HOW TO MAKE A BOOK SALE!

1.      Avoid competitive situations – provide a great offer, give enough incentives, reduce barriers, and address the concerns a consumer may have. 

2.      Assume there’s competition and know who it is, what they offer, and what it is that the potential customer believes is so good about their offer or book.

3.      Know what's important to the reader – and show how you’ll address those needs.

4.      Manipulate emotions – play on their ego, vanity, desire, greed, fears, humor, etc.

5.      Share testimonials from people they value – known names, high-profile organizations, members of the media, people in the industry, etc.

6.      Offer a competitive pricing.

7.      Offer a guarantee.

8.      Sound sincere and smile – it can be heard in your voice.

            9.       Don’t let the last sale or rejection interfere with the next call.

           10.  Show appreciation – be thankful – make sure they feel good and know how valuable they are to us.

            11.  Inject humor where possible.

            12.  Use first names.

13.   Offer add-ons -- something free but of value to the consumer.

14.    Convince them you know the media.

15.   Converse in a way that shows you share their values – family, charity, faith, etc.

16.    Present yourself in a way that gives them the belief you will act ethically.

17.    Quote stats and facts about what concerns them. Speak their language.

18.     Find common ground – agree on something, and smile when you talk.

19.    Identify what you think is the customer's strengths – it boosts their confidence – and delicately confront weaknesses, and ID potential threats and challenges. Let them know you have a plan to combat the critics or where they come up short.

20.   Identify your unique selling proposition – why do people go with you, and what do you offer that others can’t or don’t? If you are unable to demonstrate how you stand out to differentiate yourself from the competition, you will just blur into oblivion.

21.    Some may want references, and they will call them.

22.    Use visuals or props – signs, videos, toys, gifts, PowerPoint, etc. to make a strong impact.

23.    Speak in memorable slogans.

Marketing a book takes confidence, personality, research, and creativity. It appears to be about a triumph of style over substance, but it is really about will over reality, about you beating others to the deadline, and coming to the table with a story that needs to be told. Sell a story that needs to be told. Sell a story. Paint a picture. Book marketing is about sharing a vision and conjuring up a desire to aspire, and a need to be fulfilled. You’re an artist, an athlete, a politician, a teacher, and an entrepreneur. You deliver a message and you become it in how you sell it.

Sales Advice on the Powers of Persuasion

Excerpted from Scientific Mind

Below are excerpts from an article I read about persuasion. I thought it might keep your marketing efforts in perspective. Perhaps it would help us in our selling efforts to keep these things in mind.

These core principles of persuasion are as follows:

Reciprocity – we feel obligated to return favors

Liking – we have a tendency to say yes to people whom we like

Scarcity – we place more value on things that are in short supply

Social proof – we look at what others are doing when we’re not sure what to do ourselves

Authority – we listen to experts and those in positions of power

Commitment and consistency – we like to be true to our word and finish what we’ve started

Humor is Key.

Exhibiting empathy helps to convince people that you have their best interests at heart, a surefire way to get them on your side.

It helps if people feel like they’re being offered a good deal, especially if the good deal involves getting away with something.

The key, as a persuader, is to present things in such a way that they appear to be not in your own best interests – but in those of whom you’re trying to influence. 

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, Media Connect, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2014