It always seems like I do really well at bookstores when I’m there in person.
I sell lots of books because I chat with people. (We’ve talked about that before, HERE.) I gauge their interest by their reactions and their body language. Walk away from my romance? Hey, I have a sci fi! If they don’t like what’s written on the back of the book, I can tell them some additional stuff that’s not.
Typically, if I’m at a signing and I have more than one book on display, I have to be able to quickly tell them about each one.
That’s your “elevator pitch.”
The problem is, I’m probably better at my elevator pitch the third or fourth time – okay, seventh or eighth time – I say it time I say it at an event.
So… We should probably write them down.
Odd concept for an author, right? Writing something down? Bizarre.
I mean, why wouldn’t you write down your elevator pitch? It’s been more than a month since my last signing event. Whatever magical words were flowing trippingly off the my tongue then certainly aren’t forefront in my mind now. And they wouldn’t be for the first 10 or 20 minutes at whatever next event I go do.
Which means as a professional, I haven’t rehearsed my lines.
And make no mistake about it, when you are at an event, you are as much an actor/performer as you are an author.
So be a professional. Once you get a good pitch down, write it down.
Save it in your computer. Save that file to your phone. When you get up in the morning to go to your event, rehearse your lines. Take them with you to the event on a piece of paper – not on your phone because then you’ll end up reading your phone and not talking to customers. The phone version is a backup in case you lose the piece of paper.
Be a professional, and make more sales as a result. Write down your lines and know them.
I haven’t been doing do that.
I should.
So should you.
Dan Alatorre 
Wow. Great information! Thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sure!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve written my elevator pitches, but saying them out loud is a problem. My mind goes blank. I’ve rehearsed them over & over. It’s a hurdle I must face.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Try saying them to a mirror out loud, and recording yourself on video out loud. You’ll be surprised.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, I’ll try them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m a firm believer that the simple act of repetition makes for improvements, and by saying pitches out loud we kind of just get used to saying them. It helps a lot.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Never under estimate the brilliance of liking someone’s sweater.
I’ve done a lot of convention/event booths and I’m always the one out front because I can reel them in like catching fish with a net. “Love those boots.” “That is an amazing spock costume.” “Where did you get so many ribbons?”
They pause to answer, make eye contact, and boom here they come.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Nice.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Most times I can talk up a storm but at book events. I get stage fright when promoting myself. My mind is a blank and words that do make it past my tied tongue probably make little sense. Good advice, practice,practice.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly. If you rehearse and practice you will know what to say when the time comes. If you write a script, that can only help.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll definitely give it a try next time.
LikeLike
I’ve got a thing about communicating,- using notes too inhibiting.Spontaneity the key, 30 seconds to engage, to hold an audience, to make a difference, if you haven’t got that confidence for half a minute why would anyone have confidence in you. And yes ‘I Ilke your sweater’ works – you’ve connected and you’ve still got 25 seconds to enthuse, to be you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep!
LikeLike