Author Archives: Mary Jo Ryan

Media Relations Training at 2009 ALA Conference
One great session at the 2009 ALA Conference was presented by Chicago broadcaster and media trainer Dave Baum. He shared tips on how librarians can effectively deliver key messages and get favorable media coverage. He stressed the need for understanding the interview process, preparing for the interview with clear positive messages, and using communications skills and techniques to improve media interviews and contacts.
Tips included:
1. Despite the changing face of media, successful communication still consists of managing:
• The delivery of the message to the audience
• Acceptance that perception is reality—at least for the moment
2. Build a business relationship: Librarian helps Reporter do their job and look good > Reporter helps Librarian look good > Librarian gets on the Reporter’s A List
3. Reporters are looking for stories SO be a story-teller and always put a face on the story with a real person’s story, if possible
4. Listen, watch, read the news…and relate to current events with our library angle and our customer’s story (give the reporter people to interview, B-roll, etc.)…localize the story.
5. Prepare up-front for the questions that you don’t want to be asked and figure out the truthful responses to those questions…strong, positive points—positive action steps to solve the problem and then go straight to the for example…story of the real person.
6. Keep asking the reporter, “Do you see what I mean?” Let me put it to you this way…tell a story of a person/customer.
7. In order to avoid being taken out of context, don’t repeat the words with the negative content that the reporter or anyone else might use.
8. Be sure to use the best presenter and the one that projects “I’m happy to be here and I have some great stuff to share with you.”
9. Shoot for the night-time talk show: target the audience (for example: Seniors), prep by brainstorming what you think they know about services for them in the library (be brutally honest), say in ten words or less what we want the target audience to know… “We have something free for Senior Citizens in our community.”…add specific examples from the heart, not the head…no jargon (tell the story of the grandma who learned to use e-mail to communicate with the grand-daughter in Iraq, etc.), then…punch the take-away/whatever you really want them to remember (Senior Citizens are invited to learn to use e-mail on Monday nights, from 7-9, college student volunteers are standing by to teach you).
10. Q & A: People usually answer questions in a linear fashion. Instead build answers in advance that create a circle of communication. Start with the 6-10 second lead: short, sweet, truthful, 15 words or less sound bite (“We are really excited to tell our community that we have something free for Senior Citizens in ______town.”). Then bridge or transition to providing more information by telling the story, using “for example”……tell the real story.
Of course, the session was peppered with real-life anecdotes and cautionary tales. Library staff and supporters practiced answering the tough questions and planning their media strategies—almost everyone can think of a local radio or t.v. talk show that they could contact. Do these tips ring true? Are they applicable in the real-life world of working with the media? Click on Comment below to share your experience with communicating with the media.

Be My Guest: Great Customer Service from the Best
Customer Service Training from Jennifer Babcock, Trump Entertainment Resorts, Atlantic City
The NJ State Library sponsored this training for NJ librarians because the goal of the NJ State Library is to help libraries move from providing information to providing an excellent information-seeking experience for our customers. It seemed to me that this describes a goal that I’ve heard expressed by library staff and supporters across the state. The point was made that in today’s environment, average service just won’t cut it. It is so important not to market a service until we are confident that we can provide that service in an excellent fashion. “We will be remembered for creating memorable experiences through superior and personalized service.” (…vision statement developed from talking to customers and employees)
One thing I started thinking about during this session is how to answer the question, “What are our customers looking for?” Since library customers are not just buying soap, they may be looking for an experience/an environment that resonates with them (not just on the content level—correct information, but on the feeling level—“I love it here! I love that person!”).
At this training, we were encouraged to think about the entire Cycle of Service…from first to last moment in the library/on the phone, etc.…every employee the customers meet along the way is a “moment of truth”…it sets the tone for the rest of the experience.
The simple system/service standards:
Acknowledge…initial interaction between employee and customer:
Smile, body language, pro-active respond to seeking behavior, professional appearance, friendly verbal greeting (shouldn’t have to script it)
Connect…build a relationship…spending time with the customer = building regular customers:
Use names (look at the name on their card and memorize it), give information, solve problems (take ownership—if you can’t solve it break down internal barriers and find someone who can), check for satisfaction (Is there anything I can get for you? Anything else you need?—how to turn where’s the bathroom question into a customer service experience), listen
Thank…thanks for choosing…
Invite to return, express appreciation, share information, fond farewell
The point was made that sometimes it feels like everybody has a problem, but in fact only 4% actually complain to us. Dissatisfied customers will tell 10-20 others (probably a whole lot more than that in this day and age). Happy customers only tell 3-5 people. 14% of customers leave because of the product or service and 82% leave because of treatment they receive. What to do? When dealing with people who are unhappy—the first thing employee says sets the tone for the entire customer service experience.
Listen…hear the customer out.
Apologize…I’m sorry that happened to you…let’s see what we can do about that.
Understand…empathy/sympathy—stay away from the power of the “but.”
Give…give them the space to unload, give them what they want if you can, try to make suggestions to management to change the system to avoid the problem in the first place.
Help…do what you can, if you can—try to focus on what we can do, not what we can’t do.
Lots of questions and ideas came out in this training. What questions do you have about providing superior customer service? Click on comment below if you’d like to hear more (or share ideas) about anything noted above or any other customer service issue.

A group of librarians/library managers from Tajikistan will be visiting the Nebraska Library Commission on Monday, November 3. Sponsored by the USAID and hosted by University of Nebraska-Lincoln libraries, during this part of their tour the visitors will learn about the mission and roles of a state library agency. Nebraska Library Commission staff will share information on funding sources, public services, library development and support, children’s services, library education and recruitment, electronic networking and services, government information services, Talking Book and Braille Services, library marketing and public relations, and the Nebraska Center for the Book. Please comment below regarding other activities to introduce these visitors to library service in America.