Selling into the education market – how to find your edge

The education sector is continuing to grow, creating opportunities for workplace solution suppliers. How can resellers further diversify their product offering and make the most of this burgeoning market?

The education sector is a familiar market to most dealers, but there are new opportunities to capitalise on.The multi-academy trust sector has clusters of five, ten, even upwards of 40 schools sometimes all managed by one procurement officer. Couple this with the recent government announcement that education is set to receive ‘the largest cash increase for schools in a decade’, and the opportunities in education supplies have never been better. “As a group, in 2022, we saw a 55% growth in education sales with our partner, Findel, despite tough market conditions,” says Sian Haskell, director of marketing at Integra. Selling into the education market requires diversification into new and trending product areas and different customer bases, as well as insight into what education procurement managers are looking for from suppliers; this is what will give your business an edge over your competitors.

Emerging Trends

Identifying emerging trends in the education market is key for dealers looking to diversify. According to Sian, “Art, craft and stationery continue to be key product categories, followed by exercise books, facilities, and furniture,” whilst Lawrence Savage, marketing manager at Exaclair, is seeing an upward trend in technology to boost collaboration. “A growing use of technology throughout the industry has acted as a great influencer across several emerging trends within the sector, especially since experiencing the challenging times during the pandemic.

“The gamification approach, which seeks to motivate students by incorporating video game design and gaming elements into the learning process, as well as bite-sized nano learning, is amongst the more popular of these trends currently.” For suppliers looking to identify new products to meet this demand, Lawrence believes the answer is collaborative tools. “There are driving demands in tools that can facilitate collaborative environments, whether that be remotely or within the classroom - for example, we’ve seen an uptake in product categories such as desktop accessories and organisational items.”

The rising demand for technology is evident from both the supplier’s point of view and the purchaser’s. Sue Birchall, director of business and outreach at The Malling School in Kent, says that they are always on the look out for new, more effective, technology to support their students. “In our school, ICT is heading towards some of the more forward-thinking technologies and there is a desire to provide our students with access to new technologies, such as AI.”

“This is hampered by funding - not just in initial purchasing but also in sustainability and succession planning for hardware.”

Sally Edwards, operations director at The Lancashire Association of School Business Managers (LASBM) Alliance Ltd, has also identified the demand for technological solutions. “There are regular developments in technology and digital solutions but we have also recently seen a growing focus on cyber-security and defending against malware and ransomware attacks.”

Outside of the classroom Peter Clayton, sales and marketing director at Centurion Europe Ltd, has identified a trend in signage. “Schools, like any establishment, need health and safety signage.” Signage has great possibilities as it can be applied across the school premises, and can be custom designed to meet the needs of each school. “Through our sister company Visual Group we are seeing trends specifically in wall graphics, where they can easily enhance corridors and classrooms with educational messages and school values,” Peter added.

Dealer group Nemo Office Club’s marketing manager, Alan Calder, has spotted a completely new proposition. They recently signed an agreement with a supplier of bike sheds and scooter shelters. “Furniture from an education furniture specialist supplier has won market share,” he says – though he stresses that, “selling furniture into education is different to selling to an office. It needs to be fit-for-purpose - and a dealer recognising these differences, and showing an understanding of the need for increased durability, for example, will have a much better chance of winning business.”

What To Keep In Mind

It’s not just furniture that must be fit-for-purpose when selling into the education market. According to Lawrence, “There are many similarities between the needs of the educational sector when compared with the business market - but the key for any dealers seeking to capitalise within this area is to ensure that they take a comprehensive overview. When considering their recommendations, solutions for teaching and administration staff and students should all be incorporated.”

Dealers also need to consider any constraints their customers may have – especially the big one – the budget. “Schools have limited budgets to allocate across the whole school and, each year, different areas will have the focus of the budget,” says Peter. “Keep your focus on the school’s needs, and its problems, so you can offer solutions and be clear and concise on how you can help solve their problems. Be patient, be helpful; solve their problems and supply their needs.”

There’s a lot to be said for personalising your product offering and building really good relationships with education customers. Peter suggests that dealers should, “understand the school’s needs and offer solutions without having to ask them what’s going on. Each school is different, so a ‘one-size-fits-all’ sales pitch won’t work.” Alan agrees and stresses the importance of meeting the needs of your customer even after the sale has been completed. “We have members that have been very successful in this area, and the success has come from the personal attention - and a willingness to source anything, deliver when convenient and manage the account with personality.”

