January 6, 2010
I was shocked this morning to read about the alleged cutting of half of Westlaw’s Library Relations Staff in the Geek Law Blog. During a conversation last night a friend and I discussed the fact that often businesses don’t plan well for “What if?” That’s human nature but as a business it is a necessity.
Too Comfortable
Comfort is a great thing but getting too comfortable when you are running a business leads to lots of problems. A few of those problems include lack of attention to what allowed you to grow in the first place: marketing, relationship building and attention to base operations.
As Westlaw is rumored to cut half of the Library Relations positions, they seem to be forgetting the relationship part of business. With more competition from Open Sources or affordable alternatives to legal research sources, frustration with increasing prices or poor performance or whatever else might be endangering the retention of business with a client, Thomson Reuters is self-inflicting further pain. The Library Relations teams for both Westlaw and LexisNexis were fundamental to happy customer service when I was in the firm and I’m pretty sure it still is for my fellow law-library colleagues.
If any business begins to damage the key relationships with their customers, retention is endangered. Bottom-lines often need to be viewed in the long-term not the quarterly or annual cycle. Of course this is only the opinion of a very small business owner with very small client base where each client relationship is critical to my own success. My clients are very important to me and I will meet their needs to the best of my ability every time. Big or small businesses who adhere to that philosophy will profit.
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Posted by answermaven
August 28, 2009
This post by Stephen Arnold takes a hard look at commercial vendor marketing practices and states clearly the need for librarians and the value of information professionals. The inspiration for the post came from an Ad that West used. Law Library Blog summarizes the highlights here.
I especially appreciate Mr. Arnold’s post because it comes from a non-library perspective. Users of information that verbalize the value of librarians and understand the challenges that librarians face in managing and providing information speak louder and have more impact than librarians who defend each other.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t defend our positions, I just think we must have strong allies outside of our library world. It’s like doctors who don’t like to talk to lawyers about doing business. Professionals who use the products and understand the value have a larger impact.
The call for higher standards in how commercial vendors operate in the information industry is a must. We know that bean counters don’t always appreciate the way things work in libraries and institutions. Selling directly to the “user” will allow higher usage, unsanctioned use of “out-of-contract” files and provide more beans for the counting.
Keeping in mind that resources are tight and some things must be selected over others. Vendors who appreciate those choices and work with the gatekeepers, will find loyal customers who work to keep the valuable information that makes an institutions work easier. Working around that usually results in a nothing but a bad aftertaste and true distrust of the sneaky movers and a readiness to cancel or decrease usage as fast as possible.
So I propose a call to action for individual institutions and their vendors.
- Communicate clearly your expectations in marketing and outreach to direct users.
- Explain the consequences of failing to meet those expectation. Note: This requires a consequence.
- Be direct with vendors about the choices that you are willing to make.
- Let them know which items are of most value to you and which are easily let go if they don’t operate within your expectations.
- If vendors present at your institution to users, have the vendor highlight the importance of the relationship with the library staff.
Now I know that most direct vendor/library relations are good, excellent even, and that’s fabulous. If you explain to your vendors these ground rules, or others that you think are important for your own organization, then they will communicate that up the chain. If all of us do this, the bean counters will eventually be overcome by the value placed on customer service and relationships and the need to value information professionals and may even get to know his librarians by name.
Constance Ard August 28, 2009
Note: A portion of this text was used for a Kentucky Chapter SLA post.
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Posted by answermaven
June 24, 2009
SLA 2009 was engaging and full of educational and networking opportunities. I was scheduled to return home on Friday, unfortunately that did not happen.
I did receive the unexpected opportunity for education and networking while standing in various lines for 3 plus hours on Saturday. My original plans called for a flight home on Friday afternoon. And the delay of the 1st flight and the cancellation of the Chicago to Louisville connection began my long journey home.
I took that first day’s delay in stride and made the best of my layover in Crystal City. What did not work for me was the 2nd day. I did my duty as a traveler and arrived in plenty of time for the security screening and other formalities. Our flight boarded and all looked well until the mechanical problems were announced. An hour of sitting on the plane finally ended with a de-boarding and a need to stand in the first line and the re-ticketing process began.
We were handed a sheet of paper with an 800 number to call to get new reservations. With 100 plus people standing in line calling the same number the odds of a quickly answered call seemed slim. Fortunately the call went through and the reservations for another flight were made. Pretty good…twenty minutes in line.
Then off to the other carrier, to print boarding passes and get gate information. Quickly navigate through the line to self-check-in kiosk and bam! The first brick wall…Your record can not be located.
Three hours later I’ve learned that competing airlines can’t talk to one another and if you’ve had trouble in the first self-help line with the same information, stay in the line to talk to the humans.
