5 common mistakes suppliers make when selling to schools

5 common mistakes suppliers make when selling to schools

Selling to schools can feel slow, confusing and disheartening – especially if you’re used to faster‑moving commercial sectors. The good news is that many of the problems suppliers face come down to a handful of avoidable mistakes. Fixing these won’t guarantee instant results, but it will stop you working against how schools actually buy.

Here are five common mistakes suppliers make when selling to schools – and what to do instead.

1. Treating schools like any other customer

One of the biggest mistakes suppliers make when selling to schools is approaching schools as if they were just another business. Schools have:

    • Different decision‑making structures

    • Safeguarding and compliance responsibilities

    • Tight, often ring‑fenced budgets

    • Term‑time pressures and limited time to respond

If your messaging sounds like a generic B2B pitch, it’s easy for school leaders to ignore it.

Do instead:
Show that you understand the education context. Use language that reflects school priorities – pupil outcomes, staff workload, safeguarding, value for money – and make it clear you know how schools operate day to day.

2. Focusing on features, not outcomes for pupils and staff

Suppliers often talk at length about what their product or service does, but say very little about the impact it has in a school.

School decision‑makers are asking:

    • How will this help our pupils?

    • Will it save staff time or make their work easier?

    • Does it support our school improvement priorities?

If you only list features, you’re asking them to do the hard work of translating that into outcomes.

Do instead:
Lead with outcomes. For every feature you mention, link it to a clear benefit for pupils, staff or the wider school community. Use simple examples and, where possible, short case studies from real schools.

3. Ignoring trust and proof

Schools are understandably cautious about who they work with. A professional website and a brochure are not enough on their own.

If your profile, website or emails don’t show:

    • Who you’ve worked with in education

    • Testimonials or reviews from schools

    • Relevant accreditations or memberships

…then you’re asking schools to take a risk.

Do instead:
Make trust highly visible. Use your profile on the National Register of Education Suppliers, display your Education Supplier Badge, and highlight reviews, testimonials and case studies from schools. Make it easy for school leaders to see that you’re a trusted, education‑focused supplier.

4. Sending one‑off emails and giving up too soon

Another common mistake suppliers make when selling to schools is sending a single email or brochure to a school, hearing nothing back and assuming there’s no interest.

In reality, schools are:

    • Extremely busy

    • Working to long planning and budget cycles

    • Juggling many competing priorities

A single message, even if it’s relevant, is easy to miss.

Do instead:
Think in terms of a simple, respectful sequence rather than a one‑off push. Follow up with useful information, not just repeated sales messages. Give schools time to consider your offer and make it easy for them to come back to you when the timing is right.

5. Making it hard for schools to take the next step

Sometimes suppliers do a good job of explaining what they offer, but then make it difficult for schools to respond. Common issues include:

    • No clear call to action

    • No direct email or phone number for school enquiries

    • Complicated forms or unclear pricing

If a busy school business manager has to hunt for how to contact you, they are unlikely to do it.

Do instead:
Be very clear about the next step you want schools to take. Include a simple call to action such as “Email us for a quote”, “Book a short call” or “Download our information pack”. Make sure your contact details are easy to find and that someone will respond promptly.

Final thoughts

Selling to schools is different from selling in many other sectors, but it doesn’t have to be mysterious. By avoiding these common mistakes suppliers make when selling to schools – and showing that you understand how schools buy, what they care about and how to make their lives easier – you put your business in a much stronger position to build long‑term relationships in the education sector.

 

Related articles:

How to Build Trust with Schools – A Simple Guide

How to Build a Trusted Supplier Profile for UK Schools in 2026