0450-0742 • Rev. BESI • 3701 E. Plano Parkway • Plano, TX 75074 • 800 374-0422 • fax: 972 422-9700e-mail: sales@esi-estech.com • Web: www.esi-estech.com

ENTERPRISE REVIEW

Education

T O D A Y ’ S E D U C A T I O N A L I N S T I T U T I O N S P R O V I D E O U R Y O U T Hnumerous opportunities to achieve and grow, challenging them to overcome the obstacles before them. Much like learning a new subject, selling to the education market offers you the

chance to be rewarded, but you must first understand the challenges of the process, and then mustpractice patience and perseverance to overcome the often complex and unique requirements of sellingto schools. This overview acts as a tutorial on familiarizing yourself with the information you need tosucceed in this industry.

Your target market is all “educational facilities.” Since this is a large industry,this vertical will focus on K-12 schools (kindergarten through the 12thgrade), whether public, private, or charter. While colleges anduniversities can be good prospects for you and should not beignored, they face different challenges and have diversepurchasing cycles and requirements. Day-care centers also fallunder the “educational facility” umbrella. Even though day-carefacilities are not specifically addressed within this document, theyare very good prospects for you as they face similar challenges aspublic, private, and charter schools. You’ll want to keep day-carefacilities in mind when prospecting.

You may also run across a facility which houses a wide variety ofseparate programs, such as special-needs programs or various“after-school” programs. Some of these programs are conducted inoff-campus buildings while others are conducted on school grounds.Trends show that after-school programs are becoming increasinglypopular throughout the United States. According to a recent report, theseprograms are a $12 billion market. Over half of the money originates fromtuition fees paid by parents. The rest is paid using federal and state funds. Somestates, such as California, have passed legislation to increase funding in this area. For example,California’s After-school Education and Safety (ASES) program currently allots $550 million to fundprograms of this nature. While no other state-funded program exceeds $150 million, voter supportremains strong, as programs supervise children during juvenile crime’s “peak” hours of 3 and 6 pm.Even if your area has yet to get involved with the “after-school program” trend, you should be aware ofits existence.

Another trend in the educational market is VoIP (voice over IP). In general, educators remain divided onwhether VoIP is ready for widespread deployment. Many of those opposed are afraid of echoes,dropped calls, and latency. While they may feel VoIP is a solid solution, they aren’t quite willing to adapta pure, 100-percent VoIP solution. Those who have adopted VoIP feel technological improvements andbetter bandwidth management compensate for perceived VoIP problems. With VoIP in place, they canaffordably provide a telephone in each classroom, voice mail for each teacher, caller ID, an emergencyspeaker in each classroom, capabilities to hold conference calls, and more. They can also reduce costs,such as those related to additional analog lines and maintenance contracts. The pros and cons of VoIPcontinue to be a hotly-debated trend.

Lastly, security is an escalating concern faced by educational facilities. In the wake of several well-publicized tragedies, methods to increase security have become top-priority. Schools must maintain abalance between having a user-friendly, welcoming school climate and a facility which is secure. Theymust identify areas of risk, use new technologies to reduce incidents, and create, define, and implementsafety and security roles and responsibilities of staff members. These concerns must be addressedwhile providing the fastest possible return on investment (ROI) to the school district as well.

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Common characteristics of school districts1. The majority of school districts manage multiple campuses.

2. Security throughout each facility is an ever-increasing and important concern.

3. Decisions regarding budgets, calendars, and personnel are made by the time a new school year begins.

A. School systems are constantly under budgetary pressures.

B. Test scores, enrollment figures, tax rolls, and other factors often determine the level of funding.

C. If the facility doesn’t have the budget for a necessary item, it may request funds through a grantor raise capital through a bond election, each of which is a time-consuming process.

D. Once a purchasing authority decides that a piece of equipment needs to be replaced, bids arethen requested and reviewed. This process is also very time-consuming.

4. The typical school year begins in August or September and ends in May or June. However, justbecause the kids are not at school does not mean work ceases to take place. Many principals,superintendents, maintenance workers, and office staff members work year-round.

5. Other arrangements must be made quickly if a teacher cannot make it to work for whatever reason.

6. Bad weather can temporarily change the hours of operation or cause the entire facility to be closed.It can also cause events and meetings to be delayed, postponed, or cancelled.

7. Teachers need to use their class time to teach, with minimal disruptions.

8. Parents want the teachers to be as accessible as possible.

9. Turnover is relatively low compared to other industries. Most vacancies are filled at the end of theschool year or during the summer break.

Common characteristics of the sales process1. Each school district has specific buying criteria.

2. The sales cycle is very long when compared to other industries.

3. Numerous competitors with varying pricing options are vying for the district’s business.

4. Many decision-makers are involved, including:

A. The school board, or board of directors

B. Administrators

C. Consultants

5. The decision-making process involves multiple steps.

6. Formal presentations are typically required.

7. The majority of school districts face funding timelines.

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Getting in the doorSchools and school districts vary greatly in size and affiliation. Some are small, working with only ahandful of campuses. Others can be much larger, belonging to a district which employs thousands ofteachers and faculty members. Regardless, each needs a phone system and the ability to communicateefficiently. Your goal is to speak to the decision maker or decision-making team. Finding this person orthis team can take time and skill, and getting an appointment may prove even more challenging.

You should be prepared to find the “pain” of several employees you may encounter along the way.Don’t discuss the features you’re selling; talk about the applications and benefits their new phonesystem will provide. Here are a few thoughts to consider when speaking to various staff members whocan help you get the appointment you’re seeking.

An administrator or district superintendent

Don’t be afraid to call on those at the top. Many telecom sales reps are hesitant to contact senior-leveladministrators. Therefore, if you can gain access and build a relationship at the administrative level, thenumber of competitors you face may decrease. Additionally, these senior-level administrators arefocused more on long-term value than on price. They want solutions to key business issues and aremore willing to pay for them than, say, a purchasing agent, whose bottom line is price. Senior educatorsor administrators can also provide an idea of how important your project is to their organization. Theyare the ones who prioritize the projects, so they are the ones who can advise which projects may have achance at getting the necessary funding. They can also let you know if there is a sense of urgency or acompelling reason for them to act. If you have the opportunity to speak directly to an administrator,discuss what you can do to help the school district run more efficiently, and then ask the administrator tohelp you. Try to create a “win-win” situation.

