Selling books and products in bulk- to non traditional retailers

Brian Judd is an author, book-marketing expert,  TV host, and, President of Premium Book Company that sells books to non-bookstore buyers on a non-returnable commission only basis.  Brian is also the Executive Director of SPAN, which is the Successful Publishers Association of North America. 

His book How to Make Real Money Selling Books (without worrying about returns) is an ultimate do it yourself guide to selling books to non-bookstore buyers and selling in bulk with no returns. 

I interviewed Brian on my radio show Your Book as a Business, and he provided some great tips for book sales for authors. Brian talked about a few of the many ways that corporations buy author’s books in bulk. One such way is for employee recognition or to go with awards, to give to their members or staff, as a customer recognition or sign up bonus, or to compliment employee training and development.  There are many other organizations that also buy books in bulk, such as homeschooling associations, Military, schools associated with the Military, government, book clubs and professional associations.

Many authors think the wider and bigger the market for their book the better, however, Brian urges authors to consider that the tighter and smaller the market, the better.  It is easier to build relationships, zero in on a marketing strategy and find the niche when your market is smaller. Think about yourself and your book as a problem solver. When you can determine what problem you solve, it is easier to market and generate multiple book sales. 

Brian gave examples of dog food companies who gave authors books away (after purchasing in bulk) as a coupon or with a bag of dog food.  The formula to remember is:

AIDA

Attention, Interest, Desire then Action;

What corporations, associations or groups might have an interest in your book (or their clients or staff may have interest because you solve their problem)?  How can you attract their attention?How can you apply this approach to your business?

You can listen to Brian Judd’s interview with me here:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/your-book-as-a-business/2013/05/15/guest-brian-jud

To read more tips for authors, visit www.HowToSellAndMarketYourBook.com
 

To buy Brian's book, visit:

 

The Food That Increases Your Sales

Bouncing Forward and being resilient involves taking care of yourself involves a number of activities that promote health such as....

• getting enough sleep
• ensuring you get fresh air and sunlight
• drinking enough water (I don't mean coffee)
• exercise 
• and of course eating healthy.  

Today's guest post is from Sheevaun Moran.  Thank you Sheevaun for sharing your tips on how certain foods can actually enhance your functioning.... and your sales.

 

 

Did you know that there are foods that keep you from having more abundance or money in your life? Did you know that eating some foods can help you be more stubborn, irritated, fearful, anxious and procrastinate. If you didn’t then read further.

 

There are many things we put into our bodies that create good and not so good reactions and when we begin to truly pay attention to these things is when we are humming at our best. The challenge is that we aren’t paying close enough attention to what goes into the mouth. I mean, we aren’t paying attention to the fact that what we put in our mouth and the reaction of runny nose, fearfulness, lethargy or upset stomach is all related to what was put into the mouth.

 

When you eat food that is cleaner, meaning without chemicals, and then you put a chemicalized food into your body the energy will dip and so do your finances. The body and the life actually give you signals. There are no exceptions to this. Chemicals in the food result in the body being puffy the next day or feeling drugged.

 

High vibration foods are any foods that are living and organic. I mean that eating salads is good, eating fruit is good AND eating a good combination of both is ideal. It can be challenging to start to incorporate greens into the meals but the easiest way I’ve found, and recommended to thousands, is taking a supergreen. This is a blend of greens that you put into an apple juice so that you can handle the reaction that your brain may have. Then, as you gain more confidence with this you can begin adding greens in various ways – juicing and experimenting with adding different greens than you’ve been accustomed to such as kale, wheatgrass, sea greens, basil, etc.

 

For more on foods and attracting wealth into your life click here.

 

I have a client who ate completely organic food and incorporated 50% more greens and added a dose of supergreens and his company sales grew by 20%. I’ve seen this with other people in real estate and sales. Prove it to yourself by trying this for 10 days and see what happens for you. Let me know your results.

 

Sheevaun Moran is an author, keynote speaker, transformation expert and uses energy to help CEO’s and entrepreneurs achieve their dreams and goals. Fifteen years and thousands of clients are out there living their dreams as a result of Sheevaun’s work. She can be found at http://sheevaunmoran.com

Authors: Are YOU Making these Mistakes?

Are you making these Author Mistakes?




Penny Sansevieri is the founder and CEO of Author Marketing Experts Inc. (www.amarketingexpert.com) and I was fortunate enough to have her on my Your Book as a Business Radio Show. Even if you are not an author, if you have content and expertise that you need to package and get out to the world, the experts on my show will inspire your creativity and help you unlock and unleash amazing sales and marketing approaches. 

