[QUOTE=z8000783;85925]So its just a matter of getting comfortable with the others then?

John


For what reason should I get comfortable with a working practice or marketing technique?

Carol wrote:

z8000783 wrote:

So its just a matter of getting comfortable with the others then?

John

For what reason should I get comfortable with a working practice or marketing technique?

Because they may help make you more successful.

I was talking hypothetically, I don't know if you need to use marketing in whatever you do.

John

Hi John

'Because they may help make you more successful.'

They may also make your business fail, I believe its good to go with your instinct - 'feeling comfortable' is a way of describing being congruent, isn't it.

Today I heard my work got a good write up and illustrated in the New York Times - I am really happy about that! It makes me feel that my strategies have worked.

I started my business in Scotland, in 1998 with £3.33 in my bank account, an old leaky garage with no windows, floor or electricity, some paints, energy and some idealistic ideas. I started work in the yard and hoped it would not rain. I called the business Graal mainly to remind myself that I was questing for truth, beauty and balance, which is what the original meaning of Graal (Grail) was.

Over the years I have chosen to collaborate with people with similar ethics to myself - so the paint manufacturer I work with does not employ children, work with toxic materials, pollute the environment or use marketing strategies that are unethical.

A ceramist friend who collects English China was annoyed when she bought a cup the other day from a Staffordshire pottery, it said 'made in England' on the box and in glaze underneath the cup but the bar code said made in China.

Carol wrote:

Hi John

'Because they may help make you more successful.'

They may also make your business fail, I believe its good to go with your instinct - 'feeling comfortable' is a way of describing being congruent, isn't it.

I can't believe that's all you go with though.

There are lots of things that make businesses fail and lots of things that make them succeed. The trick is ......

I'm running out of credit, sorry.

John

z8000783 wrote:

There are lots of things that make businesses fail and lots of things that make them succeed. The trick is ......

I'm running out of credit, sorry.

John

I will chop off my head and give it to you for your credit.
pleeeeease share your knowledge

sina818 wrote:

I will chop off my head and give it to you for your credit.
pleeeeease share your knowledge

You are in Iran, that may happen yet....


Come on, you know you were thinking it.

russianbear wrote:

You are in Iran, that may happen yet....


Come on, you know you were thinking it.

Well yeah I'm in hell actually.
I'm opening the bookshop for two reasons :
1.It's my favorite job.
2.to make some money and get the hell of this country.

so will u guys help me?

Think like a customer, and have a customer in mind when you do.

Imagine a few people who would be the ideal customers for your bookshop. Who are they? What ages, what income ranges, what levels of education?

Now, putting yourself into the minds of those customers, one by one, imagine they're looking for their perfect bookstore. Imagine they see it on the street. What does it look like? How did the sign, the window, the colors, the light, attract their fascination and curiosity? Why, in short, did they stop walking and turn towards your book shop?

Now walk the customer inside. Imagine they smile to themselves and think "I like this book shop!" What did they see, hear, etc that led to them thinking that? What else might they encounter that reinforces that idea as they get deeper into the shop?

What kinds of books do they see that make them want to buy? How are they presented in a way that makes them more likely to purchase them? See how they see you, the proprietor, and how you interact with them. See through their eyes how you present yourself as a person they're going to trust to answer their questions about books and guide them in finding the books they want and need.

Now after the customer has made their purchase and left, intending to return at their first opportunity, what do they say to the next book lover they meet about your shop and why they should go there?

Travis, I wish you all success with your business. I've never owned my own book shop, but worked in and managed them for 13 years. Book lovers make the very best book shop owners, I think.

Good luck Travis.

For what its worth I would love to have a local bookstore that smelt of coffee, staff who had a genuine love of books and a snug comfortable hidaway feeling.

sina818 wrote:

I will chop off my head and give it to you for your credit.
pleeeeease share your knowledge

Read what Bridget said and also what Nick will say about running a business when he shows up, which will be soon.

John

It's funny but the harder I work the luckier I seem to get

z8000783 wrote:

Read what Bridget said and also what Nick will say about running a business when he shows up, which will be soon.

I was hesitant to add anything as Bridget knows what she is talking about and has covered a lot of ground, however there is something about bookshops that I find fascinating and slightly mysterious and I wanted to share it. I hope it will get you thinking in new ways.

In any businesses there are three things you need to do.
1. Develop something great.
2. Get everyone excited about it.
3. Come up with a way, a system, a process, to make a profit from 1 and 2.

Most people who come on here have problems with the second part, they have a great idea or product but they are having trouble getting people excited.

Now I love book shops and whenever I see one I go inside and if it is a really great bookshop I spend a lot of time browsing and enjoying the atmosphere, so there is no problem getting me in your shop, there are loads of people who, like me , will come in the moment they see your sign and if the shop is exciting will spend a long time there.

The one snag, I may not buy a book.

The product has become the bookshop rather than the book. I can buy books easily on-line from Amazon and have them delivered next day. But I love bookshops,

I often do buy a book as I want the shop to be there next year but it is not an automatic part of the experience.

This changes things a little but once you realise that this is the issue you can then come up with ways to work on this.

1. If I love that experience and you can anchor it in some way then perhaps that will persuade me to spend money.
Can you make the buying experience special? Wrap the books in a brown paper parcel, sell me some of the special coffee that is only available in your bookstore, have a cool logo that is on your bag and your book marks. Make me feel that by buying a book I am becoming more involved in the bookshop. Have special customer only events.
Buying a book then becomes my entrance ticket to the bookstore experience.
What did I see, hear, feel, smell and taste in the store, how can I take a bit of that home with me?
See I told you this was weird but I bet I'm not alone.

2. What advantages are there to buying the book from you, now, rather than waiting for Amazon?
The biggest one is that I get it today. I can read it on the way home and as soon as I get home. I could take it and read it in the park (sell me a picnic) .
So any words should emphasise how buying it here and now will give me some emotion that I won't get from Amazon.
Here are some signs that would work on me.
"Buy it now and you can read it in bed tonight".
"What would be the best book to take with you to the beach tomorrow?"
"Don't wait to find out what happens, get it now".
"There is something great about holding a book, smelling the pages and taking it home with you"

I am sure you will think of many more.

Nick, that's brilliant advice that also brings the real world into the discussion. Amazon's discounts surely tempt many away from bookshops, so playing to instant gratification is a great idea. So is personalizing the experience - making people feel special because they shop at this store, in ways that won't add too much overhead to be practical.

If I go into a bookshop where the staff is friendly and helpful and I'm greeted (greeting also reduces the amount of stock that walks out the door under someone's coat) and made to feel at home, I feel absolutely guilty if I don't buy a book. The smaller and more personal the shop, the more this operates with me; Borders doesn't trigger that personal angle at all.

Events, guest lectures / author appearances, poetry readings, bring a fried/family member (read: new customer) events, special invitation-only book-release parties. All these are helped along by having people's contact info. So "Give us your email address and we'll give you a coupon good for 10% off your next purchase." Make being on your customer list desirable in as many ways as you can think of that don't require a lot of overhead. Make sure publishers in your part of the world as well as big international concerns know you're willing to host book signings and take part in co-op advertising (where the publisher pays part of the costs).

Someone said to model the bookstores you like best. There's some good NLP advice for you. And while you're doing that, think "How could I do this better for less money?"