Promotion
How do you get them to recognise the benefits and buy the product? Good promotion is essential to selling IL.You have already worked out who and where your customers are so now you need to work out how IL can be of benefit to them.
A key part to selling any product is selling its benefits. Work out the key benefits for each set of customers. You may be selling your product from the point of view of its immediate practical benefits or you may wish to focus on the longer-term strategic point of view.
Example: FE/HE - Selling to the senior management of your library:
Libraries need to show that they are good value for money and that they provide ‘added value’. IL is something tangible that the senior management within the institution, academics and students can all understand. It brings the library into the open and demonstrates support for teaching and learning and research. It also shows ‘good housekeeping’, the library spends a great deal of money on resources and an effective IL programme ensures that staff and users know not only what is available, but also how those resources can be deployed to their full potential.
Example: FE/HE - Selling to the academics:
In a new university you would stress that a good IL programme will support their students in their assignment process and help student retention.
In a research based university you would talk about teaching students to understand what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.
In all institutions you can stress how a good IL programme will help reduce the number of sources obtained through Google and teach students how to reference properly.
Example: FE/HE - Selling to the students:
We can help improve your marks!! We can save you time. We can make your life easier.
Example: School - Selling to the teachers:
A good IL programme will help students find resources which will help them with their course work and with exams. It will help the students understand how to search the Internet properly and start to develop an understanding of how to evaluate the material they find. It will help them understand about plagiarism and how to acknowledge sources used to find material.
Example: School - Selling to the students:
We can help improve your marks!! We can save you time.
Example – Public
You may only have a one chance with your customer in a public library setting, so you need to show them a benefit of IL quickly. This will increase the chances of that customer asking again the next time they need help.
Don’t just assume because someone seems confident on a PC that they are information literate. If your customer is working on the Internet, ask them if they found what they were looking for. If they haven’t, tell them you can help them find what they want and quickly. Try to back up what you have said with a leaflet that explains what you have shown them.
If your customer is at the enquiry desk and you know what they require is on the Internet, don’t just point them in the vague direction. Check they are comfortable using the Internet that they understand what they are looking for and offer to show them. But be careful you don’t rush through your explanation too quickly. Try to back up what you have said with a leaflet that explains what you have shown them. Stress the fact that not everything on the Internet is of good quality but you can give them a few useful tips and tactics that will help them. Remember not everyone is comfortable being in a library or with asking for help so watch for those who seem lost or slightly hesitant be proactive not just reactive.
Advertising:
Advertising your product helps raise awareness. Timing is everything, don’t just decide to do a poster campaign or run an article in the student paper at exam time, they won’t notice. Don’t try to sell your product to academics at marking time, they won’t notice.
Advertising is a strategic process. Look at your customers and their timetable. Advertise at a time when they need your product, when they can recognise the benefits it will bring to them. Don’t use terminology that they don’t understand, avoid library jargon! Use language they recognise and words that means something.
If you are going to use posters, make them look professional. Your advertising poster reflects on your product and your professionalism.