21 Ways T O
B U I L D
Y O U R
Business W I T H
A
Book
21 Ways T O
B U I L D
Y O U R
Business W I T H
A
Book
SECRETS TO DRAMATICALLY GROW YOUR INCOME, CREDIBILITY, AND CELEBRITY-POWER BY BEING AN AUTHOR
ADAM WI TTY
速
Copyright © 2009 by Adam Witty All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior written consent of the author, except as provided by the United States of America copyright law. Published by Advantage, Charleston, South Carolina. Member of Advantage Media Group. ADVANTAGE is a registered trademark and the Advantage colophon is a trademark of Advantage Media Group, Inc. Printed in the United States of America. ISBN: 978-1-59932-095-3 LCCN: 2008940763
Most Advantage Media Group titles are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotions, premiums, fundraising, and educational use. Special versions or book excerpts can also be created to fit specific needs. For more information, please write: Special Markets, Advantage Media Group, P.O. Box 272, Charleston, SC 29402 or call 1.866.775.1696. Visit us online at advantagefamily.com
Dear Prospective Author: Are you intrigued by the idea of being a published author? Having a book proudly displayed in bookstores and online? Can you imagine the increased credibility, marketability, and prestige that will flow to you and your business by being a published author? Over the years, I have personally helped hundreds of entrepreneurs and businesspeople get published. During that time, I have identified the top 21 ways authors successfully use a book to build their business. In the pages ahead you will learn what the top entrepreneurs, CEOs, and gurus know… how to build and grow their business with a book. Imagine the possibilities. With Great Enthusiasm & Spirit!
Adam D. Witty Chief Executive Officer Advantage Media Group
Table of Contents 8
CHAPTER 1 Use a Book for Client Gifts and to Create Client Loyalty
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CHAPTER 2 A Book is Your Marketplace Differentiator
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CHAPTER 3 Use a Book to Generate Quality Referrals
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CHAPTER 4 A Book is an Income Stream
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CHAPTER 5 Become a Darling of the Media: Get Your Fair Share of Media Coverage and Free Publicity with a Book
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CHAPTER 6 Acquire Clients, Be a Customer Magnet: Use a Book for Lead Generation
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CHAPTER 7 Use a Book to Create Multiplicity
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CHAPTER 8 A Book Creates Ultimate Credibility-Power and Celebrity-Power
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CHAPTER 9 A Book is a Cost Effective Marketing Tool
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CHAPTER 10 How to Be Heard Above the Noise with a Book
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CHAPTER 11 Share Your Message with the World Through a Book
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CHAPTER 12 Build Employee Loyalty and Create an Employee Training Guide with a Book
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CHAPTER 13 Create a Tipping Point and Compete Against the Industry Giants with a Book
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CHAPTER 14 A Book is A Virtual Sales Force, Increase Sales without Salespeople
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CHAPTER 15 Be Recognized with a Book
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CHAPTER 16 A Book is the Ultimate Networking Tool
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CHAPTER 17 A Book is the Ultimate Business Card
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CHAPTER 18 Build Brand Recognition and Brand Equity for Your Company with a Book
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CHAPTER 19 Build Your List: Use a Book for Lead Acquisition
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CHAPTER 20 Use a Book to Become a Highly Paid Speaker
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CHAPTER 21 Use a Book as a Source for Product Development
CHAPTER 1
Use a Book for Client Gifts and to Create Client Loyalty
A
re you looking for the perfect holiday gift for your best clients? Look no further, the perfect present has arrived! The most profitable companies around the world boast the most fanatical and loyal clients and customers. There is a direct correlation between fanatical clients and profit. These companies have a plan to regularly show appreciation to their clients. I want you to think about all of the companies that have sent you gifts of appreciation for your business. That thought is over pretty quick, is it not? Few businesses do this. Few businesses ever shower their clients with appreciation, providing ever more reason as to why you should be sending client gifts. Have you heard of the Pareto principle? Perhaps you are familiar with the 80/20 rule? It is the rule of the vital few. Made famous by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, the rule states that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. Using that rule, we oftentimes find that 80% of tax dollars are paid by 20% of the tax paying population. Or, we find that the top 20% of our clients make up 80% of our profit. Look around, you will find the Pareto principle to be true in most all aspects of your life. With that said, what are you currently doing to thank your best clients? What are you doing to show your appreciation to that top 20% that are contributing 80% to your bottom line? Do you know the Lifetime Value of your Clients? Most entrepreneurs do not.