The following script may be of benefit when speaking to an administrator:

“Hello, Mr./Mrs. Administrator, thank you for taking my call. I know you’re extremely busy, so Iwill get right to the point. We’ve helped other schools increase staff productivity, save time, andcontrol expenses. I’d like to meet with you briefly to show you how we can help. My schedule isopen next week. When is a good day and time for you?”

Alternately:

“I’d hate for lack of time to be the reason for your school is unable to benefit from my uniqueapplication geared for school districts like yours. Perhaps it would save you time if I worked withyour IT department or superintendent to start. Can you help facilitate a meeting with them?”

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A principal or school superintendent

While a few principals or superintendents are part of the final decision-making team, most influence ormake recommendations to the administration or school board. You must determine who has the powerto make a final purchasing decision. If applicable, be sure to mention if you have already spoken toanyone else at the school, like a teacher or someone from the IT department. At the conclusion ofyour contact, be sure to ask for a referral to keep your prospect list full. Who else within theeducation environment may be in need of your services?

The following script may be helpful when speaking to a principal or superintendent:

“I was speaking to [name] and he/she said you have the best understanding of your school froman operational standpoint. You may not be familiar with all of the new technologies makingschools more efficient. I’d like to get together with you to review some of the ways we can help.Are you available this week or would next week be better for you?”

Alternately:

“Thanks for taking my call, Mr./Mrs. Principal/Superintendent, I know how busy you are duringthe day. I wanted a moment of your time to tell you about the advancements intelecommunications my company has found to be beneficial to school districts like yours. We’vebeen able to help other schools like yours increase staff productivity, save time, and controlexpenses. Would you have some time to meet with me to see if you can benefit from mysolutions? I will do what I can to work around your schedule.”

The IT/MIS department

Most members of a typical IT department enjoy new, cutting-edge technology. They have at least heardabout VoIP, and probably have the desire to implement it at some point. VoIP technology can help ITprofessionals when they are needing to move or change extensions, and it can reduce or eliminate theneed for additional telephone cables if the school is already wired for a computer network. Some ITprofessionals are in charge of purchasing new technology and hardware such as a telephone system.Others serve on a purchasing board or committee, while others are asked to provide specific input relatingto the purchase of a new telephone system. Show them how you can help them, and ask them tofacilitate a meeting with the decision maker(s) if they do not have the authority to make such a decision.

A teacher, faculty member, or staff member

Remember: every prospect is unique. Try to find who wields considerable influence, regardless of thetitle and rank possessed. Don’t overlook teachers, office staff, or assistants — they can provide valuableinsight and can be a strong ally if approached correctly. In fact, one of the most effective ways to getyour foot in the door is through an internal referral. While it is highly unlikely a staff or faculty memberwill have the authority to make a purchasing decision of this size, they can be a good starting point. Askthem if they are comfortable with their current telephone system. Ascertain what they like about theircurrent system and what they would change. You must determine what they need and present it to thedecision maker in a manner that makes good business sense. Briefly discuss possible benefits you canoffer, and turn the teacher or faculty member into your ally. Once you have revealed to them how youcan help, ask them to facilitate a meeting with the decision maker.

Note: Not every school has a dedicated IT department. Such departments are typically found in larger schooldistricts. Smaller schools may rely simply on the expertise of an IT-savvy staff member, such as thecomputer instructor.

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Potential challenges and solutionsYour first appointment should be considered a fact-finding (or “discovery”) appointment. During thisfact-finding mission, your primary goal is to gather information about the prospect. Identify areas inwhich you can offer a better solution to their communications “pains”. It is your responsibility to listencarefully to the information given to you through your contact’s comments, and translate thosecomments into real-world issues you can resolve with your customized ESI solution.

Each of the following challenges is followed by several potential ESI solutions. Your challenge is to pickthe best solution for your prospect, and design an ESI system recommendation around it.

Challenge #1:To provide the safest environment possible for students and faculty.

Solutions

1. ESI offers the flexibility and affordability to ensure a telephone can be installed in each classroom,computer lab, library, and other areas. Appropriate personnel can be quickly contacted in the event ofan emergency or an accident.

2. By integrating the ESI Presence Managementsolution, schools can reduce security issues.The front entrance can be secured with anelectromagnetic door strike. Electronic keyswhich are used to access the facility can beassigned to each school employee orauthorized volunteer. Only those with avalidated electronic key are allowed entrywithout assistance from someone within theoffice. Visitors can gain access either by beinggreeted by an employee or by being “buzzed” inby any ESI telephone with an UNLOCK featurekey assigned. Temporary keys may be issued tosubstitute teachers, granting building accessonly for the day. The keys can follow a pre-defined access schedule, which can be “turned on” and“turned off” manually or automatically, based upon the substitute’s schedule.

ESI Presence Management also improves security by providing access control for specific areasof the facility. For example, the computer and science labs can be locked when the labs are notbeing used. PE equipment can be placed in a secure area. Electromagnetic locks can be added toall classroom doors. Electronic keys can then be assigned which will grant access of these areas toselect (or all) faculty members. Another example: Hall passes can be made from the electronickeys. If the keys become lost or dirty, new keys can be quickly and easily created without the needto re-key any of the locks.

3. As needed, schools can take advantage of the live call recording feature by pressing theRECORD key at any time during a live conversation. The recorded conversation can then be easilycopied to another mailbox via the QuickMove™ feature. The Caller ID* information of incoming callis also captured. Live Call Recording can be especially helpful when dealing with parent/teacherconferences or if a teacher receives a threatening phone call.

* This and other references to Caller ID within this document assume the prospects receive Caller ID service from theirtelephone service provider.

