Busy Isn’t Booked: The Silent Sales Mistake Most Founders Miss

You’re busy. But you’re not booked.

You’re showing up on LinkedIn.
You’re attending conferences.
You’re tweaking your SEO.
You’re following the playbook everyone told you to run.

And still—your pipeline’s empty.

In this episode of Breaking the Grade, Josh Chernikoff breaks down the silent mistake most education founders don’t realize they’re making:

Mistaking motion for momentum.
Mistaking activity for traction.
Mistaking visibility for credibility.

If you’re tired of doing everything “right” and still not closing deals, this episode is your reset.

💡 You’ll learn:

• Why “slow burn” strategies stall growth (and energy)
• What real hunting methods look like—and why they convert faster
• The sales system over 130 EdTech companies have used to create repeatable momentum
• How to stop hoping—and start closing
• When to layer visibility tactics (and when they just waste time)

Busy doesn’t build your business. Hunting does.

This is the episode that will help you stop spinning—and start winning real deals before Fall 2025.

#EdSales #LeadGeneration #EdTech #BreakingTheGrade

Transcript

Josh Chernikoff (00:01.721)

Our students are the future. How we advance innovation and impact and approach equity in their classrooms will determine how we thrive as a world community. The status quo just won't cut it. That's why we're here to break the grade.

Hello, breakers and difference makers. I'm Josh Chernikoff, host of How I Broke That. I'm a two-time entrepreneur in the education space, and I've successfully exited both of those companies. I've experienced my fair share of breaks in my life, and I'm here to bring my signature approach to my new show, Breaking the Grade.

I'm embarking on this special journey alongside my good friend and mentor, John Gamba, Director of Innovative Programs and Entrepreneurial Residence at Penn GSE. In our podcast, you'll hear from emerging business owners in the education space who are working to transform education as we know it. Tune in as we hear about industry trends, unique principles and practices, and the attempts that have and haven't worked for our great

Josh Chernikoff (01:27.376)

Welcome to another edition of Breaking the Grade. This is about slow burn methods. And you might say, Josh, you've done that show. Well, I'll tell you what, this show

bears repeating. We're talking about it from a little bit of a different standpoint. Where I stand today, okay, it's April. And the seasonality in the education space has not changed since I sold my second business or my first business in the education space. So where you might be today is you're saying,

I've been doing all the slow burn methods and it's April and I am not closing the deals and there are no big deals to be closed right now or even in the future. And that is not a good place to be. So you've tried the slow burn methods and now what? I get it. You were promised that these slow burn methods would work.

But here's what I see over and over again, the slow burn methods do not work at all and you don't get the results that you need. And the burnout is absolutely real when it comes to the slow burn methods. This show is your wake up call. Okay. This show is your chance to know that if nothing changes, we have an option.

You can keep trying your slow burn methods. Believe me, I talk to.

Josh Chernikoff (03:13.037)

hundreds, I don't know, about hundreds of people a month who were going through the slow burn method.

And they're not getting their results. And we talk about hunting methods and we'll get there. So some of these tactics that you try, they do not result in revenue. Some of these tactics that you try, they do not result in any building up of your confidence. And I want to start right there. I'm here to help you change that. Today we're diving into.

why slow burn methods are not enough. And today we're going to talk about what education companies actually need to do to generate real leads, real revenue, and on a way that is repeatable.

So the promise and the pitfalls of the slow burn methods are very real. Okay. Everybody tells you just post regularly. Show up at the right conferences. SEO will bring in traffic. Yeah. All you gotta do is post, show up, and SEO. Yeah, that's not true.

They tell you it's like planting a tree and then that tree will bloom and then you'll have all these apples. But no one tells you it'll take 12 months or more.

Josh Chernikoff (04:51.503)

Slow burn strategies are like farming. Hunting is what we need to do to get results month after month after month. Now, these slow burn methods, can work. Don't get me wrong, I'm doing them in my own business, but I'm also doing the hunting.

Josh Chernikoff (05:17.581)

What happens when you only do the slow burn methods is they lead to burnout, confusion, and wasted money. So raise your hand if you're doing the slow burn methods and it's leading to burnout, confusion, and wasted money.

