Now Accepting Entries for the 2027 Modern Library Awards!
Play Offense, Not Defense: Have Soundbites Ready for Tough Situations
$49.00
$25 each when purchasing 3 or more licenses
| Quantity | Price per item | Discount |
| 3 licenses | $25.00 | 49% off |
Product Details
Increasingly, library workers find themselves in situations like these:
• You have to convince stakeholders or politicians not to cut funding.
• The library collection is being discussed (or derided) at a public meeting.
• You need to talk with nonusers, or even protestors, without becoming defensive.
• People make social media comments that accuse staffers of unsavory actions.
• Someone claims, "We don’t even need libraries anymore because everything is online."
Since these instances are increasing, you must prepare to handle them. And it’s dangerous to wait until you’re in the situation to try to give a safe and effective response on-the-fly. Here’s a better game plan:
• DON’T get goaded into responding defensively or saying something that can be twisted to use against your library.
• DO go on the offensive by preparing strategic talking points now, so you’ll be ready to respond in a positive, thoughtful way.
Once you learn the strategy for choosing just the right words, you can prepare a value statement, soundbite, or elevator speech for every question and occasion, so you'll always be ready with the perfect comeback! This session will include examples of excellent statements to inspire you.
LEVEL: BASIC
Presenter
Kathy Dempsey wrote the popular how-to book The Accidental Library Marketer and founded her own marketing consultancy, Libraries Are Essential. Her work is dedicated to helping librarians and information professionals promote their value and expertise in order to gain respect and funding. Kathy has been the Editor of Marketing Library Services newsletter for 30 years and was Editor-in-Chief of Computers in Libraries magazine. She is Founding Chair of the Library Marketing and Communications Conference. This writer, editor, and marketing maven has been giving presentations across the U.S. and Canada for 25+ years, always sprinkling them with humor to make marketing concepts more interesting and accessible.
Play Offense, Not Defense: Have Soundbites Ready for Tough Situations