(Best of) Your Demo Is the Problem: What Education Founders Must Do—and Stop Doing—to Close More Deals With Their Demos

Hey breakers,

You’ve got the discovery call.

You’re doing the demo.

You know the product is solid.

But the meeting ends… and the buyer disappears.

No reply. No momentum. No deal.

That’s what this re-aired episode with John Gamba is all about.

We originally recorded this conversation on October 11, 2024, and we’re bringing it back because the frameworks inside it are still solving real problems for founders trying to close school and district sales in 2025.

John isn’t just a sales coach—he’s an investor, operator, close friend, BTG co-host and the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Penn GSE, where he’s coached thousands of founders through founder-led growth.

His philosophy is simple: If your demo isn’t aligned with what the buyer actually cares about, it won’t convert—no matter how good your product is.

❌The Mistake Most Founders Make: Leading With Features

Too many demos sound like this:

🗣️Here's what our platform does

🧰Here's a walkthrough of every tool

💰Here’s our pricing

It’s well-structured. It’s polished—but it doesn’t land.

John puts it plainly:

“If you’re just running through your feature list, you’re not demoing. You’re presenting.”

Because the person on the other end isn’t listening for features—they’re listening for solutions that match their strategic plan, their funding timeline, and their student outcomes.

✅ The ABC Framework (Alignment, Benefits, Context)

John’s go-to framework for EdTech demos is simple—and effective:

✅ A = Alignment

Tie your product to actual funding buckets (ESSER, Title I–IV) or district strategic priorities. If your tool supports mental health or reading proficiency, say so—and name the line item.

✅ B = Benefits

Features tell. Benefits sell. Show how your product improves outcomes for them—their teachers, their students, their district.

✅ C = Context

Do your homework. Download the district’s published strategic plan. Quote it in the demo.

John’s mentee did this by saying:

 “Section 6.B.i of your plan calls out student engagement. That’s exactly what our solution supports.”

🔥 That moment? Eyebrows raised. Trust built.

Mindset Shift: Be Interested, Not Interesting

This one line from John could change your entire sales approach:

           “I may have this wrong, but…”

That phrase alone disarms pressure and opens the door to dialogue.

Too many founders think selling means “looking smart.”

But the best ones lead with curiosity.

🧠 You’re not the star of the lesson—you’re the guide on the field trip. Let the district explore. Point out what matters. Ask great questions. That’s how you win.

Strategy: Send a Demo Video Before the Second Call

John and I both love this move:

Send a short, personalized Loom between meetings.

• It shows you're thinking about them

• It avoids tech glitches

• And it gets shared around to more stakeholders

One founder closed a deal just by creating a custom demo around a single buyer comment: “Does this work with Google Classroom?”

She followed up with a 2-minute walkthrough that answered that question—and landed the second meeting.

This could be you if you make the right moves.

Reality Check: Not Every Demo Goes Right—and That’s Okay

John shared a story where he gave a “perfect” demo... and still lost the room.

Why?

     “I didn’t ask who was in it.”

Even the best founders make these mistakes. What matters is how you respond.

Next time it goes sideways? Stay calm. Ask follow-up questions. Take notes. Circle back stronger.

You’re not just pitching a product—you’re coaching a transformation.

Because a bad demo doesn’t mean you have a bad product—It just means the message missed the mark.

Remember: The Demo Is Not the Close. It’s the Conversation.

This episode is about more than just how to pitch.

It’s about how to sell with purpose, precision, and presence.

Your demo isn’t where you close the deal.

It’s where you earn the right to move forward.

If you’re tired of hearing “We’ll circle back”... this is your next move.

🎧 Listen to the full episode now

→ Apple 

→ Spotify

Because in EdTech, the most effective demo isn’t the one with the most slides—

🔴 It’s the one that speaks to what actually matters.

—Josh