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4. Schools implementing ESI’s optional VIP (Visually Integrated Phone) software have automaticaccess to folders as part of their Microsoft® Outlook® menu tree. All calls are captured in one ofthree folders:

A. The Call Log folder tracks all calls to and from the VIP user’s station.

B. The Missed Calls folder captures the call details of those callers who chose to hang up ratherthan leave a message.

C. The Recycle Bin permits deleted voice mail messages to be restored to the VIP user’s mailboxand Outlook Inbox.

5. VIP Professional offers even greater tools which help ease security concerns:

A. Text-messaging — This provides an immediate means of communications between VIPProfessional users. It’s non-intrusive, unlike the background announce feature offered by othersystems or intercoms which can disrupt the entire classroom.

Text messaging has two primary functions:

— Non-disruptive station-to-station communications. A teacher can text an office worker oranother teacher, asking one of them to momentarily watch her class. There is no need toleave the classroom unattended.

— Silent sharing of information. The office worker can tell the teacher of a call or guestwaiting, or similar textual conversations.

B. Auto-record — In the case of threatening phone calls, one or more stations can be programmedin the auto-record mode. This add-on license for select VIP Professional users enhances ESI’smanual recording function by automatically creating a recording of every outside call receivedand places the recording into the user’s mailbox. The caller’s voice, time of call, and ifavailable, Caller ID data is captured so that appropriate action may be taken. For example,counselors can ensure all telephone conversations with parents are recorded. The counselorcan save or delete each recording at the conclusion of the call. When archived as a .WAV file,the recording can be attached to any e-mail or burned to a CD and placed in a student’s file.

6. Faculty and staff members also have the ability to view the Caller ID information of incoming calls,even if the caller did not leave a message. The 25 most recent calls presented to a station can bereviewed on the phone’s display by assigning a Caller ID Key in user programming. The facultymember can press this key to scroll through a single list of calls, sorted into four differentcategories:

• VM — Calls in which the caller left a voice mail.• MISS — Calls in which the caller disconnected before or during the mailbox greeting.• ANS — Calls that were answered.• RE — Calls that were re-routed in any way.

“OLD” indicates that the user has previously scrolled through this entry. The total number of NEWrecords is displayed, as is the total number of OLD records.

Note: This key can be programmed only on a 48-Key or 24-Key Feature Phone. It cannot beprogrammed on a 12-Key Feature Phone or ESI Cordless Handset.

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Challenge #2:To reduce operating costs while meeting budget constraints andproviding fast ROI.

Solutions

1. ESI’s all-in-one voice mail and phone system integrate the voice mail functions and callmanagement into a single platform. Since all ESI phone systems provide a voice mail system that’sbuilt-in and not added on, overhead is actually minimized:

A. Each product is designed around a digital signal processor (DSP) to eliminate the need for ahuge amount of hardware. In addition, the DSP can be completely modified with a newsoftware program. In other words, there’s no need to take down the system to perform anymodifications. A school simply cannot afford for the phone system to be down.

B. Built-in modems are added to all ESI Communication Servers to allow remote program loadsand full diagnostic capabilities. These program loads can be done by the school’s ITdepartment, by the authorized ESI Reseller, or by ESI’s Technical Support staff.

2. ESI IP Phones provide the same great ESI phonecapabilities as do the Digital Feature Phones, yet withthe additional advantage of “one-wire” VoIP telephony.No additional telephone wires are needed. IP Phoneswork both locally (LAN) and remotely (WAN orInternet), and use either Power over Ethernet (PoE) orregular AC power. This “one-wire” setup can be veryhelpful when a technician is installing telephones in aportable building or in an older facility where runningnew cables could be difficult and expensive.

3. ESI Communication Servers offer investmentprotection for the school district. They are scalable and provide flexibility for future growth,delivering expandability and the greatest functionality ESI has ever offered. Additionally, ESICommunications Servers support both IP or digital in any desired combination. This convergencegives the district the ability to add IP at a later date, if preferred, without requiring the purchase of anew system.

4. ESI Communication Servers can also reduce current and ongoing costs:

A. Unnecessary leased lines can be combined or eliminated.

B. Multiple maintenance contracts can be streamlined into a single contract through your company.

C. Districts using telephone systems made by several manufacturers can reduce IT training costsby employing an ESI system on all campuses.

D. On-campus repair operations and related overhead can be consolidated using a centralizedmanagement team.

E. By linking ESI systems together using Esi-Link, long-distance charges and conference chargescan be reduced or even eliminated.

5. Flexible call coverage, hunt groups, and an auto attendant can reduce the incoming call burdenon existing staff. For example, an auto attendant can provide the caller with a pre-recordedoutgoing message and route the call accordingly. However, ESI’s automated attendant isn’t limitedto just basic routing activity; it has many branches, giving the ability to tailor call-handling in aunique way. Schools can use it for only “overflow” situations, lunch hours or other similar timeswhen they can’t provide a live person to answer the phone. The calls can be sent to an extension, avoice mailbox, or an ACD department, based on system programming.

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6. An ESI Communication Server includes flexible numbering, which provides those schools that arecurrently using another manufacturer’s system with the ability to maintain their current telephonenumbers/direct inward dial numbers (DIDs). Employees, students, and parents alike will not beforced to learn new extensions or phone numbers. Flexible numbering provides the installer themeans to program extensions, voice mailboxes, and department numbers based on the specificrequirements of a particular district. This feature removes a potential hurdle if your prospect hashad the same telephone numbers and extensions for years and wishes to continue using them.

7. Fax server integration provides the capability to integrate a fax server with an ESI phone system.Alternately, automatic fax switching, a built-in and standard feature of all ESI telephone systems,detects an incoming fax call and sends it to a system port where, according to systemprogramming, there is a fax machine. This eliminates the need for a costly, separate line dedicatedto the fax machine. Permission slips, insurance paperwork, etc., can be faxed directly to the facultymember with ease. And, when this feature is used in conjunction with VIP and VIP Professional,all voice mails, e-mails, and faxes are stored in a centralized location.

