3 solid tips from the word expert to influence and engage audiences.
Words are Currency. But if you’ve written a book and can’t understand why it’s not a bestseller, ask yourself if it’s time for a revision. When we write books or coach people through speeches I always say that selling – begins with the first word. In books and building speaker brands, the marketing occurs on the inside. In the content!
I approach book sales and marketing from the first sentence and how we ENGAGE, pull, lure in, romance, and sell the reader. We can tell a good story, sure. But can we get them to actually “do” something? The best books ignite the reader to buy into you, your company and your brand for a long time! Way beyond just one book.
Here’s a few tips and secrets I’ve perfected over the years!
Secret #1. A letter to the reader
With a book, you’ve got the chance to win buyers for life. That’s because reading a book is intimate.
Your reader is going to read your book in 1 of 3 places. The bed, the bathtub and the airplane seat. Which means they’re either naked or in pajamas or alone. Your reader is alone in an airplane seat in their own little cocoon above the clouds. Reading a book is unique. Your reader wants to know you.
Write a letter to the reader. I first did this in my book The Compass and the letters I received from all over the world were heartwarming.
TIP: Branding is about human psychology.
Don’t get too fancy in your letter to the reader. The point is to talk to him or her like a best friend by the fire. Tell them why you wrote the book. This creates an instant bond.
Secret #2. Begin with the end in mind!
Be strategic.
If you want to market and sell books you’ve got to think ahead. Most ghostwriters view a book from a story or grammar perspective. I view it through the lens of salability and building your legacy. Any editor will fix misspellings. That’s minute compared to reader engagement and finding ways to sell your story.
Where will you sell the books? If you plan to create a massive wildfire of interest, you may want to plant books in popular places. For example: If you wrote a book about a road trip, I’d coach you to think of two or three tourist spots or restaurants along the way that you’d place the book in. Once you’ve identified them strategically – we ask that you mention them.
You can then send a case of books to the store or restaurant owner and ask them to place them for sale on the counter! Any small business owner is excited about being featured in a book.
Product placement is a long time well known strategy for success in building a business. It works.
Secret #3. Ignite! Ask the Reader to DO something
(And let the reader or audience know you want to hear from them)
Don’t just leave the reader hanging. Don’t just leave an information page at the back of your book with your website.
Tell them what to do!
“Send me an email right now! Before you put this book down, grab your phone and send me an email to tell me what you learned from it! ”
And then provide your email. Promote audience engagement by staying personal and connected!
TIP: Another fantastic way to boost reader engagement and attraction is through a contest. People love contests! Give them a call to action attached to a chance to win something.
Send them to your website or to your email. But give the reader an activity that binds them to you for life!
Let them know you’re available for hire, coaching, or whatever it is you’d like to sell. You may want them to pass the book on to someone else.
After a decade of creating great books, these tips work! Call or email us if you need help writing, editing or publishing yours!
To your legacy,
Tammy Kling
