Note: You must be an "Educational Consultant" to
service public and private K-12 schools and libraries. Only Educational Consultants
may conduct Book Fairs at Schools and libraries, set up in teachers lounges and make direct
sales to schools & libraries. Minimum orders are $25. Please refer to the
EC manual (in the EC kit) for specific details. You may order the EC kit on the
supply order form.
Teacher Lounge Set-up
by Ruth Smith, Director in Birmingham, AL
Here are
some ideas for setups for teachers' lounges for Educational
Consultants contacting schools that are not being serviced already.
It will be different at every
school, but usually you go through the main school secretary. She is
often the one who can make it work or not. She may even be the one
that writes the checks from teachers' school funds or puts the
Purchase Orders through. So, make friends with her! :-)
Sales will be higher if you can BE THERE with the
books & help the teachers make their selections. That way
you can help SUGGEST more books you know they'll like and write up
the orders for them.
You may be able to arrange ahead of
time with the secretary the procedure for teachers to use their
school money. Sometimes they'll give you a stack of blank requests
for Purchase Orders that you can help the teachers fill out there.
Then you can get them signed by the principal & turn them in to
the secretary. Since every school has a different procedure, listen
to what the secretary has to say.
Reading Is Fun is another company that sets up in
the lounges & you'll want to coordinate to set up alternate
times with them. The secretary will help schedule. RIF just puts a
few books out at a time w/ an order form & payment envelope.
Their books are not education-oriented for their students, so
teachers cannot use their school money with them. You don't have to
do your setup just like theirs.
Some key points:
I like to set up for 1 day or 2 mornings.
Take some snacks - simple, not sticky, & inexpensive. Food helps
draw a crowd & then you can help move the conversation toward
the books.
Put a simple flyer (including payment types accepted like Mastercard,
etc - and their school money - whatever their term is, like "FLC
funds") in their staff mailboxes & on the wall in the
lounge the week before. They can make the copies at the school &
will either let you put them in the boxes, or will have a student
helper do it.
Ask them to do reminders about it on their morning announcements, at
any teachers' meetings, and to do email reminders to the staff.
Include all the staff, rather than just the teachers.
Sometimes I've used a theme (like
core curriculum, or social studies, or Easter gifts, etc), but
usually a variety works well. You can set up for them several times
a year. Sales are usually about half personal use & half for
school use.
Some may say that they can get books cheaper through Scholastics.
Just smile & say that's great, that you love books, too, and go
on showing them what you have. You can be proud of the quality
and price of our books.
I usually take orders, since there
may be "hot" items - when one teacher loves it, they ALL
want it. They can be attracted to the books from your display and
order from the WHOLE CATALOG. Talk about the series rather than the single book, and they'll be
more likely to order the whole series!
Since teachers are used to getting free catalogs, put a couple
catalogs on the tables in binders, or in folders with Magazine
Holders, or put stickers on the cover that say "Please Leave In
Teachers' Lounge".
Sometimes they ask for the display to be left there a week &
that can be ok - assuming it is a secure place where your books
won't "walk away", and if you have a way they can turn in
orders & payment. You could agree to let the display be there a
couple days, and have an announced time you will be there for
questions & to collect orders & have snacks.
My favorite way is to be there with the books set up
in their lounge during break times and lunch for one or
two days, as well as in the lobby or activity room for
families at a school event night that evening. Does the
school have a spring festival, spaghetti supper, PTA
meeting, teacher conference, open house, science fair,
band concert, silent auction, etc.?
Ask if they have an event where families are invited and
try to plan your teachers' lounge setup the same day to
make the most of your setup.
These will be turned in as School
& Library sales if they are using Purchase Orders. The part that
is not paid with Purchase Orders can be either a School &
Library sale or can be part of a Bookfair. You may want to let the
librarian, a teacher or team of teachers "sponsor" it. It
is great to have a few staff members talking it up with their
friends.
You don't need to feel intimidated to be there with the school
staff. They are often in their profession because they care about
children and education. You do, too! And you have great books
they'll love! This is a great time to talk with the faculty
about other events upcoming, possible school-wide bookfairs,
possible orders from the library, books for the classrooms, finding
out who the PTA president is and such. Build your
relationships! A good lead is worth GOLD!
HELP them find more books they'll like and make it easy for them to
order now and in the future!
Tips & thoughts from UBAH National Convention CLICK HERE
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Ask if they have an event where families are invited and
try to plan your teachers' lounge setup the same day to
make the most of your setup.
