3 Ways You Should Connect with Ed Tech Leaders Online

By: Chris Piehler and Kayla Proell

The most successful salesman I have ever worked with had a poster on his wall featuring a quote from President Theodore Roosevelt. Here’s the quote:

When this salesman walked the show floor at industry conferences, he was greeted like Norm from Cheers. Sure, he knew about the latest news from the companies we worked with, but he could also tell you all about each person’s spouse and children and hobbies. He genuinely loved people, and it showed. Everyone he spoke to knew that he cared about them as colleagues and human beings, so they trusted him. He just celebrated his 80^th birthday, with no signs of slowing down. As he said to me last week, “Why retire when you love what you do?”

“Love” is the key word here. My friend doesn’t sell by the numbers. He knows that sales and marketing are full of emotional risks. Buyers are uncertain that they will get the ROI they are hoping for, so to feel more secure in what they are buying, they need to feel secure in who they are buying from. In ed tech as in any other industry, the leaders who make purchasing decisions are people first, so they are much more likely to do business with other people who are a recognizable part of their community.

The question for everyone who works with educators is this: If you don’t share the bond of working with kids on a daily basis, how can you become a trusted part of the education community?

Connecting with the Ed Tech Community

Meeting educators face-to-face, like I did at the recent ISTE conference in San Antonio, is the most powerful way to become part of their PLC, tribe, posse, squad, or whatever they may call it. No matter how many emails you trade with someone, looking them in the eye and shaking their hand builds a human connection that just doesn’t exist in the virtual world. 

But there are only so many conferences and events, and ed teach leaders do much of their communication online. So the next question is: How do you became a part of online ed tech communities in a way that feels genuine? Here are three ideas:

1. Meeting people online is just like meeting people in person: you’re better off listening before you talk. A good place to be a fly on the wall while educators share their issues and best practices is in Twitter chats. If you’re not familiar with the idea, these are scheduled times when a group logs onto Twitter and follows a specific hashtag, where anyone can chime in on the topic at hand. Here’s a handy list of 7 popular ed tech Twitter chats covering a variety of topics.
   
   Pro tip: If you speak up, stay on topic and do not try to sneak in a sales pitch.
   
   
   
2. Most of these Twitter chats were founded by the rock stars of ed tech, and these folks tend to have active and popular Twitter accounts. People like Tom Murray, Stephen Anderson, and Tom Vander Ark are leading the conversation about the future of education and technology, so it behooves you to know what’s on their minds. Here’s a recent Teach.com list of the ed tech Twitterati that you need to follow right now.
   
   Pro tip: Following, liking, and retweeting someone are the Twitter equivalent of waving at that person in a crowd. They don’t make you best friends, but they might help you strike up a conversation when the time is right.
   
   
   
3. Remember that there is life beyond Twitter. If you’re not a boots-on-the-ground educator, another way to become part of online ed tech communities is to follow and learn from the best school district social media accounts, whether on YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook. This list from Advancing K12 Ed Tech will get you started.
   
   Pro tip: The key here is to learn how educators talk about themselves and what their biggest challenges and victories are.

In fact, a great rule of thumb for anyone wanting to become a part of the ed tech community, whether in person or online, is to emulate the best teachers and be a lifelong learner. Taking the time to learn shows that you care, and as my 80-year-old friend has shown, caring is the key to long (and profitable) relationships.

Thanks for sharing!