Sell Your Books This Way

The key to selling your book to others rests upon some basic principles, mainly these:

1.      Write a great book

2.      Let your intended readership know it exists.

3.      Price it right (not too high, not too low).

4.      Make it accessible for purchase (good distribution).

5.      Utilize the news media to validate the book’s greatness.

6.      Use social media to share what the news media is saying.

7.      Sell or handout enough free copies to get a pool of people to give it good word-of-mouth buzz.

8.      Write a book that fills a need, promotes a desire, creates a want or solves a problem.

9.      Have a catch, title, inviting cover, and easy-to-read type.

10.  Be better than competing books.

11.  Target your book’s content – and the marketing of it – to a specific group or demographic.  Never write for everyone or no one..

So, once you address those 11 areas, you need to make sure that your selling style is friendly, confident, enduring, and successful.  Sales come to those who sell.  But many authors feel uncomfortable being thrust into a sales role.  Books don’t sell themselves.  They need a push – and it must come from the author.

What can you do to improve your sales presentation?

1.      See yourself in the role of taking responsibility to help anther address an issue or solve a problem.  Yes, your book can cure people of things such as sadness, poverty, obesity, or loneliness.  Be your book – advice, inspire, motivate, enlighten.

2.      People buy from those they know or like.  Don’t shy away from selling to those you know.  As for getting people to like you, be a good listener, smile, laugh, and share some wisdom.

3.      No one makes a sale by interrupting a potential book buyer.  Be polite, patient, and passionate when talking to others.

4.      See objections as temporary.  They are really opportunities to sell.

5.      Not only should you answer the questions others have for you, but you should ask them questions.  It makes them feel like you care and you can use the information that they reveal to continue to try and sell to them.

6.      They best salespeople don’t come off as polished and slick, but they are prepared,\ and knowledgeable.

7.      Sell off-peak.  Find the odd moments or places to sell to others when most don’t sell.  Try things that others don’t want or can't do to sell a book.

8.      Look to make a binding connection early on.  Find something that you have in common and build on that.

9.      Display honesty in your handshake, eye contact, and the types of statements you make to the prospect.  They must feel you are truthful and genuine.

10.  Don’t tell yourself out of a sale.  Some people talk too much.  Know when to shut up.

11.  Assume what the customer may need, what he’s thinking but not saying, and where he wants to be.  You should sell based on these assumptions.

12.  Praise, thank, and acknowledge the customer.  Treat him or her as special and valued.  People want to feel you accept them, honor them, and understand them.

13.  Lastly, always follow-up with people and never shy away from trying to turn a no to a yes.  People change their minds all the time - help them change to a yes!

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