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Many industries experience seasonal sales cycles, some more dramatic than others. What patterns are seen by companies selling educational products to K-12 schools? Rest assured, products used for teaching and learning are purchased every month, but you can expect big ups and downs throughout the year. In this article, I’ll share insights from successful school sales professionals about these predictable buying patterns so you can adjust your school sales and marketing plans accordingly. Here’s the basic takeaway: There are two main drivers behind the seasonal buying cycle for almost any education product or service: calendar and budget.

Align your School Sales Plan with the Academic Calendar

The first and main factor that influences the moment of the purchase of curricular materials is the start date of the academic year. It should seem obvious that the greatest need to implement new educational resources is when the school year begins. But the process of evaluating new products, budgeting for them, and preparing to use them begins many months in advance. And of course, there are a few weeks of variation in the start date for public schools, from early August to early September. Marketing to schools to introduce a new curricular product or service in the fall, followed by aggressive promotion that peaks early in the calendar year and continues through the spring is a proven approach to driving sales for the following year academic.

Spring increase in sales to schools

The peaks and valleys of purchase in the K-12 school market are also affected by the availability and timing of funds. If your product is likely to be purchased on a purchase order with funds from the school or school district budget, then purchasing behavior is determined by the fiscal year. For most public schools, the fiscal year begins on July 1. Consequently, there is a large amount of shopping in late spring and early summer. If, on the other hand, the price of your product is attractive to individual teachers (who buy many products with their own money), then the end of the summer (August and September) can be very busy months, and there is another secondary spike before from the beginning of the second semester.

Education Market Research Reveals Changes Over Time

What I have described are guidelines for marketing to schools, not rules. Each product and service may have some variation, and there are also changes in financing patterns that may affect products eligible for federal program dollars. In recent years, the impact of legislation and the economic downturn have made forecasting K-12 sales more complicated. I suggest you do your homework to assess what buying patterns your product is likely to experience in the current and anticipated sales environment. Some basic school market research is a good starting point. I also suggest you test your own marketing campaigns.

There is one final word on school marketing and the school sales cycle, and that word is patience. If you’re considering marketing to schools, know that it’s rare for sales to happen as quickly and at the level that product developers plan. No matter how great you think your product is, regardless of the rave reviews you’ve received from educators who have previewed your new product, prepare for slow acceptance. The overall school buying cycle can be frustratingly slow. The first year can seem like a black hole and a losing proposition. But by following the guidelines in this article and with your continued attention to best practices for educational marketing, you will certainly be in sync with the seasonal cycle and, who knows, maybe you’ll beat the odds and your new educational product will be a great deal! success with sales coming from schools throughout the year!