The Book More Show: More Leads, More Calls, More Business

Ep109: Amplify Your Message

August 8th, 2020  |  50 mins 6 secs

Today on the Book More Show, I'm talking with Betsey Vaughn about ways to amplify the message of your book.

We know it takes most people months or years, rather than days or weeks, to become a client, so you need a way to stay in touch with people until they are ready.

A regular flagship broadcast email, like a podcast release, is great, but there's also the opportunity to create micro-funnels of content by amplifying specific points from your book. These mini-campaigns can be sent to people throughout the year, and the best part is they're easy to create as you've done all the hard work to get the words in your book already.

Picking 5 or 6 key points to amplify, then recording video or writing emails that go deeper into that point, is the fastest way to create relevant, engaging content people want to receive. Releasing these as mini-campaigns with a call to action will allow potential clients to take action and move to the next step.

Ep108: JW Oliver

August 1st, 2020  |  51 mins 10 secs

Today on the Book More show, we're talking with JW Oliver, who recently wrote 'Rise of the Remote Workforce' and is the owner of insourcing company ZimWorx.com.

One of my favorite shows is having the opportunity to talk with the authors we've worked with, and as JW's just finished writing his book that walks people through the benefits of a global team, I wanted to get him on the show to share his story.

We had a great conversation about his organization, the work they do to help entrepreneurs source skilled staff, at typically 30% of the cost, and how the real benefit is the leverage and capability this creates, rather than merely the cost savings.

Something that is particularly timely given the current pandemic, as more companies are being forced to adapt to a remote way of working anyway.

We finished up talking about his book, and it's great to listen to his insights around how it came about, how he plans to use it, and the idea of framing a resource (your book) for a specific purpose.

Writing a book that addresses a single target audience, that carries people through the first few steps of their relationship with you is key. It gets readers to the point where you're more likely to have an informed conversation and creates something that amplifies your reach and impact.

I really enjoyed this chat with JW, and there's a lot you can take away as you think about starting more conversations with potential clients.

Ep107: Tell People About Your Book

July 25th, 2020  |  57 mins 53 secs

Today on the Book More Show, I'm joined by Betsey Vaughn to talk about two of the first steps you should take to promote your book. It doesn't matter if your book is brand new, or something you've had for some time. The opportunity is in presenting it to people in a way that gives them value today.

It's a conversation that's come up several times in strategy calls over the summer, and this is the perfect chance to share these simple ideas of ways to spread the word.

So, in the show, we're going to look at the emails or letters you can send to those people who already know, like, and trust you. We then talk about some simple strategies to use video to leverage the work you've already done and create content that amplifies your message and can be used to regularly stay in touch with people.

Your opportunity to work with people really starts by regularly keeping in touch until they are ready, and the ideas in today's show are a great way to do just that.

Ep106: Why Now? with Dean Jackson

July 19th, 2020  |  32 mins 5 secs

Today on the Book More Show, I grabbed some time with Dean Jackson to talk about why NOW is the best time to write your book.

We often work with people who've wanted to create a book for years but get held back by something, so today we talk about why your idea is the important thing, rather than how it's packaged, about your title being the catalyst that can get you going, and we finished up by talking about a better way to invest your time and money in your book so you can collect all the names you need.

It's always great to get Dean's perspective and go deeper into this idea that your book isn't the product. It's how you identify people excited to talk about your idea, and then introduce your product or service that can help them.

If you've thought about writing in the last few years, this is the episode you need to listen to and pull the trigger to get started.

Ep105: Following up

July 12th, 2020  |  47 mins 49 secs

Today on the Book More Show, I'm talking with Betsy Vaughn about following up with people once they get a copy of your book, specifically email followup, and the opportunity you have to engage potential customers or clients in a conversation.

It's one of the most important and overlooked chances you have to really amplify your message, present readers with an opportunity to take the next step and keep presenting this next step until they're ready.

We go through some specific examples of the followup sequences we use, and there are a lot of ideas you can take and use for your followup.

I'm excited to get to this episode; it's something we always get questions about.

Ep104: Syndicate Your Knowledge

June 29th, 2020  |  46 mins 14 secs

Today on the Book More Show, Betsey & I talk about a subject I love, the idea of syndicating your book & allowing other people to use it to start a conversation.

This is so powerful & we've worked with many projects that have really used this idea to leverage the value of a book across multiple team members, coaching clients, or organizations you run marketing for.

Everyone understands the power of having a book, but it's only someone like you who has taken steps to make that a reality. Syndicating a book to others who are unable or unwilling to take those steps allows you to charge for this as a service.

Even better, you don't even need to know any of the technical steps, because we can do that for you. You can concentrate on creating the best content, and working with your clients to implement the strategy in the best way.

Whether you have ten agents in your office, you coach 100 Dentists, or you work in an insurance group of 1000's, solving this lead generation problem for people can be a huge revenue opportunity.

