🎙️ 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞: 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝐔𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭, 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 🎙️

Hey Breakers,

You’re an education founder with a game-changing idea. Your product or service—whether EdTech, curriculum, or consulting—could transform schools.

But leads aren’t flowing, and sales are stuck. You’re pitching hard, showing up at conferences, but the pipeline? Crickets.

Michael Campbell gets it. From a Louisiana high school classroom to leading sales at McGraw-Hill, and now as President of Advancing Global EDU, he helps education companies grow their footprint in schools, districts, and universities.

In this episode, Michael drops truth bombs on how to generate leads, close deals, and scale smart—without burning out.

From hiring the right salespeople to leveraging university partnerships for credibility, Michael's playbook is about turning your solution into a must-have that drives sales.

Hiring Salespeople: Hire Grit, Not Just Credentials

Mike’s journey started with teaching in Louisiana. When McGraw-Hill offered a sales role, he jumped—not just because he knew education, but because he had a business mindset and a results-driven approach.

Founders often think, “I’ll hire a teacher—they know schools.” But Mike’s clear: without sales hunger, even the best educators will flop.

Great educators inspire students; great salespeople close deals.

Lead Gen Takeaway: Don’t hire based on teaching cred alone. Seek reps with a “fire of success”—folks who track metrics and thrive on results. That’s who’ll turn cold calls into warm leads.

Pump the Brakes on Your First Sales Hire

The urge to hire a sales rep immediately is strong. But early hires chasing unqualified leads drain your budget.

Instead, build market knowledge first—talk to customers, use freelancers, or consult industry veterans to gather insights. Know your buyers before your team starts dialing.

Lead Gen Takeaway: Skip the premature hire. Use conferences, surveys, or distributors to map your market. When you know who to pitch, your sales team will hit the ground running, generating qualified leads faster.

University Partnerships: Credibility That Supercharges Sales

In a crowded education market, trust closes deals.

Michael’s go-to strategy? Partner with schools and universities to validate your solution’s impact.

A research-backed pitch doesn’t just generate interest—it builds credibility that closes contracts.

Lead Gen Takeaway: A $20K–$30K university study can give your solution instant authority, turning cold outreach into warm leads.

Data-Driven Lead Generation in Action

Michael shared a killer example:a CTE assessment startup wanted new clients without a big sales team. They surveyed districts on soft skills and career readiness, then used webinars and conference talks to build credibility.

No big sales team—just smart pilots and data-driven messaging.

Result: 7–10 new paid clients in the next year—all from listening, testing, and promoting real data.

Lead Gen Takeaway: Conferences like ASU+GSV are lead-gen goldmines. Test messaging, gather feedback, and run pilots to turn “raises hand” interest into closed deals.

The Dark Side: Ego and No Plan Tank Your Pipeline

Michael’s seen the failures: founders with tech or finance backgrounds who think education sales are easy.

Education isn’t one-call closes—it’s relationship-driven. Without financial runway and market knowledge, leads dry up fast.

Lead Gen Takeaway: Ditch assumptions. Build trust through referrals and data. Plan for 6-12 month sales cycles to keep your pipeline flowing.

Courage, Commitment, and Data: The Must-Have Sales Mindset

Education sales take grit. Michael’s blunt: “You gotta have some courage... You gotta be committed.”

His top advice? Make your solution essential with data.

When buyers say, “No budget,” a data-backed pitch tied to outcomes makes them find the money.

Lead Gen Takeaway: Use data to position your solution as mission-critical. That’s how you turn “maybe” into signed contracts, filling your pipeline with high-value leads.

Your Education Sales and Lead Gen Playbook

Michael’s not about quick wins—he’s about sustainable growth. Here’s how to go from invisible to irresistible:

1️⃣ Hire salespeople with business acumen and a hunger for results.

2️⃣ Learn your market before building a sales team to target the right leads.

3️⃣ Invest in university partnerships ($20K-$30K) to build trust and attract buyers.

4️⃣ Use conferences to test messaging and generate pilot-driven leads.

5️⃣ Build relationships and use data to make your solution undeniable.

Whether you’re selling EdTech, curriculum, or consulting, clarity and evidence turn prospects into customers.

🎧 Listen to the full episode with Mike Campbell

→ Apple

→ Spotify

Because in education, trust generates leads—and data closes sales.

Josh

#EducationFounders #EdTechSales #LeadGeneration #UniversityPartnerships #SalesStrategy #BreakingTheGrade #ASUGSV