Penny is a bestselling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relationships experts. And as an adjunct professor, she teaches Self Publishing at NYU. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and she has developed some of the most innovative social media and internet book marketing campaigns. She is the author of five books, including Red Hot Internet Publicity.

On Your Book as a Business, Penny and I talked about the common author mistakes,- you can Listen to the radio show here:  ttp://www.blogtalkradio.com/your-book-as-a-business/2012/09/08/guest-penny-sansevieri

Here are the common author mistakes:

- Not understanding what your audience wants

- Not having a website that is focused and speaks to your audience

- Not defining the audience and the readers

- Not being creative in their marketing

Here are some ways to overcome these mistakes

1) Know how your readers want to be communicated to and keep in relationship with them. Now, it takes between 50-60 impressions before your message gets across, it used to be 7-15 impressions or touches but now we are flooded with information that we have to connect with people in many different ways.

2) Don’t lead your book campaigns with your hand out (meaning don’t lead with “buy my book, buy my book”).

3) You don’t have to do it all, you just have to do what you do well, and consistently as it relates to marketing and selling your book.

4) Re-tweet other people’s twitter feeds, comment on people’s Facebook and Linked In or Blogs, be a champion.

5) Review other peoples’ books and leave an endorsement on Amazon and Barnes & Noble for them.

6) Thank the reviewers who review your book.

7) Be creative with planning events… think about where your audience hangs out (the gym, coffee shops, library, Dog Park, pet stores, electronic stores, lingerie shop, hair salon?). Hold your events at these venues.

You can listen to more great tips from Penny at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/your-book-as-a-business/2012/09/08/guest-penny-sansevieri
Remember to click the “Follow” button on our show’s page so you get alerts to upcoming shows. And, you can listen to previous shows by scrolling down the main page of Your Book as a Business Radio on our blog talk radio page http://www.blogtalkradio.com/your-book-as-a-business

Is Your Marketing Reaching the Consumer?

Women drive 80% of the purchasing decisions.

How is your marketing reaching this audience? That is the 20 trillion dollar question!

Have you taken a close look at your branding and marketing to assess how your message is landing?

Ayesha Mathew- Wadhwa is the founder of PixInk - a design micro-agency that services a macro niche- that niche is marketing to women. Women drive 80% of the purchasing decisions.

Ayesha Mathews-Wadhwa is an expert at helping businesses ensure their branding and marketing messages are compelling, create powerful experiences, and that it reaches the audience! She was also my guest on the Corporate Conversations with Charmaine Radio show, and what a conversation it was! Her company, PixInk is based in San Francisco but really is a global business, and has served Apple, Facebook, Oracle, Cat Footwear, Riverbed, Camel, Sephora and Picaboo, amongst many others. You can learn more about Ayesha, and PixInk at: http://www.pixinkdesign.com/


Ayesha reminds business owners and leaders that the female economy is not a niche market, rather, it is a complex market, and those businesses who get it, will excel. Companies who engage their consumers, and target audience in an authentic manner will not only build relationships, and loyal customers, they will create marketing platforms and campaigns that work and deliver results.

There are many ways to engage your customers, and explore what marketing works for women:

- Panels

- Surveys

- Focus groups

- Ask for feedback

- Test and trial runs


Ayesha also recommends video, in fact, video is an excellent way to demonstrate your authenticity, keep people engaged, and start conversations and connections. Video helps bring your brand and message to life.

- Tell a story

- Ensure the video is emotive

- Do not create a video that feels scripted or orchestrated…. Make sure it looks and feels authentic

- Music really helps

When you reach the audience, understand what and why they buy your product or service, connect with them in an authentic way, you give them reason to talk about you. In essence, you create a loyal customer base.

On the interview recording (you can listen here): http://www.blogtalkradio.com/charmainehammond/2012/08/15/guest-elizabeth-hagen-and-ayesha-mathews-wadhwa


Remember:

- Authenticity matters

- Create an experience

- Use video to tell (and show) a story

- Ask customers what they want, what the strengths and downfalls of your product or service are, and what they really want and need.

You can listen to the conversation with Ayesha here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/charmainehammond/2012/08/15/guest-elizabeth-hagen-and-ayesha-mathews-wadhwa

Women Make 80% of the Buying Decisions- are you marketing to them?

