BEA Spotlight: Morning Sessions at ABA's 'Day of Education'

BookExpo America, which will be held from Thursday, May 18, through Sunday, May 21, at the Washington (D.C.) Convention Center, is now just two-and-a-half months away. To help our readers prepare for the myriad events and educational seminars at BEA, over the next nine weeks, Bookselling This Week will be highlighting each week one or more aspects of the four days of ABA and BEA program offerings.

This week, the focus is on the morning sessions being offered as part of ABA's fourth annual "Day of Education" on Thursday, May 18. This year's wide array of seminars and panel discussions will have one goal in mind, and that's increasing sales. Based on the results of the 2006 Education Survey, distributed to ABA members last fall, the schedule of events offers something for booksellers of all levels.

Open to all ABA members, this full day of education -- including lunch -- is free of charge. Advance registration through BEA is required.

From 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., Ballroom A will be the site of the "Science of Independent Bookselling: Catching and Keeping Customers," with Paco Underhill. This seminar will walk attendees through the store from a shopper's perspective and will fill in the missing pieces between plans on a drawing they need to build a better store.

Paco Underhill is the founder and managing director of Envirosell, a New York-based research and consulting firm with offices around the world. Underhill has spent more than 25 years conducting research on different aspects of shopping behavior and is recognized as a leading expert and pioneer in the field. Underhill helps companies understand what motivates the behaviors of today's consumer. His research shows how today's retail world is ruled by factors such as gender, "trial and touch," and human anatomy. He is an insightful and captivating speaker, who frequently presents to trade associations and professional groups about the methodology and findings of his research.

Underhill and Envirosell have been profiled by major publications, including The New Yorker, Fortune, Fast Company, Business Week, and Smithsonian Magazine, and have been featured on ABC's 20/20 and CBS's 48 Hours. Underhill is a regular contributor to NPR and BBC Radio. His columns and editorials have appeared in the New York Times, London Times, Wall Street Journal, and Christian Science Monitor. His first book, Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping has been published in 30 languages and has sold more copies than any other retail book in history. Simon & Schuster published his second book, entitled Call of the Mall: The Geography of Shopping, in February, 2004.

Combining traditional market research techniques, anthropological observation methodologies, and videotaping, Envirosell has established a reputation as an innovator in commercial research and as an advocate for consumer-friendly shopping environments and packaging.

From 10:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. in Room 150 A will be the seminar, "Handselling: Customer Service with Results." Handselling is the key customer service strategy differentiating independent bookstores from all other competitors. Here, attendees will learn how to use or improve this strategy to grow their reputation, energize their staff and increase their sales. This session will focus on attracting and training good handsellers, integrating handselling into marketing efforts, and ensuring that customers walk away with a unique and positive shopping experience.

"Know Your Customer: Increase Sales" will be held in Room 152 A from 10:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. According to Gartner Research, businesses "that fail to establish strong relationships with their customers will see their position eroded by up to 20 percent per year." Booksellers' single greatest asset is not their lease, their computer, or even their inventory, it's their list of customers. At this seminar, attendees will learn how individual contact, surveys, market research, and use of their database can combine to form an effective strategy for communicating with customers. Effective communication will help booksellers identify and achieve objectives that will grow their business and make their store more profitable.

In Room 146 B, "Retail Horizons -- Industry Benchmarks" will be held from 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. In this session, a leading industry analyst will present findings of the National Retail Federation Research and Education Foundation/Bearing Point Retail Horizons study. Aimed at storeowners and veteran booksellers, this management seminar will focus on 2005 industry benchmarks, as well as 2006 projections. With a focus on growing the top line, this session will explore strategies being employed by retailers of all shapes and sizes to meet the needs of the better informed and more demanding consumers of the 21st century.

From 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. and from 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. will be the session "Shop Local: Forming Business Alliances in Your Community" in Room 144 B & C. Not only do locally owned businesses have far greater positive economic impact on their communities than do national chains, there is growing evidence that by working with other independently owned businesses in their town or city, booksellers make their stores more profitable. Hear success stories and learn about the important role that bookstores can play in the creation of independent business alliances and in convincing more and more consumers to shop locally.

From 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. in Room 150 B will be the session, "Getting the Most Out of Your Website." A website is a powerful marketing tool, but it's only as useful as the effort put into it. In this session, attendees will learn the basics of using a website as a tool to market their store, as well as 10 key tips about marketing the website to increase traffic and sales.

Look for a profile of the afternoon sessions being offered as part of ABA's "Day of Education" in next week's Bookselling This Week.

Attending booksellers should also remember that ABA will be holding its first-ever "Legislative Day" on Wednesday, May 17, at the Doubletree Crystal City and on Capitol Hill. For a previous article on this topic, click here.

Additional information about BookExpo America and ABA's educational programming and special events is available at http://www.bookweb.org/aba/convention/.