K–12 education has always required a different kind of sales approach. Long buying cycles. Multiple stakeholders. Deep accountability to students, families, and communities. But the environment today feels more measured than it did just a few years ago. District leaders are scrutinizing spend, thinking carefully about sustainability, and asking harder questions about long-term impact.
We are not operating in the same ESSER-funded landscape that allowed for rapid pilots and flexible experimentation. Funding conversations now center on justification, alignment, and durability. AI may be accelerating attention, but caution is shaping decisions.
In this episode of All Things Marketing and Education, Elana Leoni sits down with Shelby Jones of FuelK12 to explore what that shift means for education sales and marketing teams. They unpack ghosting, budget objections, the tension between depth and scale, and the structural misalignment that often exists between marketing and sales. The conversation stays practical, focused on what actually builds trust inside districts right now.
What You’ll Learn
How K–12 sales differs structurally from corporate and higher education, and why that changes how you approach districts
Why the post-ESSER environment demands stronger justification, sustainability planning, and alignment to district vision
How to reduce ghosting and budget objections by leading with relevance and real value, not features
Where friction slows engagement across marketing and sales, and how to better align around the full buyer journey
How to balance broad outreach with strategic account focus while building long-term trust
The mindset and questions that top K–12 sellers use to drive meaningful, lasting adoption
Why It Matters
District leaders are making decisions that must hold up over time. They are accountable not only for results, but for change management across entire communities. In that environment, feature-led pitches and polished demos are not enough.
For education marketers, founders, and sales leaders, the takeaway is clear. Relevance, restraint, and thoughtful alignment matter more than volume. The organizations that earn trust are the ones that listen first, reduce friction, and help districts think through what success looks like six months after implementation, not just at signature.
Resources Mentioned in this Episode:
Fuel K12
Learn more about Shelby’s work supporting vendor-facing sales teams in K–12.Shelby Jones on LinkedIn
Connect with Shelby and continue the conversation on K–12 sales strategy.The Secret to Sales and Marketing Success
A past episode exploring how sales and marketing teams can align around revenue and shared goals.What It Takes to Build District Relationships That Last
A related episode focused on trust, credibility, and long-term relationship building in education.Shelby’s LinkedIn Post on Sales and Marketing Alignment
The post referenced in this episode that sparked conversation.
Elana Leoni, Host
Elana Leoni has spent nearly two decades helping education organizations grow through strategic marketing and storytelling. Over the past nine years, she has built and scaled Leoni Consulting Group, an education marketing agency that has partnered with more than 50 education and EdTech brands. Earlier in her career, she led marketing for Edutopia (The George Lucas Educational Foundation).
Shelby Jones, Guest
With over 12 years in education sales, Shelby Jones has worked alongside teams at both early-stage startups and established companies to build go-to-market systems, drive growth, and navigate the realities of bringing solutions into schools and districts. Her experience spans transactional sales through enterprise and statewide engagements, as well as leading national sales teams across North America.
She has led organizations through multiple phases of growth, including early market entry, team scaling, market expansion, organizational turnarounds, and acquisitions.
Now at FuelK12, Shelby partners with education company founders and leadership teams to help them grow with intention, scale responsibly, and build the go-to-market infrastructure needed for sustained revenue. She brings a practical, experience-driven perspective shaped by years of working closely with sales teams, executives, and district leaders.
Past companies include; Class Technologies and PowerSchool.
About All Things Marketing and Education
What if marketing was judged solely by the level of value it brings to its audience? Welcome to All Things Marketing and Education, a podcast that lives at the intersection of marketing and you guessed it, education. Each week, Elana Leoni, CEO of Leoni Consulting Group, highlights innovative social media marketing, community-building, and content marketing strategies that can significantly increase reach, relationships, and revenue.
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