How to Sell Your Products to Preschools
Early childhood is a time in which play translates into the learning that forms the basics of education. Entrepreneurs with an interest in the preschool years can profit by selling products that appeal to the imagination, intellect and skill set of little kids. Preschool owners will pay for quality materials if you can prove their worth, so market to these small business owners by focusing on visual and hands-on approaches.
Put your products out for the preschool world to see. Schedule your company for sale booths in at early childhood and home-schooling conferences. Arrange your materials in an appealing manner, and create colorful brochures and flyers that feature information about what you have for sale. Ask for a position near the entrance of the venue so potential customers are fresh when they encounter your goods. Play upbeat children's music to further attract attention to your sales area. Ask visitors to sign a guestbook that requests their name, school, physical address and email.
Call preschools in your area, and ask to come in to present your products. You have to get in the doors to get the attention of owners who make decisions as to what items they provide in their facilities. These are likely to be busy people with a limited budget, so you need to give them a presentation and demonstration worth their time. Invite the preschool personnel to bring some of the children in to test the items. When you sell products that capture the interest of 3- and 4-year-olds, you can convince buyers they must have them for their schools.
Don't just leave a calling card when you visit a preschool. Everyone benefits when you give out a freebie of value. If possible, engrave the product with your company information. For example if you sell plastic manipulative blocks, imprint the name and phone number of your business directly on the items. This extra advertising can result in future sales. Take the opportunity to follow up with facilities where you leave your samples, as this gives you an immediate conversation starter: "How did your schoolchildren like the product I left for you?"
Not all of your selling must be done in person. Take advantage of the ubiquity of the World Wide Web when you market your preschool products. Invest in a website that promotes the benefits of your items, provides a full catalog and allows for ordering online with PayPal for easy purchasing. Advertise on other sites that are frequented by early education center owners. Write articles for other websites and on social media regarding preschool products, adding your own tagline and link to your site to increase its traffic.