Educational presentations equip retailers to be on 'cutting edge' of the industry, 'engage' customers

Retailers received "very helpful" information at the show as CBA nearly tripled the number of workshops and educational offerings—available for free to members. The 13 training sessions included the annual Prospective Retailer Seminar—which attracted around a dozen participants—as well as several workshops that spotlighted the importance of using social media.

"ICRS is still valuable to our industry," said Susan Smearsoll, co-owner of Bread of Life Christian Book Store in Greenville, Ohio, after the "How to Reach Your Customers on a Shoestring Budget" workshop. "They (the workshops) inform us to be on the cutting edge of our industry."

Smearsoll and her husband, Don, along with approximately 70 store and vendor representatives learned low-cost and creative ways to "connect with people" in the interactive, shoestring-budget session.

Former general manager of the Christian Supply Centers in the Pacific Northwest and now social media consultant Gunnar Simonsen went around the room talking with people who were using social media to promote their stores and products, including Kerusso Vice President of Marketing Chris Rainey, who shared how the apparel company successfully connected with new customers—via Facebook—by giving away its Crazy Love T-shirt with a group that was performing acts of service based on Francis Chan's book Crazy Love (David C. Cook).

"We probably spent $50 (worth) of our products," Rainey said. "We got exposure day after day. We connected with people with our products."

Simonsen also spoke with Darrell Darnell, e-commerce manager of Mardel Christian & Education, which began hosting Pictionary Friday events at its Web site in February. Ustream technology allows viewers to chat online with Darnell, while he draws on a whiteboard. As people log in, he takes the opportunity to share about products that will be given away to the winners.

"It's free and creative," Simonsen said. "They've got a captive audience for about three minutes to go over a product. It's just a (fun) way for the customer to buy the product."

Dwana Smith, owner of The Remnant Christian Books & Gifts in Baytown, Texas, which will open in October, said the session was "the most informative workshop" she attended at ICRS.

"It's very helpful to hear ideas other retailers have used successfully," she said. "The idea of engaging your customer, while expanding your network sounds like such an excellent way to know your customer and expand your ministry."

In another workshop, Simonsen told a standing-room-only crowd how to have "the mindset" to effectively use social media.

"It's really a mindset how you use social media and how you can use these platforms effectively to impact your customers," said Simonsen, who used his cell phone to take a photograph of the workshop participants for his daughter in Oregon to see on Twitter, the wildly popular micro-blogging site.

Besides Twitter, Simonsen presented an overview, statistics and pointers for effectively utilizing sites such as Facebook and YouTube. He encouraged retailers to start their own YouTube channel.

"I want you to go to all the (YouTube) channels of the (Christian) publishers and artists and sign up," said Simonsen, who also urged retailers to launch a Facebook site for their stores—besides a personal page. "Anytime they upload a video you'll be notified, and you can upload them on your store's Facebook page. ... It's great dialogue for your Facebook page. It's a resource that's not tapped at all."

Andrea Lovvorn, co-owner of New Covenant Christian Bookstore in Shelbyville, Tenn., attended the "New Marketing: Using Social Media to Market Your Store" workshop with her daughters Rebekah, 16, and Hannah, 19—who started a Facebook site for the store a few months ago.

"It wasn't overwhelming," Lovvorn said. "I learned a lot, but it scares me because I don't have the time to spend (on social media). But we need to reach people. I plan to learn how to use Facebook."

Hannah, who noted that New Covenant now has 180 Facebook friends, added: "This workshop was really helpful for retailers like my mom."

Nate Richards, manager of Dickson's Bible & Book Store in Highland Park, Mich., agreed. "This seminar was key for me," he said. "Since Mother's Day, our traffic has slowed, and I can't put my finger on it. I've got to figure out how to engage my customers. It costs me 40 to 50 cents to send (customers) a catalog, but social media can be free. Social media is a real solution to a traffic issue."

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