Procurement into Schools

[johnny delgardo]

Is it difficult to get a product into school with regard to distribution of leaflets advertising products? Thinking of offering a percentage of sales as an incentive? Thoughts please

 

[phynix_uk]

What sort of product is it and what avenues have you already tried?

 

[fisicx]

It's incredibly difficult. You won't get through the door unless you have a proper company and have been through so many hoops you qualify for the circus.

Schools are inundated with offers. A few leaflets with a bit of an incentive isn't going to cut it.

 

[Duncan_W]

We have had a degree of success using email to target schools. Have you tried this approach?

 

[kate1]

OP

What are you trying to sell, I call schools for commercial window cleaning - thats not difficult to get in, but I dont know what your trying to sell?

 

[maxine]

Agree with Kate re calling to schools .. It's not that difficult to get in with certain products and services unless they are a small number of schools with procurement teams

 

[johnny delgardo]

Many thanks for all the replies. The products we are going to be marketing are primarily based around offering a range of portfolios for parents to purchase for their children. Thank Up books designed to be presented to the teachers by the class moving up a year as an alternative to the sometimes expensive alternatives such as flowers, cards and chocolates which we all buy. The average cost of such is pushing the ten pound plus bracket. We are aiming to offer a cheaper alternative were all pupils parents pay a contribution and then are part of a gift which the teacher in question can treasure and also save the parents an average of five pounds as compared to previous expenditure. In these economic times, all savings count. The more affluent can still buy the flowers etc.. We also offer another range of portfolio but due to the length expanding, I will desist. Many thanks but you get the general jest. Is emailing the school better than phoning up??
Many thanks once again
Johnny

 

[Jeff FV]

Hate to burst your bubble, but as a teacher I'd far rather get chocolate, wine, beer, fruit, biscuits (probably not flowers, as I am male ) etc. than a 'Thank Up' book.

OK, I may be old, knackered & cynical, but I doubt many teacher's will 'treasure' such a book for long. More likely that, being the polite types that we are, the teacher will say "oh, how wonderful, I'll treasure this" before putting it in the back of a cupboard to be forgotten about.

Also can't see why you are trying to sell it into schools - surely it won't be the staff who are actually buying the product?

Honestly - gifts for teachers: if cash is tight, a card (cost about £1.99) with a genuine handwritten message of thanks inside is absolutely fine. All the usuals, chocs, wine, flowers etc are also fine. Or buy a tin of celebrations, attach a note (make sure you/your child gets the credit for the gift!) and ask for it to be put in the staffroom. It will be most welcome (just don't do it on the last day of term - give it about a week before the end of term so that its there at breaktime when everyone wants that little chocolate lift.)

Best gift I ever got as a teacher was from a pupil who made me a mix tape - we'd often 'digressed' into discussing music during my bottom set Y10 physics lessons. I was genuinely touched that he had at least listened to something I said and took the time to make a tape based on my musical preferences.

Jeff

 

[telemax]

I do loads of calling into schools, they are the easiest organisations to get into with the right products. Things do get a little more complicated with the bigger Acadamies though.

 

[johnny delgardo]

I admire your frankness. We are targeting junior schools where I hope the teaching staff will appreciated a collective class gift and maybe enjoy the novel approach of sharing pupils thoughts with regard to the normal wine and chocolates. Are you a junior school teacher ? I am sorry if my idea does not appeal to you but others may welcome such a gift, I suppose it is determined by the age of the pupils and their affinity to the teachers.
Thanks
johnny

 

[Jeff FV]

I have taught to A Level and I have taught in schools with pupils from age 4 to 13.

Behind the staff room door, we teachers can be quite a cynical breed.

Perhaps I am missing the point/content of these Thank Up books, I'm guessing they contain, say, a little piece & maybe a picture from each child in the class? Who is going to get them (the children) to do all this work, collect & collate it etc.?

I actually think that you are looking at this the wrong way round.

Instead of creating a Thank Up book to give to the class teacher (who will, at best, be ambivalent to it as a gift) why not get the same books produced, but flog them to the pupils in the year/class - they only have one year in (say) Year 4 with Miss Smith and would probably welcome a well presented, published book of their year. Also, you get to sell a whole lot more books - a target market of 30 pupils, rather than 1 teacher, plus, you can probably get the teacher to co-ordinate the whole and get the work done (+ if you offer them a little kick back, say 10% commission, they can then get the gift of their choice!)

Anyway, best of luck with your plans, (note to self: come November, start dropping hints that chocolate & beer are my preferred gifts )

J

 

[johnny delgardo]

Jeff, you are an insightful man...thank you for your interesting thoughts, like it #thatswhyquestionssometimesproducegoodanswers On a side note, you teachers do a fantastic job.
Johnny

 

[telemax]

Hard for me to comment but I sell copiers and a well known educational brand of software into schools that teachers know well. You'd have to just try with what you do.

 

[InternetMarketingPlatinum]

I have a client hwo sells to schools. They find that direct mail works ok, telesales pretty good and email marketing the best.