the program works business. business: a dollars and sense operation
TRANSCRIPT
The Program Works
Business
Business:A dollars and sense operation
Why the business part is important.
• Adviser and staff must guarantee funds to pay for the essential goal — the printing of the yearbook
• Funds must also pay for other operational expenses
Cost per book.
• Pricing for yearbooks starts with a base price figure– Number of books– Number of pages– Number of pages of color– Number of pages of spot color– Specific cover and endsheets
Cost per book.
• Let’s assume your book will cost $12,000 for 200 books with 144 pages of color, a four-color cover and four-color endsheets
• Doing the math, how much does each book cost?
Cost per book.
• The approximately $60 per book is a starting point
• Adding color can increase the cost of the book
– When you add color, the pages must be within a signature or
a flat
• Increasing the cost of the book can affect how many books are
sold, so aim to keep it affordable for everyone
How to keep a book affordable.
• Increased sales is the most efficient way to lower the cost of the book
• Advertising adds income to the book
– Business advertising
– Personal advertising
• Meeting deadlines
– Failing to meet deadlines could result in extra charges for color
and missed deadlines could result in a rescheduled ship date
Yearbook sales.
• Why people choose NOT to buy a book: they think they aren’t in it• A strong sales campaign begins with an effort to make coverage
more comprehensive– Activities– Students– Individual class photos and group photos – Myriad of quotes in sidebars and colorfully-written stories
• Strong visual and verbal reporting efforts set the stage for record-breaking yearbook sales
The “include-everyone” policy.
• Start with a valiant effort to make it easy for all students to get individual portraits– Help promote the photography day well in advance– Work with the photography company to schedule retakes
during a week with few school conflicts– Ensure that all senior portraits are received on time
• Include an assortment of photographs – Groups and classes– Formal and informal activities
• Individuals who appear in groups and in candid photos have motivation to own a copy of the yearbook
• Publicize the number of students quoted and pictured
Start the sale early.
• Leave nothing to chance– Before school is out for the summer, put information about
yearbook sales in the summer mailing– Be sure advance school registration forms include a place to
purchase a yearbook• Plan a schedule for price increases to encourage early sales
– Make the price lowest for those who purchase early– Make prices highest at delivery with an understanding that
there may not be a book available
Reminders.
• Consider creating a logo/design to use on all of the sales communications — a kind of branding. The logo could be stand alone or go with your theme– Summer registration is the best chance for sales as every student has
to register and parents are expecting to pay fees at this time– Publicity campaigns
o Plan a Yearbook Weeko Use modern publicity skills: classy displays, creative
announcements and other forms of publicityo Include message on school’s Web site, as well as in school
newsletterso Distribute a second reminder but remember the purchase price
must be higher and that the reminder is a convenience for procrastinators
Reminders.
• Mail campaigns– Direct mail and e-mail– Target parents, friends of the school as well as relatives and
friends of staff for a one-time mailing– If your school sends e-mail or mail communications to
parents, submit a yearbook purchase message– Include a mailing charge for those who want delivery of the
yearbook instead of picking it up at school
Outside sales.
• Mail to local businesses that have waiting rooms such as hairstylists, real estate offices, dentists, doctors and lawyers
• Promote the idea of community connections• Visit local bookstores to see if they’d like books to sell or to host
a special event when the books arrive
Include school personnel.
• The business manager should send a form to all school personnel so that everyone has the opportunity to purchase their own yearbook
• Use e-mail to maximize the effort
Special delivery.
• As the book evolves, send out pre-printed notes to those who haven’t purchased a book. Tell the students the pages they appear on and provide them with an order form.
• Make a list of unsubscribed students. Send them a friendly reminder that they still can purchase a book. Use appealing pages from the yearbook as teasers.
Yearbook sales persuasion.
• As you brainstorm ways to promote sales, consider these questions– How easy do you make it for students, parents and
faculty/staff to buy a copy of the yearbook?– How well do you communicate the importance and the value
of buying a copy of the yearbook?• Post the dates when price increases will happen, possibly twice
during the fall semester, to discourage procrastination
Persuasion strategies.
• Collect prizes and then sponsor drawings for every group of books sold — every 50 or 100 books
• Print preview spreads and display them in trophy cases• Use a payment plan that has to be completed by December or
ask the school to stand behind a record-not-clear collection plan at school’s close
• Create a Web site that builds excitement for the yearbook– Include an order form – Ask school officials to include a link to the yearbook site – Place photos and appealing information– Allow students to register for the site so you can send e-mail
updates
Persuasion techniques.
• Submit yearbook purchase information to school newsletters sent to parents
• Advertise in your student newspaper and in athletic programs• Encourage articles in your school and community newspapers
about awards and changes in the yearbook• Brainstorm other ideas, possibly an approach that connects to
your yearbook theme
The business plan.
