Advocacy Articles

Advocacy: Why Not Be Proactive?
By Mark Palmore, Connect2One Institutional Store Advocate

We are extremely pleased at the response from our members on the value of the Connect2One Advocacy program. Our membership understands that advocacy means much more than reacting when you hear your boss is about to send out an RFP. Advocacy means that being proactive is the key to successfully presenting your store as indispensable to your institution!

In the last edition of The Connection, I wrote about being prepared to prove to your administrator the value of your store. Since that article, members have contacted me and decided to do just that, long before the conception of an RFP. For example, one member stated that they want to be able to develop a strong three-year plan for the store and include in that plan the many reasons why the campus bookstore is indispensable to the university. Also, the administrator responsible for the bookstore will be retiring this year and they want to make sure that the person hired to replace him is well aware of the value of the store as soon as possible. Though the new person may arrive with preconceived beliefs about the bookstore and its role on campus, the store director and her staff are preparing in advance to make sure the new person understands how their institutional store is a vital part of the university and the community. This store understands the importance of being proactive and will meet the challenge head-on rather than taking a reactive stance.

Being proactive will be the theme of the educational session on "Advocacy That Works for You" at the Connect2One meeting in Orlando. We will discuss what resources we now have, and what will soon be available to C2O members. Please come prepared to share some of the things you have done to promote the contributions of your store to the institution, along with any suggestions on how we can better serve your needs with the Advocacy program. We will also discuss the marketing pieces and op-ed articles available for your use as members of Connect2One.

See you in Orlando!