Edtech sales expert
Leads don't close deals.
Founders who learn how to sell do.
40 years in K-12. From district offices to global sales operations across 12 countries. I teach EdTech founders the real sales process — from first conversation to signed contract.
40 Years in Edtech
40+
years In EdTech
12
Countries served
100s
Founders Coached
1st
conversation to signed contract
Meet Michael
Teaching EdTech Founders How to Close District Sales!
If you're an EdTech founder with a full pipeline but no signed contracts, your problem isn't finding leads. It's closing sales.
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You may have hired someone who claims to be an EdTech sales expert. They gave you a go-to-market plan, improved your messaging, and maybe ran some lead generation campaigns. Those are helpful, but they don't show you how to close a district deal. So now you have more leads moving through the same broken process. You're hearing, "we love it, but we don't have any money," or seeing proposals go silent. More leads without a real sales process just means more rejections.
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I've been on both sides. I've made purchasing decisions in district offices, and I've worked alongside founders who wonder why great demos don't lead to contracts. Over forty years in K-12, I've worked with Jostens Learning, Pearson, HMH, EPS Literacy & Intervention, and Matific. I've built global sales operations across 12 countries, grown pipelines in the tens of millions, and learned how districts really make decisions.
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That's what I teach now. I help EdTech founders close district sales. Not just messaging or marketing, but the real sales process, from the first conversation to the signed contract.
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I work with founders who are tired of long sales cycles, ghosted proposals, and strategies that create interest but not revenue. The founders I help learn how districts buy, how to align with funded mandates, and how to run a process that ends with a signed contract, not a "let's circle back."
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One founder grew from small deals to six-figure contracts. He put it best: "Mike is an education sales genius. His approach is simple, easy-to-follow value-based selling. His knowledge and skills are second to none. If you are looking to grow your sales or even get your very first sale, I wholeheartedly recommend working with Mike."
If you're ready to stop chasing leads and start closing deals, let's talk.
What I specialize in
Three Paths to EdTech Growth
From one-on-one founder coaching to enterprise sales frameworks and organizational management — every engagement is built around your specific stage and goals.
Founder Coaching
I work one-on-one with EdTech founders who need to learn how to sell into K-12 districts. From building confident sales conversations to understanding how districts actually buy — I help founders close deals, not just chase them.
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EdTech Management
For companies that need sales leadership without a full-time hire. I build sales teams, create repeatable processes, and manage pipelines — the same way I did across twelve countries and tens of millions in revenue.
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EdTech Strategy
Focused strategy sessions built around your specific goals — whether you're trying to break into district-level sales, navigate procurement, or figure out why strong interest isn't turning into signed contracts.
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Success Stories
What Founders Say
"Mike is an education sales genius! He has helped my company go from low sales to some mega sales during our time together. His approach is not high pressure or using any kinds of sales tricks, but simple, easy to follow value based selling. I wholeheartedly recommend working with Mike."
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Travis
Founder
"Mike Bates has a deep understanding of the sales process. He knows that it is not about selling products or services. It is about understanding the needs of the clients and enabling them to solve a problem. Mr. Bates teaches that when this is done, clients buy instead of salespeople selling. I learned an enormous amount by working with him, and he has my highest recommendation."
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Andrew
Founder
"Working with Michael Bates as my business coach has been a transformative experience. From the very beginning, Michael helped shift my mindset, empowering me to confidently represent myself as an expert in my industry."
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Sonia
Founder
"Mike coaches his clients to lead with humility, confidence, and a precision focus on real-world results. I continue to learn a lot from Mike and recommend him without hesitation."
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Sarah
CEO/Founder