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CHAPTER 2
A Book is Your Marketplace Differentiator
A
s a kid, I remember visiting Disney World and riding “It’s a Small World.” I’d like to agree with the concept that it is a small world, but with over six billion world residents and 300+ million folks in the United States it seems hard to grasp. With the world’s population growing at a neck-breaking pace, it becomes even more difficult to stand out in a crowd and differentiate yourself from everyone else. While there are over six billion world residents, there are only about three million authors. If you're not a mathmatician, being a published author makes you part of the top 0.05%. How is that for differentiation? Being an author instantly makes you an expert. Being an author instantly catapults you out of the “rest of the pack”. As an author, you are no longer a “me too.” As an author, your credibility amongst clients and competitors soars. Stand out in a crowd and keep the competition back over your shoulder. Do you know where your competition stands today? Exceeding your clients’ expectations only takes a little bit of effort, but it can do a lot for your sales. Odds say they aren’t publishing a book. So that begs the question: What are you doing differently so people will chose you over your competition? Consumers are no longer settling for average service or the best price. They have too many choices. By being unique, it will position you to exceed your
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client’s expectations. Being an author means you have gone the extra mile. It will pay off for you time and time again. Your clients will feel good about spending their money with you over and over again. That extra mile taken to be an author will tip the scales in your favor so consumers choose you.
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CHAPTER 3
Use a Book to Generate Quality Referrals
W
hat percentage of your new business comes from referrals? What percent of your existing clients provide referrals? I bet you don’t know the answer. As a rule of thumb, studies show that roughly 20% of your clients will freely give referrals without being asked. Another 20% will not give referrals at all. That leaves 60% of your clients that probably would refer you business if you would only ask.
The most profitable businesses report that well over 70% of new clients come from referrals. With the cost of advertising and marketing continuing to rise while producing lackluster results, referrals are your best and most cost effective marketing tool. Smart authors provide books to their best clients while asking those same clients to pass the books along to friends, family, and business associates that might benefit by reading their information. A book instantly creates a “conversation starter” among clients and friends. In essence, you have greased the skids, making it easier for your clients to give you referrals. Most importantly, if you have only one job at all, it should be making it easier for your clients to refer business to you.
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The second slam dunk of a book is that it allows you to control the message your clients tell their referrals… guaranteeing they will say exactly what you want. Have you ever cringed at the sound of a client describing your business to their referral? Just because a client does business with you does not guarantee they can deliver your “30 second commercial” in good form. In fact, your best clients may be driving prospects away by saying all the wrong things…unintentionally. Your book is a scripted masterpiece; the same masterpiece your referrals should be reading. Give copies of your book to your best clients, and then simply have them pass those books along to friends, family, and colleagues that may be a fit for your business. Doing this ensures that you control 100% of your message leaving nothing to chance.
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CHAPTER 4
A Book is an Income Stream
A
book generates passive income for individuals and businesses through copies sold via bookstores, back-of-theroom, online, and corporate/specialty sales.
Thousands of authors sell their books through bookstores and retailers, such as Barnes & Noble or Borders. Furthermore, start thinking of Wal-Mart, Target, and other “mass retailers.” It doesn’t end there. You can sell your books in airports, train stations, hospitals, museums, and much more. Every day, it seems as though another retailer begins to sell books. There are extensive opportunities here.
Many authors become speakers in the process of publishing a book. I believe that every speaker should write and every author should speak. Speaking is a fantastic way to promote your book. After speaking, your audience will want more, and the best way to take a piece of you home with them is by purchasing copies of your book from the back of the room. There are dozens of Advantage authors that easily earn six figures annually just by selling books from the back of the room.
Advantage author Steve Gilliland of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has used his book to dramatically impact his company’s income. Steve, author of Enjoy the Ride, Mum’s the Word, and License to Chill reports his company generates a high six figure income annually just from book sales alone. Furthermore, Steve reports that each year that figure keeps getting bigger and bigger.
With the world of commerce officially online, you probably aren’t surprised to know that online sales are becoming a larger component of
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overall book sales every year. Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and others online make up close to 40% of all book sales...and that number is growing by the day. This is big business.
