Sell directly to schools.

How to Sell to Schools: Complete Purchase Order System for Teacher-Authors

The complete system for teacher-sellers to accept purchase orders and expand beyond the marketplace.

Get the Complete System - $100
Download free checklist
A graphic showing 'Easy Quote Requests' to reduce friction for first contact.
Graphic with a calculator icon, titled 'Tax-Exempt Sales Ready,' and a tagline 'Schools know you can help'.
A graphic showing a school building icon with a flag, and text indicating a message about working with the school procurement process in a PO-friendly way.
A vertical banner with a black, gray, and red color scheme displaying an email icon, the words "Email Templates," and the phrase "Ready-to-use, no guessing what to say" at the bottom.
A modern graphic design featuring a clipboard icon with checkmarks, with text that reads 'Professional Forms' and 'From quote request to invoice' in black and white, black, white, and mustard yellow color blocks.

Why Schools Are Emailing You About Purchase Orders

Are schools asking if you accept purchase orders? These are huge sales waiting to happen, but you don't know where to start.

Schools can't just "buy now" like individual teachers.

They need special considerations like official quotes, tax-exempt pricing, and pay-after-delivery.

An infographic titled 'Streamline the PO Process: Sell to School Districts from Your Website' comparing 'Before' and 'After' methods. The 'Before' side lists issues like endless emails, confusion, and disorganized PO details with illustrations of emails and question marks. The 'After' side highlights solutions such as a clear quote request system, smooth tax-exempt checkout, and everything tracked, with illustrations of check marks, a clipboard, a computer, and a shopping cart.

The result?

You're leaving hundreds or thousands of dollars on the table every time you ignore these emails.

A colorful infographic listing the seven phases for accepting purchase orders from schools. The phases include: 1. Pick a Payment Method, 2. Prepare Forms & Website, 3. Process Estimate Request, 4. Send Official Quote, 5. Follow Up, 6. Complete the Transaction, 7. Receive Payment. Each phase has an icon, with a school building graphic at the top and a money bag with coins at the bottom.

The “Selling to Schools” System

Guides for first contact to final payment

  • Reduce friction → increase inquiries

  • Professional forms → increase trust

  • Clear expectations → happy clients

Email templates and forms for every step

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Look like a pro from day 1

What’s Included?

A woman with dark brown hair, wearing a white blouse and large blue earrings, is speaking into a microphone while looking at her laptop screen during a video call or recording. She is seated at a wooden desk with office supplies, a potted plant, and a white cup on it.

I’ll walk you through each step of the order process!

I’ve invested 200+ hours building a low-friction, high-converting system so you don’t have to figure it out alone!

Website Prep Guide

  • Estimate Request Form Template (Google Forms™)

  • Purchase Order FAQ Template

  • Product Page Content Checklist

Order Forms and Templates

  • Quote Template

  • Invoice Template

  • Order Authorization Form 

  • PO Tracking Spreadsheet

  • Purchase Process Workflow Guide

  • Video Walkthrough of Order Process

Email Sequence Templates

  • Quote Request Response Email Template

  • Follow-Up Email Template

  • Delivery and Invoice Email Template

What You Need (Prerequisites)

  • Payment processor (e.g. Stripe, PayPal) for accepting online payments - Highly recommended

  • Website for showcasing products or services

    • This does not have to be a fully automated online store

    • Feature your PO process as purchase option

Pricing

$0

Free Checklist

Download the 25-step checklist to see the complete process.

Invest in your business and start accepting orders from schools today!

Download PDF

$100

Complete System

Copy and paste templates for forms and emails that you can make your own.

Get the “just tell me what to do” guide to navigating PO and tax-exempt sales!

Purchase

Why the “Selling to Schools” System Works

3 Reasons Schools Will Say Yes

Many schools need tax-exempt checkout or pay-after-delivery purchase orders.

Automated web stores don’t meet their unique needs.

Front-load the process on your website so teachers feel confident you can work with their purchasing coordinator.

inspire confidence
Clipart of a school building

Give schools more touchpoints so they already trust you before requesting a quote.

Provide clear pricing and a menu of products/services available to purchase.

