Tech Sales - who do you actually sell to?

(Specifically B2B IT products/services) - I started working adjacent to the tech sector (it’s complicated) almost 15 years ago - with close relationships both on the IT side and on the SaaS vendor side.

Back then, CIO’s were self-described “tech geeks” begging for a seat in the board room. To the shock of any of the younger guys lurking on this sub, they were even fairly easy to get on the phone.

Fast forward - these CIO’s got what they wished for. For the most part (except for small shops), they’re business executives spending most of their time in meetings and relegating tasks to Directors or VP’s, one or two steps removed from the technology.

I’ve had conversations with multiple CIO’s fairly recently, and they all tell me the same thing: they don’t make purchasing decisions. They look to remove the roadblocks and barriers for their teams - they’re blocking and tackling. A lot of these guys don’t have time to research technology solutions. They let their trusted guys (and gals) tell them what they need and figure out the best way to make a business case to justify it.

Is this common knowledge?

If so, have you adjusted your sales approach to reflect this reality?

Who do you really sell to?