• Create a yearbook that advertises itself• Keep a professional office and professional demeanor• Send signals that say your yearbook is a professional operation• Professionalism has no age restrictions
The business plan.
• For staff members– How you answer the phone:
o Answer with the yearbook name, your name and ask how you can help
o Always model customer service. If you don’t know the answer, find out and respond quickly
– How you photograph:o Politely, frequently and carefully
– How you write:o Accurately, vividly and grammatically
The business plan.
• How you interact with students• How you interact with faculty and staff• How you interact with your community
The business plan.
• Remember it is easier to project the right impression than it is to undo bad impressions
• Your business plan needs a good mental clock– Plan ahead
o Print forms ahead of times o Include time for yearbook saleso Include time for advertising campaignso Include time to meet deadlineso Include time for brainstorming sessions
– Build pacing that fits the school calendar
Total awareness of expenses.
• Anticipate all expenses:– Printing of the yearbook– Office supplies– Office equipment– Hardware: computers, printers, network system, digital cameras– Software– Fonts– CD or DVD for backup– Resources– Public relations– Postage– Extras
Total awareness of income potential.
• Anticipate income:– Budget requests– Book sales– Photography benefits– Advertising
o Business adso Senior tribute ads
− Ads must pay for themselves and additional pages
– Donationso Build a tradition that makes financial contributions possible
Staff recruitment.
• A path to business success begins with staff recruitment and organization
• Consider various methods to reach out:– Presentations by staff and/or adviser in feeder schools– Presentations to parents as they anticipate registration– A hand-out with the yearbook name and reasons why working on
the yearbook is an educational experience– Interaction with freshman and sophomore English teachers– Presentation by staff in English honors classes– Application forms– Required references– Prerequisites that provide a foundation for yearbook journalism
• You need to attract the best and the brightest
Staff organization.
• Have a clear chain of command– Executive leaders– Mid-level managers– Entry level personnel
Staff organization-executive level.
• Plan 1 Option: Traditional– Editor in chief– Managing editor– Business manager– Photography editor– Copy editor
Staff organization-executive level.
• Plan 2 Option: Departments– Editors in chief (two or more)– Managing editor: sports– Managing editor: people– Managing editor: academics– Managing editor: student life– Managing editor: sales and advertising
Staff organization-executive level.
• Plan 3 Option: Aptitude– Editors in chief (two or more)– Assignment editor– Copy editor– Design editor– Graphics/photography director– Sales/advertising director
Staff organization-mid-level positions.
• Section editors• Assistant section editors• Photography editors• Sales coordinator• Ad design editor
Staff organization-entry level.
• Reporters• Photographers• Business assistants
Managerial confidence.
• All staff members should share one or more common duties– Everyone should be involved in the sales campaign– Helping with research and surveys and selecting quotes for
sidebars
Student Activity
BRAINSTORMING AD CAMPAIGN
Divide staff into groups to brainstorm the following:o Territories by geography and stores/businesses in each territory
o Target stores/businesses as suggested by common or related products
or services
o Contact by priority
– Past advertisers or large accounts and businesses
– Businesses where a staff member knows the owner/manager
personally
– New businesses that have school connections or market
products/services for teenagers
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Student Activity
BRAINSTORMING BOOK SALES
Brainstorm people/businesses whom the staff could approach with two
opportunities
o Sign up as a sponsor of the yearbook– Develop a list sponsor levels with names per the amount of
contribution — Gold, Silver, Bronze
o Donate prizes that can be used for drawings to sell the book.
Target businesses that could supply prizes with teenage appeal
and remind contributors that the prize is another way to
advertise their business name
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Student Activity
BRAINSTORMING BOOK SALES
Develop a plan to make it easy for people outside of your school to become
“Friends of the Yearbook”o Require every staff member to hand in 10 names and addresses of family,
friends and relatives (no school parents or students on this list)
o Add the names and addresses of previous year’s Friends
o Send a letter promoting the educational purpose and cultural value of
purchasing a yearbook
o Business personnel should develop a purchase form that includes at least
two dollar amounts, allowing people to contribute beyond the cost of the
book
o Give the letter a professional presentation by including the return form and a
yearbook-addressed envelope
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Student Activity
BRAINSTORMING YEARBOOK SUPPORT
Collect business cards of local businesses and names of
supportive parents and teachers. Create a database list that
you can expand and refine each year. Use the list to promote
the yearbook by sending news about awards or teasers about
this year’s book.
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Student Activity
BUILD A YEARBOOK LIBRARY
– Order All-American books from National Scholastic Press
Association (NSPA). These books must be returned but
could help you determine books you’d like to buy or
exchange.
– Develop an exchange list.
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