At last count, among the 54 or so school districts in the Southwestern Arkansas region, Datamax serves 30 of them. Read that again if you need to.

How does one harness such a superior hold over a particular vertical? How does one repeatedly garner the trust and support of so many school districts across so many counties? Well, it takes time… and effort… and a very strategic approach that started more than two decades ago.

"I go all the way back to Louis Massanelli (former General Manager of the Hot Springs office) 25 years ago. He had some school districts, and I sort of followed his lead,” Area Sales Manager Lee Wheelington said. “We saw what a large opportunity they offered in hardware and volume, and we also knew they ran in flocks, as we like to call it.”

So the venture took off and today, Lee is quick to point out, his account representatives run the show. But before we get their insights, here are a few from Lee on what’s built such momentum.

Word of mouth works.

Tradeshows, meetings, community/school gatherings. Whatever it is, Datamax is there. As they continue to attend these technology and education events, the bond only strengthens. Additional doors begin to open for them. 

Familiarity breeds trust.

From an individual aspect, every rep has a kid in school (or knows someone who does) and they know what it’s like. They remember what it was like having all this paperwork. They understand where they can be of value. They put themselves in the shoes of the school, and they do so easily because they're familiar. 

Research is critical.

They started researching school board members. They got to know these board members (almost all of whom are business people in the community) and started calling on them. Getting to know the principals and the assistant principals they learned that they move around horizontally from school to school all the time.

Let’s hear from the Reps on What Works for a few of our SW Arkansas Reps.

Emily Wyrick.

What makes schools such a unique animal in caring for their specific needs?

Privacy Considerations: Balancing security with privacy is essential. Schools must protect student privacy while implementing effective security measures.

Please give me strategies that you keep in your back pocket in either prospecting for or managing a school district.

1. Multifunctional Devices and Space-Saving Solutions: Market demand for multifunctional devices (MFDs) is on the rise. These devices combine printing, scanning, and copying functionalities into a single unit. These units are space-saving and versatile.
2. Color Copiers for Educational Materials: Color copiers are gaining popularity in the education sector. They are used to print copies of textbooks, worksheets, and other educational materials for large groups of students. The ability to produce high-quality color prints enhances visual learning experiences in classrooms and study materials1.
3. Print vs. Digital Reading: Print materials play a vital role in effective education.
   Reading from paper results in deeper comprehension, better retention, improved concentration, vocabulary building, and memory. Students who read from digital devices only progressed one-third as much as those reading from paper

Keith Cook.

What makes schools such a unique animal in caring for their specific needs?

I deal with smaller school districts, so being able to provide the equipment and services they need within the budgetary limitations they have is a challenge.  No other customers I have, essentially shut down for a couple of months every summer, so being able to accurately determine their usage needs is unique to them.  I currently have 4 school districts, 3 of them have had superintendent changes in the last 3 years. So maintaining relationships is key.

Please give me strategies that you keep in your back pocket in either prospecting for or managing a school district.

1. Papercut -  Showing them how, by using this software, they can control and reduce their printing and associated costs. Savings can help offset new equipment costs.  (Shout out to Trish Williams, who is gets involved with supporting Papercut and takes off like a baseball player stealing bases!)
2. Building relationships with multiple contacts, IT director, Superintendent, Office staff. So if one leaves or retires, you still have a relationship at the school.
3. OMNIA program-  Using this program and Kyocera equipment has proven to be extremely valuable.

Carol Robbins.

What makes schools such a unique animal in caring for their specific needs?

Schools have to be able to print/copy for their students and parents. They have a variety of end users and different needs at each campus. It is my job to make them all happy and save them money while doing it!

Please give me strategies that you keep in your back pocket in either prospecting for or managing a school district.

1. Know your decision maker well and follow the procedures that he/she puts in place.
2. Talk to your end users frequently to get a better understanding of their specific needs and headaches. LISTEN to what they have going on that you can be a benefit to them.
3. Show you are an ASSET. Be knowledgeable of the equipment and pass that knowledge along to make their life a little easier.

Molissa Spradley.

What makes schools such a unique animal in caring for their specific needs?

"I wouldn’t say they are a unique animal. I don’t approach them differently from any other accounts. The difference would be that the magnitude of the fleet is huge. You’ve got hundreds of users vs. 5 to 10. It’s making sure those user needs are met, and making sure the decision maker is happy.”

Please give me strategies that you keep in your back pocket in either prospecting for or managing a school district.

"When managing a school district, really keeping the users happy. Our service techs play a large part in that. They have to go to the top of a list because so many people are affected when a device is down. If they can’t print, the students can’t do their work.”