Is Writing a Book the Ultimate Sales Letter Your Business Needs?
In this article I want to share two decades of experience on why I think writing a book can be the ultimate sales letter for introducing new customers to your products and services and business growth.
Writing a Book Is One of the Most Effective Ways to Differentiate Yourself and Market Your Business
Regardless, if you are an experience book author or if you are thinking about writing your first book, this article will give you smart new insights.
As a point of clarification, when I use the term âbookâ I am referring to a short business-focused book that is about 100 pages long and is strategically written to promote you, your products and services, and your business.
Unlike the typical reason many people write books, which is to sell them and make a dollar or two when per book sold, your goal with a book as the ultimate sales letter is to give them away to as many of your ideal readers as possible and make money when they become a customer (client, member, student, etc.). 100% of your focus in creating sales on the âback endâ by connecting readers to your business.
You should never worry about making a few dollars âsellingâ your book.
Top 10 Reasons Why I Believe You Should Write a Book as the Ultimate Sales Letter for Your Business
After working with over 250 business owners, who I have turned into short business book authors, and interviewing another 200+ business owners who have written a nonfiction book on my podcast, I have identified these top 10 most compelling reasons business owners, entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders invest the time, energy, and money into using a book as a marketing strategy.
Writing a Book as the Ultimate Sales Letter Essential Concepts
Books have been an effective tool for business branding and a smart  way to offer helpful information on a specific topic for over 100 years with what I call âbook-centric marketing.â
Book-centric marketing is a unique and powerful advertising, marketing, and promotional strategy that consists of three foundational parts.
The first part is the book itself (typically given away for free), which is strategically crafted to attract a specific reader who wants to solve a specific problem or gain a specific benefit.
Marketing professionals call this type of book a lead-generation book because its only purpose is to attract quality readers who are interested in a specific topic. This type of book, like I described above, is dramatically different than most business books in its goals, purpose, design, and content.
The second part is a marketing strategy that prominently features and promotes the book as a smart first step in learning more about your products and services. So instead of focusing 100% of the message on the benefits of the products and services, book-centric marketing focuses on âGET THIS FREE BOOKâ as the first step.
The third part contains the ânext stepâ strategies to move the reader from simply being a prospect to becoming a customer. These next-step strategies should be part of the book itself and the follow-up marketing after a person gets the book.
When all three of these parts are working together, the result is that your book is indeed the ultimate sales letter for your business.
Writing a Book as a Marketing Strategy Stands the Test of Time
If you are a student of advertising and marketing like me, you will be amazed to learn the history and extensive use of book-centric marketing in the 20th century. In my research, I have found advertisements that have featured a âfree bookâ as far back as 1903, when the Ostermoor Mattress Company offered their book, The Test of Time, to individuals interested in getting a better nightâs sleep.
For years, the Ostermoor Mattress Company leveraged writing a book as their secrete marketing weapon to promote their free book first and their mattresses second.
Interestingly, Ostermoor, who still exists today, has a website dedicated to all this at https://ostermoor.com/test-of-time.
And you can even buy a replica of the original The Test of Time book on Amazon.
Throughout the rest of the 20th century, books continued to be used as strategic marketing tools to get targeted consumers to respond to a specific message because of their precise promise.
Some of the most famous campaigns, brands and individuals leveraged customer-attraction books to promote everything from health-related products to personal self-improvement to garden equipment.
Business Owner Author ProfileâAttorney Julie Steinbacher
Julie Steinbacher isnât just any elder law attorney. Sheâs a strategic marketer who understands the power of targeted, value-driven content. With offices throughout Pennsylvania, Julie has published several books and knows first-hand the power of being a published author and creating books to be the ultimate sales letter for her practice.
When she decided to zero in on a nicheâhelping families affected by Alzheimerâs and dementiaâshe knew she needed more than just information. She needed a compelling, easy-to-digest resource that would guide these families through their darkest hours. Thatâs when she decided to work with me to publish not just one book, but instead an entire series, including: Youâre Not Alone: Living with Alzheimerâs Disease, Youâre Not Alone: Living as an Alzheimerâs Caregiver, and Youâre Not Alone: Living with Dementia.
The results?
Within just a few months of promoting her books, Julie received 75 direct book requests and distributed even more at her seminars and local events. These books serve as the crucial first touchpoint in her extended sales funnel. Out of these initial 75 inquiries, 10 led to consultations, and six became clients, adding a $40,000 in initial value to her practice.
And that was just the start. Today, years and thousands of books distributed later, Julie has transformed the marketing of her Alzheimer's disease and dementia services by helping more people with her short business books.
Business Owner Author ProfileâDr. Jaime Whitlock
Dr. Jamie Whitlock is an independent insurance broker based out of Ogden, Utah, who helps his clients better understand Medicare. Everything he does is focused on âStress Free Medicareâ and making the complex topic of Medicare as simple and stress free as possible. Even before he worked with me to publish his book, he had already built a great brand around this concept, including his website and his unique 5-Step Stress Free Medicare System.
By breaking down and personally branding his system and book into five logical steps, Jamie can take the complex topic of Medicare and make it as easy as possible to understand. He gives a copy of his âhow to guideâ to every student who participates in his Medicare seminars, as well as using it as an effective referral tool for those who need increased clarity regarding a highly complex and confusing subject.
His book is a proven and effective strategy for his clients to help them find their best Medicare plan options for his readers. It does this by creating a customized plan that is unique and tailormade to each prospectâs individual needs.
Jaime states, âThis has been an invaluable resource for our clients as well as for us to be able to help people understand this widely frustrating and confusing topic. Our prospects and clients love it because it is short, concise, informative, and easy to read.â
5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Writing a Book to Boost Your Business
I hope by now you are more convinced than ever that writing a book (and creating the ultimate sales letter) for your business is a worthy goal and when you are ready, I am more than happy to have a brief introductory meeting to see if working together to bring your book to life makes sense.
If you are still on the fence about writing a book, consider these 5 questions:
Question #1
Is helping people making smarter buying decisions about your industryâs products/services a top goal for you?
Question #2
Can you list your top 3-5 types of customers (clients, students, members, etc.) you would like to attract more of and identify their needs, pains, and desires regarding what it is you do?
Question #3
Are you able to have a clear, succinct, and persuasive conversation with prospects about your products/services and align your solutions to their specific needs?
Question #4
Can you commit to 24-30 hours to developing the content and working with a short business book writing and publishing expert like me to bring your book to life?
Question #5
Do you promise yourself and your business that you will commit to the persistent and consistent use of the book once its published?
If youâve answered YES to these five questions then I highly recommend you read either The 100-Page Book or The Magic of Short Books and start your book author journey today. Also check out what some of my clients have said about the impact of working together with me to create their short business books.
Create the Ultimate Sales Letter for Your Business
Writing a book is more than just an opportunity to share your knowledge; it is a strategic business decision that sets your business apart from your competition and elevates your brand.
By establishing yourself as an expert authority in your field, you build trust, attract new customers, and help more people, which results in helping your business.
From understanding the essential concepts of a short business book to sharing all the reasons why I believe so strongly about them, Iâve covered the critical aspects of why your book can be the ultimate sales letter for your business.
The journey from book idea to publication is a significant one, but the rewards are substantial and profitable. I challenge you to take the first step today to becoming a published short book author and experience the transformative impact it will have on your business.