Have you ever said to yourself “company X should really be buying my book!” If you have, welcome to the world of corporate/specialty sales. We classify this category as sales to non-bookstore and non-retail markets. Thousands of companies buy bulk quantities of books every year for use as premiums, gifts, employee training, marketing tools, and more. For the most part, books are sold one at a time; however, corporate sales can often mean that books are sold hundreds and even thousands at a time. As you can imagine, this can be very lucrative.
Rights sales are another opportunity. This includes selling the foreign translation rights of your book into other countries, selling movie or film rights, selling licensing rights, etc. How many movies can you recall watching that have the tagline “based upon the book?” Bookstore sales, online sales, back-of-the-room sales, corporate/specialty sales, and foreign sales can add up to big bucks.
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CHAPTER 5
Become a Darling of the Media: Get Your Fair Share of Media Coverage and Free Publicity with a Book
M
any entrepreneurs day-dream about being on Oprah, being profiled in Inc. magazine, or being the guest host of CNBC’s “Power Lunch.” At the very least, these same authors want to be featured in their industry trade journals and publications. For most entrepreneurs, all of the above remains just a dream. Why? Most folks don’t realize it isn’t about them. The media doesn’t care about you; they only care about delivering good content to their readers/viewers/ listeners. They want a great story. A book can be a great story.
Sending press releases and hoping for coverage just doesn’t cut it anymore. You have to give the news media something to talk about. A book is something to talk about. Reporters are looking for sources for their stories and interviews each and every day. In fact, radio alone interviews over 10,000 people every single day. Why aren’t they interviewing you? You haven’t given them a reason. Being an author makes you an expert. It also makes you credible. Reporters love interviewing credible experts for their stories, whether it’s radio, TV, print, or online. I want to tell you about Advantage author Jim Ziegler. Jim’s main business is consulting to automobile dealers. In fact, Jim was recently the keynote speaker at the National Automotive Dealer
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Association conference. Perhaps more notably, Jim has been a monthly columnist in industry revered Dealer Magazine since October 1998 (the same year Jim released his book). Who do you think reads Dealer Magazine? Ding, ding, ding…you guessed correctly…owners of automobile dealerships…the same people that hire Jim. By the way, Jim was an absolute unknown to Dealer Magazine until he mailed them a review copy of his book. The book ignited the spark that lead to his monthly column in the magazine. Would you like to be writing a monthly article in your largest trade journal? Don’t you think it would be a lot easier to get business if you were a columnist in your industry’s largest trade journal? As Jim will be the first to tell you, outside of auto, nobody knows who he is. But inside of the auto industry, Jim is a rock star. In fact, he told me that the President of Ford Motor Co. recently flew him up to Detroit on their corporate jet to consult with them. Would you like to be a rock star within your industry? Would you like to consult for the largest company in your industry… and fly on their corporate jet to boot?
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CHAPTER 6
Acquire Clients, Be a Customer Magnet: Use a Book for Lead Generation
M
any individuals and businesses use a book to generate new leads. Rather than using the “same as the other guy” ads. They use a book to generate only the most qualified leads.
Would you like to give a book to all of your customers and best prospects that would immediately point them right back to doing business with you? That book is YOUR book. Allow me to illustrate with an example. Carl Sewell is the CEO of Sewell Automobile Companies in Dallas, Texas. In 1990, Carl penned a book titled Customers for Life. In the book, Carl describes in detail his company’s “Ten Commandments of Customer Service.” Any prospect that walks into a Sewell automobile dealership receives a complimentary copy of the book… even if they are just looking. Well, as you can imagine, many of those prospects read (or at least skim) the book and learn of Carl’s Ten Commandments of Customer Service. After reading the book, they realize they won’t get better service anywhere else and purchase their vehicle from Sewell. Interestingly, in 1990 when Sewell published the book, he had three dealerships in Dallas. Today, Sewell has 17 dealerships spread
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throughout Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Grapevine, and Plano. Do you think his book had anything to do with that success? How can you leverage your own book to acquire clients? First, hold a client appreciation party, and provide a complimentary copy of your book as a parting gift. Second, personally deliver or mail a copy of your book to all of your best prospects. Finally, if you have a retail business, give a copy of your book to every serious customer that enters your doors. If Carl Sewell can do it, why can’t you?
