What Temperature is Your Curriculum Business?

Whether you are a large or small Christian bookstore, chain store or independent, you’re feeling the pain of the current recession. Many of you have been in the retail business for years and know what sales and marketing techniques have always worked for your store.

As you, I have spent the last year or more watching Christian bookstores close all across the United States; long time Christian publishers have been forced into multiple layoffs; and like many, you are probably ordering less, looking for ways to create more open-to-buy dollars, and doing everything you can to continue your support to the churches in your community.

Have you found yourself asking?

• Where did the churches go?
• What are my churches using for their curriculum now?
• Are they buying their curriculum direct or over the internet?

Have you found yourself discouraged? I have.

Last week I experienced one of those light bulb moments. I was sent a list of bookstores that have dropped in their curriculum purchases and asked to find out why. Not wanting to call and hear the same answers over and over, I quickly responded that most of these bookstores are closed and others have lost business because of church budget cuts. This was true. Later that day I was resent the same list asking me to look for opportunities. “Wow! That’s easy. I can do that” was my immediate response without even thinking about it. Did the list change? No, but how I now perceived that same list did.

As a fellow Kingdom builder, my challenge to you this week is to ask God for his wisdom and creativity. Stop, take a fresh breath, and re-evaluate your business. Find out

What the temperature is of your curriculum business?

Where are Your Opportunities This Week?

• Elicit a friend you trust to be constructively honest with you about your business to the churches.
• As you always do, look at the numbers, keeping in mind the areas that are down, but focus your efforts on looking for opportunities of growth.
• Take a look at your store’s mailing list or church account list, and begin finding out what their needs are today.

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What is your store doing that might help others build their curriculum business? Thank you for leaving your reply after the survey.

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