During the early
days, K-12 technology was about "buying the next thing,” and the cool
factor weighed heavily with decision-makers who often had more buying authority
than knowledge. Today it is more often an urgent research process by a team of
leaders with complicated requirements and piles of new demands for very
sophisticated features, especially interoperability and data security. If you are looking for an institutional
purchase, these 5 practices will go a long way to show them you understand
their challenges:
1. Get the feature set out there. State in specific terms what it does. Post
full recordings of demos, webinars, etc., not just teasers. Post a thorough, useful FAQ; don’t omit
difficult questions. Decision-makers need to get good detailed information on
your product, as quickly as possible.
2. Be FERPA native. Address student data security in plain
language, up front. Don’t leave it to the fine print. Show that you understand the problem of student data security.
3. Don’t hog data. If your product collects user data, provide an easy means to export it in usable
form.
4. Embrace interoperability. Say if your product interacts with any
SIS or LMS, or eco-system or platform… or not. If yes, say how, specifically. Show
that you understand the problem of interoperability.
5. Clarify migration assistance. Show how easy it will be to start and stop using the product, especially
to export and/or purge user data.
