Marian Huczek, Irena Socha The role of inside marketing in the quality improvement of library work
	The Institute of Librarianship and Scientific Information, University of Silesia
	This article was translated thanks to the grant received from the Open Society Institute

Libraries are non-profit organisations that function according to the principle of meeting important public needs. These organisations activities are not geared at gaining profit their revenues are invested in further development.

It is clear, while researching professional sources and literature, that it is necessary to use principles of marketing in these organisations activities. Practical applications show that non-profit organisations can employ the same marketing tools as profit-making institutions, provided necessary adjustments be made to the non-market conditions.^[1] Mr. Sojka, in his article, notes the specifics of the library market and underlines the necessity of broader analysis of libraries market orientation.^[2]

According to the ideas of today's market orientation, a modern library should participate in networking, focus on working directly with users and, more importantly, come up with an interesting and attractive product.

Once a marketing strategy is adopted and agreed upon, a library's goals and long-term plans should be carefully re-defined. A library's positive image should be created, and further successful development assured by continuous, high-quality customer service. Any institution, along with implementation of a marketing orientation, should focus on introducing the inside marketing. The so-called inter-personal relationships doctrine, a trend originated in the sixties, focused on the importance of the human potential as factor in the successful strategy of an institution. Main principles of the trend were pointed out: delegation of tasks by the management, and encouragement of the staff's initiatives. It was stated that no institution would achieve any results unless the staff begins to identify with the goals set forth by the company's management. Well-understood and well-defined idea of inside marketing, based on the principle of management, was created in the eighties.

Inside marketing is considered to be the most important form of work activity within organisations whose culture perceives clients as an important element of their professional structure. Logically, such organisations usually do their best to meet their clients needs. Inside marketing is especially important in every service-providing institution. Its success depends greatly on its functioning within the organisation, and on the right attitude of the staff. Application of inside marketing requires employing possibly the best available professionals and providing them with incentives for best performance.

The implementation of inside marketing in libraries may significantly improve the effectiveness of their service. This kind of marketing comprises the entire scope of library activities and is directed at those members of staff who interact with users, as well as at the supporting staff.

The end result (in this case, a popular and well-functioning library) depends on the co-operation of all library departments. According to the consensus all employees of a modern and efficiently run organisation participate in the implementation of its marketing strategy. Staff's participation in the company's implementation of a marketing plan is shown on diagram 1.

Pict.1. The participation of library staff in implementation of a marketing strategy.

One should point out that all members of library staff, their mutual relations and their attitude towards users are key element in the success of this implementation. All above-mentioned elements greatly influence the improvement of overall effectiveness of work and constitute the core of inside marketing. The goal of inside marketing is to provide the clientele with possibly best quality of all aspects of service.

Literature on the subject quotes a number of different approaches to inside marketing. They originate from a variety of aspects pertaining to the idea of inside marketing. Here are a few examples of such aspects:

• Harmonisation of outside and inside marketing activities.^[3]
• Influence on the quality of customer service.^[4]
• Personal marketing.^[5]
• Influence of inside marketing on the effectiveness of the marketing strategy.^[6]
• The significance of so-called inside purchasers.^[7]

Inside marketing functions according to two principles:

1. All members of staff are aware of the library's mission, its goals and long-term plans. In day-to-day operations, this awareness should be converted to top-quality performance and good co-operation with peers and clientele.
2. Every employee and every department co-operate using the demand principle - all striving to perform at the top of their ability.

As before, one should be aware of the special significance of service provider-client relationship. After all, the client's final assessment - favourable or not depends on the staff s professional expertise, personality, courtesy and friendly approach. Highly qualified, professional customer service is a basis for the right relationship with clients. Simply put, unless provided with service at the desired level, clients will look for options elsewhere.

Radoslaw Cybulski writes: "It is crucial that, in a decision-making process which involves the implementation of marketing, the team be convinced, united and finally sold on the idea of marketing strategy. It is not always easy, as positive verbal commitments of the staff are not always substantiated with actions."

One of the main thesis of inside marketing is that every member of staff is ready to invest some part of their spare time in the professional development, both of the library's and their own, provided that they are rewarded either morally or materially. This leads to creation, within the library, of a certain type of market where ideas and spare time are traded. ^[8]

Factors contributing to the library's work performance are:

• Quality of co-operation between departments and staff's inter-personal relations.
• Motivational system.
• Continuing education system for the staff.

Yet another significant factor in the successful implementation of inside marketing is effective communication and co-operation between departments and staff. The staff should be familiar with and accept library's goals and long-term plans.

