Variety Equals Increased Sales

Over the weekend, my Magnificent Other (aka Bob) and I walked an annual outdoor Art Festival here on the streets in San Diego. It was primarily a high-end show, though there were things priced in a wide range as well as many kinds of art.

Early in our 3-hour-ish walk up and down the streets, we came upon the booth of an artistic photographer whose work we liked a lot. We looked at what was displayed on the walls of the canvas booth as well as in some bins on a table. It didn't take long for me to realize this photographer had done something I'm forever talking about in the booklet/information product business.

In his booth, we found the same prints in at least three different sizes, with the additional choice of already-framed or not-yet framed. The sizes, prices, type of frame all gave that photographer a greatly increased likelihood he'd make a sale to those who had any interest in his work at all.

For all kinds of reasons someone would want one size over another, an already-framed picture or not. Yes, of course we bought something. It was one of the smaller unframed things because of the amount of space I wanted to dedicate to that particular piece, and because I wanted a different kind of frame than he had. Am I likely to go back to this guy to buy more? You'd better believe it. Was it a problem that he repeated his inventory in different sizes? Hardly. In fact, it was the exact opposite.

So how does this translate to booklets? (Just in case you haven't made the leap yet.) Think about the basic booklet. That's one product, desired by some for its price, size, format (reading), and customizing capabilities. Some people want that content so they can listen to it in their car, on the treadmill, or while walking around - an audio CD is created. Someone else wants to interact with that information, through some software or workbook or through a card deck with one tip per card. Someone else will be excited by a more expanded version of the content. Somebody wants to see it in action and will respond well to a DVD. Somebody else is grateful it's in Spanish, Portugese, or Korean. And on and on and on.

By the looks of what we saw, this photographer at the Art Show had invested in a small amount of inventory of each size he had of certain prints. I suspect it was, in fact, a small inventory of the multiples, probably based on how many shows he has coming up and which prints he likes and which prints other customers have liked. You've probably noticed examples like this in other parts of your life, too. It's far from being a new idea. It fits so well with booklets, too. Not a way-out, off the charts idea at all.

One of the simple roadmaps I have for this concept is a downloadable Special Report called Write It Once, Leverage It Many Times - Creating an Entire E-Published Product Line from a Single eBooklet Manuscript. That can be a good starting place for your own expansion, creating variety to increase your sales.

Until next time,
Paulette
http://www.tipsbooklets.com

When Giving Up is a Good Thing

I had a couple of conversations today with some people who earlier expressed interest in attending an in-person full-day workshop I'm presenting next month. The conversations were very telling and were a reminder of things I've heard all too often in the past, things that give me pause, to re-examine my own business choices.

Each of the people I talked to had a variation of "I have to be someplace that day where I'll get money for showing up, immediately or soon after." Believe me when I tell you I have respect for the concept of going for a sure thing, cash on the barrel head.

However, I also found myself thinking how short-sighted their thinking is. In both cases, based on their current choice, their income that day will be based on being someplace for a specific time period -- not much flexibility there and certainly a limited, finite amount of income. It was a sure thing, regardless of its size and duration.

Spending the day in the workshop I'm giving is all about how to do something once and leverage it many times, to earn income that is not based on being someplace at a certain time. It's about leveraging time and talent for a much bigger return by several definitions.

Neither of these people was willing to give up what they see as a sure thing to have much more, although they each have said they want more. They were not ready or willing to give up that locked-in day to open a door to greater freedom, flexibility, and financial abundance.

On one hand, I'm sad they won't be in attendance at our workshop, since they are missing so much in the way of ideas, new contacts, new revenue, new ways of looking at things that will give them what they want. On the other hand, they weren't ready to be there yet, so it most likely would have been a mis-match on some level anyway.

My own judgment and opinion about this also had me wondering what choices I've made that have stifled my business growth, that have kept me from having, doing, and being what I've said I've wanted. Maybe that was the whole lesson for me in the responses I got today from the two people who, at this moment, aren't ready to give up their safe bet.

Until the next pondering and observation,
Paulette
http://www.tipsbooklets.com

Just a quick question

'Ever notice the number of times a client or prospect says some variation of 'I just have one more question,' or 'Just a quick question?' The answers to those questions are the grist of a tips booklet. You may be asked the same or similar questions repeatedly. Start capturing those random questions and focus on your answers. Organize the answers by categories, and, voila, there you have it. It's so much easier than digging through your brain to access that stuff that's been rolling around in there for as long as you've been in your current business.

Until the next time someone has just one more question,
Paulette
http://www.tipsbooklets.com

A highly useful resource

You may know or know of John Kremer. One of his numerous major contributions to the world of publishing is his book, 1001 Ways to Market Your Books. It's a must-have if for no other reason than to help you generate ideas you just hadn't considered.

John and I have known each other for well over a decade, yet had to go to London, England to meet in person when we shared the stage at a conference there. John lives in Fairfield, Iowa, though does speaking engagements worldwide. We've since exchanged hugs at other speaking venues. He's a brilliant guy, and definitely his own person.

