Booklets - Keeping It Simple

A popular comment that has almost become cliché is this: "A confused mind always says no." That's true when you're presenting too many choices to your potential booklet buyer. While your intent is to be helpful, the result is that you send your booklet buyer into overwhelm and shut-down. It's too many ideas to process and may also be way off the mark for how it can best be used by that particular company or organization. By throwing too many possibilities out there, rather than consider each one, it becomes easier to consider none.

Give your potential buyer three possible ways to use your booklet, clearly marked by bullets in your email or hard copy communication with them so the ideas really stand out. Reference the fact these are a few of the many possibilities, and that you look forward to exploring which ideas will best serve your client's needs when you speak in the near future.

By the way, have you noticed that complicating the writing, production, and marketing of your booklet can shut you down, too? "A confused mind always says no" applies to you, too!

Until next time,

Paulette - who is keeping it simple

www.tipsbooklets.com

www.CollectionOfExperts.com

Booklets - Using What You Forgot You've Got

With all the information circulating every day, it can be easy to forget the resources you already have for your booklets that are just what you need today. Here are a few:

• Product/publication you bought or borrowed from someone

• Forum/discussion list/social media to ask questions

• Online search by asking a question in Google

• People you know (professional advisors, colleagues, friends, family)

• Articles/ezines of interest and relevance that you archived

It's not uncommon to see or hear people asking questions on topics I've covered in my "How to Promote Your Business with Booklets," that I know the person already has in their possession. I sure don't expect anyone to memorize that program. If you have it (or don't have it), there is easily accessible information in it about creating a tips booklet, promoting it, selling it, and pricing it, and expanding it into a complete product line.

Look on your book shelf, in your filing cabinet, and on your hard drive to see what's there. Consider who the people are who are in your life who can be helpful to you. Use what you already have and add what else you need.

Until next time,

Paulette - reviewing my bookshelf and hard drive, too

www.tipsbooklets.com

www.CollectionOfExperts.com

Booklets - What TO Do

The tip-writing formula I have always taught is about telling the reader what TO do, starting the first sentence of the tip with a positive verb (action word). It's so much more helpful than telling the reader what NOT to do.

It was heartwarming to hear the cosmetic expert, Bobbi Brown, mention in an interview on NBC's "Today Show" this morning that telling young women what TO do when it comes to teaching them about makeup is more productive than telling them what NOT to do. Ah, a real-life piece of reinforcement. Loved it!!

Regardless of your reader's age, gender, or life situation, the human condition is better served when offering suggestions of what TO do. Look at your booklet to see what changes to make that will best support the lives of the people who receive your message.

Until next time,

Paulette - who already knows a lot of what NOT to do in various aspects of life, as you do, too

www.tipsbooklets.com

www.CollectionOfExperts.com

Booklets - Approaching Large Quantity Prospects

What keeps you from approaching large quantity prospects? Some of the more frequent things I hear from booklet authors are:

• Unsure about who is actually a large quantity prospect
• What is the best first contact - by phone, mail, email
• What to say in the first contact
• When to follow up, and how
• What price to charge
• How to customize the booklet

These and other things can keep you from getting your message to those who want and need it, and from making substantial income in the process.

I spent a lot of time figuring this stuff out over the years, losing lots of sales because it was trial and error, with lots of error! Because these questions are crucial, the answers and road map are included in learning tools and services that are available to you, priced at a pittance of what those lost sales would cost.

Just this week I had a conversation with a booklet author during a rent-a-brain session that provided her the tools and the confidence to approach a large quantity buyer for a $100,000 sale.

What the heck are YOU waiting for?

Until next time,

Paulette - with lots of ideas for you

www.tipsbooklets.com

www.CollectionOfExperts.com

Booklets - Saturation Impossible

It always cracks me up when people talk about saturating the market, that their product is in a saturated market, or anything close to that. It reminds me of the old joke: Patient says: Doctor, my arm hurts when I lift it over my head." Doctor says: "So stop lifting it over your head."

If you think your market is saturated, then find another market and/or modify your message in some way or format. Stop doing what you've been doing and do something different.

I had a chat this week with a potential joint venture partner who is a public relations professional. She said "How have I not known about booklets?" Well, she hasn't been in the same circles I've been in during the past 20 years, simple as that. Now that she knows about booklets, she's enthusiastically considering lots of ways we can work together.

No matter how well informed you are or you think your market is, not everyone knows about you. How could they??

Take your booklet beyond where you've been and beyond the form it's been. You'll see many untapped territories to spread what you've got to those who want it. Some of the best sales I've made have come from some of the least likely places.

Until next time,

Paulette - who has said forever that there's no way any one of us can ever reach everyone who would be our client

www.tipsbooklets.com

www.CollectionOfExperts.com

Booklets - Easing the Follow Up Process

You've got a list of large quantity booklet prospects or other potential clients to contact. And you're less than enthused about reaching out, especially by phone.

While you may encounter a lot of busy people who are quick to dismiss you, the one thing I've found that lets me keep reaching out is this:

There is someone who will be delighted to hear from me today.

As long as I remind myself of that, it becomes a true statement, each and every day. Something I have will be useful and helpful to someone out there, and they will be delighted to know about it.

That's it, as simple as that.