One can observe, while analysing aspects of classical marketing, that distribution of products is done trough various channels. Likewise, in inside marketing the information reaches employees through: pamphlets, videos, discussion groups, meetings, posters. As mentioned before in order to successfully implement inside marketing routine a smooth co-operation between departments must be assured. At times, this process runs into difficulties when employees do not differentiate between two categories of users, the so-called in- and out-clients . There are two main principles to inside marketing strategy:

• each employee and every department are at the same time in-clients and inside suppliers. All library operations are perfectly harmonised when every employee and department provide and receive high-quality services,
• a library's personnel should stick to the declared mission, strategy and goals.

These principles take on a special meaning when applied within the library environment, mainly due to the specifics of a close relationship between customers and library staff. Departmental co-operation can be developed by outlining of formal procedures, and their proper function can be assured by organising the workshops during which the so-called core activities can be established and agreed upon.

Inside marketing in libraries is closely connected with the idea of a library as a service institution. This idea is based on acquired synergy between „a psychological reader" and library processes, and involves employment of participation techniques, delegation of responsibility and approach to the library environment as forum for discussion and hammering of methods that guarantee effective solutions.

The implementation of inside marketing should be conducted in the following three phases:

1. Diagnosis identifying readers who influence library's situation most.
2. Prognosis defining goals, pinpointing potential problems, choosing tools, tactics.
3. Strategic planning program outline and its implementation. ^[9]

As mentioned before one of the bigger problems libraries face, is the improvement of customer service. In order to achieve desired effects, one needs to effectively employ the principles of inside marketing.

Its program should involve:

• setting the standards (as well as their definition) for the quality customer service,
• setting in motion activities geared at reaching a satisfactory level of customer service.

Graph presenting the structure of inside marketing can be seen on picture 2.

Picture 2. Implementation of inside marketing program.
Source: K. Fonfara. Marketing partnerski na rynku przedsiębiorstw. Warsaw 1999, p. 96.

First step in the preparatory process leading to implementation of inside marketing, is thorough analysis of the level of customer service. Some questions can be used as tools:

• Are the expectations of particular groups of clients known?
• What are initial impressions of first-time users?
• Have the mechanisms for probing clients needs and expectations been established?

What follows is the set-up of customer service standards, the plan for its improvement, along with employee training program. Naturally, ongoing monitoring and periodical assessments are also required.

There are many benefits to applying the inside marketing in libraries. Here are some of them:

• Improved co-operation of various library departments and increased level of communication.
• Creation of better and more favourable environment for the development of departments initiatives.
• Increased level of integration between the library and its employees.
• Improved level of awareness of library's goals and expectations.

It is necessary to point out that effective implementation of inside marketing program requires some initial groundwork. Namely, a formal structure needs to be set, and responsibilities assigned. Also, a project manager needs to be appointed, and strategic and tactical activities co-ordinated.

First print:
Zarządzanie w organizacjach non-profit : strategie, marketing / red. nauk. Andrzej Chodyski, Marian Huczek, Irena Socha ; Wyższa Szkoła Ekonomiczno-Humanistyczna w Bielsku-Białej, Instytut Bibliotekoznawstwa i Informacji Naukowej Uniwersytetu Śląskiego, Katedra Systemów i Technik Zarządzania Politechniki Łódzkiej filia w Bielsku-Białej. - Bielsko-Biała : Wyższa Szkoła Ekonomiczno-Humanistyczna, 2001. - ISBN 83-913509-2-4.

Footnotes

[1] J. Sójka: Promocja w strategii marketingowej biblioteki. Poznań 1994.

[2] B. Iwaszkiewicz-Rak: Marketing organizacji non-profit. "Marketing i Rynek" 1995 nr 4.

[3] Ch. Grönroos: International Marketing - Theory and Practice. [In:] Services Marketing in a Changing Environment. T. Black (ed.) Chicago 1985.

[4] J. Filipo: Service Firms. Interdepessendence of External and Internal Marketing Strategies. "European Journal of Marketing" 1986 vol.20 no. 8.

[5] W. George: International Marketing and Organisational Behaviour. A. Partnership in Developing Custmer Conscions Employees at Every Level. "Journal of Business Research" 1990 vol. 20.

[6] N. Piercy, N. Morgan: Internal Marketing: Strategies for Implementing Organisational Change. Long Range Planning. Spring 1999.

[7] E. Gummeson: Using Internal Marketing to Develop a New Culture - The Case of Ercsson Quality. "Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing" 1987 vol. 2 no. 3.

[8] Z. Martyniak: Elementy zarządzanie informacja i komunikacja w przedsiębiorstwie. Cracow 1997.

[9] Z. Martyniak: Elementy zarządzanie informacja i komunikacja w przedsiębiorstwie. Cracow 1997.

Translated by Dorota Jaglarz