The Mike Taylor Back-To-School Checklist

STEP TWO: MEET YOUR YEARBOOK PARTNERS Your next meeting should be with your Walsworth sales rep. Don’t feel like you need to get all the answers in your first meeting. You will have ample opportunities to get answers as you go. However, your rep will have several items to discuss with you to get you started down the right path for the year. YOUR REP WILL HELP YOU SET UP YOUR: • Budget • Deadlines • Online Sales • Marketing plan • Yearbook specifications This meeting will help you get to know your sales rep. Make sure to discuss any expectations you have of them. Your sales rep can also help you get matched with a mentor through Walsworth’s Adviser Mentor Program. You’ll be paired with an experienced adviser, who will make themselves available for questions and support. A mentor can come in handy as situations arise throughout the year. They can offer advice for navigating relationships with the school administration and parents, and on topics such as grading and accountability by students. Next, it’s time to meet with your school photographer. Find out the requirements for your photos and the dates scheduled for school pictures. If you have seniors, make sure there are dates, requirements and solutions to getting each senior photographed. Do everything possible to get as many seniors in the book. Parents will not be forgiving if their senior is not in the book, even if it is the senior’s fault. Do not fool yourself – doing this task alone can be daunting. Review the commission policy. Most photo companies provide the school with a commission check. Often the check is applied to the income of the yearbook. You and your principal should have some sort of understanding where these monies go. Before meeting with students, you may want to talk to the registrar and counselors. Find out about scheduling situations. Sometimes, students are placed in the yearbook class for the convenience of scheduling. Check with counselors on behavior or attendance issues. Remember, you have expensive equipment and a valuable product you and the students will be responsible for.

Photo by Timothy Plourde

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