WHAT DOES THE MARKET WANT?

Dealers need to understand how customers in the education sector think. “Understand the decision-making process,” advises Peter. “This varies among private schools, academies and council-run establishments.” Lawrence has found that, often, it is sustainability that comes out on top. “Although price and product innovations are important factors for educational customers, the criteria surrounding their decision-making processes are still greatly influenced by sourcing from suppliers who focus on developing ethical and sustainable operations.”

However, Sally – with her school business manager hat on - believes that competitive pricing should be front and centre. “Suppliers must be professional, deliver what they promise, offer value for money and be competitive. Service is key; you have to know that you can trust them.” Building a great relationship with your customers could be the difference between a sale and a miss. “When suppliers make comparable offers, the deciding factor may be the contact you are dealing with,” says Sally. “You’ve got to feel that they will be responsive if anything goes wrong. It instils confidence when it’s clear that a supplier cares about delivering a good service and that they genuinely believe in the product - after all, if they don’t, why would anyone else?”

Similarly, Sue is also searching for trust in a supplier. “When we are looking for suppliers we are looking to create a relationship based upon trust on both sides, with elements of negotiation, advice and conversation. When you find a supplier with whom you can have this trust-based relationship, they quickly become a preferred supplier - which is where the conversations and negotiation come in. Any supplier we work with needs to understand that we will always test prices and expect top-notch service and ongoing support.”

WE’VE GOT TO STOP MEETING LIKE THIS!

Before the trust-building process can begin dealers have to grab the attention of their potential customers. Sue – speaking from a school perspective - has developed several preferred ways of meeting dealers she can potentially do business with. “I like to meet suppliers at industry events, and to have a meeting, rather than do business over the ‘phone. I also look for suppliers through many other avenues, mostly in print and online.” However, when it comes to being approached, she prefers to have existing customers to speak with, to hear real time, real life, experiences of the products, and she definitely favours a solution-focused selling approach. “I think, as far as advertising services go, I would look for good knowledge and understanding of how ICT is needed in schools and how we fund our

ICT purchases. In ICT, mistakes can be very expensive and visible. It is so important to have faith in, not only the supplier, but also what you are purchasing - this is where the trust comes in.”

Sally also believes that industry events are a great way for suppliers to show off their wares. “At our events suppliers impress delegates when they clearly communicate their offer, are transparent about any overlap with competitor products and services, and highlight what they do differently.”

Get Selling

Sian points out that there’s a lot to be said for buying locally. Local suppliers have the advantage of being able to get to know education customers well, and to really understand their needs. “It’s not all about price; good product knowledge and advice is as important when it comes to selling educational products, together with excellent customer service, something mainstream educational suppliers don’t do particularly well.”

To put yourself in the best selling position, you must know how to sell yourself as well as your products. “Members can differentiate themselves by clearly promoting their USPs,” says Sian. “These could include stock room management and storage of bulky items, or local community initiatives and sustainability, for example. Local authorities, in general, actively seek a local business that is part of the community.”

This also rings true for Alan. “One of our members, Seated Furniture - known in the industry as Cost Cutters UK - has had great success and become a specialist in educational furniture with professional installations, free site consultation and planning of everything from indoor gym equipment and playgrounds, to libraries and early learning interactive spaces. This reputation, as a specialist with a unique offering, coupled with excellent personal service, has given them a huge advantage over any competitors.”

Suppliers that offer products which align with a customer’s values will have a crucial advantage, and launching a programme or campaign to connect your business with local customers will help to build relationships and create business opportunities – something Nemo Office Club has done very successfully. “Our ‘Keep It Local’ campaign has proved to be a foot through the door for dealers within education; schools want to be at the heart of their communities and the message about supporting local businesseswhich will be employing the parents of many of their students, and providing careers in the future - resonates with them,” explains Alan. “It’s about building relationships.”

Diversification is a major buzzword for suppliers that want to further expand their education customer base and take their sales to the next level - and, whilst the education sector can be challenging for dealers to break into, Alan believes that it’s certainly worth the effort.