Problems encountered:
- American Airlines can’t talk to others and send a simple E-Ticket to the airline they with which they have made reservations.
- Delta Airlines can archive traveler records within hours of creation.
- Self-help isn’t the best option when travel arrangements are complex.
Conclusions & Observations:
- Airlines should be pro-active, when travelers are delayed serve water or coffee on the plane and in long-lines. (This type of courtesy will keep the frustrations at bay)
- The baggage process at Reagan National is bizarre: one line to get tags and weight, another to drop off – use the curb-side check-in (Thank you Casey for the tip!)
- Airlines are not making a profit because they have refused to invest in technology regularly to maximize communications internally and with other airlines when necessary.
- Line policing is important to avoid possible crowd eruptions. Delta did this well, American did not.
The final conclusion is that information flow is critical to satisfied customers. If the reservation made on the phone twenty minutes into the first line had been accessible via the self-service kiosk at the carrier I would not have been at my wit’s end at the end of the next three hours.
I hope my fellow-line compatriots are home, at Fort Benning in time to report to duty, and enjoying their Hawaii vacation respectively.
Constance Ard June 24, 2009
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Posted by answermaven
April 10, 2009
The other evening, after a very long day, I went out for dinner. The place I went had received a favorable review in the local alternative newspaper, LEO Weekly. With the beginnings of a headache due to a lack of food, walking in to bad music wasn’t a good start.
A trip to the restroom raised the need for a raised voice to gain passage. Two strikes. So how did the business owner make me walk away a fan? He noticed that I sat in the booth at the most distant part away from the entertainment and came to say hello and chat with me. (Easy to do during a slow time.)
He asked about me and my guest, he discussed the LEO review and generally engaged us in a positive upbeat manner. After having checked on us at least one more time, he asked if we cooked and gifted us with a bottle of the marinade used in the signature dish.
We went on to discuss how he’s getting the word out about his business and I exposed him to some ideas beyond the Facebook fan page that another guest discussed creating for him (not located at time of this writing). Twitter and some on-line restaurant guides won’t be amiss as we continue those discussions.
Social networking in today’s business world is a powerful marketing medium. Many business owners concentrate on traditional marketing and miss the new “word of mouth” tool that is truly a key to success. This may be due to lack of understanding or even awareness of the tools or it may be just that the personally handed out flyer is preferable.
In the end, my desire to see this restaurant succeed wouldn’t matter if the owner hadn’t conducted good business through his interaction with me and my guest. Sometimes good business is just recognizing a potential problem and addressing it proactively. When you go to Johnny V’s I highly recommend the S&P500.
Are you using the on-line social networking and small business tools available to your full potential? There are so many ways to take a presence on the web and make it broader.
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Posted by answermaven
March 16, 2009
Seth Godin often talks about saying YES!
While librarians say yes often, businesses sometimes say no, too fast and too vehemently to achieve customer satisfaction. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve made several trips to the bank. In each visit, until today, I had asked my bank to do things that were in no way banking related. In every instance, they said yes.
I walked away extremely satisfied and with one more thing on my TO DO list done because of those yeses.
I want to provide my clients with a yes for each request. “Yes I can find that for you. Yes, I can meet your deadline. Yes I will give you an executive summary. Yes, I’ll provide relevant links and documents to the full-text resources. Yes the market and industry information will be included. Yes you will have your answer.”
Last week I did a project for a new client and had the completed research delivered within several hours of the initial call. The client reported that they were very satisfied and I think a big portion of that satisfaction came from my ability to say YES to the rather tight deadline.
That doesn’t mean that there won’t be times when compromises are required. There exists the possibility that as a project begins, more time is needed or additional resources are required. When I can’t say YES, I say “I can do XY and Z but you may have to wait a bit longer for AB and C.” Being up front about the ability to meet expectations just proves my understanding of the challenges involved in completing a complex project.
Clients understand those challenges and appreciate the up-front negotiation because they trust my Yes. I trusted my bank’s yes and went about my other business knowing that those extracurricular services were just one more way to keep me a happy customer.
The real point of this post: If you are providing a service of any sort, finding a way to say Yes to those out-of-the-box requests will serve you well. Like my Granny always said: “You attract more flies with honey than vinegar.” So open up your honey jar and find ways to say yes. The benefit will be loyal customers who provide referrals.
Constance Ard March 16, 2009
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Posted by answermaven
January 8, 2009
You know the old saying, it takes a village to raise a child. The same might be said for new consultants.
As a new consultant myself, I’m very lucky to have two fabulous mentors who have been in the ring for over 3o years combined. Today I was reminded that branding my consultant business at every level is extremely important.
I knew this but just hadn’t quite gotten around to implementing it on everything. I won’t bore you with all the gritty details but I would like to highlight a few key items that are important in branding your work either in-house or as a consultant.
