| Increase Your Visibility, Credibility and Profitability | | | | seminar or class you might want to teach. It will |
| By Becoming an Author | | | | give you the credibility you need to get hired as a |
| By Michael J. Dowling | | | | speaker or teacher. |
| If you are an entrepreneur, small business owner, | | | | <b>What Should You Write About?</b> |
| consultant, coach, or business professional of any | | | | Here are two rules-of-thumb: |
| type, your success depends to a significant | | | | <b>Rule #1:</b> Write about your |
| degree on how well you are known and | | | | passion. If you’re writing a book that relates |
| respected in your field. One of the best ways to | | | | to your business, ideally your passion will be |
| increase your visibility, credibility, and profitability is | | | | aligned with your area of expertise. |
| to become an author. | | | | <b>Rule #2:</b> Think about your |
| "I tell virtually every self-employed professional, as | | | | target audience. What are their needs? What |
| well as many small-business owners, to define | | | | questions do they typically have? What |
| their niche specialty, write a book about it, and | | | | information would be most useful to them? |
| get it published," says Robert W. Bly, who is | | | | Information that may seem elementary to you |
| regarded by some as "America's Top | | | | can be very helpful to others. |
| Copywriter." | | | | Some fields – like law, insurance, finance, |
| "Having your name on a book can be an immense | | | | employee relations, and safety – have |
| boost for your business," says Steven Van | | | | complex regulations that must be followed in |
| Yoder, author of <i>Get Slightly Famous: | | | | order to avoid substantial penalties. Well-written, |
| Become a Celebrity in Your Field and Attract | | | | easily understood books about aspects of these |
| More Business with Less Effort.</i> | | | | subjects can be of great benefit to your readers. |
| "A book provides you with more credibility than | | | | If you're a business owner, consider writing a |
| anything else you can do,” says self-publishing | | | | corporate history to celebrate a company |
| expert Dan Poynter, author of <i>The | | | | anniversary or other important occasion. It's a |
| Self-Publishing Manual.</i>"The fact is, authors | | | | good way to talk about your values, promote |
| are highly valued in our society." | | | | your products and services, strengthen customer |
| <b>Books Are Terrific Sales Tools!</b> | | | | loyalty, foster employee pride, and enhance your |
| Your book will work 24/7 to promote you and | | | | image in your community. |
| your organization. When you become an author, | | | | Of course, your book does not have to be about |
| people see you as an expert in your field. New | | | | your business. If have an avocation that is |
| opportunities open up to you. Customers and | | | | interesting to people, consider writing a book that |
| clients come to you already predisposed to buy. | | | | makes that subject come alive for your target |
| Here's what business coach and consultant Joan | | | | audience. |
| Walsh said about her self-publishing experience: | | | | If you're writing for a substantial audience, you |
| <i>“Writing a book has been the one of | | | | might want to look for a publisher. If your book |
| the best moves I’ve made at this stage in | | | | has a smaller potential audience in a niche market, |
| my career. The impact in terms of visibility and | | | | take the self-publishing route. |
| credibility has been huge. Now when I’m | | | | The self-publishing industry has made tremendous |
| introduced to people, I’m not only a business | | | | strides in recent years. Today, printing small |
| coach and consultant, I’m also an author. | | | | quantities – say, 500 or 1000 books – is |
| “As a direct result of the book, my speaking | | | | relatively inexpensive. Print-on-demand (POD) |
| engagements have increased almost 50 percent. | | | | services make it feasible to print one book at a |
| Many of the organizations who invite me to speak | | | | time. |
| buy my book and give it to the attendees. That, | | | | <b>Articles and White Papers</b> |
| of course, brings in additional revenues and further | | | | To get even more mileage out of your book, use |
| promotes my services. | | | | it as the basis for one or more articles or white |
| “On several occasions, it’s opened doors | | | | papers. Magazines, e-zines, newsletters, blogs, and |
| to profitable new business. In fact, before the | | | | websites are looking for worthwhile material to |
| first copy of the book was in my hands, it had | | | | publish, especially for niche markets. |
| already brought in two new consulting contracts | | | | "Writing and posting informative online articles to |
| that more than paid for its cost.”</i> | | | | your website as well as submitting them to |
| Associations and other organizations are often | | | | others is one of the best methods for increasing |
| looking for speakers. Your credentials as an | | | | your website's traffic quickly and dramatically," |
| author will move you to the top of their list of | | | | says Jay Conrad Levinson, author of |
| sought-after presenters. Selling copies of your | | | | <i>Guerrilla Marketing on the Internet.< |
| book at your speaking engagements will generate | | | | i> |
| extra income and promote your services. | | | | <b>It’s Easier Than You Might Think< |
| <b>Writing a Book is Not a Diversion from | | | | b> |
| Your Other Important Tasks.</b> | | | | Writing a book is not difficult or time-consuming |
| Indeed, the very process of writing a book will | | | | with the assistance of a professional ghostwriter. |
| force you to organize and focus your thoughts, | | | | But before you start writing your book, spend |
| and this in turn will help you improve your | | | | some time thinking about your goals and your |
| strategic business planning. Writing a book can also | | | | planned approach. |
| help you focus your marketing message and | | | | © 2009 Michael J. Dowling. All rights reserved. |
| increase the effectiveness of your marketing | | | | This article may be reproduced with the original, |
| literature and sales presentations. | | | | unedited text intact, including the resource box |
| You can use your book to form the basis for a | | | | and URL links. |