Wi11 Keynote Speaker Martin Lindstrom to Share Tips for Boosting Business

Winter Institute 2016’s educational programming will kick off on Sunday, January 24, with author and international brand-building expert Martin Lindstrom, who will deliver a breakfast keynote exploring themes and insights from his upcoming book, Small Data: The Tiny Clues That Uncover Huge Trends (St. Martin’s Press, February 2016).

Throughout his career, Lindstrom has worked with companies all over the world, helping them to capitalize on what he calls “small data” — seemingly insignificant facts, figures, and clues that, when considered together, provide much greater insight about an unmet customer need, a critical angle for boosting sales.

During his keynote, Lindstrom will share the stories of several bookstores chosen to work with him on improving their businesses. Booksellers who are interested in hosting an in-store visit and appearing on stage at Wi11 with Lindstrom are invited to submit their store information to the Book Store Challenge through January 10. The information sought though the form available here includes the store’s demographics, specialty, target market, vision, and values.

For Lindstrom, who spends 300 nights a year traveling around the world as part of his work with all different types of businesses, the independent bookstore market holds a particular interest. “As you become corporate, the authenticity and the passion somewhat disappear,” said Lindstrom, “because it becomes a formula, one you can replicate, and it becomes cookie cutter.”

As the producer of the TODAY show’s “Main Street Makeover” segment, Lindstrom regularly visits small businesses throughout the United States to find ways to harness retailers’ passion and skills and revitalize their shops. Recent segments of the show feature Lindstrom lending his expertise to transform a toy store, a food truck, and a grocery store.

“We’ve gotten to the point now where the tricks and tools we have, and the ability we have to observe the small data, actually works — it’s not just a fun experiment,” said Lindstrom. “It’s what I so much would love to share with everyone in the room [at Winter Institute], because I love bookstores, I’m addicted to books, and I don’t want that experience to disappear.”

Many cities across North America look and feel very similar, he added, and people feel as if they know exactly what’s around every corner. But the stores and shopping centers that make up that repetitive and predictable landscape are now struggling.

“What we see right now, based on the trends, is that people are getting tired of that. In some states, people don’t want to have a cookie-cutter feeling anymore,” said Lindstrom. “This is really the strength of an independent store and booksellers: There, you are surprised.”

For his keynote presentation, Lindstrom is visiting several ABA members around the country to find out what works in their stores and what doesn’t; to learn about the challenges indie booksellers face; and to discover what types of displays work best, as well as any other creative ideas that have generated sales.

The bookstore customers’ desire for a unique experience was evident to Lindstrom in a recent visit to an indie bookstore, where he observed young people buying books in a very different way than other generations do. First, they were attracted by chaos and differences, beelining for tables where books were placed in a patchwork pattern. Second, they tended to stand in groups, pitching books to one another, reading blurbs, and talking about the contents.

“This tells me that, in many ways, we want to search and explore,” said Lindstrom. “That is the strength of the booksellers.”

Booksellers can boost a customer’s inclination to make purchases by tapping into all five senses, a phenomenon Lindstrom detailed in a recent article for Bookselling This Week titled “A Scary Secret About Amazon.”

For example, he said, booksellers can play the sounds of a barbecue over the store’s stereo in April and May to inspire the sales of cookbooks, or partner with a local grocery store or restaurant to offer food samples.

“When people get hungry they’ll buy more of everything,” said Lindstrom. “When I crave, I hold. When I hold, I take everything with me. It’s a way of filling my brain with stuff. That’s the reason why you buy much less if you’re full.”

People can often feel empty or out of balance due to the lack of physical touch they experience as a result of conducting more personal and professional tasks online, said Lindstrom, and so the sense of touch has also become critical to consumers.

“This is the opportunity,” Lindstrom said, and he urged booksellers to make sure their customers find appealing, physical books they can pick up, touch, and hold. “You always need to turn a threat into an opportunity.”

Lindstrom will share these insights and more on Sunday, January 24, from 7:45 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. in Plaza Ballroom A/B/C at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel.

Following Lindstrom’s keynote, booksellers will have the chance to discuss themes and ideas raised in his talk in Bookseller-to-Bookseller Discussion Groups. The discussions will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. in various rooms throughout the Sheraton; room assignments will be e-mailed to booksellers prior to Wi11 and will be included on attendee badges.