Navigating the Seas of EdTech Sales at SXSW EDU

Ted Kalomiris on March 4, 2024

Howdy folks! 🌟 It’s that time of the year again – SXSW EDU is in full swing, buzzing with innovation and groundbreaking ideas. As an EdTech founder soaking up the vibes here in Austin, Texas, I have some golden nuggets to share for all you visionary founders out there. You’ve got the idea, you’ve got the passion, and now it’s all about finding the right people and building an unstoppable team to catapult your vision into the limelight.

Crafting the Pitch: Navigating the Murky Waters 🚢

So, you’ve got this game-changing idea, but how do you articulate it effectively in the wild world of seeking investment and broadcasting your value? It’s a crucial step that separates the trailblazers from the rest. Focus on defining the problem your idea solves and how it stands out in the market. SXSW EDU is the perfect platform to refine your pitch and make it shine.

Finding the Right Evangelists: It’s All About the People 🌐

You’ve found your lane; now, it’s time to gather the right folks to spread your gospel. Developing your top-of-funnel strategy is key. My advice? De-emphasize the number of contacts your salesperson has in your vertical. It’s not just about the rolodex; it’s about finding individuals with a proven track record of success. Don’t fall into the trap of “hiring for rolodexes.” Instead, focus on hiring for passion and the ability to make your idea resonate with potential customers.

Hire for Experience, But Define the Right Kind 🎓

While hiring for experience is crucial, knowing the right kind of experience is where founders often stumble. Consider the time it takes for a known prospect to fall in love with your idea or company, not just the fact that your salesperson has a list of contacts. Emphasize a demonstrable track record of success over industry relationships alone.

The Magic Number: Activity is Key 📈

Many founders hire salespeople without a clear understanding of how to guide them in the initial stages. Define the calculated amount of activity needed to win, set benchmarks, and provide the necessary direction. Sales analytics play a crucial role in this – high-performing teams are 3.5 times more likely to use sales analytics to measure performance against goals.

Sell Through Customers: Unleash the Power of Relationships 💬

Don’t shy away from having your salespeople involved in customer relationships. Selling through customers can be a game-changer, and overlooking this opportunity might leave money and traction on the table. The power of informal, word-of-mouth conversations in customer-centric selling is undeniable.

Wrangling Success at SXSW EDU 🤠

As you navigate the bustling scene at SXSW EDU, remember: it’s not just about the idea; it’s about the people who will champion it. Craft your pitch, find the right evangelists, and build a team that executes with precision. With a little Texan flair and these tips in your holster, you’ll be riding the wave of success in the EdTech realm. Good luck out there, pioneers! 🚀 

From one founder to another, 

Ted

Just Say NO to the Spray and Pray Method of Selling

Ted Kalomiris on October 18, 2023

When I was in high school, speech club and theater were my extracurricular passions and a critical distraction from all the pains of my high school years. Lessons learned in these spaces were incredibly helpful to me later in life and in my career.

Mr. Kimball, my speech and theater teacher, taught key lessons of active listening as a means to get the audience invested into my often warbled message. Mr. Kimball’s “Diction! Diction! Diction!” still reverberates through my mind as I speak, even today. 

This period of time was when I started to think about listening as the most powerful form of communication in my selling process. However, even as I still maintain this value, I am often tempted to fall into the trap of Spray and Pray Selling, where I need to get the same message out to as many people as possible. For sales leaders, the need to track metrics around the number of touches seems common. Frankly, I do not know what anyone ever saw from encouraging voluminous calls and emails as a method for measuring sales performance. The best business development representative I ever knew would consistently set the most appointments but would have the lowest call numbers. Perhaps it’s just harder to measure quality over quantity, which is no excuse for failing to try.

Rather than attempting to Spray and Pray, consider the following: 

  1. Network

With the advent of technologies like hi5, we can start to prospect more efficiently and successfully. In fact, networking is the fastest way to grow a meaningful pipeline, designed to convert more deals and reinforce your word of mouth branding (your personal brand especially) much more effectively. By increasing relationships within your intended field of business, you will be able to capture the attention of those who are eager and ready to work with you rather than falling in the background as noise.

  1. Attend Conferences

Getting in front of your target audience sometimes requires stepping outside of your comfortable WFH environment and making some moves. By attending conferences where high impact stakeholders will be, you are more likely to grow relationships that will be mutually beneficial. By being intentional about which conferences you plan to attend, you will be able to better leverage this time to grow connections and make new contacts. To find a list of possible conferences within EdTech, follow EdSurge and make plans to attend. 

