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Booklet Tips From Paulette

Writing, producing, and promoting tips booklets for marketing, motivating, and making money.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Booklets - Help Your Clients Buy in Bulk

While meeting with a new advisor in my life, I presented the opportunity for that person to invest in booklets from me. Here's the essence of the follow-up email I sent when he asked for pricing. I lead with 500 copies as the minimum to customize the cover with his name and company contact info.

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Hi,

As we discussed, here is the information about my booklet, "110 Ideas for Organizing Your Business Life" for your promotional purposes.

While I know your initial reaction sounded like 500 copies might be a lot, keep in mind there are many ways to use them to generate business in the immediate and long-term. Here are a few to consider:
  • Give away at events, as you mentioned.
  • Use as a client appreciation gift for any clients, especially those you have infrequent contact.
  • Send to former clients to get your name back on their radar.
  • Make it your "holiday greeting" later in the year or any other time you'd like to feature.
  • Mail to prospects who may have forgotten how terrific you are and can be for them.
  • Send to high level referral sources.

These are ideas that will most likely have you running through 500 copies faster than you may think right now. And you'll probably come up with other ideas, too, once you have them.

So here we go:

"110 Ideas for Organizing Your Business Life" booklet customized with your name and contact information on the front OR back cover in the same purple ink as the booklet title. Includes delivery to your office.

500 copies @ $x.xx ea. $YYY

One new client or one new account with a current client as a result of receiving the booklet, paired with the essence of who you are would more than cover that, right?

You'll see a proof of the cover before it gets printed to be sure the customization is positioned the way you want it. Accepted forms of payment include major credit cards (MC, VISA, AMEX) or check, in full, to initiate the order.
Delivery time is approximately two weeks.

Let me know any questions, and what's next. Looking forward to the opportunity to contribute to your continuing success.

Sincerely,

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The advisor decided to forgo the customization and ordered 100 copies, at a higher per-copy rate. A sale like that everyday would also be just fine, since it's very likely that 100 copies will go fast and a re-order will come in quite soon.

Who are your advisors, colleagues, vendors? Show them how your booklet can contribute to their success, whether they buy 100, 500, 1,000, or a million!

Until next time,
Paulette - keeping it real

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Booklets - What to Really Say to Potential Buyers

A consultation with a booklet author yesterday drove home the point once again about the requirement of being yourself in your business. "I get so anxious when I go to present myself that nothing comes out right. If I could just say ..."

What came flowing out of her mouth next was EXACTLY what to say. It focused on the value she brings to the buyer, in her own words. Period. No stilted script of someone else's language.

Yes, it's about the benefit you bring to the buyer with your booklet and any other related products and services you have. It's not a long harangue about your alphabet soup of degrees and every project and/or employer you ever had since the invention of dirt. It's a succinct presentation (a couple sentences) about what you bring to enhance your buyer's world. Do you represent their customer based on your buying habits and your life? Because of that, can you get closer to their customer than they ever could? That's the kind of thing that instantly elevates your value, even if there is currently a typo in your booklet or the color of your cover is off by a shade from what you wanted!

Until next time,
Paulette - whose suggestions are always intended for you to shape to fit you best so everyone benefits

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Booklets - Word Trippers

You may have heard me sing the praises of editor, Barbara McNichol. In fact, you may have had her edit something for you, something larger than a booklet. I have referred many clients to her (as she has to me), have interviewed her, and just love having her as a trusted colleague.

Several years ago she put together a booklet of word pairs that tend to confuse people. She called it Word Trippers. She has revised it over the years and has now utilized current technology as an additional delivery method.

Before you embarrass yourself by using "except" when it needs to be "accept," or "imply" rather than "infer," get yourself a copy of Barbara's Word Trippers. You'll be so glad you did. And there are no affiliate links in this post, by the way.

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Don’t Risk Your Ability to Communicate By Using Words that Trip Up Your Readers!

word_trippers_book-cover

Do you ever get confused knowing the right word to choose? Do pesky pairings like imply vs. infer, accept vs. except, convince vs. persuade trip you up?

If you don’t get them right, there's much at stake:

· Your ability to convey your message clearly and precisely.

· Your credibility and professionalism in your marketplace.

· Even your valued reputation among your peers.

That’s too much to risk!

And that’s why this word choice guide helps ensure you're choosing the perfect word every time!

The newest Word Trippers e-book gives you an easy-to-search, tripper-tracking source for selecting the perfect word when it matters most.

And here's the good news. It's now available in Kindle format on Amazon, as this YouTube promo announces:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XelE3abP9UY

If you don’t have a Kindle reader, you can download the software to your computer or smart phone. Here’s the link.

Word Trippers e-book is vital for—

  • Authors and speakers
  • Virtual assistants
  • Administrative assistants
  • Teachers and students
  • Business communicators
  • Entrepreneurs and leaders
  • Court reporters and journalists

“I keep this handy ebook right by my side. Forget about hauling out the dictionary every time I stumble over one of these 300+ Word Trippers in my writing. With this word choice guide, I can easily find the clear definition I’m looking for right at my fingertips. An invaluable resource!”
Karen Reddick, editor, author, Grammar Done Right

“I use the Word Trippers book at least once or twice during the writing of a story. There are so many times when the exact meaning or connotation of a word is critical to deliver the message and not deliver confusion.”
- John Wolf, author



EXAMPLE #1: Famous, notorious
– “Famous” means known widely and favorably, while “notorious” means known widely and unfavorably. “The young actress became famous for her Oscar-nominated role, and then became notorious for her drug use and underage drinking.”