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CHAPTER 7
Use a Book to Create Multiplicity
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oo much to do and not enough time to do it! This seems to be the mantra of which I live by these days. I would guess that this same phrase might apply to your life too?
As entrepreneurs, CEOs, business professionals, and speakers, we are constantly pulled in many directions, needing to be in many places at one time. A book allows you to be in multiple places at once… figuratively that is. But think for a minute about the power of multiplicity and leverage. Mass media is leverage. Rather than speaking to people one by one, with radio, television, and print you can literally speak to millions of people at the same time. A book allows you to do the same thing. The difference between being a millionaire and multi-millionaire is nothing more than the power of leverage. As the old saying goes, “the first million is always the hardest.” So why do some people plateau after making the first million while others turn the first million into 5, 10, or 20 million? The answer is leverage. Leverage is utilizing the strengths of people, processes, media, and economies of scale to do a lot more in much less time. Leverage helps you get the most out of yourself, because you free up your time to work on the activities that are most valuable to you. Most entrepreneurs agree that to get ahead you must work hard and work smart. Publishing a book allows you to leverage your 20
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time by communicating with multiple people at once. While writing the book might be some heavy lifting at first, it will pay dividends for the rest of your career. Carl Sewell, author of Customers for Life, has used his book for that last 20 years to grow his automobile company from one dealership to 17 dealerships. Same book and it has worked for 20+ years! Jim Ziegler, who I mentioned earlier, reported to me that many of the top executives of the major automobile manufacturers across the globe have a copy of his book on their bookshelves. How would you like for a copy of your book to be on CEO’s coffee table? If you want to take your business to the next level, you need to work smart, not just hard. Multiply and leverage yourself through the power of a book. If Carl Sewell and Jim Ziegler can do it, why can’t you?
Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled “This could change your life.” —Helen Exley
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CHAPTER 8
A Book Creates Ultimate Credibility-Power and Celebrity-Power
H
ave you ever heard of Robert Kiyosaki of Rich Dad, Poor Dad? Robert has gone on to make a fortune in speaking, coaching, training, and of course his business and real estate interests. That said, it was Robert’s original book Rich Dad, Poor Dad that made him famous. It was that book that made him the credible, “go-to” expert. How about Tim Ferris of The 4 Hour Work Week? Have you ever heard of him? Prior to the book, no one had a clue who Tim Ferris was. The book made him famous, the book has made him credible, and Tim has wisely used the book to his full advantage by booking highly-paid speaking fees, getting top publicity in television, radio, and newsprint. Both of these authors would be classified as celebrities. They have come to dominate their respective fields as experts and gurus. What bestowed this “guru” status upon them? You got it… a book. I recently attended the Inc. 500 conference. For those that are not familiar, the Inc. 500 are the 500 fastest growing private companies in America. As you might imagine, they had a impressive lineup of keynote speakers. Out of curiosity, I counted how many of the 35 speakers were also published authors. Any guesses? 27 of the 35
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speakers were also published authors. Many of the speakers were CEO of multi billion dollar companies. A book gives you ultimate “street credit.” A book gives you expert and guru status. A book validates you as an authority. You see, people put authors on a very high pedestal. Writing a book is like running marathon. Most human beings could never fathom running 26.2 miles…all at the same time, and never will. Millions have dreamed of climbing Mt. Everest, but only a few have actually attempted and succeeded. This is the same reason why many authors have that celebrity role after publication. Writing a book gives you EXPERT status. If you were not an expert, how could you have possibly written a book?
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CHAPTER 9
A Book is a Cost Effective Marketing Tool
A
book is the most powerful marketing tool in an entrepreneur’s arsenal, and often times the most cost effective.
What is your cost per lead? What is your cost per client? These can be scary questions to answer. Most entrepreneurs would prefer not knowing, as it will reveal a large hole in their “marketing budget.” Unless you ruthlessly track and manage your return on marketing investment you will constantly under perform. Big "dumb" companies routinely spend $100,000+ dollars to take out full page “image” advertisements in national magazines and newspapers. While these ads may look good to the naked eye, they rarely do anything to move the sales needle forward. Big companies can afford to make these mistakes. Small, lean, entrepreneurial organizations cannot. Your book is an image advertisement, business card, directresponse advertisement, and credibility builder all in one. Best of all, for less than about $5 per unit, your book can do a lot of heavy lifting. Some of this heavy is helping people understand what you offer. Do you sell a technical or complex product or service? A book is a phenomenal tool to explain the technicalities of your product or service.
