PART 2: Planning and Conducting Yearbook Sales Actvities

The importance of marketing and selling yearbooks is often overlooked and yet it is just as significant as creating the book itself—if not more so. If you hit your sales goal, you can pay for your yearbook. If you surpass your sales goal, you can use the additional revenue to add more pages to your yearbook or add features like a supplement, current events and/or autograph pages. On the flip side, if you miss your sales goal, you will owe money or have to cut part of your program. Whatever the case, marketing and selling your yearbook is critical and this guide is intended to help you simplify the process and succeed!

As with any project, proper planning and organization will go a long way in helping you accomplish your goals. In this case, the first step is to assess your school’s past yearbook sales success and build on it. This means taking some time to ask and record answers to the following questions:

1. What worked well in last year’s sales process? Why?

2. What didn’t work so well in last year’s sales process and why?

3. If you are new to your school, ask the school secretary and the teachers how well the marketing and sales process worked. Great questions to ask could be: What did you like the most about the process? What one thing would you improve about the process?

4. Review all materials that are available from your publisher pertaining to marketing and selling your yearbook. Do you have everything you need? Posters, flyers, money collection envelopes, etc.? What else do you need in order to be prepared for your campaign?

5. If your school has a tradition of keeping the yearbook a secret, consider changing that tradition. The yearbook is one of a few items where a person is asked to pay in advance with the promise of receiving a high-quality product later—simple things like including the student body in the design of the book or taking peeks into the yearbook by sharing cover ideas are ways that can increase awareness and connection to the book which, in turn, drives a student or others to purchase one.

Learning from last year’s experience is an important first step in building a successful sales and marketing plan for this year’s book.

Now it’s time to brainstorm and plan your sales activities!

If you’re new to the yearbook sales process, it’s helpful to think about it in 4 key stages: (1) scheduling the timing of sales campaigns, (2) creating several sales activities that generate awareness and excitement about the yearbook being on sale, (3) collecting orders and payment and (4) distributing the books when they arrive.

Scheduling the Timing of Your Yearbook Sales Campaigns

During this stage, the goal is to identify ideal sales times that attract attention about the yearbook being on sale. Take some time to enlist students, staff and others interested in the yearbook to brainstorm ideas on what will work best for your school. Use a school calendar to compare your thoughts against school activities to determine the best times to have sales campaigns. Typically, you’ll want to allow a total of 3-4 weeks to conduct a sales campaign by the time you promote, sell and wrap up the campaign activities. Many staffs conduct 3 campaigns a year to ensure everyone knows they have the opportunity to purchase a yearbook. Of course, you’ll want to also have all the
material needed in advance. Here is a game-plan many schools use. Feel free to expand, refine and adjust it based on your needs—it’s just intended to get you started.

3 WEEKS BEFORE yearbook sale date(s) — create and organize the announcements, posters and other materials needed to promote yearbook sales. Make sure you take advantage of any promotional materials provided by your yearbook publisher.

2 WEEKS BEFORE yearbook sale date(s) — hang up posters and begin, “Creating Excitement and Awareness” about the yearbook

1 WEEK BEFORE yearbook sale — continue promoting yearbook sales happening the next week – send letters home and post info on school marquee. Have announcements begin!!!

SALES WEEK – Have fun executing the sales activities you had planned and taking orders!!!

1 WEEK AFTER SALES – Ensure all funds have been collected and accounted for. Enter buyer’s names and payment amounts into a tracking system or spreadsheet software so you know who has purchased the book and can use that list later on when distributing books when they arrive. Also, make a deposit with a bookkeeper or bank (if you haven’t done so already) to ensure that the yearbook funds are secured.

CAMPAIGN # 1 will occur week of: ___/___/___ to ___/___/___
Sales Price of Yearbook will be $_____

ALLOW A MINIMUM OF ONE MONTH TO PASS

CAMPAIGN # 2 will occur week of: ___/___/___ to ___/___/___
Sales Price of Yearbook will be $_____

ALLOW A MINIMUM OF ONE MONTH TO PASS

CAMPAIGN # 3 will occur week of: ___/___/___ to ___/___/___
Sales Price of Yearbook will be $_____

Consider the following tips:

• Gradually increase the cost of the yearbook for each sales campaign.

• Create special packages for buyers that include options like name stamping or an ad space along with the price of a yearbook.

• Consider adding options to all your offerings – this can increase sales!!!

• Develop a system to track and report sales as well as balances due by buyers.

• Consider offering a payment plan for students who cannot afford to pay for a yearbook at one time. Make sure you stress a non-refundable deposit.

• Consider offering families with multiple children at your school a discount for a second or third yearbook.

• Tie in gift certificates/gift cards during the holidays. Offer people the option to “sponsor” or donate funds so a book can be purchased for a student that cannot afford one… perhaps have a drawing for a lucky winner or winners?

• Consider using sales letters in both English and other languages to ensure that everyone knows and understands that a yearbook will be on sale.

• Make sure to offer Parent or Senior Ads during some of the sale campaigns.

• Use your school website as a sales tool by posting prices and deadlines for sales.