IFEG7 September 2000
Your future in your hands:
Working Smarter not Harder - marketing your services
Sheila Pantry, OBE, BA, FLA, FIInf Sci.Information Management Consultant
Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd
85 The Meadows, Todwick, Sheffield S26 1JG, UKTel:+44 (0)1909 771024 Fax: +44 (0)1909 772829 email: [email protected] sites: www.hspublishing.com/hsworld
http://panizzi.shef.ac.uk/training/manage.html www.shebuyersguide.com
Changing Roles……Scene setting
- technological advancements- higher bandwidth information- high-speed transmission- lower costs- organisations needs are changing- customer expectations are different- time and place ….. Irrelevant- no longer jobs for life.. Now portfolio jobs -
implications for you and the customers
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Challenges …… to be
- able to work in fast moving information industry
- flexible
- able to offer the right set of skills
- able to see how different skills will be needed in future scenarios
- able TO KEEP UP WITH DEVELOPMENTS IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING (CPD)
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The Opportunities
- the potential impact of new digital technologies
- technological and cultural change
- information poor and information rich divide in your organisation
- use of electronic mail > new services
- more data sources>>>>>>
MORE CAN BE LESS FOR SOME!
- IDENTIFYING validated and authoritative data- trying out different types of services 5
Rapid changes and some problems
- keep your eye on the changes
- global village….. Dot com
- customers are short of time
- customers often don’t know what they want
- customers not always IT or information literate
- you need to understand the customer’s work
- help them also to develop their “personal” as well as management skills… training opportunities
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Your interpersonal skills ……... Communication skills
• Telephoning skills - be prepared before you talk - list your points for discussion - don’t waste other people’s time - persuasion - smile 7
Interpersonal skills ……Communication skills
Meetings skills - be prepared - “cold” meeting - first time, first impressions - short time for impact - arranged meetings - formal with agenda and chairman and your actions - where you sit and why 8
• Interpersonal skills ……Communication skills
Presentation Skills…….- how you look- the do(s) and don’t(s) - be prepared - know your subject - state what you are going to talk about - tell the audience when questions can be asked
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• Interpersonal Skills………
• good listening skills - being able to stop talking and start to listen
• ensure that you really do understand what is being said
• negotiate services and Service Level Agreements
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• Presentation Skills…….
• Writing skills- remember short attention span
of reader - the one page report A4 bullet
points - the executive summary 3/4 page - the progress report - the investigation report - the full report and contents 11
•Presentation Skills…….
• Writing skills continued - electronic mail - electronic services, e.g. SCANS - web sites - brochures and other advertising (remember costly & Memorable) - journals and newsletters
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Time Management (TM)Skills….. - be punctual… other people’s time - prioritise work - avoid major time wasters - make use of regular strategic planning - cope with meetings - delegate and learn to say “NO”
- deal with paperwork
- use the tools of TM: diaries, planners and daily task lists
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• Management Skills….. - planning services n.b. Developing a Successful
Service Plan - financial skills and costing skills - organising new services - project management
• Knowledge Management - advantage position within an organisation ( know what is where and with whom) - advantage - possessing information skills and technology skills to organise, manage, produce and maintain information systems 14
•Information Professionals need marketing and publicity skills………
• to be able promote their skills
• to ensure that clients/customers will want to employ them again & again
• to be one step ahead of the competition from either inside or outside the organisation
• look constantly for opportunities to market the services 15
• Being an Intrapreneur…someone who works within an organisation but acts in an entrepreneurial manner...other terms include:• internal entrepreneur
social entrepreneur risk taker
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• Characteristics of an Intrapreneur include:
- vision- long term thinking- management skills -
delegation, organisation, resource allocation
- team working skills - motivation, team development
• (source: Boyett and Findlay, 1993) 17
• The organisation and the Intrapreneur
• Find out what and who makes the organisation tick - the movers & shakers
• Information Audit- true cost/value of information- need for, and cost of information that should be acquired- training needs of staff to be able to most effectively use the information- the need for a comprehensive, holistic
system 18
• KEEPING ONE STEP AHEAD OF THE CUSTOMER & MARKETING SERVICES
• Essential for information team to keep up-to-date
• Customer expectations & give the answers before the questions are asked
• Further ways: SCANS inc daily news, training, induction courses, updating sessions especially when new services are offered, Internet/Intranet training and services, creating databases/CD-ROMS, e-SDI, e-linking to journals & full-text 19
• KEEPING ONE STEP AHEAD OF THE CUSTOMER…in Marketing your services
• Ensure quality
• Provide and Enhance access to information
• Imaginative use of the technologies
• Turn information into value-added services
• Keep the information team in creative mode
• Make new partnerships …. Remember work smarter not harder
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•Successful Information Providers
• will need to constantly keep up to date,
• be in the right place at the right time
• market their information services >>> Work smarter not harder <<<<
AND HAVE LOTS OF LUCK…… 21
•The Commercial ….further Reading1. Your Successful LIS career: planning your career, CVs,Interviews and Self-Promotion, by Sheila Pantry and Peter Griffiths LA Publishing, London ISBN 185604 329 0
2. The Complete Guide to Preparing and Implementing Service Level Agreements, by Sheila Pantry and Peter Griffiths LA Publishing, London ISBN 185604239 1
3. Developing a Successful Service Plan, by Sheila Pantry and Peter Griffiths LA Publishing London ISBN 185604 392 4
4. Becoming a Successful Intrapreneur, by Sheila Pantry and Peter Griffiths LA Publishing London ISBN 185604 292 8
Available from BookPoint Ltd 39 Milton Road, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4TD, UK Tel: 01235 400 400 Fax: 01235 832 068
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