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Six Traps to Avoid When Negotiating Large-Quantity Book Sales – Part 5

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue May 2, 2017

This is the fifth article in a series.

This continues my series of blog postings about the top negotiating traps in which you could unknowingly find yourself when dealing with a corporate buyer. Here is the fifth trap to avoid.

Negotiating Trap #5: Trying to Speed Things Up

The process for selling large quantities of your books to corporate buyers sometimes takes on a life of its own, moving ahead at a pace that is usually slower than you want. Do not force the process to move faster. Allow it to unfold without making unnecessary concessions – or trying to force unwanted terms on your prospects -- to move it ahead.

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Six Traps to Avoid When Negotiating Large-Quantity Book Sales – Part 4

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Apr 18, 2017

This is the fourth article in a series.

This continues my series of blog postings about the top negotiating traps in which you could unknowingly find yourself when dealing with a corporate buyer. Here is the fourth trap to avoid.

Negotiating Trap #4: Sticking to a formula.

Every negotiation for a large-quantity book sale is different. Each has different objectives, people and budgets, so there is no one path on which you travel toward a successful deal. There is no “one-way” to negotiate a large sale of your books, but there are things that you should and should not do. Knowing when to do which is the key.

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Six Traps to Avoid When Negotiating Large-Quantity Book Sales – Part 3

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Apr 11, 2017

This is the third article in a series.

This continues my series of blog postings about the top negotiating traps in which you could unknowingly find yourself when dealing with a corporate buyer. Here is the third trap to avoid.

Negotiating Trap #3: Not seeking common ground.

You will run across varied personalities on your path to negotiating large-quantity sales of your books to corporate buyers. Some of these people will have a hidden agenda when dealing openly in front of their colleagues, and they may assume a more confrontational behavior. This may result from a desire to perpetuate – or establish – a reputation as “playing hardball,” and not compromising easily.

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Six Traps to Avoid When Negotiating Large-Quantity Book Sales – Part 2

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Apr 4, 2017

This is the second article in a series.
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Most publishers are not skilled negotiators, and may feel at a disadvantage when dealing with a person trained is salesmanship. Yet in most cases, a sale may be more likely if you know how to recognize and avoid the situations that could automatically disqualify you as a sales professional. In a series of six blog postings I will discuss each of the top negotiating traps in which you could unknowingly find yourself. Here is the second trap to avoid.

Inside Publishing

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Six Traps to Avoid When Negotiating Large-Quantity Book Sales

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Mar 28, 2017

This is the first article in a series.
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Corporate executives can purchase your books in large, non-returnable quantities. However, the process to convince them to buy is not short, nor is it easy. These people are spending their company’s money, so they must justify their decisions to those higher up the organizational ladder. The decision makers negotiate with you to get the best deal and to confirm they know the answers to the right questions. Much of your sales success will be the result of making the buyers feel they are making the best decision.

Inside Publishing

Marketing & Publicity

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Are You Solving the Right Problem?

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Wed Mar 22, 2017

Problems are the bane of all businesses, and solving them is a constant battle as publishers fight to succeed. Spurred by a penchant for action, they quickly switch into solution mode and in many cases address the wrong issues. The secret to winning the struggle is not simply solving problems, but first knowing what the real problem is.

For example, a publisher may begin brainstorming with employees by saying, “We have a problem with poor sales. What can we do about it?” A staff wanting to appear enthusiastic and helpful responds with recommendations for solutions. These might include publishing more books, increasing publicity, changing distributors or selling through more bookstores. Unfortunately, low sales are just a symptom of the real problem, and the solutions offered are analogous to re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

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Top Ten Factors to Consider When Using Your Book as a Freemium

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Wed Mar 15, 2017

Should You Use Your Book As A Freemium? A premium is an item given away to attract, retain or reward customers. It may also be provided as an incentive to purchase a particular product. Can companies use your book as a premium? Yes, and you can earn substantial revenue that way. Can you use your book as a premium for your own business? Yes. When your book is a “freemium” it can generate a valuable source of revenue for your other services, such as speaking or consulting. Here are the Top Ten Factors to Consider When Using Your Book as a Freemium.

1. Your book has to have value in itself to recipients, meaning its content should be useful to them

2. The form should portray value – a high-priced hardcover book will have greater perceived value than a low-priced ebook

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Top Ten Reasons You Can Make More Money Selling Books to Non-Bookstore Buyers

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Mar 7, 2017

Significant benefits accrue to the astute publishers that grow their businesses through non-bookstore marketing. Here are the Top Ten Reasons You Can Make More Money Selling Books to Non-Bookstore Buyers.

1) Increased revenue. Increase your sales in a marketplace somewhat larger in size than the bookstore market. You could double your sales with additional marketing effort directed to non-bookstore markets.

2) Recurring revenue. In non-bookstore marketing, your customers may place a standing order (a given number of books to be shipped automatically on some predetermined schedule). This recurring revenue improves the predictability and velocity of your cash flow.

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The Top Ten Places to Sell More of Your Books

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Wed Mar 1, 2017

The Top Ten Places to Sell More of Your Books
By Brian Jud

This is the second in a series of Top Ten lists about selling to special-sales (non-bookstore) buyers. The best way you can benefit from this opportunity is to divide the total market into two segments, and sell them according to their needs. The first is the retail segment where you reach buyers through distribution partners. The second is direct sales to non-retailer buyers (businesses, associations and schools) who use books as marketing tools to sell more of their products or help their employees, members or students. Here are the Top Ten Places to Sell More of Your Books (five retail and five non-retail).

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Ten Ways to Get to Yes After You Hear No

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Feb 21, 2017

Authors and publishers hear the word “No” frequently. It could be said by the media, distributors, buyers in retail stores or corporate buyers. However, that doesn’t have to be the final answer. People who say no to one thing may be more likely to say yes if asked again. Use that fact to your advantage in a sales situation. If your prospect says no, think, “I heard what you said but it’s not what you meant.” You can more easily get to yes when you recognize the top ten tips for getting to yes after you hear No.

1. Show how you can solve their problems. Begin with an attitude of how you can solve peoples’ problems instead of thinking about how many books you can sell. Producers want a good show for their audiences, retail buyers want products moving off the shelf and corporate buyers want to sell more of their products.

Inside Publishing

Marketing & Publicity

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Marketing & Publicity

Six Traps to Avoid When Negotiating Large-Quantity Book Sales – Part 5

Six Traps to Avoid When Negotiating Large-Quantity Book Sales – Part 4

Six Traps to Avoid When Negotiating Large-Quantity Book Sales – Part 3

Six Traps to Avoid When Negotiating Large-Quantity Book Sales – Part 2

Six Traps to Avoid When Negotiating Large-Quantity Book Sales

Are You Solving the Right Problem?

Top Ten Factors to Consider When Using Your Book as a Freemium

Top Ten Reasons You Can Make More Money Selling Books to Non-Bookstore Buyers

The Top Ten Places to Sell More of Your Books

Ten Ways to Get to Yes After You Hear No

Pages

Getting Started

Create a Culture of Quality in Your Publishing Company

How to Write a Business Plan as Narrative (Part 2 of 2)

A Novel Planning Technique for Book Publishers (Part 1 of 2)

Do You Have the Write Stuff?

Today's Great American Novel (Part 2 of 2)