As a bookstore manager, the distractions you face are endless-staff meetings, customer problems, phone calls and e-mails, maintenance problems, vendor rep visits, absentee staff or volunteers ... the list goes on.

If you're like me, there are probably times when you have used a competing demand as an excuse for avoiding the tough thing that needs to be done. But there are also occasions when the new demand needs to become the priority. So what constitutes a distraction and how can we best deal with one to ensure we are being as fruitful as possible?

According to Mr. Webster's dictionary, a distraction is anything that "diverts the mind even to the point of being frantic." Another meaning is "drawing away."

So, anything that draws us away from or diverts us from the "thing" that we need to be doing right then is a distraction.

Trinity Commons Books and Gifts in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, operated by the nearby Episcopal Church for 10 years, is to close at the end of the year.

"The plight of all independent bookstores is the competition with online discounts and free shipping," the store's manager, Michael Lawrence, told The Cleveland Plain Dealer. "It's really taken its toll on specialized bookstores."

The newspaper described the store as "a major theological bookstore in the region," carrying 15,000 titles, including rare spiritual classics. "It's the end of an era," said Lawrence. "It's really hard to see it go."

In Riverside, Calif., Grove Community Church closed its restaurant and bookstore in September. Rodney Couch, whose company consulted the church before the operations opened in 2003, told The Press-Enterprise: "People's discretionary spending is affected even when they're at church."

The newspaper noted that the closures "illustrate how church bookstores and cafes, which in recent years have become an increasingly common part of church ministries—especially at large evangelical congregations—can face some of the same financial pressures as for-profit businesses during a down economy." Such operations were "not immune from (the) recession's effects," it said.

Read the full reports and other news in our Industry Radar round-up of other media articles about the Christian retail world at https://www.christianretailing.com/index.php/news/industry-radar.

You can receive a registration—worth $125—when you place a qualifying order during the online Virtual Christmas Showcase currently being hosted by Christian Retailing magazine.

The three-day event in Louisville promises to be our best yet, with time for fellowship, worship, inspiration, training and business. It's an invaluable opportunity to connect with leading suppliers, fellow church bookstore staff and other Christian retailers from across the country.

To find out more about the free registration, go to http://vcs.christianretailing.com.

The more a shopper interacts with staff during their visit to a store, the greater the average sale will be, according to research, so it's important to start off a customer's visit the right way.

Allowing shoppers to enter the store without being greeted can make them feel invisible. But an overzealous sales person who pounces the second someone's foot crosses the threshold with a loud "Can I help you?" or an overly emphatic "Welcome" can be overwhelming.

First, employees need to be aware whenever someone enters the store. Staff should be trained to watch the store entrance like a driver uses a car's mirrors. They don't have to stare at the door constantly, but they should get in the habit of glancing at the entrance without thinking. It should become second nature.

When a staff member sees someone walk in, they can acknowledge the customer in a number of ways. To determine the appropriate greeting, they should use a system called "mirroring." This is assessing a customer's demeanor and attitude, and then greeting them accordingly.

For instance, if someone enters the store in an unhurried, casual fashion, usually a simple hello or even just a smile and eye contact are an appropriate first contact. Many shoppers do not want to be helped right away even if they have a specific agenda.

But if someone appears rushed or more like they are ready for help, it would be appropriate to say hello and actually move toward them. If they have a questioning or searching expression, something like, "You look like someone on a mission" would be a good way to open the conversation.

In every case, let the customer break eye contact first. Frontliners don't need to follow customers around, but they should be tuned in to them and follow the customer's lead, always ready to respond. If your team's facial expressions and body language appear open and ready to help, customers will engage with them when ready.

-Heidi Macias is manager of Books of Hope at Community of Hope Lutheran Church in Rosemount, Minn.

How blessed you are to know that 20% of your customers keep coming back to your store. These people believe in what you are doing and find their shopping experience with you satisfying. You should ensure they know how valuable they are to you.

One of the best ways I have heard to honor such customers is an annual "VIP Appreciation Night." The number of customers who fit into this category determines the size and type of special activities that can be planned. Here are a couple of suggestions:

A simple but attractive dinner inside your store can be arranged. If your budget cannot accommodate this, just do desserts and coffee.
Have a raffle for prizes.

Arrange for special entertainment.

Don't aim the event at selling to your VIPs—just honor them. They will in turn keep honoring you with their loyalty.

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The Barna Group's study of adult members of the American Baptist Churches in the USA, the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church found just one-third (31%) believe "they have a personal responsibility to discuss their faith with people who have different beliefs."

Mainline church members′ "tenuous ties" were also "exemplified by their willingness to consider other spiritual options," researchers learned. Just half (49%) described themselves as "absolutely committed to Christianity."

Almost three-quarters (72%) said they were more likely to develop their own religious beliefs than to adopt those taught by their church. And nine out of 10 (86%) sensed that "God is motivating people to stay connected to Him through different means and experiences than in the past."

Evidence of what the Barna report called "waffling commitment" was found elsewhere as well. A minority of mainline attenders were found to be presently involved in some type of personal discipleship activity.

Less than half contended that the Bible is accurate in the life principles it teaches, and only half of all mainline adults said that they were on a personal quest for spiritual truth.

And when asked to identify their highest priority in life, less than one out of every 10 mainline adults (9%) says some aspect of faith constitutes their top priority.

The report noted that mainline church membership has dropped by more than one-quarter in the last 50 years, to roughly 20 million people. Adult church attendance indicates that only 15% of all American adults associate with a mainline church these days.

Source: The Barna Group

To read the full report, go to http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/17-leadership/323-report-examines-the-state-of-mainline-protestant-churches.

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Ruth 2:12, New International Version