EXAMPLE #2: Fewer, less – “Fewer” is used when units or individuals can be counted; less is used with quantities of mass, bulk, or volume. “There are fewer letters to be written today than yesterday.” “The mail takes up less space than I thought it would.” Generally if the word has an “s” at the end, use “fewer” – fewer dollars but less money; fewer muffins but less food.

In this Kindle edition, you’ll find familiar trippers like breath vs. breathe and among vs. between and lots more including—

Tolerant vs. tolerable
Endemic vs. epidemic
Aisle vs. isle

Collegial vs. congenial
Soar vs. sore
Sallow vs. shallow

Don’t let these gremlins affect (or is it effect?) your writing ever again

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO ORDER

now available as a Kindle ebook on Amazon

Only $8.99

Remember, if you don’t have a Kindle reader, you can download the software to your computer or smart phone. Here’s the link.


“I’ve found Barbara’s Word Tripper of the Week ezines a valuable tool and I'm delighted that she's made them available in book form.”
- Bob Kelly, editor, coauthor Kids are Tremendous

“As a professional writer, I enjoy the twists of the English language, such as when to use peek or peak, and course or coarse. Like big rocks on a path, I trip over how to use ‘lay vs. lie’ and ‘compose vs. comprise.’ That’s when I peek at Barbara’s Word Trippers ebook and get back on course.”
- Patrice Rhoades-Baum, copywriter, marketer



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Until next time,

Paulette - who still checks on whether it's affect or effect

www.tipsbooklets.com

www.CollectionOfExperts.com

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Booklets - Multiple Teachers

You learn about every aspect of life from more than one source. That's true with your booklet business and your clients, too.

And you learn through different types of input, whether it's hearing the spoken word, reading, looking at something, physically interacting with a learning tool, in formal environments, casual conversations, or by observing something that seems totally outside the topic at hand.

You can also be exposed to the exact concept more than once until it finally sinks in or even starts to make sense to you.

If this is all true (which, of course, you know it is), why wouldn't it also make sense for you to deliver your expertise in multiple formats, repeatedly? Some people will absorb some of the information the first time they are exposed to it. Those same people will have an even better grasp of it when it reaches them at another time in a different way.

Until next time,
Paulette - aware of how many people return to hear the same presentation multiple times

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Booklets - Research: The Good, the Bad, and the Rest of It

Are you a researcher by nature? Me, I let other people I respect do the research and then take from that what resonates for me, with attribution when appropriate. And once I learn something, I'm inclined to teach it to others.

When it comes to tips booklets, the very best ones are those that reflect the writer's expertise and/or experience. That is adequate credential for a tips booklet. If you are spending time researching what other people have to say on a topic that is near and dear to your heart, it's very likely you are procrastinating in getting your booklet done. After all, you're offering what YOU know from YOUR experience and YOUR perspective. That's good enough. In fact, it's more than good enough. It's valuable to other people. Go finish your booklet now so you can share what you've got with those who need and want it.

Until next time,
Paulette - reminding you that your journey is unlike anyone else's



Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Booklets - Creating Your Reality

Last time someone said "be realistic," I wondered whose definition of reality was being referenced. That can be the implied or stated opinion of someone in your life when you start talking about writing, marketing, and selling a tips booklet.

Being realistic is up to you as to what you write or develop, what methods you choose to market it, and how you go about selling it.

Next time someone says "be realistic" to you, no matter what you're doing, you already are being realistic according to you.

Until next time,
Paulette - suggesting you notice who is in charge of your life

Thursday, January 06, 2011

Booklets - Being Different Increases Business

Booklets are different than anything else. That means you stand out from among the crowd when you write a booklet and when you use it as a marketing tool.

Yes, it's different from a book. That doesn't mean writing a book is a bad thing if that's important in your field. You can also write a booklet. It distinguishes you and it sells more copies of your book.

A booklet is different from a marketing brochure, though it certainly serves to market your business. The booklet goes beyond stating features and benefits of working with you and your company.

It's different than a directory. whether you've got some additional information about your business in the directory entry or not. The booklet helps educate your future client/patient/customer. The directory blurb just says you exist.

A printed booklet further distinguishes you. With all the online information readily available for both a fee and for free, your printed booklet lets you stand out. It's like getting a handwritten thank you note from someone rather than an email. With the decrease of direct mail these days, it's so much easier for people to see your booklet when receiving it in the mail from a large quantity buyer of your booklet.

Being different doesn't mean you need to abandon the essence of who you are or do things in any radical way. You can do things in a quiet, subtle way that leaves a huge and positive impact about you, your business, and how you can best serve more people.

Until next time,
Paulette - encouraging you to be different

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Booklets - Numbers, Numbers, and More Numbers

It really is about the numbers in business. Yes, it's definitely about people, and, well, it's all about the numbers when serving those people.

When someone asks how much your booklet costs to buy in quantity for their company, association, or any other reason, the first thing you need to know is what quantity they have in mind. Since your production costs vary according to the number of booklets you print at a time, it stands to reason that the price you charge for your booklets also varies according to the number of booklets someone is buying from you at a particular time. There are additional variables like customization and shipping.

Create a pricing schedule for yourself for reference, based on the amount of profit you want to make, and based on what the market will bear.

For more in-depth information on quantity sales, go to Strategies for Bulk Booklet Sales

Until next time,
Paulette - eager to teach you what's taken years to discover