PixInk is a design micro-agency that services a macro niche- that niche is marketing to women. Women drive 80% of the purchasing decisions. This is important for all businesses to know, that your marketing will be well served to ensure their branding and marketing is:

- Compelling

- Creates experiences across all forms of marketing including print, digital and mobile media

Ayesha Mathews-Wadhwa was my guest on the Corporate Conversations with Charmaine Radio show, and what a conversation it was! Ayesha’s company PixInk is based in San Francisco but really is a global business, and has served Apple, Facebook, Oracle, Cat Footwear, Riverbed, Camel, Sephora and Picaboo, amongst many others. You can learn more about Ayesha, and PixInk at: http://www.pixinkdesign.com/

On the interview recording (you can listen here): http://www.blogtalkradio.com/charmainehammond/2012/08/15/guest-elizabeth-hagen-and-ayesha-mathews-wadhwa


You will hear Ayesha share her interesting journey to entrepreneurship, and her impressive background in the corporate world.

Why do so many brands fail to connect with women? Ayesha states there are a number of reasons, one being that too many brands don’t have any insight into what and WHY people buy. Ayesha answers this question… the 20 TRILLION dollar question on the show.

What can companies do immediately to improve their marketing and branding to women? First, Ayesha suggests that companies assume nothing. This mistake of making assumptions that you know what your consumers and customer want is a costly mistake. In fact, it has resulted in misfires and companies spending a lot of money then to return to the drawing board and start again.


Remember:

- Assume nothing

- Ask your customers and clients what and why they buy

- Test your marketing and branding to ensure it is compelling and that you are creating an experience


You can listen to the conversation with Ayesha here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/charmainehammond/2012/08/15/guest-elizabeth-hagen-and-ayesha-mathews-wadhwa


On the next blog, we’ll feature some more of Ayesha’s marketing and branding wisdom. Whether you are a government department, small business, start up business or big industry, we all need to market and understand the needs of the consumers and the individuals who make buying decisions for their company.

Are you the NEW NORMAL?

Are you the NEW NORMAL?


There is a new normal in sales, and to be successful, we must know that exactly that is. The old way was cold calls and calling 25 people a day. Now, it is more important to have quality contacts, and 1:1 conversations. Relationships are key! Clients find us now more than they used to. So, businesses must ensure that they have a credible, professional presence.

Colleen Francis was my guest on Corporate Conversations with Charmaine Radio, she  is driven by sales…and results. A successful sales professional for more than 20 years, Colleen has studied the habits of the top sales performers to complement conventional sales wisdom with proven sales strategies that get results in today’s tough economy. The reason Colleen’s clients call on her time and time again is that she gets results!
(you can listen to the show here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/charmainehammond/2012/09/12/favorite-moments-and-guest-colleen-francis

  In Colleens’ blog she said it is important to rid ourselves of the sales trash. Cold calls are only about 3% of the business whereas 97% of the sales will come from relationships and continued contacts with clients.  The old sales scripts no longer work, we are in a different era. People want authenticity and relationships, and as Colleen says, credible, current and compelling testimonials.

Some key tips to sales from Colleen include:

- Call people who have been on your website and have signed up for your products or newsletters. Stay in touch with them. Keep the conversation going with them, build relationships.

- Remember it is a slow drip. Building relationships takes time. Most people give up just before the sale is made.  Hang in there.

- Decision makers appreciate rich content and value. Do case studies, content rich articles, let them know when you are in their community, remember them at holidays.

- Stay in touch every 30 days! Yes every 30 days. This can be through newsletters, email, calls, articles, seeding, etc.

With respect to the sales conversation, remember it is a two way conversation. Talk less. Ask a lot of questions to the client, Colleen suggests these questions:

- What are your objectives?

- What is the goal (e.g. of the training, the meeting, the event)?

- What do you hope will be different aft this?

- What do you want people to remember after the event?

Then explore the different ways that their needs can be accomplished. Many experts and business owners are too anxious to tell the client all they can do (without knowing what the client truly needs) and then the client feels “sold to.”



Colleen’s favorite question is to ask yourself (not the client) HOW IS THIS IMPROVING THE CLIENT’S SITUATION/CONDITION?  We must always add value for the client....what are the ways that you add value, stay in touch and build long lasting relationships with your clients?  What are you learning and finding works well in the new normal of sales?



Find out more about Colleen at www.engageselling.com


Listen to our radio interview at and Colleen's great tips about getting exceptional business testimonials:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/charmainehammond/2012/09/12/favorite-moments-and-guest-colleen-francis

Your Book and Social Media with Ron Noble

One of the aspects I love about having three radio shows that I host, is, that I get to interview great guests with different business and team models.  Recently on my Your Book As a Business Radio Show ( http://www.blogtalkradio.com/your-book-as-a-business)   I interviewed Ron Noble, author, illustrator, animator and Emmy Award winner! 

