[Edu] Reaching the Educational Market

[miyu]

In my area of WV there aren't lists of approved vendors or anything like
that for things I would buy during the school year.  Requisitioning things
at the end of the year has a few approved vendors but we have forms we can
fill out to request a purchase from any source.

The biggest inroad I can think for a game company would be to befriend an
interested teacher.  Offer to come into a classroom or an after school
program to demo one of the games.  Come prepared with some sample lesson
plans for the teacher to show how the game could directly address their
particular state's standards.

Most of all though - give them some sort of donated game to get them
started.  Schools tend to have little funding and if they can get a sample
game to play with on their own, learn the rules, come up with some ideas on
how to use them then they will be more likely to bite at your product and
come back to you.

Speaking from experience when I began a Go program I had a few distributors
donate some equipment to me.  Later that year I got around 400$ from my
school and spent almost the entire amount with those specific vendors.  I
also thank those vendors in my handout to the kids and our school website to
try to give them some advertising back for their help.

                   -Ryan

On 6/29/07, Maureen Reed <maureen at highcontentgames.com> wrote:
>
>  Hi everybody. I am Looney Lab's sales representative in the Chicago area.
> I'm not trying to sell you guys anything (you already love Looney Labs
> products or you wouldn't be here!) but I've been told it would be okay to
> ask you how I would go about reaching teachers and school districts. I know
> there is a purchasing process at all schools and I know generally about
> national teacher conferences. I'd like advice on how to get my foot in the
> door and recognized as a legitimate vendor of educational supplements and
> enrichment activities. Are there listings I should get Looney Labs' name on?
> Are there local conferences where vendors are present? Does your purchasing
> department circulate lists of authorized vendors? How do you go about
> purchasing items for your classroom? Please, fill me in on what I don't know
> about selling games to teachers.
>
>
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>
> Maureen Reed
>
>
>
> *****
> Maureen K. Reed
> President
> High Content Games, Inc.
> www.highcontentgames.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> Edu mailing list
> Edu at lists.looneylabs.com
> http://lists.looneylabs.com/mailman/listinfo/edu
>
>


-- 
Ora, lege, lege, lege, relege, labora et invenies.
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