Decision-Makers in Schools: Who Really Controls the Budget
After nearly 30 years inside schools, I thought I understood how decisions got made. I knew the org charts, attended the meetings, and watched budgets get approved. But when I stepped outside those walls to start my own business serving schools, I discovered something unsettling: I had no idea who I was actually supposed to be selling to.
The Customer Confusion
Here's what hit me during my first few months as an entrepreneur: schools don't have a "purchasing department" the way most businesses do. When I was working in marketing communications that directly impacts enrollment, the obvious answer seemed simple—talk to the marketing person, right? Or maybe the admissions director, since enrollment is their ultimate goal?
Wrong. Sometimes. Maybe. It depends.
The reality is maddeningly inconsistent. At one school, the head of school makes every significant purchasing decision personally. At another, the business manager holds the purse strings and won't let a contract through without their approval. I've pitched to marketing directors who loved my work but couldn't move forward without buy-in from the admissions team. I've had admissions directors who were completely on board but needed the head of school's blessing. And yes, I've even had cases where the board of trustees needed to weigh in on what seemed like routine service contracts.
The Insider's Blind Spot
What's particularly humbling about this realization is that I thought my experience gave me an advantage. I understood schools from the inside—their rhythms, their challenges, their language. But I had always been part of the internal decision-making process. I never had to decode it from the outside.
When you're an employee, you learn your school's specific approval process through osmosis. You know that big decisions go through the head of school, but department heads can handle smaller ones. You understand which colleagues defer to others and who actually drives initiatives forward. You've watched enough budget meetings to know where the real power lies.
But every school has its own culture, its own power dynamics, its own approval processes. What I knew intimately about my former schools didn't necessarily translate to the next prospect.
Learning to Navigate the Maze
The hard truth is that you must be prepared to get it wrong repeatedly. I've pitched to the wrong person more times than I'd like to admit. I've had great conversations with enthusiastic contacts who turned out to have no purchasing authority. I've crafted proposals for the "obvious" decision-maker only to discover the real power was sitting in a completely different office.
Here's what I've learned works better:
Ask direct questions upfront. "Who typically makes decisions about services like this?" isn't too forward—it's professional. Most people appreciate that you're trying to respect their process.
Map the stakeholders early. Even if you're talking to the right person, find out who else needs to be involved. Are there other departments that need to sign off? Does the business manager need to approve all contracts over a certain amount?
Understand the budget cycle. This goes beyond knowing when the fiscal year ends. When do departments submit their requests? When do approvals typically happen? Who's involved in different stages?
Prepare for multiple conversations. You may need to present to the marketing director, then to the admissions team, and finally to the head of school. Each audience will have different concerns and priorities.
The Uncomfortable Truth
Perhaps the most unsettling realization is that there's no shortcut here. You can't create a simple formula that works across all schools. The head of school who micromanages every decision at one institution might delegate completely at another. The admissions director who drives all enrollment strategy at one school might be purely operational at the next.
This inconsistency is frustrating for someone trying to build scalable sales processes. But it's also where former educators can find their competitive advantage. We're used to reading the room, adapting to different personalities, and navigating complex institutional cultures. We need to remember that every school's room is different.
The key is embracing the uncertainty rather than fighting it. Yes, you'll pitch to the wrong person sometimes. Yes, you'll have to restart conversations and rebuild relationships. But if you approach each school as its own puzzle to solve rather than trying to apply a universal template, you'll save yourself a lot of frustration.
And maybe, just maybe, you'll start to appreciate the beautiful complexity of these institutions you're trying to serve—even if that complexity makes your job a whole lot harder.
Have you encountered similar challenges in identifying key decision-makers within your target market? I'd love to hear your stories in the comments below.