How do I reference a cell from within a "...IF"-type function condition string?
When directly referencing a cell from within an IF type function, don't use a condition string. Also, no need to use a comparison operator.


Condition string usage, to compare against a literal value:

COUNTIF(A1:A20, "=Mr. Smith")
Direct cell reference, to compare against cell B1:

COUNTIF(A1:A20, B1)