Users vs Buyers: Where Product Leaders Focus First

Imagine a product with high user utilization and glowing satisfaction scores that still fails to gain market traction. The dashboards are green, users are engaged, yet sales are flatlining. The culprit? Often, it's a fundamental disconnect between the user and the buyer. Especially in larger organizations, these are rarely the same entity. Senior leaders hold the budget and sign the checks. They're looking for quantifiable outcomes, not just happy employees.

Understanding this distinction is critical to lead product development.. User happiness is a desirable outcome, but it’s not the primary driver for most buyers. They want to see a clear return on their investment. They need to know how your product will save time, reduce errors, improve efficiency, increase revenue, or mitigate risk. They want concrete, measurable results.

Junior employees, a valuable source of feedback, often struggle to articulate the business value of a product. Their complaints about minor inconveniences might be dismissed by senior management as nitpicking or a lack of adaptability. There's also a fear factor: junior employees may be hesitant to voice concerns that might lead to a cheaper (or perceived as cheaper) solution being implemented, or even just the appearance of action being taken.

We often get caught up in "vanity metrics" focused on user engagement (and IT departments are equally susceptible to this). We talk to users, and they’re happy to share their likes and dislikes. But most buyers are different. They're busy and often don't have time for casual conversations. Those who do engage often have an agenda – negotiating a lower price, demanding a specific feature, or seeking preferential treatment.

So, how do you bridge this gap? How do you ensure your product resonates with both users and buyers? Here’s a strategic approach that’s worked for us:

1. Identify Your Buyers: Understand the ratio of users to buyers in your target market. Prioritize conversations with buyers first. They hold the key to sales. Ask them what makes their company unique – this will give you a set of hypotheses about their specific needs and priorities.

2. Go on Sales Calls: Shadow your sales team. Listen carefully to their interactions with potential buyers. Don’t be defensive; focus on understanding the buyer’s perspective. What questions are they asking? What are their concerns? What are their key priorities? This is invaluable market research.

3. Talk to Lost Deals: Don’t shy away from talking to buyers who opted out of doing business with your organization.. They can provide crucial insights into what’s missing from your product, what your competitors are doing better, and what ultimately swayed their decision.

4. Focus on Business Outcomes: Translate user needs into tangible business outcomes. Don’t just talk about features; talk about the value those features deliver. For example, instead of “Our product offers a new API,” say “Our product’s new API integrates seamlessly with existing systems, reducing IT overhead by 15%.” Quantify the benefits as much as possible.

5. Develop Buyer Personas: Just as you create user personas, create buyer personas. These represent the different types of buyers you’re targeting, including their roles, responsibilities, priorities, and pain points. Use these personas to guide your product development and marketing communications.

6. Align with Sales and Marketing: Work closely with your sales and marketing teams to ensure your messaging resonates with your target buyers. Ensure they understand the business value proposition and are equipped to communicate how your product delivers that value effectively.

7. Measure What Matters (Even if it's a Proxy): Try to measure what your buyer measures. If you can't directly measure their key metrics (e.g., revenue growth), identify proxies that correlate with those metrics. For example, if the buyer cares about reducing employee turnover, you might track metrics related to employee engagement and satisfaction with your product.

8. Directly Ask Buyers (When Possible): While it can be challenging, don't give up on directly engaging with buyers. When you do get a chance to speak with them, focus on their business needs. Ask open-ended questions like: "What are your biggest challenges in this area?" or "What are your key performance indicators for this team?"

By focusing on the buyer first as well as the user, you can build products that are not only loved by the people who use them but also valued by the people who buy them. This dual focus is crucial for long-term product success and sustainable growth.