Don’t make the customer do the heavy lifting in what to write in their quote request form!

remove barriers
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Pre-written templates mean you respond in 15-30 minutes instead of spending hours second-guessing yourself.

Quote → follow up → invoice. Every email is ready to customize and send.

Save Time
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Are you ready?

This is for you if…

✓ You sell large bundles or PD services ($100+)

✓ You have a website to showcase product information

✓ Schools already email about purchase orders options

✓ You're ready to invest in alternate revenue streams

Not the right fit if…

✗ You want to sell lots of low-priced products via PO

✗ You don't have a website to add forms and pages

✗ You want automated checkout only

✗ You're already stretched too thin

A colorful infographic titled 'Is Selling to Schools Right for You?' with two columns. The left column titled 'This Is For You If...' lists criteria for selling to schools, including selling large bundles or PD services, delivering before payment, schools needing a tax-exempt option, and having no idea where to start, each with checkmarks and icons. The right column titled 'Not a Fit If...' lists reasons such as only selling resources under $30, not having a website, wanting fully automated checkout, already diversifying income streams, or being a PO expert, each with a cross icon. A banner at the bottom says 'Pick Your Path Before Diving In!'

Schools invest in comprehensive solutions: year-long bundles, multi-license orders

If you're ready to capture these high-value opportunities, this system sets you up for success from day 1.

FAQs

How long does it take to set everything up?

1

It depends on how much time you want to invest! Just adding a link to a google form on your existing website? Plan for 1-2 hours to customize your form and new templates.

Planning to overhaul your website with embedded forms, FAQ page, and new product feature pages? Expect a longer initial time investment.

After the initial setup is complete, the email templates and ready-to-complete forms will save you tons of time and reduce your mental load when the PO inquiries land in your inbox!

Can I use this if I sell on multiple platforms?

2

Yes! This system is designed to serve as an additional income stream to your existing business.

Automated storefront on your own website? Schools need manual tax-exempt status verification before purchasing. Link to your quote request form on the product page to get schools to the right place!

Selling on a marketplace (e.g., TPT)? School policy varies on approved vendors. Offer an alternative PO purchase option on your own website (without needing an automated online store).

The purchase order process works independently of where you sell. You’re simply adding a way for schools to buy from you directly.

How will schools pay me?

3

Different schools have different policies and preferences. Many schools prefer online payment options. Many are authorized to purchase using a credit card without going through a formal Purchase Order process.

In this system, payment occurs AFTER delivery of product/service (e.g. Net 30, Net 60).

  1. Offer online credit card / ACH payment
    You will pay a small fee to the payment processor (e.g., Stripe, PayPal)

  2. School will initiate ACH transfer into your bank account
    Schools may have you fill out vendor paperwork before submitting PO

  3. School will mail a paper check
    The system instructs schools to contact you for mailing address and check instructions (fully customizable!)

For informational purposes only. Consult with a financial professional for your specific business needs.

Are schools automatically tax-exempt?

4

In many states that collect sales tax, schools are tax-exempt when purchasing educational materials. They’ll provide you with a tax-exempt certificate or other proof of tax-exempt status. Keep this on file as proof for your records.

For informational purposes only and does not constitute tax advice. Consult with a tax professional to understand your sales tax reporting requirements.

Technical FAQs

  • Schools need to be able to access the quote request form and learn more about what you offer via Purchase Order.

    You need to be able to:

    • Option 1: Add a link to the quote request form (Google Form) on your website

    • Option 2: Embed the Google Form HTML code on your website using a custom HTML block (using Wordpress, Squarespace, Wix, etc.)

    • Option 3: Use the form as a template to create your own custom form on your website (using built-in/plug-in form builder)

    1. You need a website to host product information, explain your PO process, and direct schools to your quote request form.

    2. The templates work with Google Apps (Sheets, Docs, and Forms), but you will need a free Google Account to make copies of the templates.

    3. Accepting online payments is highly recommended. Providers such as Stripe or PayPal may be used to accept online credit card or ACH payments from schools. (I’m not an affiliate, just a user who is happy to pay a small fee for their services!)

  • No! Even if you select to embed your quote request form on your website, most website builders allow you to paste custom HTML (copied from Google Forms) OR build your own custom form.

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