8. Shared-office tenanting provides all the convenient integrated and sophisticated features of ESICommunication Servers, while making separate features and functionality available for severalcampuses, buildings, or programs. For instance, a kindergarten may be in a building across thestreet from the elementary school. While the kindergarten is an entity all to its own, providing aseparate phone system may prove costly. Another example: some special-care or after-schoolprograms reside inside school’s facility but do not fall under the general direction of the school.Their hours, requirements, and even leadership may be different than those of the school.

Those schools, programs, and campuses who share a common facility each can still enjoy manyseparate tenant features, such as:

• Separation of private or dedicated outside lines by line groups• Separate answer ring assignments for each outside line• Separate auto-attendant greetings and branches• Separate operator call destinations• Unique, recordable music/message-on-hold (MOH)• Separate day/night tables• Separation of paging areas by zones• Unique outbound Caller ID with PRI

9. Once a district deploys ESI’s RFID-powered ESI Presence Management on an ESI phone system,ESI TimeLine provides the benefits of combining an automated time and tracking system with theproven technology of electronic employee cards and fobs. The school district can use it to:

• Streamline the payroll process.— Eliminate time sheet collection.— End manual-entry errors.— Automate the entry of data into their payroll system.

• Create an accurate employee time-tracking system.— Generate reports that quickly provide information about employee time.— Introduce a self-enforcing or compliance initiative for employee time.— Eliminate debate, manipulation, and misuse of a paper or “honor” system.

When each school employee waves his or her electronic key past an ESI Presence ManagementRFID Reader, the ESI phone system creates a record used by ESI TimeLine. Times and dates ofall authorized employees’ entries and exits instantly become part of a record they can save, print,and use with their payroll system.

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Challenge #3:To provide effective communication between staff members.

Solutions

1. Intercom and paging capabilities provide school employees with the ability to quickly and easilycommunicate with other school employees. In addition to standard intercom and pagingcapabilities, ESI Communication Servers supply users with two additional options:

A. QuickPage™ gives the school staff member the ability to quickly park and page another staffmember on the ESI phone system. The system will access the paging zone for the extensionand play the user’s name followed by the phrase, “You have a call on line,” and then indicate thenumber of the line where the call is on hold — e.g., “Lisa Shackley, you have a call on line 7.”If the co-worker can’t take the call, the call is sent automatically to Ms. Shackley’s voice mail.

B. On the other hand, staff members who are calling their school can also automatically page aco-worker. AutoPage gives a caller the ability to page by pressing 3 to play a pre-recordedpaging announcement over either the ESI phones’ built-in speakers or an external pagingsystem. As an example, a coach can more readily be found using the paging system than bycalling all of the areas in which he works – the gymnasium, his office, his classroom, etc.

2. Some school systems employ an intercom as the primary way for staff members to communicatewith each other. However, privacy issues must be considered if the conversation is sensitive innature. ESI produces several models of telephones, offering the flexibility and affordability to ensurea telephone can be installed in each classroom, computer lab, library, etc.

3. If the staff’s extension numbers are programmed on available DSS keys of other staff members’ phones.

A. They can all see when a co-worker is on the phone, idle, or in “do-not-disturb.”

B. They can use the programmed DSS key to answer calls ringing at another staff member’stelephone easily, without performing a complicated feature operation.

C. The DSS key will indicate the “in” and “out” status of the staff member when ESI PresenceManagement is installed. When the DSS lamp is flashing amber, the co-worker is not on campus.

(Continued)

Note: Some schools use a system of “secret codes” (like a color-coding scheme) when communicatingvia an intercom to avoid alarming students. For example, the page, “Ben White, please reportto the office,” could advise teachers and faculty of a security breach. A page for “Ben Green”could advise of treacherous weather conditions headed toward the facility.

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4. ESI’s VIP combines the power of the ESI phone system and Outlook to enhance day-to-daycommunications. VIP is offered in two user configurations: basic VIP and VIP Professional. With either configuration, it’s easy to:

A. Manage voice mail messages, e-mails, and faxes in a centralized location — View voicemails, e-mails, faxes, live call recordings, and personal memos in one Outlook Inbox; prioritizeeach message by importance; and select voice mail messages for playback, in any order. Asan example, if the office is waiting for a call from a particular parent, a voice mail from theparent can be reviewed first by scanning the Caller ID of all messages and selecting thedesired message. Recordings and voice mail messages can then be saved as .WAV files.These .WAV files can be forwarded to others as e-mail attachments, or archived for futurereference. Deleted voice mail messages can also be restored.

B. Organize contacts — View school speed-dial lists along with personal Outlook contacts in acentral location. System speed-dial lists are always kept current because they are synchronizedwith the ESI phone system, as are extension listings for all of the school’s staff members whohave extensions programmed into the ESI phone system. This can be very helpful to new staffmembers or substitute teachers.

VIP Professional offers even greater productivity tools which enhance everyday communicationswith ease. Text-messaging provides an immediate, non-intrusive means of communicationsbetween VIP Professional users. For example, Mrs. Shackley can send a text message to the officeor another teacher, advising she needs to leave her classroom. With text messaging, she can findsomeone without leaving her room or causing a disruption.

5. In larger schools, ESI’s VIP PC Attendant Console gives the receptionist a powerful andprofessional call management tool:

A. Call-handling — When the school receptionist experiences a peak in call volume, the calls canbe sent to another extension or mailbox by dragging the calls to a valid station or mailbox keyin the Virtual Button Window. The Virtual Button Window shows the attendant who is busy,off-premise, or available, based on the color of each station button. This format is useful whendetermining if a call should be “blind” transferred to a station. It can also be used if all incomingcalls are handled by the main office. The receptionist in the district’s main office can answer thecalls and transfer them directly to a school within the district, the purchasing department,maintenance, security, or any other appropriate destination.

