A self published book can be a great way to get new prospects for your business, add value to your services and increase your revenue. Here are just a few ways self publishing a book can help your business:
A book is the new business card
Nobody cares about your business card. They will likely throw it away after they meet you. A book on the other hand, seldom gets thrown away. A business card just means you have access to a print shop. A book differentiates you from your competitors (who are still passing out business cards).
A book gives you instant credibility
A book makes you an expert. If you are consultant or someone who makes their money by selling their expertise, a book is about the best took you can have to establish your credentials and make you stand out among all the other consultants, counselors, and experts.
Speaking engagements, talk and radio show appearances and publicity are much more likely to happen if you have a book. In our society being a published author equals being an expert.
A book is a lead generation tool
A book is an excellent way to generate leads and to make leads into likely customers.
If you are consultant, don’t just put a lead form on your website and wait for people to contact you. Tell them if they register on your site, you will send them a free book with information of interest to them. This will generate a lot more potential leads then no offer.
If you teach classes or offer a consultation service, give prospects a free book with the view that those that read the book will be more likely to pay the tuition for your classes. You won’t make money on book sales if you give away your books, of course, but if doing so increases your sales conversions to your main business, then a book giveaway can still be a money maker for you.
Books can also be used in businesses we usually don’t associate with books. For example, if you have a wine shop and you make your money from selling fine wines, you may want to consider offering a free book on evaluating fine wines. An educated wine consumer is much more likely to spend money on a fine wine than someone who doesn’t know their Chardonnays from their Merlots.
A book can help educate your prospects and an educated prospect is more likely to see the value in what you offer.
A book offers added value
Giving away a book in association with your service or class can add perceived value to your business services.
For example, you can require your clients to purchase your book as a part of the service you offer. For example, Bookstand Publishing had a doctor author who offered a weight loss service, who required all his clients to purchase his print on demand weight loss book (and he charged a lot for weight loss service too).
In another case, a consultant who published a print on demand book began including the book as a part of his speaker’s package so clients would receive something tangible when they attended his paid seminar (and, of course the book included his contact information and list of services so class participants could contact him again in the future).
A book is an additional revenue stream
Often speakers who speak for “free” or who charge a low dollar amount for their seminars take a different approach and sell books in the back of the classroom. This is an excellent way to sell books, as customers are most likely to buy your book after having been inspired by your speaking. Almost every big name speaker sells books in the back of the room (or offers a book as a part of their speaking package)
As another example, if you offer counseling sessions, and your book is relevant to that field, put your book on a bookstand with pricing and ordering information so that all of your counseling clients see it. You can even offer a book signing at your place of business. The fact is that your existing clients are the best prospects to purchase your book.
Retail sales of your book on Amazon, Barnesandnoble.com and other online sites, can happen for your book as well, if you smart about how your market and promote your book. And being smart about how you market and promote your book will usually also help you in marketing and promoting your business as well.
Article Tags
A self published book can be a great way to get new prospects for your business, add value to your services and increase your revenue. Here are just a few ways self publishing a book can help your business:
A book is the new business card
Nobody cares about your business card. They will likely throw it away after they meet you. A book on the other hand, seldom gets thrown away. A business card just means you have access to a print shop. A book differentiates you from your competitors (who are still passing out business cards).
A book gives you instant credibility
A book makes you an expert. If you are consultant or someone who makes their money by selling their expertise, a book is about the best took you can have to establish your credentials and make you stand out among all the other consultants, counselors, and experts.
Speaking engagements, talk and radio show appearances and publicity are much more likely to happen if you have a book. In our society being a published author equals being an expert.
A book is a lead generation tool
A book is an excellent way to generate leads and to make leads into likely customers.
If you are consultant, don’t just put a lead form on your website and wait for people to contact you. Tell them if they register on your site, you will send them a free book with information of interest to them. This will generate a lot more potential leads then no offer.
If you teach classes or offer a consultation service, give prospects a free book with the view that those that read the book will be more likely to pay the tuition for your classes. You won’t make money on book sales if you give away your books, of course, but if doing so increases your sales conversions to your main business, then a book giveaway can still be a money maker for you.
Books can also be used in businesses we usually don’t associate with books. For example, if you have a wine shop and you make your money from selling fine wines, you may want to consider offering a free book on evaluating fine wines. An educated wine consumer is much more likely to spend money on a fine wine than someone who doesn’t know their Chardonnays from their Merlots.
A book can help educate your prospects and an educated prospect is more likely to see the value in what you offer.
A book offers added value
Giving away a book in association with your service or class can add perceived value to your business services.
For example, you can require your clients to purchase your book as a part of the service you offer. For example, Bookstand Publishing had a doctor author who offered a weight loss service, who required all his clients to purchase his print on demand weight loss book (and he charged a lot for weight loss service too).
In another case, a consultant who published a print on demand book began including the book as a part of his speaker’s package so clients would receive something tangible when they attended his paid seminar (and, of course the book included his contact information and list of services so class participants could contact him again in the future).
A book is an additional revenue stream
Often speakers who speak for “free” or who charge a low dollar amount for their seminars take a different approach and sell books in the back of the classroom. This is an excellent way to sell books, as customers are most likely to buy your book after having been inspired by your speaking. Almost every big name speaker sells books in the back of the room (or offers a book as a part of their speaking package)
As another example, if you offer counseling sessions, and your book is relevant to that field, put your book on a bookstand with pricing and ordering information so that all of your counseling clients see it. You can even offer a book signing at your place of business. The fact is that your existing clients are the best prospects to purchase your book.
Retail sales of your book on Amazon, Barnesandnoble.com and other online sites, can happen for your book as well, if you smart about how your market and promote your book. And being smart about how you market and promote your book will usually also help you in marketing and promoting your business as well.
