As schools reopen this fall, they’ll need imprinted items to boost school spirit, fundraise for clubs and sports, and promote admissions. In our free webinar, Target the Education Market, we covered important things you need to know as a distributor to grow promotional products sales with these end-buyers. Here are the highlights.

Clients to Target

There are also more education-related prospects than meet the eye. Of course, K-12 pubic, private and charter schools are your traditional potential buyers, along with daycares and pre-schools.

Keep in mind that schools with 2,000-10,000 students will spend anywhere from $40,000 to $200,000 on promotional products. You can earn a lot of business at these schools, especially if you build relationships in different departments. We suggest focusing on:

• High schools, especially larger ones that benefit from having their branded gear on sale outside the traditional on-premise spirit shop.
• Smaller schools. It may be easier for you to get your foot in the door with a single buyer or department and branch out from there.
• With more than 1,100 community colleges in the U.S., you have a lot of potential clients.
• Look for annual education-focused conferences and trade shows.
• Within schools, be sure to target athletic and booster clubs.

When to Target

• Before the school year starts in late August/early September. Admins and decision makers, who look for products to support curriculum and activities, return much sooner than the students.
• After the spring holiday, when buyers are setting the remaining year’s budget or planning for the following school year.

Promo They Love

When you call on an education client, make sure you’re prepared with product suggestions. Even if they don’t end up ordering them from you, these products make great conversation starters:

• School supplies like drawstring backpacks, pencil cases and notebooks. Don’t forget to suggest some items for adults – students’ guardians can help boost school spirit, too.
• Apparel such as hoodies, sweatshirts and hats are always fan favorites.
• Older students appreciate tech items, such as smartphone grips and phone wallet cases.
• Practical items for the school, such as lanyards and branded floor mats.
• Sports teams and pep rally planners will enjoy rally towels, pompoms and inflatables.

For a deeper look into promo ideas for each of these segments, check out this blog post: Promotional Products for the Education Market.

Don’t have time to reach out to multiple schools? The ASI mailer program can do the heavy lifting for you. You reserve the counties you want in your area. Then, ASI will imprint our Idea Showcase Schools catalog, which is full of education-themed products, with your logo and contact info and mail it directly to the schools. For more information, visit our education mailer program page.

We Want to Hear From You

We’ve seen some pretty creative education promotional items. What are some of your favorites? We’d love to see them! Please visit our members’ Facebook page and share the products you love.