1 min lesson
Gatekeepers at the enterprise tier
Talk this through in your own words: "An engineer on a cold call asks, 'So how much does this save us and what does it cost?' You're an SDR, not an AE. What do you do?" Finish with the next move.
Step 1 of 2
Gatekeepers at the enterprise tier
When IC love tries to become a company deal, these concerns decide it. You don't resolve them; you know they exist and who owns them so you can flag them in a clean handoff.
- Gate
- Privacy / security
- The concern
- Where does our code go; is it used to train models
- Who owns it
- Security / CISOChief Information Security Officer. The executive who owns security; usually the hardest and most important person to win over. Press Enter for the full definition.
- Gate
- Admin & access
- The concern
- SSOSingle Sign-On. One company login (usually via SAML or OIDC) instead of a separate password per tool. Press Enter for the full definition., provisioning, central management of seats
- Who owns it
- IT / Eng leadership
- Gate
- Billing & procurement
- The concern
- One contract, budget approval, vendor review
- Who owns it
- Procurement / Finance
| Gate | The concern | Who owns it |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy / security | Where does our code go; is it used to train models | Security / CISOChief Information Security Officer. The executive who owns security; usually the hardest and most important person to win over. Press Enter for the full definition. |
| Admin & access | SSOSingle Sign-On. One company login (usually via SAML or OIDC) instead of a separate password per tool. Press Enter for the full definition., provisioning, central management of seats | IT / Eng leadership |
| Billing & procurement | One contract, budget approval, vendor review | Procurement / Finance |
Surface these as facts in your handoff notes; the AE drives the resolution.
Interview move
If asked "what's your job at the end of a good cold call?", be precise: surface enough fit to justify an AE conversation, not to price or close. Then show you know the next gates. That answer proves handoff discipline, which is exactly what the AE round is testing.