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Selling to Schools.com provides expert advice for generating response and engaging with buyers of products and services used in schools. We address the full range of education marketing strategies for producing a reliable, steady flow of sales opportunities from teachers and school administrators. You'll get practical tips for direct marketing, conference exhibit marketing, and e-marketing (web, email, and social media).
The ultimate strategy for marketing to schools is to use your customers as a channel. This strategy has been used successfully for many companies that sell to schools. Now, here's is a flavor that you may not have heard of before. It's a spin on using student reps that has the potential to create excitement and elevate your brand to the top of the heap.
Public relations (PR) often takes the back seat to other types of lead generation education marketing for most companies that sell to K-12 decision-makers. Managers wonder if results from PR can be measured and if PR programs can really connect to sales in the school market. To find out, we interviewed a PR expert who is making the connection with purchase orders for ed-tech products.
The phone is integral to our lives but not always fully integrated into the education sales process. As education marketing managers seek ways to fill their sales pipeline with more qualified prospects or to reduce the cost of sales, they wonder if it is time to try telemarketing or telesales. 
Marketing to schools, especially for products with a long sales cycle, is a real challenge. Education sales managers need to speed up the process and, in some situations, the telephone is just the right tool. Is it right for you? Here’s valuable free advice from a veteran of K-12 telesales and telemarketing.
How are school marketers using email and web marketing to improve their campaigns? We interviewed Kelly Stewart, Director of Marketing at MMS Education, who develops and implements integrated strategies that help her clients achieve their marketing and sales goals in the education marketplace.
Do you think PTOs and PTAs could help sell your product or service to schools? Yes, these organizations can be a great resource in your plan for marketing to schools, but they can also be maddeningly enigmatic. What works and what doesn't when connecting with parent organizations? 
Industry awards and recognition are an oft-overlooked and underrated strategy for marketing to schools. Most companies in the education marketplace believe their products are world-class, but few make the effort to get endorsements that earn valuable PR and competitive differentiation. You may want to take a closer look.
Imagine being able to predict which school districts are most likely to purchase your products. For years, educational technology companies have used government data to help target their education marketing plans. But a study from Grunwald Associates a few years ago reveals district characteristics that make it easier to hit the bull's eye.
While there is no silver bullet that will improve results from your exhibits at K-12 educator conferences, there is much more you can do besides setting up a booth and standing there waiting for something to happen. It all starts with knowing what you want to achieve and having specific sales goals in mind.
Is your education marketing message getting drowned out? Be sure to listen to a 10-minute interview with a former school administrator who has an answer to the #1 question we hear: How do we cut through the noise and reach the senior decision makers we need to speak to?Copyright 2010 Selling To Schools www.sellingtoschools.com