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It is not because you are going to get rich off of it…But you can get rich because of it. —Bill Glazer
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CHAPTER 10
How to Be Heard Above the Noise with a Book
A
mericans are overloaded with information from e-mail, TV, radio, and online. To get away from the complete bombardment of information, people find and enjoy peace and quiet in reading. Where do you and others like to read? Is it on the couch next to the fire, on airplanes, in bed, on the beach, away from the spouse, kids, co-workers? It is during this alone time that the reader is concentrating solely on the author. With the average American being exposed to over 3,000 unique marketing messages daily, having a quiet sanctuary with your prospect or client all to yourself is nearly impossible. Close your eyes, and picture your best client sitting in first class on a JFK to LAX flight reading your book. For the 4+ hour flight, you have this busy executive all to yourself. You control the dialogue, conversation, and message. Buying this time would be impossible. Communication is key, and without the distractions of daily “noise” books are the ideal medium in which to communicate with your clients and prospects. Being heard above the noise is one of the biggest stumbling blocks for entrepreneurs and growing businesses. It’s why most start-ups fail; it is why even more never get beyond “a good idea”
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scratched on a napkin. Communication is typically the crucial link between vision and execution. Unless you can communicate your vision to your investors, your employees, and most important, to yourself, your venture, no matter how inspired, will never succeed. While there are many components of effective communication, entrepreneurs should begin with the most critical, the message. You must take your vision and translate it into a clear, focused and compelling message that can be conveyed to all. A book is the best medium to do this. What are you going to say to your clients, prospective investors, employers, and prospects while you have their undivided attention?
"I find television to be very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go in the other room and read a book." —Groucho Marx
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CHAPTER 11
Share Your Message with the World through a Book
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et’s face it, the right book, in the right person’s hands, at the right time, can change that person’s life forever. A book can pull someone out of debt, save a marriage, or mend a broken relationship between parent and child. People write to communicate ideas and emotions, to challenge and motivate others into action, to reinforce beliefs or deconstruct perceptions. People read for enjoyment, self-enlightenment, and education… the list goes on. Whatever your message may be, there are people eager to read it. Many business professionals reach a point in their career when they turn their focus from success to significance. We all have an altruistic sense and desire to give back and contribute to the well being of our fellow man. Many of us have a higher calling. We have a message to share. A book is a vehicle to do all of the above. I want to share with you the story of Advantage author, David Johnson. By sharing his message through a book, David went from being an amateur photographer to a national spokesperson and advocate for the Sudanese people with his book, Voices of Sudan. Books are the most powerful educational tools in the world, and they have enabled people to share stories and messages that otherwise would not have been possible. There’s a book with a message inside everyone. What message is inside you?
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Do you have a charity, cause, or worthy organization that you want to support and draw attention to? If David Johnson can do it, why can’t you?
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CHAPTER 12
Build Employee Loyalty and Create an Employee Training Guide with a Book
H
ow much time have you spent training and educating employees? How much time have you spent hiring new people to replace employees that left your company? Consider your hourly rate. How much money have you wasted to train and then re-train a revolving door of new people? Is this the best use of your time? Smart CEOs and entrepreneurs have multiple uses for their books. But, the really smart ones also use their books as educational tools for their employees, to train, educate, and build loyalty. Many great companies are driven by a strong employee-focused core architecture and company culture. Another characteristic of these great companies is they have well-trained and educated employees. The amount of time, energy, and money that is invested in training and education shows an employee that he/ she is an asset of the company, worthy of investing in. Do your employees know your company’s vision? Goals? Strategies? A book is a terriďŹ c vehicle for educating your team while creating glue between employee and company.
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Rather than reciting your vision to each employee, how about putting it in a book? Loyal customers are created by loyal employees. Organizations that work to create a partnership relationship with its employees significantly improve their response to customers. Use a book to build this relationship.
