<p>This article argues that it matters who exerts influence in the decision-making process. However, not only does it matter who the influence providers are, but it also matters how they construct their roles—as lobbyists and/or policy advisers—in order to increase their legitimacy and maximize influence. It is argued here that influence providers engage in strategic role construction, while relying on the regulatory context on the one hand, and perceptions as to what matters to decision-makers on the other. Accordingly, two strategies of role construction are identified: drawing boundaries and blurring boundaries between lobbying and policy advice. Empirically, this research relies on an explorative qualitative analysis of two country cases and is based on in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted in 2020–2021 among influence providers in Germany and Poland.</p>