Making it a People Business

One of the main points I always try to get across to the group is simply the fact that we are in a people business. Some people think we sell newspapers and perhaps that is the end result, but let’s think about this for a moment because there is much more.

We in the circulation/marketing world have very little if any input into what is printed in the newspaper. Some of us are invited to participate in the decisions detailing what will be placed on the front page above the fold in the daily editorial budget meetings. That’s great to be given this opportunity, and there are times we can adjust single copy draws to maximize sales opportunities.

Our best opportunity to impact and increase circulation is when we are dealing with people. The effective employees in our business have a concern for people and go one step further. This isn’t something they put on at the start of their workday and take off at the end – they genuinely care about people. If we are effective with dealing with people, the newspaper will sell itself.

When we look for new employees for our team, one of the qualities we look for are good people skills. We can be packed with sales and marketing knowledge and information but without this ingredient, it won’t work.

The following are examples of circulation managers and employees making choices that work, are effective in dealing with people, and as a result may help increase newspaper sales:

• The district manager who not only wants the carrier’s newspaper bill paid in full, but makes sure the carriers collect all their money to assure 100% of their profits.

• The single copy manager who listens for the concerns of the store manager and furnishes the best display for space considerations and point-of-purchase effectiveness.

• The customer service representative who takes many telephone calls on a similar situation but will take the time to actively listen and find what this customer is asking for and the underlying reason for the call.

• The circulation manager who keeps all staff members informed so the right hand knows what the left is doing.

In time you learn how to maximize your talents by using teamwork. This is done by knowing your people and their strengths, from district sales managers to carriers, to editors to newsroom personnel.

You may want to evaluate your department’s effectiveness in dealing with customers by asking a few simple questions. Are all arrows pointed in the same direction or are we working against each other’s efforts? Do the newspaper carriers know their efforts are appreciated? How often are they told what a good job they are doing?

O’Toole is assistant circulation manager of The Frederick News-Post. He serves on the MDDC Circulation Committee.

NIE Programs Still Growing

The study reported a 33 percent increase in the number of school-aged children involved with NIE programs from 10.8 million students in 1992 to 14.4 million students in 2000. The share of the students served by NIE has increased from less than one in four to nearly one in three. Another positive statistic is that school copies now account for about 2.4 percent of total newspaper circulation in the United States.

"NIE has become an undeniable force in the newspaper industry, not just for building future readers, but for building circulation," said Toni Laws, senior vice president, NAA Foundation.