Vendors must walk a fine line when approaching school districts with their offerings while still informing them of their benefits


By Stephane Babcock No matter how many sales calls a company makes, wheth-


er in person or on the phone, there is a process that every school-bus-related purchase must follow. And, in the end, the purchasing decision often rests with the school board. It is seldom a one-man or one-woman show at the district


level. Tese big-dollar decisions are made by the entire board with much direction coming from the superintendent and from individual departments. And sometimes it is not as easy as just giving the school board a five-minute presenta- tion on how well a company’s product or solution works.


➤ ASSESSING NEEDS Te first step in this process, according to some vendors, is


finding out what the district needs to fulfill their mission to keep their students safe on the rides to and from school. But this is not something that requires only a quick phone call or a few minutes searching on Google. School boards need to be aware that the process could take a significant amount of time and research to locate the right product and the vendor that can meet their needs. “School boards should ensure a vendor has the right ex-


pertise and experience in navigating the process before taking on the project,” said Joe Leggett, sales manager for BUS-WATCH by REI. To help school boards during the preliminary decision-


making process, vendors commonly assess their needs by gathering accurate information about the district itself. Leggett advises against using the “sell, sell, sell” approach during this stage, especially since a proper solution has yet to be presented. Before making any decisions, it is best for the board to in-


vestigate all of the available options. And while the board usually makes the final decision in the end, some vendors be- lieve there is another pool of people that need to be involved in the process: parents. Tey will express their opinions when the services the district provides do not meet their needs or expectations. “Tere’s external accountability — that is, meeting the


expectations of parents and others in the community,” said Gregory Childers, a pupil transportation specialist with Nav- man Wireless.


➤ BE AWARE OF THE LINE AND AVOID CROSSING IT When districts begin further investigating a particular so-


lution, whether it be GPS, onboard cameras or any other school-bus-related component, they need to protect them- selves from avoiding any possible conflicts of interest. Many


districts adopt a code of conduct governing employees and ad- ministrators to avoid this, according to John Fahey, a consultant for Versatrans Solutions and former transportation director and assistant superintendent at Buffalo (N.Y.) City Schools. “Public officials can and should be held to the highest


standards to ensure the public’s trust. Vendors need to rec- ognize and respect that responsibility,” added Fahey. Standard practice at mobile surveillance provider Seon


Design allows possible clients to opt out of communica- tion from the company upon request, which can avoid any conflicts of interest. When there is a need to speak to indi- viduals who are outside of the company’s regular contact circle, the sales team first requests permission from the school administration. “Further to that point, it is common practice that commu-


nication flows through specific channels (i.e. procurement director) during a formal procurement process,” said Chris Akiyama, director of sales for Seon.


➤ WHO’S THE ‘GO-TO’ PERSON? School board members are not the only district employ-


ees who have a say in the purchasing process. Purchasing agents, finance managers, shop personnel and transporta- tion directors are often included in the conversation, and it can be difficult for vendors to sort out all of the potential decision makers. “It really changes from customer to customer,” said Robert


Scott, vice president of 247Security Inc. “Te sales profes- sional has to be skilled at understanding how this hierarchy works, district by district. All levels can play a role in the pur- chase, with each requiring a different ‘pitch.’” In many instances, the district will assign an internal con-


tact to handle all communication with the different vendors. By creating a “communication filter” for the district, school board members can make informed, educated decisions without being influenced. Sometimes the conversation begins on the trade show


floor. When vendors meet with transportation directors or other district administrators, it is a top-down transaction, and there are no holds barred, according to Zonar’s Don Car- nahan. If a board member approaches a vendor at a trade show, Carnahan said he still believes it is wise to keep the district’s transportation director in the mix, especially if the board member supports purchasing a certain product. “If you start with the transportation supervisor and can-


not convince that person your product is a good idea, it is out of bounds to go around the supervisor to the school board member,” added Carnahan.


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