Putting the “Sell” in “Bookseller”

As part of ABA’s Day of Education at BookExpo America, a panel discussion entitled “Putting the ‘sell’ in ‘bookseller’” addressed ways in which indies can take salesmanship to the next level. The panel was made up of booksellers Arlene Lynes of Read Between the Lynes in Woodstock, Illinois; Calvin Crosby of Book Passage, which has two locations in California’s Bay Area; and noted entrepreneur, author, and speaker Christopher Zane of Zane’s Cycles, based in Branford, Connecticut.

The discussion was moderated by ABA Content Officer Dan Cullen, who began by stressing the importance of a mission statement. This is what lies at the foundation of successful businesses, Cullen said, and it can help motivate and guide booksellers as well as strengthen a bookstore’s relationship with its customers.

After six years of bookselling, Arlene Lynes decided to revisit her store’s mission statement to make sure it was clearly communicated to her staff. “We really needed to get back on track,” she said, adding that she looked at practices performed by successful corporations, such as Apple, to gain inspiration. Borrowing the computer giant’s staff training acronym, Lynes has trained her employees to handle interactions with customers who enter the store — to “Approach, Probe, Present, Listen, and End with a fond farewell and invitation to return.”

In revamping the store’s mission statement, Lynes said she aimed to be more specific about the role Read Between the Lynes plays in the community. “Everything we are doing, we’re able to accomplish because of our community,” she said. “And it’s important for our staff to know that.”

Re-enforcement of this idea has helped staff maintain focus and has resulted in an increase in sales. “But what was more beneficial and insightful was that it presented a cohesiveness to the staff,” Lynes said. “We were now working as a team. Everybody knew what the expectation was, could see each other using the same methodology. We’re back and we’re moving forward.”

The mission of Zane’s Cycles is that the only difference between the store and its competition is the service offered, said Chris Zane, who noted that his store is more expensive than every online competitor. By offering customers a free lifetime service and parts warranty on all bicycles sold, Zane gains his customers’ trust and, ultimately, retains their business. “Our interaction with the customer is figuring out what’s going to make them appreciate the fact that they made an investment in our organization.”

The process that ties this together, said Zane, is calculating the lifetime value of a customer. At Zane’s Cycles, staff knows that if they work with every customer from the time they start riding a bike that customer will be worth $12,500 of revenue to the business. “Which is $5,650 in gross profit,” said Zane, “and you treat customers very differently when they’re worth $6,000 than when they’re worth the profit on a $6 tube.”

Everyone at Zane’s Cycles goes the extra mile to ensure that the customer is happy, such as high-fiving young riders, loading bikes in and out of cars, even picking people up if their bikes have broken down.

“We do anything we can 24/7 to engage our customers to understand we’re just different than anyone else,” said Zane.

Bike shops are not safe from showrooming, said Zane, but he offers customers who price scan the cheaper price as a way to keep them in the store, and keep them coming back.

“And nothing is permanent,” he assured the room full of booksellers. “Showrooming is very popular right now, but that will go away, and there will be something new.”

Calvin Crosby is currently working with his staff to energize them and remind them to always “say yes to customers.” A key to satisfying customers and increasing sales, he said, is the importance of finding the right staff and making the commitment to train them.

“Hire like-minded people who share the [store’s] culture and the mission statement,” he said. “It’s about hiring the right person who you think you can train for the job. Not the person you think can do the job without the training. Training is the most important thing.”

Crosby encouraged booksellers not to shy away from implementing necessary changes, especially if they have the potential to invigorate store operations. He related that when Book Passage “shifted the whole floor plan ... it caused this huge, emotional fallout.  But three months later, I have these same wonderful people on staff, but they’re a little more enthusiastic. It’s a whole new job, and they didn’t have to change their W-2s.”

When it comes to motivating staff, all three panelists practice praising their employees and encouraging the positive work they have done. If a customer that Zane has a good relationship with makes a purchase, he has even handed them $20 and asked the customer to tip the staff member with the cash. “And just like that, the quality of work improves for the next week!”

Crosby related that Book Passage has a new program that rewards booksellers with free lunch if they have a customer transaction of $400 or more. The lunch doesn’t cost much, he said, “but, oh my God, they are so happy. And then they try to outdo themselves. The power of a free lunch is amazing.”

Praising does not have to end with staff, the panelists agreed, discussing how it is important to commend customers for their good choices and taste.

Both Lynes and Crosby have found another way to thank customers and encourage loyalty: holding annual events for the top customers in their stores. At Read Between the Lynes, it’s a “Top 50 Party,” where customers are sent a formal invitation to a two-hour private reception with champagne and hors d’oeuvres. Typically, this is held on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and though it is not promoted as a shopping event, those two hours usually yield about $2,500 in pre-holiday sales, Lynes said.

“We’ve had more customers up their spending the next year because they want to make sure they’re on that list,” she said.