Ron Noble- author, illustrator and Emmy Award Winner!
Director of the RugRats and many other TV and feature films
A great outlook on creating conversation and building relationships in business

Ron has been creating cartoons since he could hold a crayon. He started out making comic strips to get laughs, but soon discovered animating his twisted cartoons got bigger laughs. He has since won an Emmy® Award for directing Rugrats and has directed many other Nickelodeon animated TV shows, as well as creating his own award-winning animated shorts and animated sequences on feature films.

Ron has illustrated a bunch of picture books including “I Have a Restaurant” (also a Kendahl House Press book). “Letter Beasties” is his first book as author & illustrator (see links below).

Social media has been a very positive force for Ron in building his author platform, and developing relationships.  Active on Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, and You Tube, Ron is finding that the time spent (Strategic time) on social media has proven to be most useful, and results in sales.

Think about how you can use social media in your business to a) promote your products or services, b) educate the public about your business values and causes that you support,  c) share your company successes with the public, d) find out the needs of your customers, and e) engage them in conversation.  Social media allows champions to develop, for example when someone loves Ron's book, and they post a review or comment on Facebook, that is available to the world's eyes. His happy readers become champions for him and his books. The same applies for you in your business. 

If you are not using using social media in your business, I would encourage you to get on Linked In, Twitter, You Tube (great place to have happy customers, clients, readers post a video testimonial) and then with consistency, review the results after 60 days.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/your-book-as-a-business/2012/05/12/guest-ron-noble



                                       


Learn more about Ron and the Letter Beasties at: http://www.letterbeasties.com/

From Six Dollars to Six Figures!

When April Morris heard the words “your annual raise is fifty cents per hour” her life was changed forever. She immediately went into action to find a way to a better lifestyle and began studying millionaires. She read more than 80 books about business and went from $6 per hour to earning six figures in business! From studying successful business owners and leaders, April discovered that they had similar success markers. She learned the art of viral marketing starting first with her direct sphere of influence (friends, family, colleagues, community members, etc.) and had a launch party for her product Thin Gloss. And, she ASKed for leads and referrals. The key here is that she was very specific and focused in her ask for the referral (you can hear an example in the recording below).

April stressed the importance of always giving clients and prospects value, and being innovative. One example of this is to survey your clients needs. Ask the clients what they like and what they’d like to change about your product or service, or what their biggest struggle is. Then ensure that your product or service addresses the needs.  


Many of you have heard about the television show The Shark Tank (which I love to watch), April was on the show in April 2010. She talked about the surprising learnings from the experience, and what changes she made immediately to her business model, web page, and offering a bonus with her product. This dramatically increased her sales.

You can listen here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/charmainehammond/2012/05/09/guests-april-morris-and-carrie-greene

“Be open to change” said April, the types and approaches in marketing have changed a lot, and leaders and businesses must be open to doing business differently. Push marketing no longer works, instead, you need to develop relationships, offer value and market to your target audience in strategic ways that address their issues or solve their problems.

April shared a tip from her mentor that I think is brilliant “only go where you are celebrated, not tolerated.” WOW! What an insightful way to help us determine what we say “yes” to and what we say “no” to.

You can find out more about April at http://www.aprilmorris.com/


April Morris Bio: “Your annual raise is fifty cents per hour”. Those words changed April Morris’ life forever. Determined to find a way out of a poverty-like lifestyle for her family, she began studying millionaires, attended seminars and read 80+ business books. She went from earning $6 per hour to Six Figures. This led her to leaving the security of a job and launching her first product- THINgloss® in 2008. Not having any money for marketing and advertising didn’t stop her. Instead, she created and launched a viral marketing campaign that attracted publicity, new customers and cash flow. Today, April is a popular speaker and Founder of the “Product Innovation Academy” where she teaches entrepreneurs innovation, viral marketing strategies & sales psychology. www.aprilmorris.com

What’s Your WHY?

I watched a great Ted Video with Simon Sinek, who was talking about leadership, however, I also think his ideas are a brilliant fit for business, authors and book selling.

Sinek said “people buy WHY you do it, not what you do”

He said the old way of doing things in terms of  marketing and selling no longer work.  He implied that we are in a time now where connection matters and meaningful conversation is what people want. This is great for authors! We need to be connected to our audience, our readers, and other authors. And, meaningful conversation is part of what we do! 

As you go about your day today think about your WHY. Why you started the business you did. Why did you accept the job you are in. Why you are passionate about your work. This will start you thinking about your WHY.

You can watch Simon's presentation here: http://blog.ted.com/2010/05/04/how_great_leade/

Remember to talk about your WHY.