Stop Selling To the Wrong Person

A few years ago, I was demoing a learning technology platform to a CPO.

The presentation was going well. Features, integrations, compliance dashboards. All the things L&D teams love.

Then the CPO leaned back and asked:

"How does this stop people just going onto YouTube?"

Brilliant question. Brutal question.

Here's the honest answer: It doesn't.

YouTube is the largest learning platform on the planet. You can't compete with it on content volume or accessibility.

What you can do is ensure the right content gets to the right person at the right time. Curated. Contextual. Relevant to their actual role.

But that wasn't the real question.

The real question was: "Will people actually use this, or will we pay for something that sits unused while employees default to what's easier?"

I should have learned the lesson then.

Fast forward to 2025. Talent assessment platform. Big prospect. The demo was going brilliantly.

HR team loved it. We'd nailed the features, the integrations, the reporting dashboards. Forty-five minutes of nodding heads and "this is exactly what we need."

Then the CEO spoke.

"I like the platform. But I don't think the managers would use it."

I paused. Tried to clarify the comment. Asked a few questions. But the damage was done.

We lost the deal.

Not because the product wasn't good. Not because the price was wrong. Because I'd spent 45 minutes impressing the buyer and zero minutes validating with the users.

The Pattern I See Everywhere

B2B companies obsess over the buyer and forget about the user.

They design for:

• The HR Director who signs the contract
• The L&D team who manages the platform
• The Procurement team who evaluates the features

But they don't design for:

• The line manager who has to use it in the middle of a busy week
• The employee who just wants to solve a problem quickly
• The person who will choose YouTube over your platform if yours is clunky

This is the gap that kills adoption.

The buyer loves your solution because it solves their problem (reporting, compliance, visibility).

The user hates it because it creates work for them (another login, another interface, another thing to learn).

You get the contract. Six months later, you're fighting churn because "nobody's using it."

The Cost of Getting This Wrong

I've seen this play out repeatedly:

Learning technology that L&D teams buy because it ticks compliance boxes, but employees ignore because the content is generic and YouTube is faster.

Talent assessment platforms that HR Directors love because of the analytics, but line managers avoid because the assessments take too long and the insights aren't actionable.

CRM systems that sales directors mandate, but reps find ways around because it slows them down.

The buyer is happy at the contract signing. The user is frustrated three months in. The relationship sours. The renewal conversation is painful.

You sold to the wrong person.

What I Learned Too Late

After losing that deal in 2025, I changed my approach.

I started involving the actual users in the sales process.

Not just HR. Line managers. The people who would live with this tool daily.

Not a checkbox exercise. Real validation:

• Would you actually use this?
• Does this make your job easier or harder?
• What would stop you from using this?

The answers were uncomfortable. But they were honest.

And when we adjusted the demo—less admin features, more user experience—the conversations changed.

We stopped losing deals because managers wouldn't use it.

Validation Isn't a One-Time Thing

The lesson from 2025 wasn't just "get managers in the demo."

It was deeper: You have layers of buyers and users, and most companies only design for one.

Real validation means:

• Religious customer feedback and interviews, documented over time
• Asking tough questions of yourself and the customer
• Checking your blind spots with external advisors who will challenge you
• Measuring user adoption, not just buyer satisfaction

It's uncomfortable. Because it exposes the gap between what buyers want and what users will actually engage with.

But if you don't close that gap, someone else will.

The YouTube Problem Is Everywhere

That CPO's question stuck with me: "How does this stop people going to YouTube?"

Because it's not just about learning platforms.

It's about any B2B solution where the user has an alternative that's easier, faster, or more intuitive.

Your talent assessment vs. a simple phone interview.

Your project management tool vs. a shared spreadsheet.

Your onboarding platform vs. a quick conversation with a colleague.

If your solution creates friction for the user, they'll find a way around it.

Doesn't matter how much the buyer loves it.

What Should You Do Differently?

If you're building or selling B2B solutions, ask yourself:

1. Who actually uses this day-to-day?

• Not who signs the contract
• Not who manages the budget
• Who logs in and does the work?

2. Have you validated with them?

• Not a checkbox demo
• Real feedback: Would you use this? What would stop you?

3. Are you designing for the buyer or the user?

• Admin dashboards vs. user experience
• Compliance features vs. actual utility
• What impresses procurement vs. what makes someone's job easier

4. How are you measuring success?

• Contract value? Or user adoption?
• Buyer satisfaction? Or user engagement?
• Renewals? Or daily active users?

The Lesson

The CPO asked the right question years ago. I didn't fully understand it then.

The CEO asked a similar question in 2025. By then, I should have known better.

Selling to the wrong person isn't just bad sales. It's bad business.

Design for the user. Validate with the user. Sell to the buyer.

Get that order wrong, and you're building something nobody wants to use—no matter how much they paid for it.

Who are you actually designing for—the buyer or the user?

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