Until next time,

Paulette - wondering who it is who will be delighted to hear from me today

www.tipsbooklets.com

www.CollectionOfExperts.com

Booklets - Yes, Magazines Still Use Them as Gift with Purchase

An example showing that magazines still use booklets as a gift with paid subscription came to my inbox this week. It's an excellent joint venture that Bed, Bath, and Beyond is doing with Real Simple Magazine. Go see for yourself. What ideas get triggered for you? You'll also note it says the booklet is not available in stores.

Until next time,

Paulette - ever encouraged by things like this

www.tipsbooklets.com

www.CollectionOfExperts.com

Booklets - The Tough Questions

How often do you ask your booklet readers and/or buyers the tough questions in your content and in your sales process? Yes, I know the writing style I teach for tips is not in question format. However, suggesting that the reader take a particular action can often prompt some pondering about a point of view.

As for the (large quantity) buyer, what do you do when they say or imply "no" when it comes time to finalize a sale? Do you ask them why they are giving you that reply? Are you asking them what their business challenges are, some of which your booklet can solve for them? Are you asking about their business at all or are you merely accepting their "no?"

In recent months, I've picked up the phone to talk with potential participants in the collaborative Collection of Experts booklets to either personally invite them to play or to explore why they said "no." In quite a few cases, they changed their mind once they realized their previous opinion of what was involved was not at all how it really was. They either read the information about it too quickly or not at all. Once I started sharing how they would specifically benefit, they were almost begging me to be included, and they thanked me for the call!

Yes, sometimes it takes more time and/or thought than a quick email. And it's usually been worth it, for the client and for my business.

What tough questions do you need to ask so you best serve your people and yourself? That last sentence was an example of one!

Until next time,

Paulette - who wants it to be as easy as you do

www.tipsbooklets.com

www.CollectionOfExperts.com

Booklets - Attention Grabbing Hooks - Part 2

Earlier this week you saw the first 13 of 27 ideas presented by my local San Diego colleague and client, Henry DeVries. Here are the remaining 14 in his list. You now have more than two years' worth of monthly promotional hooks for your tips booklet and any other products/services in your business.

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14. The Insider Advice Hook. Research industry insider tips that you can pass along to consumers. The media welcome helpful advice and view it as a public service. Vagabond Inns turned its "Innsider Travel Tips" into a national story carried by Associated Press.

15. The Hall of Fame Hook. Create a special type of award that honors the most outstanding people. Outside of their store Road Runner Sports created the runner's Run of Fame, with running shoe imprints in the sidewalk cement with some of the all time great marathon and triathlon runners.

16. The Contest Hook. These are always a winning idea for publicity. The best publicized contests contain an element of humor and the media can use them to add entertainment value to the news. A small bed and breakfast inn in New England received national coverage about its recipe contest to find the best chocolate chip recipe to serve guests. At Book Expo America, a spelling bee in honor of the book The Bee Season let booksellers vie for the smartest wordsmith title.

17. The Prediction Hook. What will the world be like in five, ten or twenty-five years? Dust off your crystal ball. Next to numbers, the media like a bold prediction from an expert.

18. The Event Hook. Create an event and spread the word. For example, QuikTrip convenience stores created four costumed mascots and took them on a store tour (who wouldn't want to meet a rooster, donkey, ram and dog?). The press always turns out for the National Hardware Show when Popular Mechanics conducts its Editors' Choice Awards. The magazine's editors select their top picks and then recognize winning exhibitors during a special awards reception.

19. The Petition Hook. Start a petition drive for a cause. You can even have the petition handled online at a Web site. Sites such as PetitionOnline.com allow anyone to start a petition for free.

20. The Myths Hook. Perception vs. reality is always a popular media topic. What myths could you bust? The media welcomes the chance to put urban legends and old wives tales to rest.

21. The Recipe Hook. The food section is in search of a new recipe or two. Combining this with the seasonal hook works, like football food for Super Bowl or no-cook ideas for the dog days of summer.

22. The History Hook. What happened on this date 10, 25 or 50 years ago? More important, how does it tie into what you are doing today?

23. The List Hook. Lists of the best, worst, most, longest, highest, top and so on are a media staple. Mr. Blackwell became famous with his annual list of worst dressed. Another example is PETCO pet stores, which created its list of top ten holiday gifts for pets. What list do you have the authority to issue? This can also take the form of awards. At the New York International Gift Fair promoted personal care and wellness products with a "Best New Products Awards" competition.

24. The Quiz Hook. Let people test their smarts. You can make it true or false, multiple choice or fill in the blanks. Don't forget the answer key. The Action Sports Retailer convention featured a "Skateoperdy" game show take off on the TV show "Jeopardy!" Eight skate shop owners vied for cash prizes in a skateboard trivia contest.

25. The Op Ed Hook. Writing a commentary is a sure way into print. If you are not ready for an essay on the opinion and editorial pages, consider writing a letter to the editor.

26. The Index Hook. Create your own index. Moet Champagne created a list of some luxury items -- such things lobster, caviar, diamond bracelets and a bottle of Moet. The total cost was compared with the amount they would have cost last year, and the Moet Index was born.

27. The Checklist Hook. Oops, you know about this one. You are reading it.

Henry DeVries

New Client Marketing Institute

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http://www.newclientmarketing.com

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Until next time,

Paulette - starting to think about 2011's promotional calendar now

www.tipsbooklets.com

www.CollectionOfExperts.com