Authors report they get more credibility, more impact, more influence, and more returns of in client ... [+]
Many agency owners, strategic consultants, and sellers of high-end services I meet complain about the revenue roller coaster. Sure, I understand the feast-or-famine nature of the business, and people in the business of selling their expertise wake up in the middle of the night thinking about how to find enough new clients.
But when I ask if they are marketing with a book and a speech, many say they can’t invest time or money in that.
That scarcity mentality is irksome to me, and my advice is to be generous in sharing information that will help prospects solve their biggest problems.
Let me share some hidden truths with you that I share with them:
Hidden truth 1: For people who sell their expertise, a book is the number one marketing tool. And talking about the book is the number one sales strategy. These are the findings of a 20-year lead generation study (full disclosure: I conducted this research when I was adjunct marketing faculty and continuing education dean at the University of California San Diego). The research showed that books for experts are not vanity projects—these have demonstrated return on investments (ROI) of 400% to 2,000%.
Hidden truth 2: Short-term outcomes. You can begin to use your “upcoming book” as a biz dev tool for blogs, webinars, articles, and speeches. Many audiences prefer a sneak peek of an upcoming book. This type of authority marketing can fill a dusty sales pipeline in as little as 30 days.
Hidden truth 3: Long-term outcomes. Authors I have interviewed report they get more credibility, more impact, more influence, and returns of 4x to 20x in client fees and speaking honorariums. This parlayed into increased referrals over time.
Hidden truth 4: Other success metrics. Create persuasive content to use for blogs, articles, emails, and seminars; drive inbound referrals and new client leads; become perceived as an authority and expert; gain competitive advantage in pitches over other experts; and earn a reputation as a valued trusted advisor (someone with ideas that change how they work and ideas they have not heard before).
Hidden truth 5: Do your book homework. You cannot just spew the same old advice to create the right book. To find new clients, the best approach for experts is to demonstrate expertise by generously sharing valuable information through writing and speaking. The secret ingredient is to conduct research that shows prospects how they compare to their peers. A great technique is to gather research by conducting in-depth interviews with prospects.
Hidden truth 6: Get help, avoid the Misery approach. Don’t lock yourself in a cabin to finish the book, like the Stephen King novel and movie titled Misery. The answer is to delegate the book to an experienced ghostwriter. You need to be involved, but you should not do this all on your own. The trial-and-error learning method is too expensive. Wouldn’t it be better if someone who knows the tricks and shortcuts helped you? Find someone who can show you how to leverage your time.
Hidden truth 7: The only aspect you cannot outsource are the insights. You need that supercomputer that sits on the top of your neck to come up with the insights that will prove to prospects you are worth talking to about how you help companies like theirs. Agency authors tell me repeatedly that the book effort clarified their thinking on their expertise. In the words of author Joan Didion, “I don’t know what I think until I write it down.”
Bottom line: Nobody said finding right-fit clients was going to be easy. You can do it with a proactive plan. A book can be your cornerstone content to be seen as an authority.
