The old models have had their time.

For years, sales and marketing teams have built their strategies around frameworks like AIDA (Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action) and ‘Know–Like–Trust’. They’re simple, easy to teach and neatly linear.

The problem is that public sector procurement doesn’t work like that anymore (if it ever really did!).

If you’re selling into schools, local authorities or MATs, your buyers are rarely individuals. They’re teams, working under scrutiny, juggling procurement rules, policy drivers, and performance pressures.

AIDA might get attention on a landing page but it won’t help you win a six-figure local authority contract because these decisions aren’t made in funnels; they’re made in rooms.

The new reality is: Trust → Confidence → Consensus

If you’re in edtech, here’s a better model to guide your opportunity development:

• Trust: Do they believe you’re credible and aligned with their values?

• Confidence: Do they think your product can actually deliver what you say it will?

• Consensus: Can you get multiple stakeholders to agree?

To break it down:

1. Trust: It starts earlier than you think

Trust isn’t built in the sales meeting. It starts way before that, often when a head of service hears your name mentioned by a neighbouring council or spots you quietly collaborating with on a thought leadership project.

You build trust when:

• Your marketing speaks plainly about outcomes, not features

• Your sales team shares insights, not just demos

• Your business is present in sector conversations in a grounded, helpful way

For the public sector, reputation carries real weight. So ask yourself: would your prospects feel confident recommending you to their peers?

2. Confidence: Your product is part of it, but not all of it

Confidence isn’t just about ticking functional boxes. It’s about your buyers believing:

• You’ll stick around

• You’ll support them through onboarding

• You understand their regulatory pressures

• You’ve done this before

This is where case studies, peer referrals, and tailored demos matter.

But so do the small things, like having documentation that’s ready to share, or a procurement pack that answers legal and IT security questions upfront.

3. Consensus: Procurement is a team sport

Local authority buyers rarely act alone. Your deal needs:

• Input from IT

• Sign-off from finance and procurement

• Buy-in from end users

• Compliance with frameworks

That means your sales process should support internal alignment, not create friction. Think less “pipeline” and more “project management”.

Share tailored materials each stakeholder can use internally. Provide clarity on implementation timelines, responsibilities, and savings. Make it easy for champions to bring others on board.

Why it matters now

Schools and LAs are under more pressure than ever to show value. At the same time, decision-making is more complex, involving more people, more scrutiny, and more risk aversion.

If your sales process still relies on trying to create ‘desire’ and push for ‘action’, you’ll keep getting stuck in long, stalled deals.

But if you shift to building trust, showing confidence, and helping shape consensus you’ll see real traction.

What to do next

• Review your sales and marketing materials. Are they helping buyers gain confidence and build consensus?

• Train your sales team to uncover alignment and decision dynamics, not just qualify leads.

• Think about your reputation in the public sector. Are you showing up as a trusted partner or just another supplier?

It’s not about abandoning everything we know. But it is about adapting to how the public sector really buys and meeting your customers where they are.