“For
decades, the model and philosophy around the selling process has focused on a
model of “prospecting, presenting, overcoming objections, and closing the
sale,” writes best-selling author Jeffrey Gitomer in his book, Sales Manifesto.
He
says that way of sales is dead. I don’t
know it that is completely true-depending on what you sell, to whom, when, and
where – but it is obvious there are other ways to approach sales.
For authors, selling books is certainly different than selling widgets, luxury items or food staples – or electronics, homes, cars, or gym memberships.
For authors, selling books is certainly different than selling widgets, luxury items or food staples – or electronics, homes, cars, or gym memberships.
So
what style of selling works for authors?
For
one, you need to be personable. You are selling to others, telling stories,
listening to their needs, and seeking to solve a problem with your words.
You
also need to be mindful of price and competition. Plenty of books are vying for your customer’s
wallet. Plenty of non-book resources are
also available, each holding the promise of fulfilling someone’s needs.
Your
sale will come down to a host of factors -- timing, luck, price, your presentation
skills, the look and feel of your book, and how you show your book’s value in
the context of a customer’s perceptions.
Here
are some things you should pay attention to when trying to sell your book to
others:
·
Be
persuasive – but not pushy.
·
Have
an easy way about you – be inviting to talk to.
·
Show
you ae driven and on a mission – not just to make money.
·
Reveal
our authentic, honest, friendly side – people need to buy into you and your trustworthiness.
·
Have
a positive, empowering, yes-you-can attitude that infects others.
·
Give
of yourself before you ask for anything.
·
Anticipate
questions and provide answers before they ask.
·
Show
an interest in them, be inquisitive, and really listen.
·
Come
off as a trusted advisor and confidant.
·
Express
empathy, sympathy, love, and kindness.
·
Inject
wit and humor into your exchanges.
·
Display
unyielding ethics and strong personal values.
·
Learn
the why behind their buy -- know what moves them.
·
Don’t
project your views onto your customers – learn their reasons and views and sell
to them.
·
Express
an urgency in why they need your book now.
·
Get
them to be emotional and to speak about what makes them tick.
·
Provide
service beyond their expectation.
·
Establish
your social media brand so that people are pre-sold on the idea of buying your
book.
·
Always
ask for the sale -- repeatedly and often.
“Sales
is no longer telling,” says Gitomer. “It’s about asking powerful, emotionally
engaging questions. When you are
talking, you’re not learning about the customer’s needs, wants, motives, and
expected outcomes. That’s where the sale
is. Stop talking and start asking, and
your sales will double.”
One’s
reputation should proceed them. When
others find you knowledgeable, likeable, attractive, friendly, and trustworthy,
getting a sale is a lot easier. If they
perceive a difference between you and your competition – and they have
confidence in you – they will buy under the atmosphere you have created.
So are
you starting to catch on?
1.
Establish
your brand.
2.
Give
value first.
3.
Help
others.
4.
Show
people what you can do for them.
5.
Exploit
your competitive advantage.
6.
Smile. Ask for the sale.
Selling
books, like anything else, is a numbers game.
It’s about making a quantity of quality efforts to pre-qualified
prospects who have been pre-sold. If
that doesn’t work, beg. Or change the
offer. Sell a service with a book. In the end, you sell yourself.
Other
nuggets of sales wisdom from Gitomer include these action steps for ultimate
success:
·
“Your
face-to-face networking gets you contacts, leads, and builds relationships.
·
“Your
social networking builds attraction, engagement, followers, and connections.
·
“Your
ideas get you listened to and talked about.
·
“Your
questions uncover prospects’ motives for buying and reveals their urgency to
own what you’re offering.
·
“Your
deep belief in what you sell will create emotional engagement with your
prospect.”
·
Their
unspoken risk (not your price) is the real barrier.
·
“Your
ability to deliver beyond expectation gets you talked about and bought again.
·
“Your
availability, ease of doing business, speed of response, and friendliness
created customer’s desire beyond price to become loyal.
·
“Your
ability to stay in touch and provide continued value creates repeat, business,
referrals, word-of-mouth advertising, and the law of attraction.”
Now, go sell some books!
Now, go sell some books!
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Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and
interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of
his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter
@theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more
important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by
BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2019. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in
Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and
IBPA’s Independent. This was named one of the best book
marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the
top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best
resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America.
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