The Virtual Button Window is the equivalent of adding more than three of the 60-key DSSconsoles and shows the status of up to 200 entries. The attendant can “mix and match” theprogramming of the status buttons to include stations, mailboxes, departments, remotelocations, and speed dial entries. Additionally, the attendant can sort the Virtual Button Windowfor alphanumeric searches. The label name can be color-coded to show call routingpreference, department affiliation or physical location in the building. Lastly, the attendant canalso arrange the Virtual Button Window layout to mirror the layout of the school’s floor plan.The amber OUT button advises that a faculty member is not on campus.

B. Calls on hold — VIP PC Attendant Console allows the attendant to see the Caller IDinformation of holding calls in the Holding Calls section of the display. This can be useful inhectic campuses. Color and font changes enable the attendant to provide more attentiveness.Once a held call changes from a regular black font to a bold red font, the change gives theattendant visual indication that this call needs prompt attention. Calls can also be prioritizedbased on hold time.

Note: VIP’s fax management requires installation of a third-party fax server. For more information,see the VIP Product Overview (ESI document #0450-0608).

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6. Staff members, particularly those who work in the office, will find the Quick Move™ and Quick Group™

features very beneficial:

A. Quick Move provides one-keystroke copying of a received message to another user’s voicemailbox. If the librarian leaves a message for Mrs. Brown in Mrs. Shackley’s voice mailbox bymistake, Mrs. Shackley can quickly and easily move the message to Mrs. Brown’s voicemailbox. Another example: if a parent leaves a voice mail for a counselor in the main number’sgeneral mailbox, Sally in the office can copy the message to the counselor’s mailbox using theQuick Move feature.

B. Quick Group is a feature which allows a user to quickly send a message to any combination ofusers without having to create specific group mailboxes. No programming is required to initiateQuick Groups. For example, a grade leader can let all of the first-grade teachers know aboutthe time change of the next meeting without contacting each teacher individually.

7. Esi-Link (“easy-link”) technology helps unite schools belonging to the same district, whether theyare across the street or miles apart. Esi-Link uses the school’s wide area network (WAN) or theInternet to join together up to 100 compatible ESI phone systems into one interconnected, IP-basednetwork of systems. Benefits enjoyed by those who deploy Esi-Link include:

A. One-button access to remote systems — Esi-Link lets the teachers and faculty memberseasily communicate with the district’s other employees at remote locations without having toremember complicated codes. All they have to do is press a Location Key to gain dial tone forthe remote location they want to call, and then dial the desired extension. As an example, let’ssay Tiffany in the Admin office needs to speak to someone at DC Cannon, one of the district’selementary schools. Tiffany can call DC Cannon by pressing a pre-programmed DSS keylabeled “DC Cannon.”

B. Capacity — Esi-Link connects as few as two — or as many as 100 — ESI phone systems.

C. Speed-dialing across the network — The Esi-Dex speed-dialing capability already in placeon ESI phone systems gets smarter still with Esi-Link aboard. Esi-Dex can be used to speed-dial extensions at remote locations. Borrowing from our previous example: Tiffany can call Sue,DC Cannon’s principal, with the press of a pre-programmed DSS key.

8. Virtual Answer helps busy school employees prioritize answering order of incoming calls, byplacing excess calls in “queue.” Each station can have up to two Virtual Answer Keys, each ofwhich lets the school staff member offer callers any of four distinctly different operations:

• Continue to hold• Leave a message for the station (press 1)• Route to the Operator station (press 0)• Dial another extension number or department

If a faculty member is on a call, she’ll still be able to see the second call’s Caller ID information. Shecan choose either to end her current call or use the Virtual Answer Key. For the latter case, shemay choose between two prerecorded greetings to send to the caller. For instance, pressing herVIRTUAL ANSWER 1 key may tell the caller that she realizes that another caller is on the line andasks if the caller could stay on hold just a bit longer. Similarly, pressing her VIRTUAL ANSWER 2key could tell the caller that, since she does see the CID information (but can’t get off her currentcall at this moment), she is going to forward the call to someone who can help immediately.

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Challenge #4:To provide convenient communication with parents.

Solutions

1. An auto attendant may be used to route callers to the correctperson or department. Beyond the main greeting, branchesmay be created off each dial command (1–8) to createmore detailed routing schemes. As an example, the callermay be given the option to dial 5 to reach a teacher.This choice may route the caller to a second menu,where a list of grade levels within the school isgiven. [Example: “Dial 1 for a list of first-gradeteachers, 2 for a list of second-grade teachers, 3 for a list of third-grade teachers…”]

2. A school could also establish a “homeworkhotline” to provide parents with up-to-datehomework assignments. Under this scenario, each teacher would record a list of homeworkassignments and the respective dues dates.Parents could call a special DID number to access the hotline. This hotline could be used with or without auto-attendant branching.

3. Guest mailboxes can be created to ensure allstaff members have a voice mailbox, even if theydo not have a physical telephone. As an example,the school may wish to give guest mailboxes to allteachers. A 48-Key Feature Phone with a 60-keyExpansion Console can be placed in a central area suchas the teacher’s lounge, and DSS keys can be programmed for each teacher with a guest mailbox.These DSS keys will allow all teachers to see if they have a message. They can then retrieve theirmessages using the 48-key Feature Phone attached to the 60-Key Expansion Console. Parentswill appreciate the ability to leave a message directly with a teacher without having to go throughthe office.

4. ESI makes conferencing easy by requiring only the use of the CONF key. When speaking to thefirst person, press CONF and dial the second person. Repeat as needed to connect up to 16 people(counting the user who initiates the conference). For example, if a school counselor is discussing astudent with his parent, the counselor can add the student’s teacher to the conversation by creatinga conference on-the-fly.

A typical complaint regarding conferencing on other telephone systems is when one of the addedconference members isn’t available and, instead, voice mail is accidentally reached. ESI phonesystems make it easy to drop this unwanted “member” by pressing the FLASH key.

