Promote Diversity in the Education Market
Open the door to a new world of opportunities in this evolving market
Everyone knows the old axiom "Knowledge is power," so where better for distributors to apply it than in the education market?
From universities with hundreds of departments and internal colleges to the neighborhood school right around the corner, the opportunities for sales of printable products are endless. It just takes some basic creativity, motivation and knowledge to discover the opportunities that exist there.
For instance, while traditional registrar forms, report cards, labels and tags are the tried-and-true educational standbys, products such as advanced software systems for revising academic documents, software-compatible checks, brochures, direct mail, customized stationery and specialty envelopes are also often needed by many schools.
"And, you can't forget about branded mugs and other promotional products," said Brian Nelson, director of marketing and sales at The DFS Group, Townsend, Mass. "The fact is, many schools tend to be image-conscious, and if a distributor can meet the requirements needed to offer the right types of products while establishing trust early in the sales process, educational accounts can be very loyal and lucrative customers."
Kim Thomas, plant manager at Ennis' Star Award Ribbon division, Wolfe, Texas, agreed. Thomas said that pitching ideas such as ribbons for field days or folders for graduation to local schools may not occur to distributors as creative ideas. "But, they are," she said. "And, once distributors garner trust by providing products such as these, those buyers will come back again and again."
On the other hand, Julie Pritchard, president of TopForm Software, Norcross, Ga., said that true-blue customers in education can also be gained by reaching much further out of the box—for instance, offering software systems that test-creating professors can get excited about. "Teachers, professors and forms purchasers are benefiting greatly from a product that we introduced this year called DocuCenter," said Pritchard. "It's a management system that saves time, effort and money for educational end-users."
Cake Work
More specifically, DocuCenter is becoming popular in the academic field because it is taking the arduous task of editing, revising, printing and distributing updated test examinations and turning it into "cake work." In essence, the Internet-based e-commerce application provides customers with content management and online ordering for their internally generated print-on-demand documents.
"In the education field, there are course materials and tests that need to be prepared and revised, and it is the end-user who is frequently altering text," said Pritchard. "DocuCenter offers a more streamlined process, making it easier for those in education to revise materials and know that the most updated version in the queue is being submitted to the printer."
Pritchard added that the program is also ideal for the management of training manuals and course materials, as well as employee handbooks and policy manuals.
Strategy 101
Selling a product such as DocuCenter can be fairly easy for those already attuned to software programs and who are looking for sophisticated systems. "And, with any account, the best person to place a sales call to for this type of product is the purchasing agent within
a school or university," said Pritchard.
As far as other products go, Nelson said that branded products can be pitched to those running bookstores on school campuses, as well as those in sports offices, and university fraternities and sororities. "Sometimes, approaching different departments and asking to fulfill a specific need may work," he added. "Often, there may be new creative heads that are willing to give new suppliers an opportunity."
As an added tip, Nelson suggested that distributors sell branded products that may involve embossing, foil stamping and four-color process. "The DFS Group, through the Custom Solutions and full-color programs, is uniquely suited to helping distributors sell these types of products with expert customer service and fast turnaround times," he said.
For a completely different idea, Lindsay Gray, Acculink, Greenville, N.C., recommended approaching college campuses with direct mail campaigns to solicit potential students for enrollment or alumni, who can help fund a new auditorium. "Distributors can't just go to the forms purchasing department for this type of job," he said. "They should go in with the strategy of contacting the admissions office to find out what their problems are. What pieces are they mailing? What databases are they pulling from? How are they recruiting?"
Gray explained that, through targeted lists, schools can pinpoint young adults who are interested in art, science, business, etc. With that information, the school can then send personalized direct mail pieces to specifically attract those groups. "This is such a great opportunity for distributors because they can help colleges make a lot of money. I mean, these schools are asking students and their families to invest thousands of dollars for an education each year. There needs to be a strong message to persuade people to make such a commitment."
Gray went on to say that once distributors are armed with specific information about prospective students, they are then prepared to approach the chancellor with a major idea on how the school can make a lot of money.
Back to Basics
While there are plenty of new and sophisticated products to sell within the education market, the opportunity to make a healthy profit by selling the fundamentals still exists.
For example, Thomas said that up to 50 percent of what Star Award Ribbon produces is for the education market. "Distributors can sell our products to all types of schools. And, our prices are very competitive, which gives distributors a wide range for their markups," she said.
Thomas added that the best way to infiltrate the education market is to visit schools at the beginning of each academic year and find out what types of awards ceremonies or other activities are going on—and when—to promote items such as ribbons and awards.
In addition, Brandon Mizell, from the advertising concepts division of Ennis, Wolfe City, Texas, said that other basic items include pencils, pens, rulers, Post-it Notes, stadium cups, megaphones, stadium seats, stadium cushions, mini sports balls, numbered parking decals, magnets, sports bottles, awareness bracelets, crayons, coloring books, promotional slide guides, coffee mugs, commemorative glassware and plaques. "These products are in demand throughout the year for state-funded schools, private schools, universities and colleges," he said. "Schools generally look for bottom-dollar prices on everything that they buy. Low cost is essential."
Priscilla Robinson, inside sales specialist for Ennis' tag and label division, Wolfe City, Texas, reinforced the idea of thinking low-budget. "Many schools do not have large budgets to work with, so they become penny-pinchers, and profits can really vary for distributors based on what they sell and how much."
The Smart Choice
Regardless of which type of educational products distributors would like to pitch, all manufacturers interviewed feel that the education market should be a staple in every distributor's sales calls. "It is a market that distributors can count on for repeat sales year in and year out," said Nelson. "And, they can keep their involvement in this arena as simple or as complex as they want."
In conclusion, Pritchard added that once end-users are set up with software such as TopForm Software's DocuCenter, it is very easy to upgrade their systems and take on the latest, more modern software programs. "Those in certain educational institutions embrace the idea of incorporating higher-tech products into their forms purchasing process, and I encourage distributors to take great advantage of that," she said.
By Sharon Cole