Passive Aggressive Marketing

I was passive aggressive about promoting yesterday’s Borders Books author appearance. This was the first of my author appearance, book signing event and I was in agony about it.  I hardly told any of my friends about it.

It all started on Saturday when I called the bookstore and some young college intern answered the phone and didn’t know anything about the event and finally found a stack of my books on someone’s desk. I finally convinced him and  his manager to put something together and to pull everything out- I wanted all the works because this was a “big event” and I expected lots of people. I asked for chairs, table, speakers, microphone and a display for my books was on the agenda for today.  They agreed and also promised to make an announcement each hour before the event to their in-store shoppers. 

Yesterday,  woke up nervous about my book signing and usually when I am training in a new place, I scope it out the day before- I check out the layout, size, lighting, etc so I can visualize myself  there. I didn’t need to do this beforehand because I freqently visit and shop at this bookstore- I know it well. It’s large confusing layout, it’s long lines and it’s business section.

But yesterday, as my nerves were creeping up on me, I thought about all the people in the bookstore I may have been rude to in the past for taking so long at the register or didn’t give me good book recommendations. For that matter, I thought of everyone in the 8 mile radius of San Francisco that I may have pissed off in the past who would suddenly appear in the bookstore on a Sunday afternoon and run into me chatting up my book. Then I thought of all the pre-holiday shoppers or browsers who would be strolling through the bookstore searching for a gardening book, photography book, 2010 calendar, music or What the Expect when You’re Expecting pregnancy book- how could I steer them in my direction?

I walked in early and this is the sign I saw:

They started setting up chairs and I looked around- way too many chairs but no one sitting in them. Luckily, a fellow author, Tom Marcoux, was kind enough to help me out- he could tell I was panicked. Big stack of books, lots of chairs, lots of traffic but no one in my direction. He volunteered to walk around with my book and thought that luring people over to my section would work so he walked over the the Eastern Philosophy section- oops wrong section, Tom. I could hear the announcement on the loud speaker, “Today we have the author of the book, Smart Selling on the Phone and Online here for a book signing and talk starting in a few minutes.” A few people looked up from their book, turned they heads as they kept walking and a couple walked over to look at the display.  I asked Tom to quickly sit down and look interested- he enthusiastically took a center row seat.

The set-up was looking good and they gave me all the works-

Tom suggested I look engaged reading parts of my book- so I did

And then a few folks came by to listen to my talk. Thats when I realized that I have been so caught in the Corporate Zone promoting, selling, pitching my book to people who get it. But forgot about the average person – the one who still thinks calling people during dinner to ask for them to renew their subscription are evil people who should be removed from their planet.

I adjusted my expectations yesterday and with a goal to just change the minds of a few. That I did.  I convinced a retired accountant to buy my book since he has realized he has a good phone tone and may want to pursue a new career, a woman in HR who needs to network in her field and a fitness trainer who knows someone who is without work who needs to see themselves over the phone.

Check out my Borders, Mission Bay book signing this Wed the 18th at 5:30pm. It’s perfect timing right before the Dreamforce opening reception. Hope to see you there.