Although this seems basic, this is your most important step. You need to consider how a book can help you achieve your strategic business goals. After working with hundreds of authors, I’ve noticed that most have two over-arching business goals they want a book to fulfi ll. Number one is generating new leads. Number two is launching a new business.
I’ve provided two questions below, along with examples from other authors, to help you determine your book’s purpose. After exploring both questions, it will be easier to engineer a book that achieves your business goals.
Who are you writing to? What doors do you need to open?
A book is a conduit to reaching certain segments of your market. Dan is a master at designing books for this purpose. He could have written one book on marketing and been done with the subject. However, he has created ongoing discussion and interest by writing additional books tailored to certain marketing themes. For example, Marketing to the Affl uent places marketing in a com- pletely new context. It’s the same for Marketing to Boomers and
Seniors. By narrowing his main topic, he reaches new audiences— and new customers.
Th is is just as important for small business owners or profes- sionals, perhaps even more so. By focusing attention on a segment of your market, you appeal more to that audience. Your business stands out.
So start by asking yourself, “To whom am I writing? Whom do I want to attract to my business?” By doing this, you can position your book to not only stand out in a specifi c market but also to attract your ideal client/customer.
For example, I mentioned Travis Miller and Jimmy Vee in an earlier chapter. Th eir book Invasion of the Profi t Snatchers: A Practical Guide to Increasing Sales Without Cutting Prices & Pro- tecting Your Dealership from Looters, Moochers & Vendors Gone Wild is clearly aimed at auto dealers. Th rough this book, they have developed a very profi table business, Rich Dealers. Yet they began as broad-based marketing experts. By focusing on a certain group within their market, this book has created an entirely new business for them.
Dentist and author Dr. Charles Martin knows how to stand out in a crowded fi eld. He wrote Th is Won’t Hurt a Bit: A Consum- er’s Guide to Dentistry to diff erentiate his practice from the com- petition. It worked, but he didn’t stop there. His second book, Don’t Sugar Coat It: Th e Story of Diabetes and Dentistry—What Th ey Didn’t Tell You appealed to a new segment of his market. Th ink of it this way: if you have diabetes, you may have missed the fi rst book, but this title will defi nitely catch your attention.
We’ve mentioned several times how the title of “author” provides nearly instant credibility. Your book makes you a go-to expert in your fi eld. Th is alone shines the spotlight on you.
However, you can narrow your topic even further. By dem- onstrating expertise in a specifi c area, you can elevate yourself even further above a crowd.
Th is is what John Dolan did with his book Negotiate like the Pros. As a criminal defense lawyer, he could have written about a wide range of topics on the law. However, John chose a specifi c topic because he wanted positioning as an expert in one arena. His plan worked. In addition to his law practice, John has an active speaking business. He speaks to groups ranging from lawyers to sales staff at Apple, or scouts for the Texas Rangers. It’s a wide variety of audiences, but all pay top dollar to learn better nego- tiation techniques. His book laid the pathway to reach diff erent segments of a broad market.
As an added bonus, John leveraged his book to create another business. He off ers classes on negotiation skills for lawyers who need to fulfi ll required continuing education hours. Again, his book provides him with the expert status required to teach such courses. Th is wasn’t a happenstance occurrence. Rather, John did this by design.
A book can also position you in a new light if you need to switch gears in your business. Rick Sessinghaus knows this well. If you’re an avid golfer, you may recognize his name. Once part of the PGA tour, the day came when Rick lost his tour card. He had plenty of skills to be a golf coach, and he knew he wanted to work with business executives. However, he had to fi nd a way to reach them, or in a sense, to join their ranks.
Like the media, corporations respond to the expertise author- ship provides. It is often the tipping point they need to hire you over another similar consultant or business. So, Rick wrote his book with the corporate audience in mind. As a result, he gained
the standing and clout to open doors of CEO suites. Today, he reigns as the golf coach for Fortune 500 companies.
Your book will provide instant positioning as an expert. Before writing, consider whether you can advance your business, or even develop a new one, by attracting a specifi c audience. You can then tailor your book topic, language, and tone to achieve your business objectives.
How Can You Educate Your Audience?
In addition to determining who your audience will be, consider the information they will need. By providing helpful information, you establish a relationship with your readers. Th ey understand who you are, what you’re doing, and equally important, why you do it. Your goal is to create a bond of trust.
Education is especially important for any complex topic or fi eld. Anyone selling highly technical products will tell you that educating prospects is the straightest path to long-term customers. Yet education benefi ts any profession or business.
For example, authors in medical fi elds often write their books, in part, to educate patients. Books allow them to answer common questions or explain procedures. Th ey can provide advice to relieve pain, or to help readers after offi ce hours. Many feel that patients who read their books respond better to treatment than those who don’t. And, in addition to bringing new patients into their practice, they have found that their book encourages patients to stay.
Determine the information you need to include in your book. Your goal should be to build solid relationships while leaving your readers wanting more. Th is attracts people to you and ultimately, the additional products and services you have to off er.