Earlier this week he hosted his first teleclass (ever!) and had as his guest Alex Carroll, an expert on doing radio interviews. John took copious notes of the interview and shares them with visitors to his blog at http://openhorizons.blogspot.com/ Lots of great info there. I think the information Alex shared is not only good for radio interviews. It also has bearing on other forms of publicity and promotion.

Until next time,
Paulette
http://www.tipsbooklets.com

Publicity That's Better Than a Bathroom Wall

I was reading one of my favorite ezines this morning, from http://www.SpeakerNetNews.com
and saw the following timely opportunity for some publicity, especially for tips booklet authors!

The information below is brought to us by a colleague who has graciously hosted me in her teleclass series about a month or so ago. She and I will also be guests on another teleclass next week, sponsored by Marcia Yudkin. Ah, this world gets smaller and smaller.

Check out Jennifer's site, too, at http://www.juicedconsulting.com to see who she as and what she's about. I include her entire entry, complete with attribution:


Send quotes from you for possible use on Starbucks cups -- Jennifer Tribe
(jtribe@juicedconsulting.com)

Starbucks is currently running an initiative called "The Way I See It." They have taken quotes from a variety of prominent people including scientists, authors, entertainers, and business people -- and printed them on the sides of their cups. Each contributor gets a brief profile on the Starbucks Web site. The site also rotates more in-depth profiles through a section called Featured Authors.
Starbucks is encouraging people to participate in the conversation. Customers can comment on the existing quotes or submit their own quotes. The editorial comments are posted on the Starbucks Web site. Original quotes, Starbucks says, may be selected for printing on their cups. For more information, go to http://www.starbucks.com/wayiseeit. You can also find The Way I See It brochures at Starbucks locations.


Until next time,
Paulette
http://www.tipsbooklets.com

Best and Easiest Way to Sell

I know people who can sell ice to the Eskimos, as long as you don't say the word 'sell' to them. Instead, they prefer words like 'visit.' You probably know people like that, too. Semantics? Maybe. Maybe not.

Here's another approach: Once you've got a new product or service, tell everyone you know what you've just created and tell them you'd like to have their thoughts about it. Notice: no selling, just asking for their thoughts.

What happens next is that some of those people are sure to want what you've got, just because they now know about it and it's something they can use. Some of those same people know the exact person who needs what you've got and tells you or that person to connect with each other. That's an implied endorsement of your product or service.

At no time have you 'sold' anyone. All you've done is tell them what you've got and let them respond to it for themselves and for other people they know. How easy is that? No pressure, no angst, lots of sharing of something potentially useful to help people's lives be more, better, or different than they were before they heard about your new product or service.

Create a list of people you know, unedited, in various parts of your life. Tell them what you've got and tell them you'd like to know their thoughts about it. See what happens to your bottom line. Notice, I didn't say your 'sales.'

Until the next moment of inspiration,
Paulette
http://www.tipsbooklets.com

Customizing Booklets By Industry or By Company

Customizing booklets can be done by industry or by company.

"110 Ideas for Organizing Your Travel Business Office" or "110 Ideas for Organizing Your Beauty Salon" or "110 Ways for Organizing Your Fitness Center" are examples of customizing a generic booklet about organizing your business life according to specific industries.

"110 Ideas for Organizing Your Business Life" with a logo on the front cover from XYZ Financial Planners, with their locations on the back cover, and their company history on the inside front and back covers is an example of customizing by company.

Each form of customization has its benefits. With industry customization, you must find some buzz words and phrases that are meaningful to the reader in that industry. You can usually garner that information by interviewing someone with experience in that industry. When the industry is large enough, you can develop entire product lines geared specifically for that industry.

Customization for a company is often very little more than getting from the company the art work for their logo, and very exact instructions about the specific color(s) to be used on their logo and any text changes in the booklet or its covers.

It's worth exploring customization for both industries and companies as a lucrative way to sell many more of your booklets. In-depth and easy-to-read information about customization is in my manual/home study course, "How to Promote Your Business with Booklets" in the product section of my site.

Until next time,
Paulette
http://www.tipsbooklets.com

Publicity for you from Amazon.com

Being a great fan of free publicity, I was delighted to learn about a way to get some excellent exposure for my business on the ever-growing http://www.amazon.com web site without it being connected to selling a book or booklet of my own. It's so easy it's almost a joke!

Here's how it works.

1. Set up a free account for yourself on amazon.com if you don't already have one.
2. Click on [your name] store.
3. Click on the About You area.
4. Create yourself as a resource by entering your name, a photo of yourself, information about your expertise in your niche, and include your the domain name of your web site.
5. Look on your own personal bookshelves at home and in your office to see what books you have that are in any way related to your own area of expertise.
6. Write a review on amazon.com of each of those books.
7. Enjoy the publicity you get when people click onto your name in the reviews you've written and get to your profile in your About You section.

None of this has cost you a thing except the time it takes you to set this up and write the reviews. And you can write a review whenever you have a moment, whenever the spirit moves you.

Until next time, with warm regards from sunny San Diego,

Paulette

http://www.tipsbooklets.com