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Written by Staff
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Thursday, 21 May 2009 09:10 AM America/New_York |
A message from Geni Hulsey, president of the Church Bookstore Network:
 Working at home these past few weeks instead of spending all my days at the church bookstore has been a real eye-opener. Among the things I have become aware of in a new way is the ease of Internet ordering-and the challenge that presents to church bookstores.
- When I was managing the bookstore at Houston's First Baptist Church all those years, before its recent closure, I always gave the church staff a hard time about not coming to the bookstore or e-mailing me with their needs, whether it was one book or multiple copies for a class.
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- But in these last days I have learned just what a temptation it is, after you have Googled for relevant resources and found the items you need, to just sit there and finish the process online. I realize more clearly how important it is that church stores are top of mind for staff so that their first thought will be to contact us with their needs rather than order from that big Internet bookstore.
- Though most stores give some kind of discount to church staff for church ministry items, these orders are still an important part of our ministry and a vital piece of our business. In addition to the money they generate, they also help underscore the bookstore as an integral part of the church's ministry.
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- After all, if the church leaders don't turn to the bookstore for resources, why would members of the congregation be likely to? With that in mind, let me encourage you to work at developing and fostering those vital relationships with church staff.
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- One of the things I found effective was ripping pages out of new catalogs to pass along. When I received a catalog from a publisher and saw items that I thought might be beneficial to a particular ministry, I would highlight the release date, and send the page along in an interoffice envelope with a note. Reviews of books published in Christian Retailing and other magazines are also helpful to share.
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- When you know your church ministry departments are planning for the next session of Bible studies, make an appointment with each of the leaders and go armed with some suggestions for their curriculum. This means you need to be aware of new products and understand the needs of that particular ministry. Again, Christian Retailing can help keep you informed of new products if you do not have road reps coming to see you.
- It never hurts to sweeten the deal, either. In a seminar on staff relationships at the International Christian Retail Show last year, Deb and Kelly Graham from Prestonwood Bookstore at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, suggested taking along a plate of cookies or other goodies when you are meeting with the church ministers.
- This will ensure that the meeting starts off on a light note, let the ministry leaders know that you care about more than just their business and probably assure you of their attention.
- Bookstore managers receive lots of free books. I had a form letter that I put inside each free book that I gave away to someone I thought might find it helpful for their ministry, to let them know the book was a gift and ask them to send back a few comments about it when they had read it.
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- These are just a few ways to keep your bookstore uppermost in the minds of your staff. I am sure you have others and I would love to hear more about them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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