February 19th, 2026

11:00am - 12:00pm EST/EDT

Zoom meeting

Spot the Hidden Influencers Who Quietly Shape the Deal

It’s harder than ever to see who’s really influencing a buying decision. Peers, review sites, internal Slack threads, and surprise executives can all play a role.

In this session, we’ll share how leaders are helping teams map decision networks—not just org charts—and win support from people they may never meet directly. Come ready to share what’s working, where visibility is still a challenge, and how you’re preparing sellers to navigate the hidden layers of influence.

Discussion Prompts to Reflect on Before the Session:

• What’s one deal where influence came from a source you didn’t expect?

• How are your reps mapping or tracking hidden influencers?

• What tools or content are helping buyers build internal consensus?

• Where is your team struggling to get above the line or across functions?

• What’s your best “multi-threading” move right now?

How to Get the Most From This Forum

The Executive Forum is designed to be a collaborative, high-trust environment—where every member brings something to the conversation and leaves with new ideas, new questions, and new connections.

Here’s how to prepare and participate:

Come Ready to Share

This session centers on your experience, not a lecture. Please take a few minutes to reflect on the discussion prompts above in advance, and be ready to contribute your perspective.

Full Participation Matters

This isn’t a passive webinar. To keep the conversation meaningful and interactive, we ask that members join with cameras on and mics ready to unmute. If you're not able to participate actively that day, we recommend skipping the session so others can fully engage in smaller groups.

Expect Breakouts

You’ll have the opportunity to join small-group breakouts once or twice during the hour. These are designed for deeper discussion, sharper insights, and stronger peer connections.

Connect Beyond the Zoom

We encourage you to trade contact info, connect on LinkedIn, and build real working relationships with the peers you meet here. This space is a jumping-off point for ongoing peer support.

Send Us Your Hot Take

Have a strong opinion or risky question on this month’s topic? Members will receive a series calendar invite for the year and can send their hot take or question for each month in advance. We’ll share as many as we can (anonymously unless you choose to claim it) to spark group discussion. Your perspective might be just what someone else needs to hear.

Important Note On Confidentiality

Emblaze Executive Forum is:

• Live only – Never recorded, never transcribed. You have to be in the Zoom room to get the value.
• Off the record – No device recording permitted. Our facilitator will remove automatic recording devices out of respect for the group.

Not a Member Yet?

Executive Forum is available to all current Emblaze members. If you’re not a member but want to join this session and others like it, learn more about membership here.