Mary Ellen BatesBatesInfo.com

10 Sept 2014

The Indispensable Librarian

QUICK POLL

How much value does the libraryadd for your organisation?• Not much value• Some value• A lot of value• I don’t know

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ARE we adding value?

Do info pros add“a lot of value”?

Info pros:55% say yes

Execs:34% say yes

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0%10%20%30%40%50%60%

Info pros Execs

ft.com/sla

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Execs’ top 5 info pain points

Info overloadFiltering through retrieved infoRelevancy of infoUp-to-date infoTimeliness of info

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We need insight, not just data

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ARE we adding value?

Biggest disconnects:Decision-ready informationRelationship mindsetCommunication of valueProactively ID info needs

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Seeing ourselves asindispensable

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Can you answer these???

• What are your clients’ biggest painpoints?

• How do your clients describe yourlibrary’s services?

• What do you do that changessomeone’s outcome?

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Indispensable info pros

What are you to the bottom line?Overhead to be controlled ORInvolved in accomplishing strategic goals

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Indispensable info pros

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Do you track examples of your impact?

What changed as a result of yourwork?

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Indispensable info pros

Do you know your organisation'sstrategic goals for 2014?

Are you visibly contributing to thosegoals?

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To reach and improve the lives ofeveryone living with cancer and toinspire millions of others to do thesame.

Macmillan Cancer SupportKate Arnold

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We provide practical legal advice, alongwith exceptional client service, and weare renowned in Australia for our down-to-earth and friendly culture.

Lander & RogersAlice Anderson

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[P]roviding effective and timely legalresults, performing as an integratedteam and drawing on proven expertise tobest fulfil our clients' needs.

Piper AldermanLynne Barrington

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Talking about value

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What’s the value of priceless?

Special libraries return$5.43 for every $1 invested

Where is YOUR compelling valuestatement?

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alia.org.au/roispecials

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“So, what do you do?"

I'm a librarianI help people find informationI provide high-end information servicesI enable the discovery of insight

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Boring messages

We save you time/money...to do what???

We have authoritative sourcesbut we already expect that

We provide information researchblah, blah, blah

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Promote, don't defend!

“The web doesn’t have everything”“The web isn't reliable”

“We give you insight, not just a searchresult.”

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When you describe yourself...

Is it a WHAT or HOW?or is it a WHY?

"We search premium databases" or"We provide insights from the outside"

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HOW or WHY?

"We provide research services" or"We help staff make better decisions"

"We are experts in finding andorganising information" or"We make critical research findable"

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Emulate the pros

See how info companies describetheir value... their WHY

Benefit from their investment!

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Dialog helps organisations across theglobe seek competitive advantage.

LexisNexis enables you to attractmore, higher quality clients.

Elsevier helps customers advancescience and health by providingworld-class information.

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Finding theWow!“What are your biggest challengesright now?”“What’s keeping you from your biggestgoals?”“What would you change in how youmake decisions / do your work?”“What keeps you awake at night?”

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Clients only ask you

to do what

they think you can do.

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5 ways to invent information

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BYOD: BUILD Your Own Data

Search set countsCount mentions of topic over time{topic} AND 2014{topic} AND 2013{topic} AND 2012

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BYOD: BUILD Your Own Data

Search set countsCount mentions of topic over time{topic} AND 2014{topic} AND 2013{topic} AND 2012

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BYOD: BUILD Your Own Data

Google Auto-CompleteWhat are lots of people thinking?Monitor your org’s reputationHow can you respond?

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Google Trends

Frequency of search queries over timeNarrow by country or local areaAlso news reference points

google.com/trends

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How would you answer this?

Show me how people’s use of theword energy changes over time

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“energy” searches 2014

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“energy” searches 2007

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2014 2007

duke energy energy drink

kinetic energy solar energy

xcel energy progress energy

solar energy energy star

energy drink wind energy

potential energy duke energy

renewable energy

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Pull out what's noteworthy

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Create a time line

The history of turducken

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“But they don’t listen!”

Trouble-shooting guide:

• Audience—WHO you are talking to

• Message—WHAT you say

• Method—HOW & WHERE you say it

• Timing—WHEN & HOW OFTENyou talk with your market

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Telling your story

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Telling your story

It's not all about you

Benefits, not features

Results, not activity

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Telling your story

It's your job to sell, not their job tobuy

If they don't get it, try otherapproaches

Can your brother / neighbor / spousetell your story?

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Elevator speeches

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Die, elevator speeches, die!

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Once upon atime...

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Elevator ping-pong

A 3-second hookAED (defib) salesperson: "I sell humanjumper cables"MEB: "My business is to create my bestcompetition"MEB: "I help my clients look brilliant"

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Elevator ping-pong

A 3-second hookInfo pro: "I'm the one who squeezes thelibrary into your smartphone"

Info pro: "I find what Google can't find"

Info pro: "I make Google smarter"

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Fill in the Q&A blanks...

You know how {describe pain point, inone breath}?

Well, I {describe what your clients get,in one breath}

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Q&A example

You know what it's like to walk into akey donor's office and get blindsided?

Well, I can brief you the morning ofthe appointment with the latest onyour donor.

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Q&A example

Do you wonder whether you aremissing key research?

Well, we have ________________

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Tell a 3-sentence story

The situation

What your client got

What happened for your client

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Tell a 3-sentence story

1. Describe your client's situation

My client was reviewing jurors for atrial.

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Tell a 3-sentence story

2. What does your client get from you?

I monitored the jurors’ social mediaprofiles and found a juror discussingthe case.

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Tell a 3-sentence story

3. What does your client do as aresult?

As a result of my work, we were ableto remove a juror opposed to ourclient.

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Our message:

Librarians have strategic info resources

Librarians are strategic info experts

Librarians are strategic assets

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and remember...

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Reluctant-entrepreneur.com

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