In
the last 30 years there have been a number of sales and marketing gurus who
wrote best-selling books and helped transform a new generation of
marketing-savvy professionals. One such
individual is Brain Tracy, who has been promoted in the past by the public
relations firm that I work for. I just finished one of his books from 2014,
aptly entitled Marketing, and want to share his helpful insights that can be applied to authors and publishers seeking to grow book sales.
He tells
us that Rule Number one is the customer is always right.
“They buy for their reasons, not yours,” he writes. “Customers are selfish, demanding, ruthless, disloyal and fickle. But they are always right, based on their own needs, wants, desires, and ways of thinking.”
“They buy for their reasons, not yours,” he writes. “Customers are selfish, demanding, ruthless, disloyal and fickle. But they are always right, based on their own needs, wants, desires, and ways of thinking.”
Another
factor to consider is that people buy based on emotions.
“It is how they feel, and especially how the believe they will feel after the purchase that determines whether they make the purchase at all,” he says.
“It is how they feel, and especially how the believe they will feel after the purchase that determines whether they make the purchase at all,” he says.
People
also buy based on the perceived benefits of what you have to offer. What
benefits are in your book that may spark a sale?
Of
course in order to sell anything, including a book, you need to identify if
there is a market for it. Who will buy your book? Where do they live or where do they exist
online? How will you reach them? Knowing
who your customers are and how to find them is an integral part to your success.
People
buy out of a need or a desire - to solve a problem or pursue a passion. They
look to use your book to achieve a goal, feel better, avoid pain, learn
something, provide a gift to someone or support their values. Figure out why
people buy your book and use that in your appeal to others. Sell to them what
they already have a taste for.
Everyone
will buy a book, if it saves them time, makes them money, achieves a gain or
averts a loss, makes them feel better or entertains them. But other books will
claim these things too, so why should they buy yours? Differentiate your offerings and highlight
your personality, your background of experiences, your unique views, and your
style of writing.
Craft
your unique selling proposition. “It
should be made clear in all of your promotional materials,” Tracy says. “It becomes the heart or core of all your
advertising and marketing efforts. It is the single message that you strive to
convey to your potential customers in every way possible.”
Of
course people will more likely buy your book if it is readily available, nicely
packaged, priced right, endorsed by people they respect, and appears to be a
good buy. But don’t assume your book is so great and special. Perform a SWOT
analysis. Determine what your book’s strengths and weaknesses are. Determine what threats or challenges – as
well as opportunities – exist in the marketplace and look to be on top of
things.
If
you could stand by a potential customer at the bookstore and do your best to
convince this person to buy your look, what would you say? Are offering a book that’s better, cheaper or
newer than others? Is it a greater value
than that of your competitors? Can you say one thing that would help them
believe in you to the point they look no further? What ever you would say, put
that on your website, social media and advertisements.
Above
all, Tracy believes you have to anticipate an ever-changing marketplace. What
worked yesterday may not today. Marketing a book in 2020 is different than in
1990, though certain key principles are still in effect. Strive to be
assertive, creative, opportunistic, and of service to those you seek to
impress. You may believe your book deserves more readers. Now go out and sell
it!
DON”T MISS THESE!!!
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Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative
opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone
and not that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him
on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels
much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by
BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2020. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in
Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and
IBPA’s Independent. This was named one of the best book
marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the
top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best
resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America.
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