WFMA DINNER MEETING

1/15/04

THE ONE-PERSON CIRCULATION SHOP"

Speaker:    Bruce Miller

I have some handouts so you really don't have to take notes or anything. Thank you all for coming. This is about the one-person consumer-marketing department--circulation department, whatever we call ourselves nowadays. It's about the right brain-left brain juggler. That's circulation. Or, how to make your numbers; test new sources; stay within budget; keep your boss, your significant other and yourself happy . . . and maybe to get rich in the process.

So circulation--and this really is as Charlotte said -- is really more about circulation management and marketing management as well as for large departments or small. The things that we're going to talk about today are the things I think that we need to do in our business period.

First of all, I'm not sure why I put this in there except to, you know, it's kind of a pat on all of our backs. I think we're all pretty good if we can handle this. It's a right-brain business, we're creative, we're intuitive. It's a left-brain business, we're logical, we're rational. We have to be able to do both in this business. You have to be comfortable with the creative as well as the numbers. If you're not mathematically inclined you probably shouldn't be in this business. So if there's somebody in here that doesn't like math you probably should leave. So, usually people lean one way or the other and if you're going to go one way or the other, it's probably better to be mathematically inclined and you can get somebody to help you with the creative. We're pretty much integrated individuals, I think, and you should all be congratulated for that. I think it's hard work and I think we do well. So give yourself a hand.

How many of you, by the way, are in a one-person circ department? Rita, I love you. She's been doing it for years and she should get up here and talk about it.

Circulation is an integrated process that I like to think of and if you've heard me often you've probably heard this before, it's a business: planning, marketing, fulfillment and reporting, just like any other business. One of the things to make your job easier, which is what we're here for and not necessarily easier but to do a good job at it and hopefully make it a little easier is that in a small company the publisher or the owner is going to drive the company but you've got to agree with whatever his plans and whatever his goals are. So, if you have a clear understanding with your boss and your publisher, the president of your company, whomever, as to what subscription level you've got to deliver, what newsstand, what your circulation is, the revenue and expense targets, what major promotions are you going to do in a given year. You've got to have an agreement and an understanding. And then, finally, budget conservatively and overdeliver. We say it all the time, but do it. Do it. Budget conservatively and overdeliver and you'll like your job a lot more than having to make explanations as to why you didn't make your numbers.

Next, it's a marketing business. Once you've got that plan and you've decided it with the publisher, you've got to execute it. We're going to cover a lot of ground here tonight, so if you want to ask a question or if anybody doesn't understand or wants to know something about what I'm talking about, just raise your hand. Please do.