5. Most teachers continue to work after school is dismissed. Teachers can “screen” incoming calls usinglive call screening (message monitor). When a caller is leaving a message, live call screeningprovides a broadcast of the message through the ESI phone’s built-in speaker. This allows theteacher to decide whether to answer call or let the caller leave a voice message, similar to the waymost home answering machines work. For example, if a teacher has been playing “phone-tag” witha parent, she can enable this feature and monitor voice mail messages as they are being recorded.If the parent whom she was trying to reach calls, she can intercept the call as the message is beingrecorded and speak to the parent immediately.

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6. As previously discussed, VIP and VIP Professional provide the ability to manage voice mailmessages, e-mails, and faxes in a centralized location.

7. A teacher can improve communication with parents by providing the school’s contact phone numberto them. However, the teacher still has the ability to maintain flexibility and privacy: when she is notin the classroom but is still working, she can forward her calls to an alternate number, like her homenumber or cell number. Incoming calls will then be automatically rerouted to this alternate number.If the school has a digital PRI circuit installed, the original caller ID will accompany the rerouted call.This is a unique feature of the ESI solution, called Intelligent Call Forwarding.™ It gives theteacher control over which calls she answers and provides a callback number for the teacher incase the caller fails to leave one.*

* To take advantage of Intelligent Call Forwarding, the school must have a digital PRI circuit installed.

8. Virtual Answer Keys present teachers with the ability to seamlessly and invisibly communicatewith a second caller like a parent while they are on the phone. When a second call is presented,teachers can press a pre-programmed Virtual Answer Key (as discussed in Challenge #3) to advisethat they are on the other line but will answer as soon as possible. The original caller is not disturbed.

Even if the parent chooses to wait but changes his mind, he may dial 1 to leave a message, 0 toreach an operator, or dial another extension number while still in the waiting cycle by takingadvantage of ESI’s patented dial-on-hold feature.

9. Quick Move gives staff members the ability to copy a message to another user’s voice mailboxwith one keystroke. If a parent leaves a message in the general mailbox, asking a teacher to returnher call, Sally in the office can easily pass the message to the correct teacher once she retrievesthe message from the general mailbox.

Additionally, Sally can take a “live” message for a teacher without using a pen or paper. While onthe phone with a parent, she can press the RECORD key. At the end of the conversation, she canmove the recording to the teacher’s mailbox, using the Quick Move feature. This will provide theteacher with the parent’s voice inflection and tone. If, during the conversation, Sally sees theteacher becomes available, she can easily add him to the conversation with the conference feature.Once the conference is established, she may remain as part of the conference or securely passcontrol of the call to the teacher. As with a regular call, conference calls may also be recorded.

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Challenge #5:To quickly find a substitute when a teacher is out for the day.

Solutions

1. Advance notice is a luxury rarely given to the person in charge of finding a substitute when ateacher is going to be out for the day. This person must be able to react quickly and must beorganized. ESI’s VIP makes it easy to organize contacts — up-to-date speed-dial lists along withpersonal Outlook contacts are stored in a central location. Sally in the Admin office can populatethe contact information of approved substitutes for quick and easy access which can be used at amoment’s notice.

2. An “absence line” can be established for employees. The principal can assign a point-person tomonitor absences, securing substitutes as needed. Once a teacher determines that she’s going tobe absent, she can call the number to let the point-person know of her plans. The point-person hasthe ability to incorporate personal greeting #2 to activate the off-premises “reach-me” feature.Internal or external callers listening to the greeting can choose to dial 4 to re-route themselves to analternate number of the point-person’s choice. If the teacher chooses to be rerouted, the originalcaller ID will accompany the rerouted call via Intelligent Call Forwarding.*

* To take advantage of Intelligent Call Forwarding, the school must have a digital PRI circuit installed.

3. If the point-person is unavailable and the teacher leaves a message, the new message will triggerany pre-defined message notification options, which include dialing a cell phone, another externalnumber, or another station.

With ESI Presence Management installed, message notification options are enabled and disabledautomatically, based on the point-person’s “in/out” status. When Sally scans out, her choice ofparameters are modified to accommodate her absence. When she scans in again, her normalselections are reinstated.

4. All mailboxes may perform pager notification. When a message is left in the “absence” mailbox, thiscascade paging mailbox instructs the system to access an outside line and dial Sally’s pagernumber. Several attempts are made to reach Sally. If, for whatever reason, Sally does not answerthe page, one or more alternate “point-persons” can be paged. Leaving a message in a cascademailbox increases the probability of someone responding to the page.

5. A Virtual Mailbox Key can be programmed to allow visual monitoring of and connection to a voicemailbox other than the mailbox normally associated with the phone. In this scenario, a group canbe assigned to monitor the absence line. However, this group does not have to keep accessing themailbox to check whether there are new messages. Instead, they need only to glance at the VirtualMailbox Key; if it’s not blinking, no messages are waiting.

A Virtual Mailbox key may be used in other ways, as well. For example, once a substitute teacher islocated, a Virtual Mailbox key can be programmed to help the substitute know if she has a message.There’s no need to assign a phone to each substitute. A guest mailbox can be assigned as needed,and a pre-programmed Virtual Mailbox Key will provide message notification.

Additionally, a teacher may be employed by a single school district to teach a particular subject(such as Latin) at several different campuses. Since the teacher is consistently on the move, it maybe prudent for each campus to associate her voice mail with a guest mailbox instead of a physicaltelephone. A pre-programmed Virtual Mailbox Key will provide message notification to this highlymobile faculty member.

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Challenge #6:To ensure a smooth transition for new and temporary staff members.

Solutions

1. Moves, adds, and changes (MACs) are much simpler when ESI IP phones are used. Simply unplugthe phone in one classroom and plug it in once again in another. The system recognizes the changeand all voice mails, prompts, and original settings are moved, as well. As previously mentioned, no additional telephone wires are needed, making additions much easier. Adding telephones toareas such as temporary trailers has never been simpler.

2. ESI System Administrator is a Windows-based software application which makes it easy toprogram and maintain all ESI Communication Servers. The school’s IT staff will enjoy centralizedmanagement because extensions can be programmed locally or remotely using this intuitive program.