"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them." —Mark Twain
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CHAPTER 13
Create a Tipping Point and Compete Against the Industry Giants with a Book
I
f you are in the software business, you probably know that Bill Gates of Microsoft has written a book. If you are in the restaurant business, you probably know that Ray Kroc of McDonalds, Howard Schultz of Starbucks, and dozens of other restaurant entrepreneurs have written books. In fact, many successful entrepreneurs and CEOs that are at the top of their industry have published books. If you are going to compete head-to-head with the giants of your industry, you must be on the same playing field. A book puts you on that field. Not only can a book position you as a giant, but if the book hits critical mass, it can create a dramatic tipping point for your business. Write a book and go global. After releasing your book to the world, you have the ability to reach out and touch people across the globe. Your customers may live in your neighborhood or across the world in another country. A book extends your reach and extends your profits to new areas.
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CHAPTER 14
A Book is A Virtual Sales Force- Increase Sales without Salespeople
A
s an entrepreneur, you know that there are two ways to grow your business. First, acquire more customers. Second, do more business with the customers you already have. To do one, the other, or both requires human energy. The fundamental flaw with human energy (employees) is that they are expensive and have massive needs. When you increase your employee count you proportionally increase your overhead, headaches, and challenges. After all, people are people. That said, would you be interested in a proven way to increase your sales without adding salespeople? Allow me to introduce you to your virtual sales force…your book. Your book allows you to be in multiple places at the same time (multiplicity), something we discussed in a previous chapter. It allows you to have a personal conversation with multiple people at the same time. When a customer or prospect is reading your book, they are focused solely on you…making it far easier to make the sale. Savvy authors will also include direct response techniques, bounce-backs, and special offers within their book to keep the phone ringing and the new lead pipeline full.
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A book is a cost-effective, direct response marketing tool that if used properly will turn on the spigot of new leads, helping you increase your sales without adding overhead and salespeople. Best of all, books don’t take two hour lunches nor do they talk back.
"Medicine for the soul." —Inscription over the door of the Library at Thebes
Recommended Resource # 1 Do you have a manuscript, book proposal, or book idea? Would you like a complimentary 30 minute book feasibility consultation to determine if your concept has legs? Please visit amgbook.com select “Publishing Questionnaire”
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CHAPTER 15
Be Recognized and Remembered with a Book
O
nly through a book can you record your thoughts, experiences, and history for your family, loved ones, friends, colleagues, and employees. Have you considered how you will be remembered when your ticker stops ticking? I know, I know‌this is a morbid question. Please forgive me. It is however, an important question. What legacy will you leave behind? Will you be remembered for the positive impact you made on the people at your company? Will you be remembered for the positive deeds you did on behalf of your community? How will your grandchildren or great grandchildren know you? If you are the founder of a business and intend for the business to outlive you, how will employees and customers learn about the early years? How will they appreciate the core values and fundamentals on which you built the business? Maybe you’ll be remembered for going viral. Just like a movie or hit song, books go viral and can forever change the world. Take Chicken Soup for the Soul or The Purpose Drive Life as examples. Both books have made a huge impression on the world for their captivating, yet simplistic messages. If they can do it, so can you!
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Finally, recognition can be as simple as stroking one’s ego. Every human has an ego, whether we are big enough to admit it or not. We all express our egos in different ways. For some, it is authoring a book.
"Done properly, a book can change your life and your business forever." —Dan Kennedy
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CHAPTER 16
A Book is the Ultimate Networking Tool
N
etworking is an essential skill for most business professionals, but especially for entrepreneurs, business owners, and CEOs. There’s a strong association between the entrepreneur as a person and his or her business demands. It is vitally important that entrepreneurs get out into the world and create and maintain business relationships.
As Henry Ford once said, “take away all of my money and leave me only my rolodex and in 1 years time I will be a multi-millionaire all over again.” I suppose this illustrates the power of networking, or as the old saying goes, “it’s not how much you know, it’s who you know.” I know what you’re saying… networking takes time and I don’t have the time! A book helps you network with all the people you want without taking too much time. Wouldn’t you like to have a book that would do the heavy lifting for you and connect your business with other people, organizations, and spheres of influences? Let me tell you about Advantage author Bryan Crabtree. Bryan co-authored a book titled The Advantage of Real Estate. Bryan coauthored the book with 11 other prominent real estate investors throughout the country. As a result of the book, Bryan was net-
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worked with another investor whom he recently joint purchased a very large property. These two investors have a three year plan to turn-around the property and flip it for a very healthy profit. That one deal alone represents thousands of dollars for Bryan’s bank account. That one deal alone was made possible by the networking generated from Bryan’s book.
