“The district isn’t moving forward.”
No. That person isn’t moving forward.
In K12 sales, we obsess over what “the district” wants—strategic plans, board initiatives, alignment documents. But here’s what actually happens: districts don’t make decisions. People do. And those people have personal stakes that rarely match what’s written in the strategic plan.
When a rep tells me, “The district wants to improve instructional equity,” I ask two questions: “Who told you that? And what happens to them personally if it doesn’t improve?”
Because if you’re selling to a document, you’re missing the human who can actually say yes.
The Fatal Assumption: Organizations Feel Pain
Most reps treat district initiatives like they’re buying signals. They hear “We’re focused on SEL this year” and think they’ve found their angle. But initiatives don’t feel urgency. Strategic plans don’t lose sleep. Board goals don’t risk their reputation.
People do.
Your curriculum director isn’t lying awake worried about “district-wide instructional alignment.” She’s worried about whether the principals will actually implement her new framework—and what happens to her credibility if they don’t.
The difference between those two concerns is the difference between a conversation and a sale.
Why We Default to District Goals
Selling to organizational priorities feels safer. It sounds strategic. Professional. Aligned.
It’s also lazy.
When you anchor to district goals without connecting to personal stakes, you get responses like:
“This isn’t really our call”
“We’re just waiting on central office”
“Yeah, we’re working on that... it’s a slow process”
Translation: You haven’t made this matter to me.
What Personal Stakes Actually Look Like
Let’s say a district is “implementing standards-based grading.” Sounds like one initiative, right? But look at how it hits different people:
The Principal: “If test scores don’t improve, parents will blame me. The board will question my leadership.”
The Curriculum Director: “This is my signature project. If teachers resist or it fails, my career here could be over.”
The Tech Coordinator: “I have to make three different systems talk to each other with no budget and angry teachers calling every day.”
Same initiative. Completely different personal realities.
Your job isn’t to align with the initiative. It’s to understand how that initiative creates pressure, opportunity, or risk for the specific person across from you.
The Champion Test
Here’s how you know you’re selling to the person instead of the plan: they become your champion.
Champions don’t just approve your solution—they fight for it. They push it through procurement. They risk political capital to get it funded. They advocate when you’re not in the room.
But no one becomes a champion to help a vendor check a district goal box. They become champions to solve their own problem.
How to Find the Person Behind the Plan
Stop asking about district priorities. Start asking about personal responsibility:
Instead of: “What are the district’s goals this year?” Ask: “What are you personally accountable for this year?”
Instead of: “How does this align with your strategic plan?” Ask: “What happens if this doesn’t improve—for you specifically?”
Instead of: “Is this a district priority?” Ask: “How much does solving this matter to your day-to-day work?”
You’ll be amazed how quickly the conversation shifts from abstract alignment to concrete urgency.
When You’ve Missed the Mark
You know you’re still selling to the plan when:
They agree with everything but seem disengaged
They forward you to someone else without context
They say “This looks great, but I’m not sure who owns this”
Every conversation requires you to re-establish why this matters
If you’re hearing these responses, stop and reset. Ask directly: “Can I back up? How much does this actually matter to you and your work?”
It’s not rude. It’s clarifying.
The Gap That Kills Deals
Most sales stall in the space between district priorities and personal urgency. The strategic plan says one thing. The buyer’s daily reality says another.
Your solution might perfectly align with the district’s stated goals and still go nowhere—because it doesn’t help the actual person you’re talking to hit their targets, avoid their problems, or get the recognition they need.
Close that gap, and you’ll stop losing deals to “budget constraints” and “shifting priorities.”
Districts Don’t Sign Contracts
Remember: You’re not selling to a district. You’re selling to Rebecca, who needs her professional development sessions to actually get attended. You’re selling to Marcus, who’s behind on his implementation timeline and catching heat from the superintendent. You’re selling to Carmen, who’s new to the role and trying to prove she can drive change.
Sell to the person in the room. Because that’s who feels the pressure, owns the risk, and has the power to say yes.
Everything else is just paperwork.