Putting the “Sell” in “Bookseller”

Indie booksellers are known for their ability to curate inventory, market titles through a variety of platforms, and handpick books for customers based on their interests. But with today’s consumers facing an ever-expanding number of choices, it’s never been more important for booksellers to be excellent salespeople.

ABA’s Day of Education on Monday, June 4, at BookExpo America will feature the afternoon panel discussion “Putting the ‘Sell’ in Bookseller,” focusing on bringing “salesmanship” to the next level. Panelists will be bookseller Arlene Lynes, owner of Read Between the Lynes in Woodstock, New York; Calvin Crosby, general manager at Book Passage in San Francisco, California; and Christopher Zane, founder and president of independent bicycle store Zane’s Cycles in Branford, Connecticut, and author of Reinventing The Wheel: The Science of Creating Lifetime Customers.

The discussion, which will take place in Room 1E13 from 2:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., will focus on the sales process, ways to encourage staff to sell, and the importance of establishing a mission statement that can be used as a platform to create a sales approach.

Like many successful chain retail stores, such as Apple and Target, Christopher Zane created a philosophy for his business that helps drive sales. The mission of Zane’s Cycles is to create lifetime customers by providing exceptional customer service and guaranteeing satisfaction. Zane is a noted public speaker, and his marketing techniques have been featured in college textbooks as well as national publications, including Harvard Business Review, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, and Fortune Magazine.

Before joining Book Passage, Calvin Crosby was the community relations director at Books, Inc., which has several locations in California. He currently serves as vice president of the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association.

Arlene Lynes opened Read Between the Lynes seven years ago, but she recently revisited her mission statement to reacquaint herself with her original vision for the store.

“I felt it was a good time to revisit the mission statement with my staff, so that we could see what we had accomplished and where we needed to get back on track,” Lynes said. Two weeks later, she observed a slight increase in sales, but more noticeable was the cohesiveness among staff and greater interaction with customers.

“It’s never too late or too soon to revisit your mission, make changes accordingly and adjust!” Lynes said, adding that she is looking forward to discussing her experience with other booksellers at BEA.