The Leading Edge - Taking Care of Business
Build Your Brand – Write a Book
As an entrepreneur, you have a unique story to tell. Whether it's your journey to success or the lessons you learned, your experiences can provide valuable insights to others seeking to achieve their goals. Writing a book is a powerful way to share your story and promote yourself as an expert. It also boosts your credibility tremendously, especially if it’s traditionally published.
In the past, self-published books may have given authors less status; however, today, a well-written, professionally produced, and printed book comes close to matching the credibility of being traditionally published
Here are some reasons why every entrepreneur should consider writing a book:
1 Establish Yourself as an Expert
A well-written book establishes you as an authority in your field. It's a way to showcase your knowledge and experience to potential customers, clients, and investors. Demonstrating your expertise can build credibility and trust with your audience, leading to increased sales and business opportunities.
2 Build Your Brand
Writing a book helps build your brand. Your book can be used as a marketing tool to promote your products or services and create a recognizable brand identity. One of my clients called his first book “a $50 business card” and saw his business grow four-fold in the year after it was published. By sharing your story and values through your writing, you can create a strong brand image that resonates with your audience.
3 Expand Your Network
Writing a book opens up new opportunities to connect with other entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and influencers in your field. You can use your book to reach out to potential collaborators or get speaking engagements and media appearances. By leveraging your book, you can expand your network and build valuable relationships that can help grow your business.
4 Generate Passive Income
A book can also be a source of passive income. Once published, your book can continue generating revenue for years. You can sell it on multiple platforms, including Amazon, and earn royalties on each sale. If you market your book effectively, it has the potential to provide a steady stream of income to supplement your other business activities.
5 Personal Growth and Development
Writing a book is a challenging and rewarding process that can lead to personal growth and development. You gain a deeper understanding of your own experiences and insights through the writing process. Your writing skills will improve, benefiting your business in other areas, such as marketing and communications.
In short, if you want to establish yourself as an expert, build your brand, expand your network, generate passive income, and promote personal growth and development, there is no better way to achieve these goals than to write a book.
Asking the Right Questions Results in More Sales
We all know that listening is more important than speaking when making a sale, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be asking appropriate, or even leading questions to encourage your prospect to give you the information you require to sell them what they need.
- What is your primary objective or goal when considering purchasing a product/service such as this?
- Are there any specific features or benefits you're looking for in a product/service like this?
- What criteria will you use to make your decision?
- Who are the decision-makers involved in this purchase, and what are their criteria for making a decision?
- Can you describe your pain points or any challenges you hope to address with this purchase?
- Have you evaluated any other similar products or services, and if so, how does ours compare?
- What is your timeline for deciding on this purchase?
- How does this purchase fit into your overall budget and financial goals?
- Can you share any concerns or reservations you might have about our company and its products/services?
- What would be the most significant benefit or advantage/disadvantage of choosing our product/service over other options in the market?
Remember, the goal of asking these questions is to gather information about the prospect's needs, goals, and concerns and to build rapport and trust. Ask open-ended questions to encourage prospects to share more about their situation and how your product/service can help them.
Remember that these questions are just suggestions; you must adapt them to your specific circumstances. Treat them as a loose guide, and never bombard your prospect with question after question. You must listen carefully to your prospect's responses and ask relevant follow-up questions to better understand their needs and concerns.
Asking the right questions will open a prospect up like a flower and help them consider the pros and cons of buying what you are selling. Skillful and subtle questioning allows your customer to talk twice as much as you while allowing you to control the direction of the sales interaction for the benefit of both parties. It’s a skill well worth learning.
Coach's Corner - Setting Goals to Change Habits
How have you successfully changed a habit or achieved a goal in the past? What strategies did you use to ensure your success?
Think of some examples where you may have struggled to achieve your desired outcome, such as quitting smoking, losing weight, or avoiding difficult conversations at work.
When it comes to setting goals to change habits, there are two distinct approaches you can take: avoidance and approach behaviors.
With avoidance goals, you focus on stopping or quitting a behavior that you want to change. These goals can be vague and difficult to achieve, and may leave you feeling like you have a gap in your life where the old habit used to be.
On the other hand, approach goals are more positive and proactive. Instead of focusing on what you want to avoid, you focus on what you want to achieve, and work to create new, desirable habits that replace the old, unwanted ones.
For example, let's say your goal is to lose weight. An avoidance goal might be to stop eating desserts, which can be difficult to stick to if you find desserts enjoyable. An approach goal, on the other hand, might be to incorporate a serving of fruit with each meal, replacing the desire for sweets with a healthier alternative.
By setting specific approach goals, you increase your chances of success and make it easier to achieve your desired outcome. What is one avoidance behavior you would like to change, and how can you replace it with a positive approach goal? Focus on being specific and positive, and watch your habits start to change for the better.
Paul Abra
Motivated Coaching
The Leading Edge - Taking Care of Business
PO Box 2678, 106 1st Street East. Meadow Lake SK S9X1Z6
Phone: 306-236-4422
office@brcfdc.ca
https://cfsask.ca/beaver-river