The fastest way to lose trust is to try to earn it too quickly.
That's a difficult reality for education companies.
Dr. Jared Bloom sees it every day.
As Superintendent of Franklin Square School District in New York, Jared receives hundreds of emails every day from companies trying to get his attention. Most never get a response.
Not because the products are bad.
Because that's not how trust gets built.
In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh Chernikoff, founder of the EdSales Revenue Machine sits down with Jared for an unusually honest conversation about what actually gets a superintendent's attention—and why most education sales outreach misses the mark.
Jared explains why cold emails rarely stand out, why generic LinkedIn pitches feel transactional, and what separates a vendor from a true partner.
He also shares how districts evaluate new solutions and why some companies earn long-term trust while others never make it past the first conversation.
For founders, sales teams, and customer success leaders, this episode offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from the other side of the table.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Most education companies assume they have an outreach problem.
In reality, many have a trust problem.
When relationships are weak:
When trust exists:
The strongest education sales strategies aren't built around volume.
They're built around credibility.
KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ Relationships Scale Better Than Outreach
The goal isn't more conversations.
The goal is stronger conversations with the right people.
2️⃣ Relationships Are Built In Real Conversations
Face-to-face interactions allow education leaders to understand who they're working with—not just what they're buying.
3️⃣ Start Small, Then Expand
Successful districts start with small pilots, gather evidence, and expand only after results are visible.
4️⃣ Teacher Buy-In Matters
Even the strongest product can fail if the people using it don't believe in it.
5️⃣ Partnership Continues After The Sale
The most successful companies stay involved, listen closely, and adapt based on district feedback.
WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
🚀 NEXT STEP
Ask yourself:
Are you spending more time increasing outreach...
or increasing trust?
Because schools rarely buy from strangers.
They buy from partners.
Text "RELATIONSHIP" to 771-333-4233.
🔁 SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
Follow EdSales Edge and share this with someone who thinks more outreach is the answer.
Sometimes the real answer is building better relationships.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
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