The Toppled Bollard

In this piece I am trying to suggest to the reader that it is sometimes possible to be a bit blinkered.  Of course the reader is not blinkered, it is someone else, but this nudge can lead to a phone call from the reader to us.  Sometimes the reader says, “You are quite right - we do this…” sometimes they don’t admit it, but it is still a way of breaking down a barrier.

What is the most effective way of selling new books to teachers?

 

Last week I attended a conference at the Broken Glass Conference Centre, Corby, on selling books to teachers.  At luncheon I found myself seated alongside the supremely distinguished marketing director of (what he informed me) was a renowned educational publishing house.

 

It was an honour for me to be in such august company (he added), and I determined to make the most of the situation, ingratiating myself by paying for the wine, going back to the self-service to get some mint sauce for him, and listening to every word in a subservient manner.

 

The Great Man told me that he had little need to be at the conference because he had long ago got the measure of what teachers want.  However the young whippersnappers on the fifth floor had told him “to catch up with latest trends in marketing.”   He said the phrase with a snort which caused guests at nearby tables to look around in a mix of alarm and disbelief.

 

“So how do you advertise?” I asked naively, anxious to know of a methodology that could have lasted for thirty years.

 

“Send them the catalogue, highlight the new titles.”  He held out his glass. 

 

“You don’t use a range of media?  Don’t you try different approaches to writing the advertising copy?”  I asked, obediently pouring more French red.

 

“Goodness me, no.” he replied.  “The catalogue has worked for 30 years, no need to stop now.  Don’t change a horse in mid-sentence.   New approach?  Rubbish!”  He made this final comment in a manner that caused several other diners to pick up their plates and move further into the room.   “Teachers know what is good for them.   New book from us, they’ll buy it.  Mark my words.”   The bottle was empty; he held out his glass.    

 

“This is educational publishing,” he continued when I returned with another bottle, “not the market place.   We don’t sell benefits – never needed to before so why now?   Tell them it’s new, tell them the author, tell them the price, give them the contents.  What else is there?”   I wasn’t sure if he was referring to the drink, the food, or the methodology of advertising to teachers, so I paid my respects and took my pudding at the other end of the room. 

 

 

Tony Attwood

 

PS: If you feel that, contrary to the comments above, the use of alternative media and different styles of writing might increase sales, please do email Chris@hamiltonhouse.com and she’ll forward you a copy of the report “Methods of Selling Books to Schools”   It’s completely free, very informative, and rather jolly.  At least I think so (but then, I wrote it).

I have now ventured into the second Toppled letter of the new season - having been told by colleagues that the last one was incomprehensible.  Maybe this one makes a little more sense.
The headline is … “We only do email marketing now - direct mail is so passe” (with an accent on the “e” but I can’t get that to work on this blog.

 

Last week I attended a lunch time presentation at the Toppled Bollard on the future of the economy.  Apparently it doesn’t have one. 

 

Everyone present had to say in a few words what he/she did for a living, so I said, “I get teachers to do what you want them to do”.   One man at the event (a Mr Black) also said that his firm sold to teachers – so naturally I went and had a chat.

 

Black told me that he had stopped doing mailings to schools because direct mail was so passé.   He told me I ought to wise up and join the 21^st century and get into email.

 

I told him that my company was so far ahead of the rest of the world when it came to email marketing that we had fallen off the edge and had to wait until it spun around so we could jump back on next time around.   He gave me a strange look, but I can take such things in my stride.

 

“We researched the issue in a telephone survey in March,” I added, and we found a very high  number of schools prefer all correspondence in the post.  In fact 80% of schools still correspond with pupils’ parents via letter rather than email.

 

“I agree it is vital to stay in touch with teachers and develop a relationship,” I said.  “Email can be great, but not every teacher can be reached in this way, and that’s why the number of customers you get can via email can be modest.  Each mailing might only cost you a penny a school – but that’s no much comfort if you only get a handful of sales.

 

“But it’s so cheap,” he said, “and so post-modern.”

 

“Ideally you should do both email and shared mail,” I said, “but if you have to do one, I’d stay with a shared mailing.  It can be as low price as email, but with much higher response rates.” 

 

He made a noise rather like a tone deaf goat humming the Marseillaise, and wandered off to talk to a couple of bankers on the far side of the room.

 

 

 

Tony Attwood

 

PS:    Over the long term shared mail is an ideal way of keeping up interest, and encouraging people to buy from you for the first time – and it has the benefit of reaching teachers from as little as 4p each.   See www.shared.org.uk for more details or give us a call on 01536 399 000.