t h e
ADVA NTAGE of
R E A L E S TAT E w or d s of
d wis
om
ppppp from
Leading Real Estate Experts
FEATURING
BRYAN CRABTREE
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CHAPTER 17
A Book is the Ultimate Business Card
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hen you meet with a prospect, what is the first thing you do when you sit down with that individual? You slide your business card across the table, right? I want you to start thinking about a book as your business card. Say something to the nature of “Mr. Prospect, thank you so much for spending a few minutes with me today. I greatly appreciate you making time to meet with me. As a small token of my appreciation, I would like for you to have a copy of my latest book, just published by Advantage. I think you will really enjoy the book.”
Now, let us address the obvious. As soon as those words flow from your mouth and the book moves from you to the prospect, two BIG things happen immediately. First, the prospect will straighten up in his chair and take great interest in everything that you have to say. Whereas initially the prospect may have viewed his time with you as a “favor,” as an author with a book your status immediately goes from “unwanted pest” to “welcome guest.” Second, your prospect is now “pre-sold” on you before you even open your mouth. The reason is simple; your book is the ultimate sales letter or brochure and it sells the prospect on why you’re THE expert on your particular subject. Rather than the typical
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question of “what is your rate?” the prospect will move to questions like “would you consider taking me on as a client?” It is extremely important that you make sure one of the last pages of your book has ALL contact information for you and your business. This is the #1 most important page in an entire 300 page book. Advantage author Terry Weaver has done just this. Some might argue that the other 297 pages are irrelevant. The point is this book is his business card. Rather than sliding a business card across the table, start sliding your book across the table instead. You will observe big changes.
"When you sell a man a book you don’t sell just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue – you sell him a whole new life." —Christopher Morley
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CHAPTER 18
Build Brand Recognition and Brand Equity for Your Company with a Book
H
ave you heard of Starbucks Coffee Company? Do you have a cup of Starbucks in your hand right now while you are reading this book? In 1999, Starbuck’s Chairman and CEO Howard Schultz wrote a book titled Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time. Prior to reading the book, I had never stepped foot into a Starbucks store. However, as an entrepreneur, I was very interested in the subject matter of building a company and thought I could benefit by reading the book. After finishing the book, I was so moved by Starbucks corporate values and way they treated their employees, vendors, and suppliers, I became a regular customer. I am a frequent Starbucks customer as a result of reading the founder’s book. Do you think the CEO of Starbucks wrote his book as a networking tool or as a business card? Maybe not. But, Howard Schultz did write the book to create goodwill for the Starbucks brand and drive new people into their stores. It worked with me. In 1999, when the book was published Starbucks had 2,500 store locations. In 2008, Starbucks has over 17,000 store locations.
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Let me share with you the story of John Wood, the founder of Room to Read, a non-profit organization that builds libraries for children in third world countries. John has a fascinating personal story (as most of us do), and decided to put that story to book form. John’s book, Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, was recommended to me by a friend. After reading the book, I was so excited about John’s organization that I immediately made a financial contribution. Since there were thousands of other readers that had the same positive reaction I did, John’s book has brought thousands of new volunteers and contributors to his non-profit. How can you leverage a book to build brand recognition and brand equity for your company or non-profit organization? If John Wood and Howard Schultz can do it, why can’t you?
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CHAPTER 19
Build Your List: Use a Book for Lead Acquisition
M
any years back, my friend, colleague, and Advantage author Tom Antion and I were having a conversation about internet marketing when he asked me a question that has forever changed my life.
The question was “What is your computer?” After staring back at him dazed and confused, he blurted out, “Your computer is an ATM in which you can instantly print money whenever you need it.” Tom’s point was that by building a large list of prospects and customers, savvy marketers are able to mail to them at any time and generate instant response, which translates to instant sales. In fact, Tom’s list of 110,000+ customers, prospects, and subscribers generates between $90,000 to $200,000 per month. My point is simple; you should be using a book to generate subscribers to your list. You should have numerous references contained within your book directing them to a free report, article, teleseminar, or some other resource of value. You want readers to “raise their hand” and say, “YES I want to hear from you, I want to learn from you, I want you to stay in contact with me.”