Ep103: Digital vs Print Considerations

May 31st, 2020  |  28 mins 38 secs

Today on the Book More Show, I grab some time with Betsey to talk about a question that's come up a few times over the last few weeks. This idea of helping you quickly get your completed book in front of people by thinking about how you initially plan to use it ahead of time.

Finding the quick audience wins and deciding if a digital or a print approach works best can also inform some of the decisions you make in the creation process and help stop you wasting time on elements that aren't initially important.

Above all, you want to get your book in front of people, and the clearer you can be in all of the steps, including the format, the more likely you are to get it done.

There are some great ideas you can apply to your book, as we look at some of the differences between print & digital.

Ep102: Lockdown Living with Laura Bruce

May 2nd, 2020  |  46 mins 48 secs

Today on the Book More Show, I'm talking with Laura Bruce, one of our authors from New Zealand.

Laura is the type of person to grab hold of the current situation rather than retreat from it. She's lived in several countries, she's helped many people professionally across her carer's and with the current situation, she grabbed hold of the idea of publishing a book to help people who are struggling to find things to do, a month into the lockdowns.

As you'll hear, this wasn't a book designed to change the world, she didn't really have a specific intent or next step for readers, she just wanted to get something helpful out there, and the impressive thing is how quickly she followed up on the idea.

This was a great conversation because although she didn't write this book with a mind to more business, our conversation turned to all the ways she can leverage the asset she now has, and create opportunities to promote her PR company and their services, as small businesses get back on their feet.

The great thing is, this all happens in addition to the original intent of just helping people. But by also looking for ways to bridge this book into other speaking gigs, media opportunities, or even just content for her email list, she has the opportunity to maximize the work she's put in.

I really enjoyed the conversation with Laura, and the ideas we got to are applicable for everyone as we look to engage new customers as the lockdowns hopefully draw to a close.

The next few months are critical to all our businesses, and finding a way to start a conversation with future customers today will take you many steps closer to new business tomorrow.

Ep101: Finding Opportunity

April 18th, 2020  |  42 mins 18 secs

Today on the Book More Show, I'm talking with Betsey Vaughn about the opportunity to engage people in the current moment.

There are unprecedented challenges as we all get used to today's 'new normal,' but in these changes are opportunities to be a leading voice and add value to those who could benefit from your knowledge.

It doesn't have to be earth-shattering insights. People still are still looking to buy flowers, run their business, or plan for their retirement, but NOW is a unique time to share your ideas and start a conversation, especially if you consider and write based on how the current situation is impacting your readers.

We talk about some great examples in today's show, and no matter what business you're in, something will resonate and focus your mind on finding your opportunity.

Ep100: Special Cause of Variations

March 28th, 2020  |  33 mins 19 secs

Today on the Book More Show, we’ve got a great podcast catching up with Dean Jackson.

This is a special episode for a few reasons. First, it’s always great to have Dean on the show ;) second, it’s episode 100 and milestones like that are always important, and third and most importantly, we are in some special times at the moment. With people coming to terms with the current ’normal’, it’s a great opportunity to look at what we think will be some of the permanent changes to come from this situation, and what we can do now to be ready for it.

As people are forced to adopt technology like Zoom, Google Classroom, Slack in a way they could avoid before, it overcomes the resistance to change, and for those situations where a virtual option is more convenient, it’s likely these will be the changes that stick.

Taking note of how you as a business owner and customer, overcome social distancing, looking to see how others are putting out content to engage virtually, can uncover huge opportunities and ways to streamline how you connect with people.

Necessity is the mother of invention at the moment, and while some things will get back to the way they were, many others won’t, and for every problem that causes, it will be an opportunity for others.

Without doubt, there are more challenges ahead, but as we move forward, be on the lookout for these special cause variations.

Ep099: Socially Distant Virtually Connected

March 21st, 2020  |  39 mins 30 secs

Today on the Book More Show, Betsey & I talk about how things look, a week into the rolling lockdowns.

As we talk with clients across the country, we’re getting an insight into how the physical restrictions affect the way people engage with customers, but we’re also starting to see all the amazing ways people are stepping up to provide help, content, and entertainment to people as they spend more time at home.

Depending on where you are in the country (or the world for that matter, with the UK & Florida now just announcing some of the same closures we’ve had in PA), you’ll be on different parts of the curve, both as a consumer & a business owner. The thing that appears very likely for everyone though is at some point you’ll need to deal with your physical location closing.

So, taking a note from the serenity prayer, in this episode, we look to accept the things we can’t change and make a plan for those we can.

There are some great examples of people finding amazing ways to keep in touch with clients and potential customers, so we talk about ways of both dealing with the present, and positioning yourself for when everything returns to ‘normal’.

Some challenging times ahead. Stay safe. Be helpful.

