How to Sell to K-12

1. How to Sell to K-12 John Q. Porter President, Blue Sky Innovative Solutions, LLC July 16, 2014

2. Market Five Force Analysis Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

3. Market Attractiveness Grid Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

4. SWOT Analysis Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

5. Long Term Positioning Goal: To develop and execute a set of strategic and supporting plans that sustain a competitive advantage for the company in existing and new markets. • Long term plan should not be directed at any one opportunity. Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

6. Long Term Positioning Objective: • Long term positioning activities are continuously performed and refined • They set the stage for linking Business Development planning with the company’s strategic plan • Positioning is not aligned to a particular milestone in any individual opportunity or pursuit; rather, it supports many opportunities across the entire customer/prospect base. • These plans lay the groundwork for targeted, customer/prospect—focused marketing and sales activities. Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

7. Long Term Positioning Develop 4-yr. strategic plan Company corp. objectives Hierarchy of strategic & other plans Company targets of opportunity Develop annual BU operating plan Company annual 4-year strategic plan Annual operating plans Organize marketing teams Company financial & quality metrics Industry/market reports & trend forecasts Functional area resource plans Explore market areas Perform market assessment Specialized market & tech. studies Selling & B&P plans Comp. analysis & benchmarking assessments Build strategic relationships Lessons learned Positionassets Existing business development plans for specific opportunities Define business strategy Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

8. Assessment Phase Goal: Assess the characteristics of an individual opportunity and determine its suitability for pursuit. Objectives: • How well an opportunity aligns with the strategic plan and how the company’s capabilities and offerings align with the customer’s/prospect’s needs. • Accurate intelligence about the customer’s needs, requirements, resources and schedule are essential to determining how well an opportunity aligns with business plans and objectives. • Accurate intelligence about potential competitors is essential to developing a winning strategy. Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

9. Assessment Phase Assign opportunity lead Initial capture plan Strategic plans Develop call plan Candidate solutions Annual operating plans Develop customer relationship Understand program requirements Call plan Opportunity info Assess strategic fit Business development database Accept pipeline entry Pursuit review package Identify competition Prepare initial win strategy Business development database update Develop capture plan Prepare for pursuit review Pursuit review Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

10. The Benefit to You • Provides understanding of customer issues and challenges and an early opportunity to confirm alignment with company strategy, plans and priorities. • Provides opportunity to influence customer’s perception of company and shape the procurement. • Provides intelligence on firms that could become key competitors. • Allows management to assess whether the opportunity fully aligns with business strategy and provides reasonable win probability. Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

11. How to Sell to K-12 Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

12. K-12 Market Size* *GSA Advisors Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

13. SIIA Analysis of the K-12 Technology Market, 2012 • Education technology (non-hardware) products and services: 7.97 B • Major segments: • Content • Instructional support (including assessment* and professional development) • Platform & administration software tools (including central office, data and IT) • Special areas: • AP • Special Education** • ELL materials • Online courses*** *Testing was largest growth area; instructional support in general, 36% growth **Highest growth year over year ***Online growth more than 200% Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

14. Key Initiatives in K-12 • Assessment/ diagnostic tools • Instructional materials focused on high stakes assessment content areas • Special education • Analysis tools • Hardware • Professional development • Instructional support services Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

15. Critical Sales Cycle Timelines for K-12 • What is the buying season? • What is the best time to influence budget allocations? Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

16. Key Decision Makers Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

17. Key Decision Makers Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

18. How to Sell to K-12: The Assessment Background Research: • Does the district have a strategic plan? If so, read it and know it. • What are the district’s and superintendent’s next 12 month priorities? • Review the district’s budget. • Google all key personnel that could influence your procurement and create a dossier on each person. • How long has this administration been in place? (It matters whether it is new or has been in place for a while) • What are the political dynamics between the board, superintendent and community elected officials? • Look for articles in which key personnel have been cited that could give you hints on their strategic direction. • Spend time getting to know the district website. Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

19. How to Sell to K-12: The Assessment Continued- • Understand how the district is organized. • What is the “Theory of Action” of the district– centralized, or decentralized? • Look for outside pressures that your product or service could help to alleviate. • Does the district have a bias for or against vendors of a particular size? • Do you know anyone that could refer you to senior level personnel in the organization? • KNOW YOUR COMPETITION! • Are your competitors presently providing services or productions to the district or its schools? • Understand how the competition positions their products and services. Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

20. Corporate Sales Team Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

21. Responsibilities: Business Development • Key external face of the organization • Identifies and qualifies opportunity • Establishes prospect and customer contact and assesses competitors’ capabilities • Overall authority for leading sales process from strategy phase through post-proposal submittal • Supports proposal writing team during proposal development to ensure strategies developed in sales process are implemented • Continues to feed market intelligence to proposal team Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

22. Types of Sales Configurations • Direct • Indirect/ channels • Independent • Inside • Hybrid Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

23. Responsibilities: Proposal Manager • Overall authority and responsibility for leading the proposal effort • Responsible for initiating proposal planning • Manages all proposal development and review activities Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

24. Responsibilities: Technical Lead • Develops the winning technical solution, driven by the overall win strategy. • Serves as principal member providing support by understanding customer technical requirements and assessing competitors’ technical capabilities. • Identifies technical risk to the proposal and provides risk mitigation plans to be incorporated into the proposal. Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

25. Responsibilities: Senior Management • Should understand all aspects of the proposal. • Conducts final review of the proposal for strength of strategy, themes. • Reviews final details of cost and price recommendations and technical solution. • Makes the ultimate decision that the opportunity meets the strategic direction of the company, with the necessary ROI. • Validates that appropriate resources can be engaged to deliver a winning proposal with successful implementation. Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

26. How to Identify Sales Talent Blue Sky Innovative Solutions

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30. Questions? John Q. Porter President, Blue Sky Innovative Solutions, LLC john.porter@bsis-llc.com Blue Sky Innovative Solutions