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There is a significant amount of movement within the school administrator segment, with roughly 20 percent of these posts turning over each year, according to Stimolo. Out of this group, he encourages marketers to pinpoint educators who have been teaching for a few years, but might be new to their post as, say, the reading program administrator. These individuals are more receptive to offers, because they are likely “to encounter problems that they don’t have solutions for,” says Stimolo.
Additionally, the faculty themselves are open to more B-to-C types of offers. “Companies have discovered that educators are a really desirable market segment for things like travel, retirement and financial planning services, and insurance,” says Winter.
Know Your Numbers and Dates
This also is a thoughtful and cautious decision-making group, which has to make sure it gets the most out of every dollar it spends. Although the needs of the education market are great, funding always is at a premium. According to Susan Lustig, executive editor for American School & University magazine, which caters to education facilities and business professionals, the market hovers at approximately $148.5 billion. When it comes to education spending, “the United States spends over $900 billion a year on all levels of education, with approximately 59 percent of that spent on elementary and secondary education. Approximately 8 percent of spending comes from the federal government, 49 percent from the states and 43 percent from local sources.” Top of mind for administrators is the need to stretch the value and efficiency of every purchase.
Depending on the type and cost of your product, some professional titles to look for when marketing to school administration decision makers include school superintendents, district level administrators, business/purchasing agents and teachers. Important also to note, since the school budget runs from July 1 to June 30, many of the purchasing decisions will be made in the months of March, April and May.
“Typically, the mailing windows are anywhere from January through May, to attach to the spring spending cycle,” describes Stimolo. “The deciding factor as to whether it should be January, February, March, April or May typically is how much of an expenditure [the product/service being marketed] is.” Smaller purchases may be decided by one or two people. However, the larger the expenditure, the more people are involved in the decision-making process and, thus, the longer it takes to make a sale.
Presenting Your Case
Given that school-related purchase decisions take time and deliberation, reaching out to this market warrants careful planning and a personal touch. Direct marketing still is a very effective way to reach these folks, at all levels. “More than 90 percent of educators say the most common way they learn about and purchase products is through catalogs and direct mail,” says Stimolo. E-mail also is effective, although there are not as many e-mail addresses available at this time. Administrators also actively gather information via professional journals and conferences.
However you choose to relay your marketing message, it’s important to talk to this audience from a personal perspective that addresses their particular needs. “The more you can send out something that is uniquely directed to an individual for their circumstances, the better,” says Schmucki. After all, the administrator of an inner city district will face very different issues than an administrator of a suburban district. It may be better to forego the graphics and the glitz for a more one-to-one approach, such as a letter or e-mail from the head of your company to the head of the district.
Stimolo suggests tailoring your sales argument to the school environment. For instance, “it’s easier to sell soap in a hand-washing machine when you’re talking about reducing absenteeism in the classroom or the spread of germs,” he describes. Likewise, educators will be more responsive to offers where the emphasis is on how the product or service can improve efficiency, is more cost effective and helps kids learn better and faster.
“If your thought is to get in and get out quickly, this is not your market,” Winter concludes. “This market takes a lot of presence, a lot of investment, and it takes time, particularly with curriculum, instructional and assessment products. On the other hand, it’s also a very loyal market, so once you have them as customers they do buy, and they’re loyal to the brands they know and trust.”
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