Customer vs User: Positioning for Both Audiences

One of the challenges in B2B product management is that the person buying a product isn’t always the person using it.

A department head might approve the purchase. An administrator might configure the system. Employees might use it every day. Leadership might evaluate whether it delivers the expected results.

They are all connected to the same product, but they don’t necessarily care about the same things.

That’s why positioning a product for both customers and users requires a little more thought.

The Buyer and the User Have Different Priorities

The buyer usually evaluates whether the product is worth the investment.

They might care about cost, risk, business outcomes, scalability, and return on investment.

The user evaluates whether the product helps them get their work done.

They might care about ease of use, speed, reliability, and how well the product fits into their existing workflow.

Consider an assessment platform.

A talent acquisition leader might care about improving hiring efficiency and making better-informed decisions.

An administrator might care about configuring assessments without unnecessary complexity.

A candidate might care about completing the assessment without technical issues or confusing instructions.

A single product needs to serve all three audiences, but the value each audience sees is different.

Start With a Shared Product Promise

Different audiences don’t necessarily require different product identities.

The product still needs a clear central promise.

For example, an assessment platform might help organizations make more informed talent decisions through structured assessments.

That promise gives the product a consistent direction.

The positioning can then emphasize different aspects of that value depending on the audience.

For the buyer, the focus might be decision quality and operational efficiency.

For the administrator, it might be streamlined assessment management.

For the candidate, it might be a clear and reliable assessment experience.

The message changes, but the underlying product promise remains consistent.

Don’t Position Only for the Person Signing the Contract

It’s tempting to focus entirely on the buyer because they control the budget.

But a product that sells well and performs poorly for users creates problems later.

Users may avoid it, struggle with adoption, or develop workarounds outside the product.

That can weaken the business case the buyer originally believed in.

Strong positioning should reflect the value delivered across the product experience, not just the value promised during the sales process.

Don’t Ignore the Buyer Either

The opposite mistake is positioning exclusively around user experience.

A product might be intuitive and enjoyable to use, but enterprise buyers may still need answers about security, integrations, governance, support, and cost.

Those concerns can determine whether the product gets approved at all.

If the product’s positioning speaks only to users, it may fail to communicate why the organization should invest in it.

The challenge is to address both audiences without making the message vague.

Connect User Value to Business Value

The strongest positioning often connects what users experience with what the organization gains.

For example:

• Easier workflows can reduce time spent on administrative tasks.
• Better guidance can reduce errors and support requests.
• Faster onboarding can help customers reach value sooner.
• Reliable performance can improve user confidence and reduce operational disruption.

These connections help buyers understand why user experience matters commercially.

They also help users see how the product supports their work rather than simply serving organizational objectives.

Of course, these benefits should be supported by evidence where specific claims are made.

Adapt the Message to the Decision

Not every audience needs to hear the same message at the same moment.

A buyer evaluating vendors may need a clear explanation of business value and differentiation.

An administrator exploring the product may need to understand setup, configuration, and control.

An end user may need to see how the product makes a particular task easier.

The message should match the decision each audience is trying to make.

That doesn’t mean creating completely separate stories. It means presenting the most relevant part of the same story.

Final Thought

In B2B products, the person who buys the product and the person who uses it often judge success differently.

The buyer wants confidence that the investment is worthwhile.

The user wants confidence that the product works for them.

Good positioning connects those two perspectives.

It explains why the organization should choose the product and why the people expected to use it should find value in it.

Because a product isn’t truly well positioned when only the buyer understands why it matters. The people using it need to see that value too.

One of the challenges in B2B product management is that the person buying a product isn’t always the person using it.

A department head might approve the purchase. An administrator might configure the system. Employees might use it every day. Leadership might evaluate whether it delivers the expected results.

They are all connected to the same product, but they don’t necessarily care about the same things.

That’s why positioning a product for both customers and users requires a little more thought.

The Buyer and the User Have Different Priorities

The buyer usually evaluates whether the product is worth the investment.

They might care about cost, risk, business outcomes, scalability, and return on investment.

The user evaluates whether the product helps them get their work done.

They might care about ease of use, speed, reliability, and how well the product fits into their existing workflow.

Consider an assessment platform.

A talent acquisition leader might care about improving hiring efficiency and making better-informed decisions.

An administrator might care about configuring assessments without unnecessary complexity.

A candidate might care about completing the assessment without technical issues or confusing instructions.

A single product needs to serve all three audiences, but the value each audience sees is different.

Start With a Shared Product Promise

Different audiences don’t necessarily require different product identities.

The product still needs a clear central promise.

For example, an assessment platform might help organizations make more informed talent decisions through structured assessments.

That promise gives the product a consistent direction.

The positioning can then emphasize different aspects of that value depending on the audience.

For the buyer, the focus might be decision quality and operational efficiency.

For the administrator, it might be streamlined assessment management.

For the candidate, it might be a clear and reliable assessment experience.

The message changes, but the underlying product promise remains consistent.

Don’t Position Only for the Person Signing the Contract

It’s tempting to focus entirely on the buyer because they control the budget.

But a product that sells well and performs poorly for users creates problems later.

Users may avoid it, struggle with adoption, or develop workarounds outside the product.

That can weaken the business case the buyer originally believed in.

Strong positioning should reflect the value delivered across the product experience, not just the value promised during the sales process.

Don’t Ignore the Buyer Either

The opposite mistake is positioning exclusively around user experience.

A product might be intuitive and enjoyable to use, but enterprise buyers may still need answers about security, integrations, governance, support, and cost.

Those concerns can determine whether the product gets approved at all.

If the product’s positioning speaks only to users, it may fail to communicate why the organization should invest in it.

The challenge is to address both audiences without making the message vague.

Connect User Value to Business Value

The strongest positioning often connects what users experience with what the organization gains.

For example:

• Easier workflows can reduce time spent on administrative tasks.
• Better guidance can reduce errors and support requests.
• Faster onboarding can help customers reach value sooner.
• Reliable performance can improve user confidence and reduce operational disruption.

These connections help buyers understand why user experience matters commercially.

They also help users see how the product supports their work rather than simply serving organizational objectives.

Of course, these benefits should be supported by evidence where specific claims are made.

Adapt the Message to the Decision

Not every audience needs to hear the same message at the same moment.

A buyer evaluating vendors may need a clear explanation of business value and differentiation.

An administrator exploring the product may need to understand setup, configuration, and control.

An end user may need to see how the product makes a particular task easier.

The message should match the decision each audience is trying to make.

That doesn’t mean creating completely separate stories. It means presenting the most relevant part of the same story.

Final Thought

In B2B products, the person who buys the product and the person who uses it often judge success differently.

The buyer wants confidence that the investment is worthwhile.

The user wants confidence that the product works for them.

Good positioning connects those two perspectives.

It explains why the organization should choose the product and why the people expected to use it should find value in it.

Because a product isn’t truly well positioned when only the buyer understands why it matters. The people using it need to see that value too.