Training Guide to FrontLine Bookselling

Chapters include:
-
Orientation
- Where your employee can learn about the mission of an independent bookstore and all of the different jobs and tasks that happen behind the scenes. -
Book Industry
- They’ll learn about the bookstore’s role in context of the entire book industry. -
Bookselling
- We’ll clarify the expectations of being a bookseller and working as part of the team. They’ll learn all of the special terms (our jargon), learn about how the store handles ordering and special requests and the kinds of events the store sponsors. -
Customer Service
- The central benefit of shopping with an independent bookstore is explored in depth, including describing the value of exceptional service in a self-serve culture, “dos & don’ts” when working with customers, phone etiquette, effectively handling complains, and the little things that make a difference in turning customers into fans of your bookstore. -
Handling Requests
- They’ll learn how to research a customer’s request and give them some exercises too. -
Handselling
- Indie bookstores want more than clerks. We value and encourage booksellers to read, be prepared to engage customers in conversation, and recommend merchandise that matches the customer’s needs and interests. -
Inventory
- Go behind the scenes to learn about how the store buys merchandise, receives shipments, checks on-hand quantities, pulls books for vendor returns, and the importance of accuracy to the store’s data integrity when it comes to ringing up purchases. -
Merchandising
- Let’s teach them that merchandising is much more than “shelving”. They’ll learn the prime selling spaces in the store and ways to introduce items for customers to discover. The Paz video Bookstore Merchandising Made Easy brings these strategies to life with examples of section merchandising, focal point displays, shelf-talkers, windows and more. -
Point of Sale
- They’ll learn the POS side of your computerized system so they become comfortable with ringing up sales. Exercises help them gain confidence with various payment forms, discounts, gift cards/certificates, customer returns, and adding people to customer loyalty programs.