  1. Deliver Content that is Valuable to Prospective Clients

Lastly, think about the ways you engage and deliver information that adds value to your prospective clients. When I started this From One Founder to Another series, I was eager to offer information that would give peers and those coming into the field insight on how to build a successful business. I was also interested in further developing my personal list of contacts through lead generation. After six months of these bi-monthly articles, I have heard great feedback from colleagues as well as prospects that it “is encouraging to know that someone gets it.” By adding value, you capture a more sincere audience and can focus on building what you do best. 

In the EdTech sector, where the needs and challenges of educational institutions vary widely, a personalized and relationship-based approach is often the most effective way to prospect for new clients. Networking allows you to understand, address, and adapt to the specific needs of educators and institutions, ultimately increasing your chances of success in this competitive industry.

From one founder to another,
Ted

The Power of Relationship Building: How Strong Sales Teams Drive Success

Ted Kalomiris on July 11, 2023

In the rapidly evolving landscape of education technology (EdTech), strong sales teams play a pivotal role in driving success. While product knowledge and persuasive techniques are crucial, the real key to unlocking success lies in their ability to build strong relationships. In this article, we will explore the connection between strong sales teams and their relationship building skills within EdTech.

Creating a Basic Sales Plan 

According to Malcolm Gladwell, it takes 10,000 hours of practice before mastery occurs. But when salespeople dive in, having a plan to work is critical for their learning to simply begin. This is especially true in EdTech SaaS where complexities and long sales cycles create the opportunity for mistakes. The urgency to move the sales responsibilities on to someone else while founders place an emphasis on product, development and operations is valid and understood. But creating the environment for sales success doesn’t just involve finding the right person, it involves finding the person who can execute a plan. The biggest mistake I have seen companies make is hiring salespeople before this sales plan is created. 

Where to begin??? Start with replacing “self-starter” in your job description with “motivated learner.” The whole notion of “self-starter” in job descriptions is a great sign that mistakes are going to be made. You as a hiring manager do not want an expensive “self-starter.” EdTech startups succeed when they find motivated learners that will continue to improve and build relationships, especially in verticals with extremely long sales cycles and procurement hurdles.

Create a simple sales plan in the early days. This should be something the sales team can get organized around, and execute in rhythm. When a KPI-driven process is adhered to, measurable data happens. Sales happen.

Building Trust and Credibility

Whenever educators and EdTech buyers referred to me as a vendor, I took it as a personal challenge to change their impression of me.  In the competitive EdTech market, establishing trust and credibility with potential clients is essential. Strong sales teams excel in forging meaningful relationships that foster trust. By investing time and effort in understanding the unique needs of educational institutions, they demonstrate a genuine commitment to addressing those needs effectively. This understanding allows sales representatives to tailor their product pitches and recommendations accordingly, reinforcing their credibility and making a compelling case for their solutions.

Strong sales teams understand that education stakeholders, such as administrators, teachers, and IT personnel, require reassurance about the reliability and efficacy of EdTech solutions. By actively building relationships, sales representatives can provide testimonials, case studies, and references from satisfied clients who have achieved positive outcomes using their products. Relationships can be fostered through general networking at conferences and by providing helpful content to potential clients. These testimonials serve as social proof, establishing the sales team’s reputation and increasing the likelihood of successful sales conversions.

Facilitating Collaboration and Problem-Solving

EdTech thrives on collaboration and problem-solving, and strong sales teams recognize the importance of fostering these skills within educational institutions. By building relationships, sales representatives can act as partners rather than just vendors. They engage in open dialogues with decision-makers, seeking to understand the unique challenges faced by schools and districts.

Through this collaborative approach, sales teams can provide valuable insights and guidance, showcasing how their EdTech solutions can address specific pain points. By actively involving educators and administrators in the decision-making process, sales representatives empower them to take ownership of the solution, enhancing its effectiveness and increasing the chances of successful implementation.

Monitoring Continuous Support and Customer Success 

The relationship between strong sales teams and educational institutions extends beyond the initial purchase. Successful EdTech implementation requires ongoing support and guidance, and sales representatives play a vital role in ensuring customer success.

By maintaining strong relationships with clients, sales teams can provide post-sales support, training, and resources tailored to meet evolving needs. This continuous engagement enhances customer satisfaction, fosters loyalty, and contributes to positive word-of-mouth referrals within the EdTech community.

Final Thoughts

In the dynamic world of EdTech, strong sales teams equipped with exceptional relationship building skills can propel success. By establishing trust, fostering collaboration, and providing ongoing support, these teams create lasting partnerships that result in improved education outcomes and increased adoption of EdTech solutions across the United States.

From one founder to another, 

Ted