Josh Chernikoff (05:41.391)

Let's talk about the burnout part because that one I want you to feel. I want you to feel that you're not alone. Okay? Because you're doing everything right. You're trying, but you're exhausted. You've got no calls booked. Your team is asking for direction and your bank account is wondering where all those leads are. Does that feel familiar?

Josh Chernikoff (06:13.537)

If it does, I can tell you that out of the 130-ish companies in growing that we've worked with in the Ed Sales Elevation Experience, many of the founders feel the same way.

I can also tell you that this is not relegated to companies that are just starting. This feeling is also relegated.

to companies that have six and seven figures.

They're trying the slow burn methods and they're not working.

Burnout doesn't come from the grind. It comes from doing the wrong things over and over again. We love the grind. We love our businesses. But when you do the wrong thing over and over again, yeah, you're going to start to feel burned out and certainly you're going to start to feel frustrated. And you might feel isolated, but I'm telling you, you don't have to feel that way.

Josh Chernikoff (07:22.076)

The thing about the slow burn methods is there is an illusion because it feels like progress. And we are going to talk a lot about feelings today.

Slow burn methods feel productive. Why? Because you're going to conferences. You're collecting business cards. You're posting in thought leadership circles. You're doing LinkedIn every day. You're tweaking your SEO. Motion isn't momentum. Let me repeat that. Motion is not momentum.

Activity doesn't just fill your pipeline.

Josh Chernikoff (08:13.712)

Visibility isn't credibility. Okay, I'm going to repeat those three things. Motion isn't momentum. Activity isn't pipeline. Visibility isn't credibility.

Josh Chernikoff (08:36.686)

All three of those things are like having a gym membership.

Josh Chernikoff (08:44.218)

never going, but not having a workout plan. You can have the gym membership, but if you don't go and if you don't have a plan, you ain't going to see the results.

You need more than activity. You need more than motion. You need more than visibility. You need a system that moves your buyer forward.

Josh Chernikoff (09:14.492)

Hunting methods are that hunting methods will move your buyer forward. Hunting means booking qualified calls.

Hunting methods mean having a pipeline that is filled with high quality people tomorrow, the next day, next quarter, next year.

It's about intentional outreach. Smart targeting.

And laser, and I mean laser, laser, laser focus messaging.

We help clients set up lead generation machines. We do it in about 12 weeks, sometimes less when those clients get it, sometimes less. And we do it on repeat because the clients that come to us,

Josh Chernikoff (10:18.015)

They're ready.

Josh Chernikoff (10:22.325)

Hunting is very strategic and it's not spamming. A lot of people think lead generation is about spamming. I do not believe in acquiring customers via spam. Not at all. I'm gonna run through a few of our hunting methods.

Josh Chernikoff (10:48.253)

and some of those core methods and strategies for you. Okay? First of all, build relationships. I just spent five days at an amazing conference. Did I get leads out of it? Absolutely. Did I go looking for leads at that conference? No. I went to listen. I went to build relationships, but I went there knowing exactly who I wanted to talk to.

and what I wanted to talk to them about and what I wanted them to hear about me.

I went there to position myself as a thought leader. I went there to position myself as a thought leader in front of the right people. I had an event. We actually had two events and I strategically invited people to be there so I could have one-to-one time with them.

My messaging is very clear. My confidence is very clear. How I can help them. Very clear. That's hunting. I have value driven conversations. Those value driven conversations tell people what I can do for them, how I can help them. Think of your headline for your LinkedIn. I help who using what method get rich results. That was me.

every single conversation.

Josh Chernikoff (12:18.047)

Storytelling another strategy and hunting method

Storytelling means talking about the clients who you have helped. In the end, Daniel Priestley will tell you in over subscribed and amazing book that people don't buy from you, people buy from the people who have bought from you. Let's repeat that. People don't buy from you, people buy from the people who have bought from you. That's what Daniel Priestley says. And he's right. So I'm telling stories about the people I've helped.

what strategies they've used to be successful.

And I'm hoping that the people I'm talking to can then use those strategies as well.

