The Person Who Loves Your Product Isn't the One Who Buys It

Every district has its own way of making purchasing decisions. The process depends on things like the district's size, what's being bought, and local politics. Because of this, the people involved can change from one situation to another.

Still, one thing stays the same: there's always someone who understands the problem and someone else who can approve the purchase. These are usually different people. How you work with each of them decides if your deal moves forward or gets stuck.

Figuring out who you're talking to

The first step in any district conversation is to find out who you're really talking to. It might seem obvious, but it's easy to overlook. The person who set up the meeting seems like the right contact—they're interested, engaged, and want to learn about your product.

But being interested isn't the same as having authority. Someone might love your solution but still not have the power to approve the purchase. I learned this early in my career. I once spent weeks working with someone who was fully supportive, only to find out they had no say in the final decision. It's experiences like this that taught me to ask the right questions from the beginning.

There are a few questions that can help you figure this out early:

"Can you tell me how your district commonly handles purchases like this?"

"Who else would need to be involved in this decision?"

"What does the approval process usually look like from here?"

These questions aren't confrontational. They're practical, and administrators expect them. The answers you get will show you who's involved, what the process is, and where you should focus your efforts.

Working with the influencer

The influencer is usually the first person you meet. They're close to the problem. This could be a curriculum director, instructional coach, technology coordinator, or department head. They deal with the issue every day and are often the ones looking for a solution.

Building a good relationship with this person is important because they know things you won't find on a website or in a board meeting agenda. They can tell you what's really happening in classrooms, what's been tried before, what worked, what didn't, and where real resistance might come from.

The best way to work with an influencer is to treat them as your guide to the district. You can ask questions like:

"What's been the biggest challenge for your team with this issue?"

"Has the district tried to address this before? What happened?"

"If you could design the ideal solution, what would it include?"

"What concerns do you think others in the district might have about making a change?"

These questions help you learn more so you can shape your solution. They also show the influencer that you value their input. When people feel their opinions matter, they often become your strongest supporters in the district.

The influencer's support helps you connect with the decision-maker. When the influencer tells their superintendent or assistant superintendent, "You need to talk to this person—they understand what we're dealing with," that introduction has weight. Now, your meeting isn't with a stranger. It's a warm introduction.

Working with the decision-maker

Talking to the decision-maker is a different conversation. This person is often a superintendent, assistant superintendent, or chief academic officer. They look at your solution from a different angle. They care about the problem, but they're also thinking about funding, compliance, board priorities, and how your solution fits with other district work.

One of the biggest mistakes I see founders make is presenting to the decision-maker the same way they did to the influencer. The influencer wanted to talk about the problem in detail. The decision-maker wants to understand the value: what this solves, what it costs, how success will be measured, and what the timeline is. These are two different conversations, and treating them the same way is a missed opportunity.

Questions that work with decision-makers:

"What are the district's top priorities this year, and how does this project fit?"

"What would need to be true for you to feel confident moving forward with this?"

"How does the district typically measure success with initiatives like this?"

"What's your timeline for making a decision?"

These questions show the decision-maker that you understand their role. You're not asking them to get excited about features. You're asking them to decide if the investment makes sense for the district. That's a conversation they're comfortable with, and it develops trust quickly.

The handoff

The moment that can make or break a district sale is the handoff. This happens when the influencer introduces you to the decision-maker or when the decision-maker first sees your proposal.

If you've worked well with the influencer, they can prepare the decision-maker before you ever meet them. They can explain the problem, share why your approach stood out, and set the context in which the decision-maker isn't starting from scratch.

But this only works if the influencer has enough to work with. If all they know about your solution is what they saw in a presentation, they can't make a strong case internally. They need to understand how your solution addresses their particular problem, what the expected results are, and how the plan would work. That's what you build together during your conversations with them.

I've seen this happen many times in my career. When the handoff goes well, the meeting with the decision-maker isn't a sales conversation. It's a planning conversation. The problem has already been established. The value has already been outlined. The decision-maker is there to confirm that it makes sense for the district and decide on the next steps.

When the handoff is weak or doesn't happen, and a founder goes straight to the decision-maker without building support first, they're starting from scratch. They have to explain the problem, build credibility, and show the value all in one meeting. I've seen talented founders struggle in this situation—not because they weren't prepared, but because they expected one meeting to do the work of three.

One question that prevents wasted time

If there's one thing I want founders to remember, it's to ask this question in your first meeting: "Who else would need to be part of this conversation for a decision to move forward?"

I've seen founders spend months building a relationship with someone who didn't have the authority to approve the purchase. It wasn't because the person was dishonest—they were really interested and wanted to help. But they couldn't make the decision, and the founder never asked who could.

Asking that one question early gives you a clear idea of who needs to be involved and when. It helps you plan your approach instead of guessing. It also shows the person you're meeting that you understand how districts work.

If you want to talk about how to handle the people side of your district sales, send me a message. I'm happy to talk it through.

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