Can an Org Use Your Book? Part 3: How Orgs Benefit by Partnering With You
Before we get to this month’s tip: Two Important Announcements From Shel
1. In these tough times, I want to do my part. I’ve just released some things to save you money: A brand new e-book called Painless Green: 111 Tips to Help the Environment, Lower Your Carbon Footprint, Cut Your Budget, and Improve Your Quality of Life—With No Negative Impact on Your Lifestyle, https://www.painlessgreenbook.com — and a website where you can get that e-book and all my books at a discount: https://www.RecessionBusterBooks.com
2. If you haven’t gotten your book done yet, or you know someone looking to become a published author, my new coaching program can help: Shel Horowitz’s Exclusive Ethical Expert Book Publishing Program. I’ll be announcing this in my speech Saturday at Willie Crawford’s Birthday Bash in front of several hundred people, but I wanted to let you have first crack. Especially since I’m offering it at a reduced price this first time out, and because the number of available seats is sharply limited: I’ve told the conference planners to stop taking offers when we reach 30 seats at the Gold level, and only FIVE at the Platinum level, which includes private coaching from me.
And now, on to this month’s tip:
How Organizations Benefit by Partnering With You
It’s absolutely vital to understand how an organization will benefit from your book <i>before</> you make the initial contact–because you must answer that question in your proposal letter. This brief adaptation from Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers provides some possible answers:
The key question to ask yourself is this:
How does this organization genuinely benefit from using my book?
There are many possible answers; finding the correct answer may be the key that will turn your prospect into a buyer. Usually, the correct answer will involve drilling down with “so what” questions, until you find ways to either increase sales of the organization‘s products and services and/or increase the organization’s status in the minds of its customers, prospects, employees, vendors—and in some cases (especially to counterbalance negative publicity) the general public. Among many possibilities, the organization might want to:
- Show people how to use the organization’s product or services in creative or expanded ways.
- Establish its own expertise and/or disseminate its ideas to a wider audience.
- Demonstrate a commitment to the community (as when a local bank sponsors a history of the town).
- Overcome bad press.
- Show off the organization in time for an important anniversary or milestone.
- Woo lucrative clients, investors/donors, or business-venture partners with interesting and useful gifts.
- Use the book for internal training.
- Convey a point of view about a hot-button issue of the day (for instance, a organization might give out copies of a book to legislators, regulators, or policy makers).
- Demonstrate that it is a caring and concerned organization willing to help.
One I don’t mention in the book is more important these days than ever before: create (or supplement) a revenue stream through product sales.
Rather not wait until the end of June to get started? Grab copies of my award-winning books, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First, and Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers. Use this link to get the paperback editions at the discounted price of $41.95, combined (plus shipping), or this link for the e-book editions at just $34.95 (no shipping charge). Between those two books, you’ll get lots of ideas on how to form win-win partnerships that move quantities of your book. ). Of course, you can also buy just one book, at the usual price.
Shel Horowitz’s Monthly Newsletters » Blog Archive » Can an Org Use Your Book? Part 5: How to Approach the Organization said,
Wrote on June 26, 2009 @ 4:17 am
[…] not on why you want to do this for yourself, but on how it will benefit the organization (please see Part 3 of this series if you need to remind yourself of those reasons)–and on what you can bring to the table to help them, over and above the donation (for […]