16 Tips for Selling Your Books to Businesses
14. Negotiate in good faith. Rarely is your initial proposal accepted in totality. Negotiate a final agreement that meets the needs of both sides. Enter the negotiations with a list of the terms and alternatives that you will or will not negotiate.
15. Know when to fold 'em. If the other side will not yield on your major issues, the deal may not be profitable for you. Know when to walk away from a negotiation.
16. Perform post-sale service. Closing the sale is not the end of the process, but the start of a new phase. Do not try to make sales; try to make customers—long-term relationships that result in recurring revenue. Track orders closely to make sure the correct books are shipped at the right time in the right quantity.
Business buyers are professional people trying to make rational decisions for the good of their companies. The decision process can be lengthy since they have to justify the large expenditure. But if all goes as planned, you've not only sold a large quantity of books on a non-returnable basis, you have also set the stage for recurring revenue as they place blanket orders or buy other titles that you offer. BB
Brian Jud is the author of "How to Make Real Money Selling Books" and now offers commission-based sales of books to buyers in non-bookstore markets. Contact Brian at P. O. Box 715, Avon, CT, 06001-0715; (860) 675-1344; brianjud@bookmarketing.com; premiumbookcompany.com twitter.com/bookmarketing. Brian's Book Business blog, Beyond the Bookstore, just concluded a series on "Six Traps to Avoid When Negotiation Large-Quantity Book Sales." Read it at bookbusinessmag.com/channel/blogs.
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- Brian Jud
Brian Jud is an author, book-marketing consultant, seminar leader, television host and president of Premium Book Company, which sells books to non-bookstore buyers on a non-returnable, commission-only basis and conducts on-site training for publishers' sales forces.
Brian is the author of "How to Make Real Money Selling Books (Without Worrying About Returns)," a do-it-yourself guide to selling books to non-bookstore buyers in large quantities, with no returns. He has written many articles about book publishing and marketing, is the author of the eight e-booklets with "Proven Tips for Publishing Success," and creator of the series of "Book Marketing Wizards." He is also the editor of the bi-weekly newsletter, "Book Marketing Matters."
Brian is the host of the television series "The Book Authority" and has aired over 650 shows. In addition, he is the author, narrator and producer of the media-training video program "You're On The Air."
Reach Brian at BrianJud@BookMarketing.com or visit his website at www.PremiumBookCompany.com