- Choose a font that impacts and does not bore your readers.
- Brand your Proposals
- Sell your knowledge and skills even if you don’t think now is the time
- Know your project
- Be consistent
Some of these like, know your project, are a given. Remind yourself that while working outside your comfort zone can be a good thing; having a good knowledge of the skills involved in accomplishing the project successfully is vital.
Email signatures and consistent web presences are only a part of your branding face. Cover sheets and proposal templates that allow your clients to identify you are essential.
So don’t wait until you need it. Design that proposal template now. Choose your fonts, styles etc. and save it for future use. You won’t regret it and tweaking is easier after the initial design is complete.
Constance Ard January 8, 2009
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Posted by answermaven
January 5, 2009
Usually I shy away from personal discussions on this blog unless I’m thanking people who have helped me be better for my clients.
Today, in the spirit of New Year’s Resolutions I’m writing to you about some business goals. The plan is to update you on my progress so that I have accountability to a wider audience than my golden retrievers and myself. I rarely set New Year’s Resolutions so accountability will be important for my success.
- Network More (At least one meeting per month.)
- Write more freelance articles (3 articles for the year.)
The reason behind these goals is to gain wider exposure. As a new independent information professional I need to expand beyond my comfort zone, meet new people and broaden my marketing approach.
I plan to get more active in local business groups and restart my past activities with the local social media group.
- Contact old and new business contacts and let them know through direct communication where and what I’m doing. (Complete by the end of February.)
With the economic crunch old and new contacts need to know that they have options for information solutions. Old contacts know my work and new contacts starting their own businesses or ventures will benefit from an experienced professional at crunch time.
- ·Stay up-to-date on blog reading so that my own blog has good, fresh useful content. (Ongoing)
This goal requires constant vigilance. I must read daily even when I’m traveling and always be ready to write so that when I have time to post you have something that is relevant and useful.
With that goal in mind, if you have ideas about content for this blog, feel free to post a comment. Is there an industry you would like me to review, a company you want to see profiled?
Happy New Year! I’m off to read.
Constance Ard, January 5, 2009
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Posted by answermaven
December 16, 2008
Unlike the Rolling Stones, your clients can get satisfaction if you take the time and effort to honestly assess their needs.
There is a lot of literature out there telling us what law firms are doing wrong when it comes to relationships with in-house counsel, but this article provides some great tips on getting it right.
A few key take-aways to keep in mind for universal client service.
Communication is critical.
- Providing the why behind an unusually large charge, or an unexpected answer goes a long way to keeping your client.
- Communicating in the client’s preferred method saves frustration.
Relationships matter.
- Continual service and quality interactions build loyalty.
- Personal builds business.
Sure these are simple mantras but simplicity works when you are working on complicated matters. Knowing your client’s needs and preferences and responding appropriately, satisfies the client.
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Posted by answermaven
October 1, 2008
I wanted to share this interesting post about law firms who have set up “crisis” centers or similar services to help their clients with the financial worries of the economic crunch.
Personally, I feel law firms are supposed to be business partners. I certainly try to track the news and other items of interest for the benefit of my clients and I would expect a similar service when an overwhelming situation was brought to bear. If I am to succeed I need all of the people involved with my business to help me succeed. Certainly the truth is that I am the most responsible party for that success and I should work therefore work harder than anyone involved. However, it helps me breathe a little easier that my CPA takes care of worrying about the tax implications of my business, he’s every so much more qualified than I.
Therefore, I say good job to those firms who are working with their clients to ensure continued success. Yes, those firms will benefit financially but that is what business is all about.
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Posted by answermaven
August 22, 2008
In my effort to make a living while growing Answer Maven I am serving as Marketing Director for a small company based in Louisville. Yesterday the owners and staff, 4 people including myself, reviewed a strategic marketing plan that I developed this week.
The joy of working for this company is that they have a niche market, they understand their clients and their potential clients. They know the challenges and have a good answer for those probable objections.
Answer Maven is still working out the best Guerilla Marketing approach. Referrals are definitely a prime source for business. This blog is another important component. Hopefully, one day one of my ramblings will reveal a key piece of information and prompt someone to call me for my expertise.
One thing is certain, knowing your niche and constantly marketing your services is the only way to retain and grow a business. I contacted many people today via email with an info sheet that gave a quick overview of my services. I received some great feedback, including those “Mail Delivery Failure” messages. People move to new positions quickly so maintaining a strong contact database is an essential tool. How can you communicate with potential clients if you don’t know how to reach them?
The company contact database will be a critical tool in my Marketing Director position as well. Knowing when and who to contact will be a key to the success of this company’s growth effort. Luckily organizing and maintaining information is something I’m very good at, after all I’m not just the Answer Maven, I’m an Information Professional.
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Posted by answermaven
