Auntie Kate The Resale Expert

I attended a book-signing last night. The reason I was there, of course, was to meet the public, sign my book, The Picker Who Perished, a consignment shop mystery novel, and sell it…but as usual, I was on the look-out for ideas to help consignment and resale shop owners who frequent my web site, Too Good to be Threw, promote their businesses.

And, of course, those who seek find. An independent bookstore owner from the next town down had invitations he was handing out to the 15-20 authors in the room, inviting them to schedule a book-signing in his shop. It wasn’t, of course, just a hand-it-to-’em and get on to the next prospect. The shopkeeper was engaging the authors in discussion, he had something complimentary to say to each person, and he was sincere in his invitation: “I’d love to…”

This approach was good for the authors: most would love to have a signing event. Good for the store owner: the more signings, the more traffic in his shop and sales of that author’s books.

Cost to the shopkeeper? Zero, except for the nice stationery he’d bought to make up the invites.

I was very enthusiastic about this. SO enthusiastic, in fact, that after a few minutes of me gushing over his marketing techniques, a woman approached us and took his arm.

“This is my husband,” she said.

I hastened to explain that it was his marketing I lusted after, nothing else.

Is this something your shop could use? You betcha. Wherever a group of your target suppliers (consignors or sellers) congregate, and you can attend as a guest, this could work.