the program works business. business: a dollars and sense operation

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The Program Works Business

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Page 1: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

The Program Works

Business

Page 2: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

Business:A dollars and sense operation

Page 3: 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

Page 4: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 5: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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?

Page 6: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 7: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 8: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 9: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 10: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 11: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 12: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 13: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 14: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 15: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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.

Page 16: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 17: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 18: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 19: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 20: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 21: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

The business plan.

• How you interact with students• How you interact with faculty and staff• How you interact with your community

Page 22: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 23: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 24: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 25: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 26: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

Staff organization.

• Have a clear chain of command– Executive leaders– Mid-level managers– Entry level personnel

Page 27: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

Staff organization-executive level.

• Plan 1 Option: Traditional– Editor in chief– Managing editor– Business manager– Photography editor– Copy editor

Page 28: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 29: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 30: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

Staff organization-mid-level positions.

• Section editors• Assistant section editors• Photography editors• Sales coordinator• Ad design editor

Page 31: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

Staff organization-entry level.

• Reporters• Photographers• Business assistants

Page 32: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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

Page 33: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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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Page 34: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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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Page 35: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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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Page 36: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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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Page 37: The Program Works Business. Business: A dollars and sense operation

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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