Use Word of Mouth for selling to School Districts with Land and Expand Strategy in 5 Steps

The Land and Expand method is like your secret weapon for boosting sales in the education world. The trick is finding the right balance between being flexible and sticking to a plan.

Sometimes, cool opportunities pop up out of the blue. Even if you’ve done all your homework and marketing, you might stumble upon new leads in unexpected places. This often happens because happy customers tell others about your stuff. Seriously, word of mouth is like magic in education sales and marketing.

With Land and Expand, you use this magic strategically. It’s all about making friends with the friends of your current customers. You can do this by talking to them directly or, even better, getting your satisfied customers to sing your praises.

It’s kind of like throwing a stone in a pond and watching the ripples spread. Every week, month, and season, your circle of influence gets bigger, and so does your sales.

But how do you get started? Here’s a simple plan:

1. Generate interest from one potential customer

Remember, you just need to spark interest from one potential customer, and you can use this achievement as a reference. Stay genuine and transparent in your approach. Education decision-makers often feel more comfortable engaging with you if you have a mutual connection.

2. Find a Pattern

Now, once you received interest and you are talking to more prospects, make sure to track your conversations. It is important for you to find a pattern. Here are questions you can ask yourself to identify patterns in your targets:

• What job roles do the responders typically hold?
• When is the best time to reach this individual?
• What common concerns are voiced by those you engage with?
• What similarities exist in their funding sources?
• What similar problems do they mention?

3. Start your first Circle

Once you’ve piqued the interest of a potential customer and identified a pattern, it’s crucial to connect with similar individuals in the surrounding areas. For instance, if you’re targeting a Secondary School Reading Coach, seek out reading coaches in neighboring regions. Reference the initial interest from your first contact and propose a brief lunch meeting to get acquainted. We recommend choosing one of the following strategies:

4. Nurture the Relationships

You’ll gradually expand your network within your circle. Keep nurturing these relationships and remain patient. Building a solid relationship takes time, but once established, it can lead to years of sales opportunities. Here’s what you can do:

• Send nurturing emails.
• Connect via text.
• Invite them to a relevant event.
• Always be ready to offer advice!
• Host a lunch and learn session.
• Extend an invitation to an education conference.

5. Track your progress and continue

Keep an eye on who’s interested in your stuff. You can keep all this info organized in a spreadsheet or a fancy tool like a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. This way, you have everything you need in one place to stay on top of your sales game.

By doing this, you can figure out which leads are the most promising, see where things are at with each one, and spot any trends in how people are responding to your pitches. Plus, having a record of your talks helps you plan out your next moves and build better relationships with your potential customers.

Basically, keeping track of your progress helps you make smarter decisions, improve your sales tactics, and increase your chances of landing those sweet deals in the education market.

Keep on making friends and nurturing those relationships. And be patient – good things take time. It’s like planting seeds and watering them regularly so they grow into strong relationships.

Selling into education isn’t a sprint; it’s more like a marathon. Expect about a quarter of the people you email to open your message, and only a handful to reply. And it might take anywhere from a few months to over a year to seal the deal. So, be helpful, not pushy, and eventually, the sales will start rolling in.