How to Have a Successful Book Expo Booth

Heritage books and music window display

From conference and expo brochures, it looks pretty easy to promote your product. Buy a table, bring your product and wait for the customers to throw their money at you. Actually, it's not as easy as it looks, but here are five steps to make your conference or expo experience productive.

Things You'll Need

• Reaasonable amount of the item you're selling
• Marketing material for customers to take from your table
• Business cards
• Table and chair
• Well-publicized location for the event
• Suitable attire

Instructions

How to Have a Successful Book Expo Booth

1. 

   Consider everyone a potential customer. Every book has a target audience, but do not shun anyone who shows interest in your work because he doesn't fit the profile. Readers are interesting people. They want to learn something new, and many readers will go outside of their comfort zone to read about topics that are unfamiliar to them. Every single person who approaches your table has the potential to be a customer. Tell him about your product. Answer any questions he may have. Be polite. Even if he's not interested, he have a friend who is and buy it for her as a gift.

2. 

   Always have free takeaways. At an expo, there can be anywhere from a few to hundreds of authors trying to sell their books to book buyers and readers. However, consumers rarely show up to events like these ready to buy everything in sight. Some may be interested in your book but have too many more books that they're trying to read or just want to window shop. If you have something that they can take home to remember you by (e.g., postcards, pens, bookmarks, business cards), they are more likely to revisit your material at a later date.

3. Check and recheck your takeaways before you present them to the public. At a recent book event, there was a publishing lawyer with handouts for authors. The material in the handout was supposed to include the services that the law firm provided, the law firm's contact information, and who the law firm has worked with. Although this material is helpful, the lawyer sitting at the table did not look at the handouts before putting them on his table. One author came by, asked him what was the difference between the two sheets, and he snapped at her that the pages had different text, only to take a second glance to see that duplicate sheets were stapled together. He had no idea how many other handouts were assembled incorrectly and could've missed out on potential customers because of carelessness. In addition, for a legal firm to be so careless that they don't check handouts, how can they handle writer contracts? The same ideas should apply to authors. Do not present badly prepared material. You will lose a customer for good.

4. 

   Do not sit at the table and wait for customers to come to you. A book expo is like going to a nightclub. There is so much to see and do that it is hard to concentrate on just one particular person. As an author, the one person you are most concerned about is you, and your book is the most important to you. However, when people walk into a book expo (unless you are more popular), the odds of a consumer rushing over to your table just to see you are slim to none. Stand up. Greet people. Talk to people who pass by. Make sure they leave with your takeaways. Marketing for money is not for shy people.

5. 

   Leave your attitude at home. In Step 3, there was a lawyer who was annoyed by a consumer asking him a question about his company. Even when he realized the assembly mistake that was made, the consumer still gave him the benefit of the doubt and opened her mouth to ask a question about the company. Instead of responding, the lawyer walked away after saying he was tired. Word of mouth can sell a product, but word of mouth can also destroy a company or author's reputation. If your attitude is ugly, even if the consumer loves your product, she will be less likely to buy it. Why would they want to support someone who acts like she could care less about her business? Always smile. Shake hands. Be cordial.

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful what you wear to your event. If it's an upscale event, dress accordingly. If you dress down, try to wear something that catches their eye. A conversation starter is an easy way to break into marketing your work.