Josh Chernikoff (13:08.007)

One of the strategies that is part of our hunting methods is an absolutely clear offer. The confused mind does not buy.

Okay, it's frankly, it's hard for your confused mind to sell if you've got too many offers. So make sure that offer is clear and irresistible. If the offer is clear and irresistible and you've shown how you can help.

then really the ball's in their court and it comes down to time and money. Because at that point, you have made it clear how you can help, you have earned their trust, and now they have to figure out if they have the time and the money. Leverage LinkedIn. my gosh. Well, you guys know this one from me, because there is a lot of hunting that goes on on LinkedIn. Every single conversation.

that I have, am trying to help somebody or I'm trying to maybe target somebody that I know I can help by giving them value. Yeah, by giving them value in my posts, in my comments, in my videos, whatever it is, I am trying to give value and LinkedIn is the place. You don't need me to go in to talking about how LinkedIn

is probably the last place on earth where people are just there to support each other, I believe.

Josh Chernikoff (14:41.333)

So don't tell me LinkedIn is a social media platform. Don't tell me your people in the education space aren't there. At this point, there's well over 150,000 schools and educators on LinkedIn. Own your corner of the internet. Own your corner, as Amy Porterfield says, of the internet, and I'll add LinkedIn. Consistent outreach. Let's go back to the gym. If you go to the gym once a week, do you see the results?

You need to do this consistently. You need to do your outreach consistently, whether it's via email or whether it's via LinkedIn. On a daily basis, I literally...

this booked out in my schedule every single day. Nobody touches my calendar from 11 to 12. I do outreach. That outreach is not asking people if they want to buy that. Outreach is giving them value, seeing if we can start a relationship, getting to know each other. But it is done consistently. Block it off in your calendar.

Josh Chernikoff (15:50.613)

Have a lead gen system. Okay? We help people with this. And you're gonna meet Nick Ferencough in another one of our shows. And Nick tried to build his own lead generation system on his own. I'll use YouTube. I'll use this guru. I'll try and do it by learning this. Join us. Let us help you build a lead generation system that you can rely on every single day that is built.

just for your education company.

You need systems.

So, okay. You could probably tell I'm a little fired up.

Josh Chernikoff (16:38.119)

Let me say some nice things about slow burn methods. Okay. We're not just throwing those things out. We're showing you when and how to use them after your funnel is full. Okay. You can use the slow burn methods after your funnel is full, but we got to do some hunting and you do, you just got to do that hunting on a consistent basis.

Once that pipeline is flowing, you'll have time to write the blog post, test that SEO, show up at those events and buy a booth and stand there.

So, Slow Burn isn't wrong.

Just not step one. Okay?

So if you're halfway through the year, and we are now at the end of this show.

Josh Chernikoff (17:36.905)

But if you're halfway through the year and you're still waiting for your pipeline to click,

This is your moment to start hunting. This is your moment to reach out to me. I PROMISE.

that if you reach out to me via LinkedIn or email, I will help you. I will strategize with you.

Josh Chernikoff (18:05.257)

Let's stop guessing. Okay? Let's stop guessing where you're going to get your leads from. I'm hoping that it's not too late if you're hearing this in April or in May. I'm hoping that it's not too late that we can fill your pipeline for the fall. I tell people it's never too late to start doing customer acquisition right.

So reach out to me. I will basically drop everything.

We can have a call, we can do a strategy call next, and let's get you on the right path.

Let's get you into the space of hunting. I listed a lot of hunting methods. Pick a few. Pick one. Then let's get back one day to the slow burn methods when your pipeline is flowing and your confidence is flowing and your messaging is clear.

Josh Chernikoff (19:15.285)

Let me know how I can help. That should be super clear to you. We've helped well over in about 16 months, 130 companies in the education space.

and successfully. You want to talk to them? I'm happy to have you talk to them. You can join our community of education founders. But for now, you've heard me and you should know I'm here to help. Let's get to your hunting methods. Let's think differently about slow burn methods and let's get your pipeline flowing. I'm here to help.

You got this.

Keep on breaking you Lead Gen legends.