3. When ESI Presence Management RFID Readers are in use, issued building keys can be easilyreplaced by distributing assigned electronic keys to authorized employees. These devices can bethe “scan card” type or a key-ring fob. Scanning of the electronic key activates the strike lock of thedoor, giving authorized personnel access. Use of ESI Presence Management RFID Readers willreduce incidents of weather-related corrosion of key contacts and security breaches caused byemployees’ codes inadvertently becoming knownto non-authorized persons. These electronic keyscan be issued to faculty members who need toaccess the facility or specific areas of the facilitylike the computer lab. A record is also created ofthose who accessed the areas, along with thedate and time.

In addition, no keys must be retrieved if ateacher is no longer employed with the districtfor whatever reason. The departed employee’skey code can easily be disabled within thephone system so that it is no longer valid. Lastly, locks do not have to be re-keyed.

4. Guest mailboxes are perfect for facilities, likeschools, that have more employees than extensions. As an example, the school may hire asubstitute for a few weeks to take over for a teacher who is out on maternity leave. As an alternativeto assigning a phone to the substitute, the school can assign a guest mailbox instead. A 48-KeyFeature Phone with a 60-Key Expansion Console can be placed in a central area such as theteacher’s lounge, and DSS keys can be programmed for each staff member with a guest mailbox.These DSS keys will allow all members who have a guest mailbox to see if they have a message.They can then retrieve their messages using the 48-Key Feature Phone attached to the 60-KeyExpansion Console.

5. The Verbal User’s Guide is a feature of all ESI phone systems. Pressing the HELP key makes thesystem literally talk users through any feature with which they may need assistance; it also providestutorials on the operation of the phone system. New employees or substitutes who will be at theschool on a temporary basis can learn the phone system at their own pace. No “formal” training isnecessary, making new employees or substitutes productive much faster.

The Verbal User’s Guide makes it mostly unnecessary to rely on printed documentation. However, ESI also provides itsUser’s Guide materials in an on-line format at www.esiusers.com.

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Challenge #7:To provide up-to-the-minute information relating to delays,postponements, or cancellations of classes, meetings, or special events.

Solutions

1. Information mailboxes more efficiently handle repetitive requests for the same information — e.g.,spoken directions to the school, the upcoming holiday schedule, etc. Whether the automatedattendant or a live attendant originally answers the call, the system transfers the caller into theappropriate information mailbox.

2. An auto attendant can provide the caller with a pre-recorded outgoing message and route the callaccordingly. For example, a school can record a message advising of an upcoming holiday schedule.A caller can then access this information by following the pre-recorded instructions. However, ESI’sautomated attendant isn’t limited to just basic routing activity; it has many branches, giving theability to tailor call-handling in a unique way. Schools can use it for only “overflow” situations, lunchhours or other similar times when they can’t provide a live person to answer incoming calls. The callscan be sent to an extension, a voice mailbox, or another branch, based on system programmingestablished by a particular school.

3. Each ESI system’s auto attendant also contains day, night, day2, night2, holiday, and auto modes.The outgoing messages and routing tables can change, based on the day and time, as set forth bythe system programming. Changes can be made to reflect the current school schedule, taking intoconsideration summer, fall, spring, and Christmas breaks.

4. Customizable music/message-on-hold (MOH) recording provides the school with the ability tostore recorded tracks which callers hear while they’re on-hold. Each ESI phone system holds severalsuch tracks. Professionally recorded ones are included with each system, and some systems allowthe school to record several of their own. As an example, the Audio/Visual Department could recorda list of events and holiday schedules, and make changes on a weekly basis if desired. The ESIsystem would then play the most current recording to callers who are on hold. Additionally, theschool may choose to use a “live” feed from an external audio source (possibly the school radiostation, if the school has one) by just plugging in a cable.

5. Customized departments with flexible ringing plans can be developed to route incoming calls.This feature permits a call to ring one or more stations as a first choice, and then switch to ringing asecond station or group. Ring plan choices include a station, hunt group, ACD group, auto attendantmenu or branch, or any other Esi-Link-networked system. As an example, a department can beestablished to include all members on a fund-raising committee. A special DID can be used to routeall calls regarding fund-raising questions directly to the group responsible for such activities.

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Challenge #8:Emergency personnel must be easily accessible in the event of anemergency within the school.

Solutions

1. Because many schools maintain lower trunks-to-extension, there may not be an available line for dialing 9 1 1 if an emergency arises within the building. Fortunately, all ESI systems provide the 911 alert function, which forces the last line to disconnect if someone dials 9 1 1 during an “all-trunks-busy” situation — so it’s always possible to reach emergency assistance.

2. ESI’s 911 alert feature also supports internal notification. When any station in the system dials 9 1 1,this notifies a designated station (usually the office). When emergency personnel arrive, the personat that station can direct them to the specific area that has the emergency.

Specifically, the designated station receives a ringing call and a visual display indicating whichstation dialed 9 1 1. The ringing won’t stop until someone lifts the alerted station’s handset of thealerted station and listens to the entire recorded message, which message further identifies thestation that dialed 9 1 1. (If the alerted station user hangs up before the conclusion of the recordedmessage, the telephone will begin ringing again until answered, at which point it plays the samerecorded message from the start.).

3. During an emergency, people (especially children) may panic and forget simple things that theyordinarily know — such as dialing the digit 9 to make an outside call. However, when the ARSfeature is enabled and the dialed number string is exactly 9 1 1, an ESI Communications Serverrecognizes this sequence as the emergency number and selects an available line on which to placethe call.

Note: E911 is not a fully supported feature of ESI systems. Check with your municipal and state regulatoryagencies for clarification of your local requirements.

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Final thoughtsYou’ll need to uncover the reasons why the facility is looking to replace their current system. Ask thefollowing questions:

• What is the age of the current system?

• Does it lack any features or applications?

• Does it have excessive maintenance costs?

• What new technology would you like a new system to have?

• Do you have money in the budgetthat you must spend in a “use-it-or-lose it” situation?

• Who is your incumbent vendor?What is the status of yourrelationship with them?

