Having choices that all support your main expertise increases your sales, whether it’s tips booklets or other products or services. It is also the difference between having one great product or having a business. While that may seem like old news, it bears reminding.
A frequent question people ask is whether it is possible to be successful with only one tips booklet. The short answer is that while it is possible, it’s more difficult than it needs to be. The bigger challenge is in claiming an area of expertise and being consistent about it. Yes, you can expand and embellish it. However there needs to be a core, something people know that you are the person to contact.
A long-time colleague recently sent out a mailing to announce the availability for sale of some domain names he had bought that he no longer needed or wanted. He is well-established in his field as an author, speaker, and consultant. While there was no personal interest in his domain names, there were others who would surely be interested and who received as forward of that email.
Keep in mind that the focus of the communication was about domain names for sale.Let’s say you were in a similar situation. You had some domain names you were renewing year after year, and decided you wanted to see if you could sell some of them. Passing along the offer from my colleague prompted numerous introductions to people he did not know, people who were in some related field or they would not have received that forwarded email.
It turned out my colleague garnered several speaking and consulting engagements from the offer of those domain names. He was thrilled. It was also the softest and most indirect marketing and sales effort that could have been done!
Those results happened more from consistency in being known for something more than the greatest marketing campaign any business owner ever did. It was easy to pass along the colleague’s email to people who could benefit from what he offered, whether it was domain names, products, or services.
ACTION – What are you known for? Even if you are in transition, are you being clear in devising an stating a bridge that makes sense? Maybe you’ve been a Facebook or some other social media expert and you’ve decided your sick of it and prefer face-to-face networking with people. Have you connected the dots for people so they know you are still using your networking expertise you’ve led with for so many years? Are you a professional organizer who has been working with homeowners and now you want to specialize in moving senior citizens? Have you said so in just those words so people realize the depth of experience you have with residential organizing? By creating and offering your products and services in different formats, you reinforce that you are the go-to resource, even while you are in a transition of your own. You instill confidence in your buyers and they show their appreciation through their purchases.
Turn Your Tips Into Products, Your Tips Products Into Moneymakers TM” © 2014 Paulette Ensign