Ep098: On the edge of effectiveness with Sam Altawil

March 14th, 2020  |  48 mins 6 secs

Today on the Book More Show, we're talking with Sam Altawil from just outside Sacramento, California.

Sam is the author of On the Edge of Effectiveness, a book dedicated to helping individuals and organizations make the most of their HR capabilities, and I really wanted to get Sam on the show to talk about why he wanted to write his book, and his experience almost a year later.

His is an interesting book because he doesn't have a specific commercial intent. Rather than having a specific product or service to promote, Sam's goal was to share the knowledge he has and help people avoid some of the mistakes he's seen.

It lead to a great book, very authentic in its message, and now he's in a position of wanting to add more value, having received feedback from the first version being out in the real world.

We had a great conversation about how to best do this while keeping in mind one of the Book Blueprint mindsets of Beneficial Constraints. How can we best include the information most valuable in the book, and provide a way for people to continue the journey, without the usual lead model of guiding someone toward a specific outcome?

I really enjoyed this call. Sam's passion for his subject comes through in everything he does, and this conversation about adding the right value to the pages, and having the right information elsewhere is very useful to everyone, whether you have commercial intent or not.

Ep097: Avoiding the Production Trap

March 7th, 2020  |  41 mins 48 secs

Today on the Book More Show I'm talking with Betsey about an issue that's come up a lot recently, people underestimating how much time and effort is involved with doing the production work of creating a book yourself.

Getting your words onto a page is something everyone has some experience of. We all write emails, documents, letters, reports, so it's easy to think that laying out a book falls into this same category.

The reality is the level of detail required to satisfy your ideas, as well as the technical print and production requirements, can be a challenge to the most skilled Word-smith, let alone trying to do it yourself.

We often find that people come back and talk to us months or even years later, having wanted to take the DIY route, but running into the production details that can slow down the most well-intentioned author.

So, in this episode, we're hitting two main points: The 'Who Not How' approach of concentrating on the most valuable assets, your knowledge and time, and for those who only have resources for the DIY approach, we'll go through some tips for making it as painless as possible.

There is something for everyone here and some encouragement that there are quicker ways of getting your idea out there.

Ep096: Relationships for Keeps with Mike Mack

February 22nd, 2020  |  42 mins 28 secs

Today on the Book More Show, we have another of my favorite types of podcasts as we get to with one of our authors, Mike Mack.

You might recognize Mike's name because he's both written a book and has been a guest on the podcast before. So today he's back having just published a second book with us, Relationships for Keeps, and if you follow us on Facebook, you might have seen a video I shot as the book launched in towards the end of last year.

This is a really great episode. Mike has some fantastic insights into not only the creation process, but how he's using the book and, not surprisingly, how it's amplifying the relationships he has.

If you listened to the previous podcast with Mike, you'll remember relationships are key to how he builds his business and the framework or lens through which he views things. It comes across both in the tone and friendliness of the way he speaks, and in the steps, he takes to nurture those relationships and really add value at every stage.

It's not only the subject of his book, but that's really what all of our books are about.

Giving value to start a relationship and then build a journey, a follow-up that educates and motivates people towards the next step.

There is a lot to take away in this episode.

Ep095: Conversational Syndication

February 2nd, 2020  |  33 mins 31 secs

Today on the Book More Show, I'm talking with Dean about two great subjects. The opportunity to syndicate your book and the art of conversational conversions.

If you run a coaching group, generate leads for people, run a sales team, or anything where your success depends on other people's sales, then the opportunity to create a book that other people can use is a huge advantage.

We know that for most people, the idea of creating a book is beyond what they are willing to do. Even with a simple process like ours, it's just not something they think about. Know how straightforward a book can be to create, you can leverage that 'willingness gap' by essentially doing it for them, and benefitting from the conversations they're able to start.

We finished by talking more about those conversations and the opportunities for conversational conversions.

If you're looking to convert someone into a customer, there are really only two times; now or not now…

Once someone asks for a copy of your book, it's your ability to create a conversational conversion that will take someone to that next step.

Another great episode.

Ep094: Building Your Team

January 18th, 2020  |  44 mins 14 secs

Today on the Book More Show I'm talking with Betsy, and we dive into what turned out to be a pretty interesting episode, using a book to build your team and their success.

First, we looked at building your team itself using a book. We used real estate as an example. It's an industry where staff turnover can be relatively high. Agents have the freedom to move to any brokerage, so how can you use a book to attract the best agents, and set the tone, and communicate the values of your organization once people join.

We then looked at using a kind of syndication model, internally rather than externally, to help your team engage more clients.

As the business owner, you're in a great position to write the most effective lead generating book. You have the knowledge, experience, and authority to get it done. You also have the opportunity to amplify its reach by putting the team member's name on the front rather than yours.

At the end of the day, you're interested in the business being as successful as possible. If that goal is helped by the team using your book, with their name, to engage clients and start a conversation, that's a win.

So, lots more examples in this episode.