Sales and Demos - Selling your game

[eruditus]

no problem.  consider it continued :)

...as it turns out, Luke and I actually had a conversation very recently about you. Yes! This is true. So it's good to see you here.

I'm interested in hearing someone else describe the power of "sell through playing." I based my initial thoughts about it on watching the CCG guys sell their stuff like gangbusters at conventions, all on the strength of playing a couple of hands of their games right there at the booth.

In your view, what sort of demos work best? What's the most effective ratio of time-per-demo to sales?

Best,
Ron

About lil' ol' me   8|

Short Version

1.  Demos do not cut it for long, lasting customers - you need games run at conventions that cover both varieties: demonstrations and in depth games.  When someone is playing a game at a table they are in a different mindset than when they are browsing about the dealers hall.  Its easier to turn players into buyers than it is to turn browsers into buyers.  Demos are particularly good for exposure and for an intro to things before people get to the game table.

2.  Sales mean very little if your game is not played.  Its just another book on the shelf.  Games come into their own through constant use.  Games that are played sell themselves.  Going to conventions and expecting to see the new adventure for game such-and-such really inspires you to pick up that book.  Its something you know you'll get use out of.  Its an investment.  Know your audience and hone in on folks that help drive local gaming communities - GMs especially.  Get them playing and you find that one sale spawns six.

3.  When demoing sell your game on its own merits.  Never refer poorly to other games.  If your customer does, then fine. But when you speak of why they should buy your game, its because of its unique aspects and its value, not due to its superiority over other games.  All you do is alienate the people that love those other games.  If your game is the antithesis to D&D, and your faced with a D&D player, then you hone in on how your game mimics that experience and changes it for something a little different.  

IMHO

Don

[Luke]

it's interesting that this has come up just now, as I am wrestling with this very issue.

For the past two conventions I've had a dealer's table as Burning Wheel. The intent was to run demos at the table when not running longer "adventures" in the rpg room.

Well, in the two conventions I've run three dealers table demos. I've found people cruising the dealers' room aren't terribly interested in stopping by for a demo. Most of the interest in the game comes from the full length demos that Don or I run throughout the con. The kids run through those and some of them come down to the table to actually buy the game.

In two conventions with a table I sold 21 sets. Last spring, in two conventions without at dealers table, I sold 16 sets. Considering how much my game costs, and how much it costs to get a dealers table, the difference of those few sets isn't worth the cost and effort of getting a table.

However, I do want to go to these cons, and I am more than willing to support them and pay for the privlege of selling there.  But in order for such an outlay to be worth my while, I feel I need a sanctioned demo space that I can occupy constantly with either short demos or full length adventures. (GenCon not withstanding, I sell more games via longer adventures than the quick demos).

-L

[M. J. Young]

Of course, a lot of it has to do with the con.

Jim and I were guests at ShoreCon, and they had a special guests area where we were all allowed to showcase our stuff and sell it to interested people. James Earnest was there selling his games, and there was an artist next to us, and we ran demos and sold a few copies (it was a bad location, but it was a table.

At Ubercon, I was an "unofficial guest"--I didn't have any place to be, but just sort of mingled and talked to people. I don't think we sold anything at all there; we tried striking up a demo in the sales room, but it didn't catch.

I'm bound for UNY-con this weekend, as an official guest. This means once again I've a place to be, to interact with people looking to meet the official guests, get books signed, and such. (I'll also be part of the panel on three seminars, which should help some.) But the con management specifically says that they don't want guests competing with vendors for sales--and while I understand that position, it is annoying. (I do have a workaround planned; how well it works will determine my future convention plans to a significant degree.)

Whether you can sell games without paying for a table is something that some convention managers are very particular about; it might be a question of whether you're going to sell twenty-one games or zero games, in some cases.

I agree, though, that demos seem to be critical to sales of lesser-known games. Even James Earnest was busily getting people involved in playing his quick games at ShoreCon.

--M. J. Young

[eruditus]

the difference of those few sets isn't worth the cost and effort of getting a table.
-L

I agree that I do not think a Dealer's table is the way to go in most of these conventions.  It is probably more cost effective to have a "dealer" carry the Forge/Burning Wheel stuff (even buy them off you :) )

It helps that you've been partnering with NerdNYC as it sounds like it works out for Aaron.  

That all being said this is NOT true for Origins/GAMA/GenCon/DragonCon where the exhibition halls are much more focused on "show me your game so I can buy it."