• What criteria will you use tomake a buying decision in terms of:

— Technical aspects?— Features and applications?— Price?— Service?— Support?— Vendor relationship?

Additionally, be prepared to discuss and offer security hardware, even if your company doesn’tspecialize in this area. School districts are facing increasing security concerns and installing cameras,magnetic locks, and video systems can ease those concerns. Find, and partner with, a local andreputable security company if you currently don’t have the ability to include security hardware with yourproposals. Doing so will only increase your chances of success.

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The sales cycleLet’s take a moment to discuss the typical sales cycle found in the educational industry. A school’s sales cycle is more rigid, and the purchasing cycle is longer, than the respective cycles typically found inother industries.

While America’s 16,000 public school districts function independently, most start their new fiscal year inJuly. Their average purchase cycle is between 12 and 18 months. Basically, this cycle can be brokeninto five phases:

1. Needs analysis — The initial part of the district’s buying cycle, which generally occurs in mid- tolate spring and lasts through the early fall. During the needs analysis, the district does its best todetermine what will be required as it relates to school operations and curriculum mandates.

2. Budget preparation — The part of the cycle in which the curriculum is planned and the budget isestablished. This phase typically occurs once the needs analysis is complete, and takes aboutthree months to finish.

3. Presentation and approval — Encompasses the preparation and presentation of the plan andsubsequent approval. This phase is relatively short when compared to other phases, and is usuallyfinalized within a matter of weeks.

4. Supplier contact and bid process — Once the plan has been approved, the bidding processbegins, although not all school purchases require a formal bidding process. For those purchasesnot requiring a formal bidding process, the purchasing department will contact suppliers and gatherquotes. This part of the process begins around mid-September and lasts until the spring.

5. Final review, selection, and purchase — The last and longest phase, typically lasting from springuntil early fall. This part of the purchasing cycle is devoted to reviewing bids and quotes, studyingeach product, making final selections, and creating purchase orders.

As you can see, this process can be long and tedious. Still, most school districts don’t consider theirbuying cycles to be “written in stone.” They often add a new product into their planning phase or, if oneproduct is considered roughly equivalent to another, they will make a substitution if they desire.

With these cycles in mind, here are three major time periods to consider:

• Fall (August through November) — New school dollars are being spent during this period.Higher-priced items for the following school year are also being determined during the fall.

• Winter (January through March) — School budgets are being written and presented to thosewith approval authority, such as administrators and/or school board members. If bids arerequired, they are being gathered and reviewed.

• Spring (April through June) — Left-over dollars are being spent.

Each school district is unique and the sales and purchasing cycles will vary, but the time periodsmentioned above are good guidelines to take under advisement. It is important to remember that youdon’t have to wait (and shouldn’t wait) until the beginning of a “phase” to start your sales process. Start making your initial contacts now.

As in all industries, money is going to be your most common objection, regardless of what “phase” theschool is going through, or the time of year in which they are going through it. “No budget” is a constantcomplaint of sales professional from all walks of life. However, the prospect’s decision to buy or not tobuy rarely has anything to do with money or budgets. It has everything to do with the value you arecreating and the problems you are solving. Create enough value, and the school district will find theroom in the budget. Solve enough problems and the district will get the money. Your job is to create asolution where the unique features and benefits you offer are essential to the prospect’s future.

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Recommended discovery questionsDiscovery questions help you determine your prospect’s needs versus simply what you can offer.Preparation is critical, so you should make a list of questions to ask during your information-gatheringappointment. Think in terms of benefits, not features. Ask questions that prompt the prospects to revealwhat problems or challenges (“pain”) they face. You can then customize your ESI solution to solve theirproblems and surpass their needs.

Below are several suggested discovery questions you can use during your appointment. Listed aftereach question are applicable features or applications.

1. What types of security issues do you face? (ESI Presence Management, cascade pagingmailboxes, virtual mailbox, VIP, VIP Professional’s auto-record and text-messaging, live callrecording, Caller ID Key, 911 alert.)

2. What budgetary pressures do you face? Are you tasked with reducing operating costs?(All-in-one platform, investment protection, fax server integration, automatic fax switching, analogports, tenant service, flexible numbering, consolidation of repair operations.)

3. How many calls do you receive in any given day? Can you tell me about their flow?(Virtual Answer, auto attendant, VIP PC Attendant Console, DSS keys, Quick Move, AutoPage,QuickPage, ESI Cordless Handsets, flexible numbering.)

4. How many staff and faculty members do you currently have? How often do you hire newstaff members or employ a substitute? (Guest and virtual mailboxes, ESI Presence Management,IP phones, ESI System Programmer, Verbal User’s Guide.)

5. How many different campuses are part of your district? Are there plans to expand? (Esi-Link,IP-capable systems, ESI Presence Management, ESI System Programmer, VIP PC Attendant Console,guest mailboxes, Quick Move, Quick Groups.)

6. How are you notified when a teacher is going to be out for the day? How do you find asubstitute? (VIP and VIP Professional, off-premises “reach-me,” message notification, ESIPresence Management, cascade paging mailboxes, virtual mailbox, Esi-Dex.)

7. What issues do staff members face when trying to communicate with parents and eachother? (Intercom, paging capabilities, DSS keys, VIP and VIP Professional, Virtual Answer Keys,Esi-Link, conference key, guest mailboxes, “homework hotline,” live call screening, live call recording.)

8. What types of common questions do you routinely answer? (Information mailboxes,customizable MOH, auto attendant branching, day/night tables [including holiday mode and auto mode],customized departments, Q&A mailboxes.)

9. How long does it take for a new teacher or faculty member to become familiar with yourcurrent phone system? Who does the training? (Verbal User’s Guide, VIP and VIP Professional,ESI Presence Management.)

10. Can you review your voice mails, e-mails, and faxes from a centralized location, based onpriority? (VIP and VIP Professional, fax server integration, auto-record, live call recording.)

Tip: Be sure to ascertain (1) how the school is funded and (2) who will be involved in the decision-making process.

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