Most executives have not heard of human performance technology (HPT), but a recent Google search showed 25 times more Google hits for "lean six sigma" than for "human performance technology." This article describes five factors that make HPT a hard sell: (1) HPT is not part of standard business jargon, (2) organizational executives associate performance improvement practices with HR, (3) managers think they are the primary problem solvers, (4) executives seek subject-matter expertise rather than performance improvement, and (5) managers want magic bullets. Approaches that practitioners can use to make HPT easier for organizations to accept include using managers' language instead of HPT jargon; not working for HR; identifying and working for general managers--start with defined tasks, incorporate analytic steps, and move toward outcome-oriented tasks; cultivating your relationship with general managers by helping them get meaningful results; and using managers' interest in magic bullets as a springboard to exploring desired outcomes. (Contains 3 tables, 2 figures, and 1 note.)