Building trust in offline education markets

I recently read a post about B2B marketing—and it got me thinking. Everything it said about building trust, relevance, and influence in B2B? It applies perfectly to education too. Especially ed-tech. We're in a space where people are working hard to push FLN, influence policy, and shift learning outcomes. But too often, the message is buried under institutional logos, polished reports, and campaign jargon. Here’s the truth: People don’t trust brands. They trust people. (shocker) (Real life inspiration Baela Jamil) And that’s where the shift is already happening in B2B—and where ed-tech needs to follow suit. → Teachers becoming the storytellers → Founders showing up with transparency and intent → Advocates and practitioners sharing lived experiences, not just theory → Thought leaders who’ve walked the walk, not just posted the post We don’t need more top-down messaging. We need bottom-up trust. Because when someone who’s worked with 100+ schools says, “Here’s what’s actually helping kids read better, faster,” it cuts through the noise. That’s not marketing. That’s credibility. That’s what drives change—in mindset, in adoption, in policy. So yes, that B2B post was about influencer marketing evolving. But in my head? It was about how ed-tech needs to show up: with real voices, real experience, and real trust. 💬 What’s one powerful story you’ve seen recently in the education space that made you stop scrolling?

Higher ed doesn’t see itself as a “business” — so stop selling like it is. If you’re an edtech startup trying to sell into colleges and universities, one of the biggest mindset shifts you need to make is this: ➡️ Higher ed leaders don’t think like corporate buyers. Even though institutions are competing for students and running complex operations, many enrollment leaders don’t see themselves as business executives making ROI-driven decisions alone. It's far more complicated than that. They’re thinking about mission, student success, access, outcomes — not just revenue. 👉 Here’s why that matters for your marketing and sales approach: - If your pitch is all about ROI and numbers, you’ll miss the emotional and mission-driven part of their decision. - If you focus only on how innovative your product is, but don’t connect it to their students' experience, they won’t care. - If you approach them like a transactional buyer, instead of a partner in solving hard problems, you’ll lose trust. Want to sell to higher ed? Show that you understand their students, their goals, and the pressures they’re under. Start there — then you can talk about how your solution helps them achieve that mission. This week I’m sharing tips on how edtech startups can build trust and relationships that actually lead to sales in higher ed. Follow along or share your thoughts in the comments!

Everyone’s obsessed with digital when it comes to B2B. LinkedIn is the “default.” Then Reddit, YouTube, TikTok. Everyone is fighting for the next channel where attention is cheap enough to arbitrage. And yes, these channels matter. I live on LinkedIn. But most B2B companies and leaders overlook this: 1. Digital alone doesn’t close the loop 1. Offline is still where trust accelerates If you’re building a brand online, you need to invest in relationships offline. Online gives you reach. Content gets impressions, clicks, and maybe even “brand awareness.” Offline gives you weight. When people meet you, hear your tone, and feel your presence, all those posts suddenly land differently. That’s the mix. They feed each other. Examples? 1. Organize your own events. City by city. Expensive and not scalable if you’re aiming global, but extremely effective for depth. You can do it with your team, or you can invite others to boost your authority. Dejan Pataki and I published a book about LinkedIn and went to 6 cities, organizing 6 events to promote it. That's exposure to about 400 people. 2. Show up as a speaker. If you’re already building thought leadership online, you’ll get invited. And that’s the real multiplier — you step on stage in front of your exact target audience. I recently spoke at Split Tech City festival and Distrupt HR Belgrade by HR World Adria. 600 people. It’s not about selling. It’s about showing how you think, how you frame problems, and what solutions you see. Let me give you a clear example. At Distrupt HR Belgrade 10 days ago I had a 5-minute slot. 15 seconds per slide. I didn’t even talk about Funky Marketing or funky.enterprises. I just walked the audience through a problem and a way to solve it. The organizers put me as the last speaker. They knew I’d shake the room. After that talk, I walked away with 11 qualified leads. 4 already closed. The rest are in conversations. And we’re talking bigger companies — the kind of accounts that don’t just “book a call” from a LinkedIn DM. This worked because the audience already knew me from online. They connected that online voice with the offline presence. And in a sea of perfectly structured, AI-polished presentations, authenticity stood out. We all say visibility is important, but we forget what visibility really means. It’s being remembered across contexts (not only LinkedIn). Online visibility = ads, posts, podcasts, distribution Offline visibility = conferences, panels, dinners, side-conversations Put them together, and your brand sticks. People don’t just recognize your logo — they trust your name. In 2025, the biggest competitive advantage is not just how good your positioning is or how optimized your funnels are. It’s how well you can show up consistently across online and offline spaces with the same authenticity. That’s when leads stop being “leads” and start being conversations with people who already believe in your value.

🚨 The Education Market is Noisy — Here’s How to Truly Stand Out 🚨 Between AI chatter and the ever-growing competition in special education, it’s loud out there. So how does a vendor partner really cut through the noise? It comes down to one word: trust. And trust isn’t built overnight. It’s built in three ways: 1️⃣ Lead with purpose, not profit. If you’re in education sales for the money, you’re in the wrong profession. Every conversation, every handshake, every demo should start with one shared goal: helping kids and supporting the teachers who serve them. Approach every opportunity as a partnership that delivers real value and lasting impact. 2️⃣ Be the megaphone for educator voices. Too often, educators doing incredible work don’t have the platform to share their success beyond their school or district. One of the things I’m most proud of in my career is amplifying thousands of these voices- many of which happened during my tenure at BrainPOP ! This week, for example, I partnered with the Special Education Director at Warren Consolidated. Her insights, combined with our work at Stages Learning with ARIS, wowed a room full of her peers at Michigan Association of Administrators of Special Education .Without our collaboration, that moment of leadership and impact wouldn’t have happened. 3️⃣ Take the conversation beyond the exhibit hall. Educators can spot a transactional vendor a mile away. Don’t just work the booth—build relationships. Connect with influencers, partner with top-tier organizations, and engage in conversations that shape the future of education. Be seen as a collaborator and a trusted innovator, not just a logo behind a table. After decades representing brands in the education market, I’ve learned this: standing out isn’t about being louder—it’s about being trusted. And when you earn that trust, you don’t just win business—you create change! #EducationLeadership #SpecialEducation #EdTech #EducationSales #PartnershipsMatter #AllMeansAll #StudentSuccess #EducatorVoices