Building Trust with Education Buyers: Why Silence Isn’t Rejection скачать в хорошем качестве

Building Trust with Education Buyers: Why Silence Isn’t Rejection

Rachel Edoho-Eket, President of The Maryland Association of Elementary School Principals, knows that in education, credibility isn’t earned through noise or visibility — it’s earned by the way founders consistently show up over time. As a principal and state-level education leader, Rachel has seen countless vendors, consultants, and founders try to earn credibility the wrong way: by talking too much, posting too often, and mistaking visibility for trust. In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh sits down with Rachel Edoho-Eket in a live interview recorded at FETC in Orlando this past January to break down how education buyers actually evaluate credibility — and why silence from leaders is often a sign of serious consideration, not disinterest. Using two core mental models — the Gym Model and Talent Spotting — this conversation shows founders how credibility is built through consistency, judgment, and observable behavior long before a meeting is ever scheduled. If you’ve been questioning whether your LinkedIn or visibility efforts are doing anything at all, this episode explains what buyers are really looking for — and why the founders who win are the ones who stay visible without performing. WHY THIS MATTERS Education buyers don’t decide out loud. They decide slowly, quietly, and politically — watching long before they ever reach out. Public engagement is not how trust is expressed in this market. Founders who measure credibility by likes, comments, or follower counts misunderstand how education buying actually works. Principals, district leaders, and state-level buyers aren’t ignoring you — they’re vetting you. In education, credibility isn’t built through visibility alone. It’s built through: Consistency over time Principled, repeatable thinking How you show up in relation to others Rachel’s experience makes this clear: credibility grows through observable behavior, not self-promotion. Founders who misread silence as disinterest often quit just before trust compounds. 🔑 KEY STRATEGIES / MENTAL MODELS 1. Talent Spotting: Trust Forms Before You Ask Rachel’s mentors identified leadership potential in her long before she stepped into authority. Education buyers do the same with founders. They watch how you think, how you engage, and how consistently you show up — often months before initiating contact. Your posts aren’t closing deals. They’re helping buyers decide whether you feel safe, serious, and credible enough to call. 2. The Gym Model: Consistency Compounds Credibility Credibility in education works like the gym. One post doesn’t matter. One comment doesn’t matter. One quiet week doesn’t mean failure. What matters is repetition over time. Founders who treat visibility like a workout — not a performance — prove reliability and outlast competitors chasing validation. 3. Engagement Before Broadcasting Education is a relationship-driven market. Amplifying others, commenting thoughtfully, and acknowledging peers builds recognition without forcing attention. Rachel notes that these small actions often lead to conversations, invitations, and opportunities — without public selling. Credibility is built by participation, not volume. 4. Boundaries Prevent Burnout Consistency only works if it’s sustainable. Rachel plans content in focused blocks and knows when to step back. Sustainable systems beat short-term bursts every time in long-cycle markets like education. WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR Founders unsure how visible they need to be to be credible Teams selling into long, politically complex education cycles Leaders frustrated by low engagement metrics Anyone trying to translate online presence into real-world trust A MOMENT THAT STOOD OUT Rachel says: “When people see great work, they want to know more about it.” In education, trust doesn’t require applause. It requires being observable, consistent, and principled long enough for the right people to notice. NEXT STEP Show up like an educator, not an influencer. Treat consistency like the Gym, not a launch. Engage before you broadcast. Trust compounds quietly — and decisions follow. SUBSCRIBE & SHARE If this episode helped you rethink credibility in education: Follow EdSales Edge and share it with a founder who thinks silence means failure. Quiet isn’t rejection. It’s the start of trust.