Essentials Magazine Essentials Spring 2018 | Page 14

Demystifying
BYJOYCE WHITBY
Educational Service Agencies for EDchannel Sales Leaders
W
hen it comes to educational institutions in the United States, clear-
ly one size does not fit all. This statement is even more true when
one looks at Educational Service Agencies, or ESAs for short.
There are 553 agencies nationwide with an approximate annual budget of
$15B, so the potential of this market is huge and worth unraveling the mys-
tery around how they function to develop your own go-to-market plan.
What Exactly is an Educational
Service Agency?
If you find yourself asking that ques-
tion, rest assured that you are not alone.
Let’s be clear — there is no one, com-
mon model, each state approaches these
supplemental services in different ways.
In some states an ESA is well establishe