avoid missing your chance? Or do you reschedule and risk delaying the sales process?

Also, how do we avoid offending the other stakeholders?

Here’s my take based on real experience and lessons learned over years in the field: Reschedule or replan the meeting.

Yes, it’s tempting to push ahead, but presenting without the key decision maker can waste time, energy, and even your shot at closing the deal.

Here’s why and how to handle these situations like a pro.

A Personal Story from the Field

Years ago, while living in Manila, working for Alcatel-Lucent. My team and I flew to Cebu to close one of the biggest deals of the region. It was the beginning of broadband internet.

A 40 million euro broadband network project. The stakes couldn’t have been higher. We were set to present to the COO, Head of Business Division (our "lead point of contact"), CTO, and Marketing Director.

But at the last minute, the COO (decision-maker) had to deal with a critical issue with a top client, and we were asked to proceed with his leadership team in his absence.

While the CTO was influential, we knew the COO was the ultimate decision maker. The project couldn't move forward without his buy-in. Yes, it would delay things by a few weeks, but the bigger risk was that our lead contact would never be able to present our solution as effectively as we could. Instead of presenting, we respectfully explained the client’s issue was important, but so was this meeting.

We also explained to our other stakeholders that we didn't want to waste their time and miss opportunities for everyone to align. We offered to reschedule to ensure the COO’s involvement.

Three weeks later, we had our meeting—with the COO fully engaged.

The result? We won the project to deploy the first broadband network in the country and built a relationship that set the foundation for further collaborations

The lesson: If it’s a decision-making meeting, make sure you have the right people in the room.

Why You Should Reschedule

What’s the purpose of a sales presentation?

It’s not just to share information or showcase your ideas.

It’s to enable a decision.

Proposals, emails, and slides don’t close deals. People do. Sales discussions are dynamic exchanges where objections are addressed, questions answered, and human connections are established.

When you present to someone who isn’t empowered to decide, the effort often falls flat. Here’s what can go wrong when the key person isn’t in the room.

1. Dilution of Your Message

Your point person may promise to present your solution to the decision maker later, but they won’t communicate your ideas with the same clarity, conviction, or expertise as you. The finer points of your pitch will likely get lost in translation.

2. Missing Objections and Questions

You won’t be there to address concerns or handle objections in real time. Your point person might lack the confidence or technical understanding to respond effectively, which could hurt your chances.

3. Powerful Non-Verbal Communication Goes Missing

Face-to-face meetings allow you to pick up on vocal and visual cues like tone, pacing, facial expressions, and body language. These subtle signals can reveal how your message is landing and allow you to adjust course instantly.

4. Interaction and Rapport Building

Sales success often hinges on establishing trust and building rapport. Without active engagement, you lose the chance to create a meaningful connection and guide the conversation based on feedback.

5. Missed Opportunity for Closure

A live meeting often concludes with a decision, an agreement on next steps, or clear feedback. Without the decision maker present, you’re left in limbo, waiting for someone else to carry the message to the top.

Simply put, presenting without the decision maker leaves too much to chance.

👻 This is when sales people get ghosted.

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What to Do Instead

When faced with the absence of a decision maker, work with the lead or project contact to reframe the discussion without outright rejecting their involvement. Here are some strategies to manage this situation effectively.

How to Handle a “Just Present to Me” Scenario

⚠️ When your "lead point of contact" person says,

“Just present to me; I’ll share it with the others later,”

🚨respond with something like this:

"I completely understand how busy everyone must be, especially with everything else going on. The last thing I’d want is to waste their time with a presentation that doesn’t truly address their criteria or concerns.

That’s my worry here. If we don’t have the opportunity to engage directly with them, we might risk missing important nuances or questions they’d want clarified. Instead of guessing or assuming, why don’t we focus on scheduling a time when we can align with everyone?

I think it would lead to better outcomes for all involved."

This approach acknowledges their time constraints while reinforcing that your priority is delivering value—not just ticking off a box.

When you have the right people and decision-makers in the room, begin by stating your meeting's purpose. The purpose of a sales presentation is to enable a decision. We present, and our clients decide.

Before Competitive Pitch Meetings

If you’re in a competitive bid situation, set the tone early in the meeting.

🚨For instance, you might say something like this at the start of the presentation:

"We’re grateful to have the opportunity to share our solution with you today. We know you’re considering other excellent providers, and we want to focus on ensuring we’ve nailed your requirements.

By the end of today, we hope to answer two key questions together. First, did we get it right? If not, what would need to change? And second, how does what we’ve presented stack up against your other options?

If there’s a better fit out there, we’d greatly appreciate any feedback that could help us improve moving forward."

This establishes transparency and shows that you’re focused on collaboration, not just winning.

For Sole Vendor Presentations

🚨When you’re the only vendor being considered, leverage this advantage by clarifying expectations. For example, say something like this:

"We assume that the purpose of today’s session is to provide you with enough information to make a decision to either move forward with our solution or share any required changes.

Is that what you’re expecting as well?"

This approach clarifies the objectives upfront and ensures you’re aligned on what success looks like by the end of the meeting.

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At the end of the day, the goal of every sales presentation or pitch is to enable your client to make an informed decision. That means ensuring that you’re presenting to the right people at the right time.

Here’s the golden rule to remember: Proposals don’t sell. People do.

Human interaction is what drives clarity, confidence, and ultimately, commitment. Don’t gamble your efforts on someone “passing it along.”

Rescheduling might feel like a delay in the short term, but it’s an investment in your long-term success.

What’s your approach when the decision maker can’t make it? Have you faced a similar situation?

Hit reply—I love hearing from you! Thank you for being here, and I'll see you next week!

Ren