Selling to schools sounds simple. Every school needs pens, notebooks and backpacks. Every school has fundraisers and student events that need products. But this widespread promotional need means you will have a lot of competition. Here's how to ace school sales and tackle your competitors.
1. Try Grade Schools
Bill O'Donnell, director of retail and special sales for Washington-based National Geographic, mentioned the preschool and K-through-6 markets are strong for printed products, but the middle school age group is a harder sell. "The tween market (11+) is a bit more difficult as they are more prone to digital content," he said. Still, National Geographic has found a few products to appeal to tech-obsessed tweens. "We have a few very good products, mostly in the Atlas category," he said.
- Companies:
- Bay State Specialty Company