Successful marketing to a business requires a thorough understanding of roles in the company's buying center. A ___________ is an individual who controls the flow and type of product information that is available to others in the buying center.
A. Decider
B. Influencer
C. User
D. Initiator
E. Gatekeeper
Answer: E - Successful marketing to a business requires a thorough understanding of roles in the company's buying center. A gatekeeper is an individual who controls the flow and type of product information that is available to others in the buying center. Product or service information is seminal to the business-to-business interaction. A gatekeeper in an organization determines not only what information comes into the buying center, but also the type of information that is available to sellers. For example, the gatekeeper determines which marketing communications or promotional materials are available to the influencer or decision maker in the organization.