Recently I saw in an author Facebook group there was a question about how many books were being sold at conferences. They wanted to know how others did at the conferences. And the measure for success was how many products were sold. Sadly, this is what we expect at a conference as authors.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t be more wrong.

Before you roll over into a fetal position and suck your thumb because you have spent loads of cash buying booths and marketing material or you start shaking your finger and cursing at me let me finish.

What I have learned through experience (ran some romance/tech conference booths myself) and through training ( I was the vendor coordinator for a women’s show.) is that sales should not be your goal at a conference. You can forget what I said and disagree but every successful vendor I’ve seen didn’t make sales their first priority.

Here are the steps that I counsel you to adopt as an author when doing a booth. (This could also work with a book signing.)

Have One Goal: Now this goal could be selling books or it could be growing your Instagram followers, or building your email list, or it could simply be talking personally with each person and getting to know them. Either way you need one goal for your booth for the whole conference.
Building a List: I highly recommend growing an email list when at conferences. The reason why is because they are like gold. When you have a new release wouldn’t be amazing to have a group of people to email (that’s your target market) and tell about your new release.
Hustle: Whatever your goal you will have to hustle to get it achieved. Whether that is Facebook friends, Twitter followers, or your email list. You will have to ask for what you want. Then they get to make the decision.
No Car salesmen Allowed: When I say hustle I don’t mean assume the persona of an overbearing jackass. I mean when you are speaking to people casually and socializing ask them if they want connect with you on Twitter (pull out your phone at this point) friend you on Facebook, or sign up for your email list.
Make it Easy: If you want people to sign up for something you need to make it fast, efficient and easy. For example, have multiple signup sheets on clip boards with attached pens for people to fill out. Or use multiple iPads with a sign up form, or where they can sign in and follow you on social media. Whatever, makes it easier for them is your goal.

Now at the end of the day if you have specified that one goal see if you achieved it. For me a good measure is to take the conferences attendee numbers and shoot for 5-10 percent of that number. This is if I were doing an email build. But really it’s not the number. It’s more about the value of what you are achieving. Don’t you think?

Bri Clark   Social Media Strategist/Publisher





Phone: 208-761-0319
Website: www.houseofbellepress.com
Company: House of Belle Press





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