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Another master practitioner of this art is marketing guru and Advantage author Dan Kennedy, known to many as the godfather of direct response marketing and the millionaire maker. Dan subtly weaves free resources (aka offers to join his “list”) throughout his book. Take a page from Dan Kennedy and Tom Antion’s books (no pun intended) and use a book to drive subscribers to your list. If Dan Kennedy and Tom Antion can do it, why can’t you?
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CHAPTER 20
Use a Book to Become a Highly Paid Speaker
I
have always believed authors should speak and speakers should author. A book can do wonders for a speaker as far as increasing their number of gigs and fee for each engagement. I’m not a math major, but more engagements x higher engagement price = larger profits. In addition, speaking is the best way to promote and sell your book. They go hand-in-hand, like peas and carrots or burgers and fries. Meeting planners, who are responsible for booking a majority of all professional speakers LOVE authors. Many meeting planners won’t hire a speaker who has not earned the “good housekeeping seal of approval”…a published book. To illustrate, I share the story of Advantage author Greg Kozera. Greg is a speaker, trainer, and facilitator on leadership topics. After publishing his book, Greg was able to substantially raise his speaking fee. Furthermore, he was able to book a significant number of additional speaking engagements. Greg’s book alone has generated a healthy six figures in speaking fees in a little less than a year. For speakers, one of the things that keep us from raising our fees is ourselves. We say, “Am I really that good?” With a book, you ARE that good.
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"If there’s a book you really want to read but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it." —Toni Morrison
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CHAPTER 21
Use a Book as a Source for Product Development
O
kay, drum roll please. This is the big one…because this could be bigger than the other 20 reasons combined! In fact, this is where most millionaire authors are made… and most authors never get this. A book is not a book; a book is the foundation from which to build an entire information business. Your book is just the beginning. Would you like to easily create dozens of high-profit spin-off products from your book? Authors turn books into audio books, home study kits, teleseminars, coaching programs, and material for high-end consulting that can easily generate six to seven figures annually. Advantage author, Steve Gilliland has done just that. Becoming an author allowed him to grow his product line to the point where, within two years, he was able to start a brand new company just to focus on products. He now has two offices and two locations: his product division is out of Pennsylvania and his speaking division is out of North Carolina. Tom Antion, an author I mentioned earlier, is brilliant at this. Please allow me to illustrate. Tom published a book titled Wake ‘Em Up! Business Presentations. The 200 page book, which sells for $20, contains 20 chapters. Each chapter of the book highlights a different strategy to keep people engaged in your presentation. Using that math, each chapter would cost about $1. Being the
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KING of product development, Tom turned his book into 20 different Interactive Learning Kits. In that, Tom takes a chapter, expands the text, adds 3 hours of audio, and then sells that product for $89. Tom took 1 chapter from his $20 book, added additional text and audio, and now sells that product for $89! Tom isn’t done yet. Finally, Tom took pieces from his book and combined with additional information and developed the “Wake ‘Em Up Speakers System” that he sells for $1,000+ dollars. Tom has easily sold over $1 million dollars worth of his Speakers System. At the end of the day, much of the content for his Speakers System came from his original $20 Wake ‘Em Up! book. Smart authors are always thinking “what’s next.” How can you take your book and turn it into another product, preferably one with a much better retail price and profit margin. If Steve Gilliland and Tom Antion can do it, why can’t you?
Recommended Resource # 2 Top 10 Publishing Mistakes Made By Authors and How to Avoid Them. www.AuthorToolkit.com
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A BO U T T H E A U T H O R ADAM WITTY is the Founder and Chief Executive OfďŹ cer of Advantage Media Group, a leading publisher of business, motivation, and self-help authors. Based in Charleston, South Carolina, Advantage delivers authors the quality, speed, efďŹ ciency, and distribution needed to market their books and media products worldwide. In addition to this book, Adam is co-author of Click: The Ultimate Guide to Internet Marketing for Authors. Adam serves as the President of the Faculty of Author Inner Circle and is the founder of the Author Marketing Summit. Adam is an in-demand speaker, teacher, and consultant on marketing and business development techniques for authors. Adam welcomes your comments and can be reached directly: Tel: 843.414.5600 Fax: 843.414.5610 E-mail: awitty@advantageww.com Blog: www.AuthorToolkit.com Online: www.AdvantageFamily.com or www.AdamWitty.com