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Undermining a Rep, Using Promo Items, and Forecasting a Best Guess

1/1/2009

Seriously, here are a few guidelines that can help you make the best possible educated guess. Over the past 10 years, technology sales in education have come in consistent waves: 25 percent of your revenue in Q1 (January-March), 40 percent in Q2, 20 percent in Q3, and 15 percent in Q4-- give or take three to five percent in any quarter. These numbers are a good benchmark to start with. Always assume a four- to six-month ramp-up time for a new territory. If you are working with existing customers, the ramp up can be two to three months for a new rep. These are the basics. If you want to really drill down, we can talk about numbers of districts in the state, schools in a district, enrollment levels, and funding cycles. Keep your eye on this magazine; the editor tells me that an article on forecasting is in its future!

Letters From the Road are answered by a seasoned executive with over 15 years experience selling and marketing to schoools. Send your questions to our expert here.