MRM Spotlight: Elizabeth Nichols

Elizabeth Nichols, a member relationship manager at the American Booksellers Association, is the first point of contact for bookstores in the Great Lakes, Mountains & Plains, Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and Southern regions. The Member Relations Department was introduced last March as a way to provide booksellers with a quick response to questions regarding ABA and its many services, as well as to provide assistance in dealing with industry-related issues.

Nichols came to ABA with a strong customer service background, which has been helpful in transitioning to the bookselling industry. Her past experience included alumni fund-raising and donor relations, and over the past year, she has immersed herself in the concerns of independent booksellers and connected with many within the industry. Nichols believes it is important for ABA to have an attentive member services department, as it is communication and service that lie at the heart of bookselling.

“I’ve learned that booksellers come from all walks of life, and they are the most nimble professionals I’ve ever met,” said Nichols, adding that the ability to adapt quickly is a necessity “in order to survive in this constantly changing business and consumer landscape.”

Nichols is happy to be a part of ABA, and to be able to work directly with the people that continue to shape the organization — its members. It is ABA’s dedication to its members that appealed to Nichols from the beginning.

“In comparison to most other trade organizations, ABA provides more thorough educational and networking opportunities throughout the year,” said Nichols, who meets members at the Winter Institute and BookExpo America, as well as the fall trade shows within her regions. At the events, she talks to current members to make sure they are maximizing their benefits, and invites prospective members to learn more about ABA. The trade shows are also a good opportunity for Nichols to gather bookseller feedback, which influences future ABA programming and services.

Nichols stressed that the MRMs are intended to be the first point of contact within the organization. They’re available to assist booksellers throughout the day, with any question they may have about their membership.

“MRMs are the eyes and ears of the organization,” she said. “It’s important for every member to know they have a key contact that they can turn to, whether they need assistance at one of the trade shows or if they have a question while they’re working in their stores. Members should always feel welcome to give us a call or shoot us an e-mail. All feedback is crucial and is used to help make decisions in membership offerings in the future.”

Nichols often answers booksellers’ general questions about the Book Buyer’s Handbook, assists them with user name and password recovery, and has recently been fielding many calls about how bookstores can sell e-books.

Libby Cowles, manager of Maria’s Bookshop, in Durango, Colorado, met Nichols at last year’s MPIBA trade show, and has kept in touch with her since.

“I have really appreciated getting to know Elizabeth and having her as our go-to-gal at ABA,” she said. “I find it really helpful to have a point person, so that we don’t need to figure out who on staff at ABA is the best one to contact when we have variety of questions... I love knowing that I can send pretty much any question to her via e-mail and be certain that she will be back in touch with me quickly with either an answer or reassurance that she’ll find the correct ABA staff member to answer my question for me. Overall, I think it has been a great idea for the ABA to create these positions.”

Carol Dunn, manager of Northwind Book & Fiber, first met Nichols at this year’s Winter Institute, where they discussed setting up an IndieCommerce site so Northwind could sell Google eBooks^TM. Since then, “I’ve e-mailed Elizabeth a lot — mostly about IndieCommerce — and she’s always been very helpful,” said Dunn. “Sometimes I don’t know who to contact, and if she can’t help me, she can prompt the appropriate person... so I think it’s useful to have a designated person to call.”

By April, Dunn’s IndieCommerce site was live.

“I have the chance to help booksellers out on a daily basis, at the end of the day, that makes me feel great,” said Nichols. “I’m very proud to be part of a trade organization that supports booksellers during these exciting times, and I look forward to what the future holds.”

Elizabeth Nichols can be reached at (800) 637-0037, ext. 6614, or via e-mail.