Posts Tagged ‘books’
Tuesday, November 8th, 2011
Just returned from the Women’s Leadership Board meeting at Harvard last week. Learned a lot from fabulous research on a variety of topics. One of my favorite presentations was on how top performers fare in new environments. Harvard Business School associate professor, Boris Groysberg, burst a lot of bubbles with this primary research into what really happens when companies hire super stars to save them. Among his findings:
- In the 21st century, many more companies will hire from outsiders rather than develop from within. Conventional wisdom from the C-suite: our current team can’t deal with upcoming changes or we wouldn’t be in this situation now. Their expectation: super stars will hit the ground running and create instant results.
- The reality: results from a vast majority of top performers tank within the first year. While performance gradually improves, these stars only rise to average levels after five years.
- Top performers who are hired to rescue struggling companies experience the biggest dip in performance.
- Stars who move to another company with their colleagues fare better; those who move alone or to launch a new venture do not experience the same success.
The upshot: the biggest factor impacting performance was not the selection of outside super stars, but how well they integrated into the company’s culture. This goes far beyond on-boarding; I see a lot of opportunity here for experts beyond the typical OD types. Check out Boris’ book, Chasing Stars: The Myth of Talent and the Portability of Performance and see for yourself.
Tags: books, consultants, experts, positioning, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Tuesday, May 10th, 2011
I dread giving bad news. Always flit between the “stay out of other people’s business” and the “but I can avoid future train wrecks” arguments. But when Dan Janal asked me about the biggest mistakes speakers make, I just let loose. Later, he told me, “that’s some pretty bitter medicine you just gave”.
What I said in a nutshell: too many speakers write books for all the wrong reasons. The result: books that brand good people as “hire me — I’m free and always will be”. Now that’s okay if you’re a consultant looking for clients. Too many folks depend on books to get paid speaking. And it’s only after they’ve spent months (and major money) on producing and promoting the book when reality hits: no new revenue is forthcoming.
Here’s the antidote: strategy first, then start writing. Look around your space and ask yourself: where’s the hole in the market? What angle is not being covered? And the big kahuna question: what new perspective can I add to this conversation? These answers will make sure your book will get you those paid gigs.
The rest of the interview was enlightening, too. Click here to give a listen.
Tags: authors, books, branding, experts, Marketing, positioning, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Tuesday, April 26th, 2011
Red alert: Kindle ebooks market is about to get a whole lot more crowded. And not with the good stuff. Somebody got the bright idea to compile information already in the public domain and sell it as a 99 cent ebook on Kindle. There are even learning systems out there (one for a whopping $27) to tell you step-by-step how to flood the market with these crappy Kindle books. The business model: the more stuff you throw at the Kindle wall, the more you can nickel-and-dime your way to success. I don’t know whether to laugh or get mad.
Ordinarily, I would ignore these shenanigans but want to give you a heads up. Why do you care? Two reasons: first, will the volume of 99 cent books drive down the price? And, if so, how low can legitimate experts go? And, second…buyers tend to paint with a very wide brush. If spam books take over a particular segment — business growth, for example — will legitimate content be seen as the same thing at first glance? It will be interesting to see how Amazon deals with these content farmers.
Bottom line: spammers tend to bring the channel down with them (Exhibit A: email marketing). So we will have to work even harder on branding and promotion.
Tags: authors, books, branding, Marketing, promotion, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Thursday, February 3rd, 2011
You’ve heard the conventional wisdom: lists are harder to build, joint ventures aren’t as easy as they used to be. So how did Linda Finkle, author of Finding The Fork in the Road, promote her book launch to almost 1 million — yes million — emails? No, she’s not a rock star (yet). Most of the partners she gathered didn’t know her at all. The answer lies in three words: the personal touch.
The back-story: Linda sent hundreds of personal emails to people she didn’t know and who didn’t know her. It was tedious. It was time-consuming — as in 40-50 hours per week for two months. She was so tired she became giddy (you’ve been there).
The results shocked her: not only did these strangers sign up but — get this — over 100 people agreed to tweet and blog about her book. And offers to distribute her perspective on other blogs — some with 200,000 hits per month — also poured in. People came up with ways to help her that she never even thought of. Bottom line: the opportunities from the book launch has already made the book worth her time and money.
The moral of the story is two-fold: 1) writing a book isn’t enough. You have to be willing to do the tedious, in-the-trenches marketing tactics; and, 2) the bar is set low enough now that the personal touch is now considered premium.
Tags: books, conversations, education, Vickie Sullivan
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Thursday, August 19th, 2010
Here’s another deadly mistake experts make when they pitch a speech: they assume that being an author is enough to get the gig. I can understand why: after all, you’ve spent almost a year writing and promoting the dang thing. It’s time to get out there.
The reality: a book might get you in the first round of consideration if the overall approach is relevant. But in the midst of many options, buyers will go for the topic that not only addresses a hot trend or challenge but also hints at a unique approach. It is the latter — the approach — that gives an expert the inside edge.
Yes, I rant more about this topic via video — here’s the link again. And if you want my best ideas on how to create that topic, join me for Tuesday’s Extreme Mini Makeover call. Yes, you have to purchase the entire series — but the price point is low enough that if you get the help you need from just one call, it’s worth the investment.
Tags: authors, books, branding, experts, Extreme Mini Makeovers, Marketing, positioning, promotion, speakers, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Thursday, June 24th, 2010
Great call the other day on books that brand. What I didn’t get the chance to discuss was the role of the publisher’s speaker bureaus. Let’s drill down on this important issue.
First, a little context: to broaden readership for their authors, publishers have established speaker bureaus to book speeches for their authors. A relatively new trend, the bureaus sprang up around 2006; a couple (such as Macmillan) launched last year.
Many authors think that the speaker bureaus will go out and get them speaking engagements. The reality: nope, the in-house folks are just answering the phone. When it rings. For you specifically. Why? Because they don’t know how to promote speakers and don’t have the database that the established bureaus have.
Another problem with the in-house bureaus: they focus on exposure, so they’ll lower your fee at the drop of a hat. This practice doesn’t make friends and influence people at the bureaus that represented you before the book came out. Be prepared for the ensuing cat fights. And, yes, you are the referee.
Before you sign that contract, ask the publisher about their bureau. Is it outsourced or in-house? What’s the policy on fees? How proactive will they be? To paraphrase an old saying, an ounce of clarity is worth a pound of assumptions.
Tags: authors, books, Extreme Mini Makeovers, Marketing, publishing, speakers, speakers bureaus, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
Posted in Marketing, Speaking, strategy | 1 Comment »
Thursday, June 17th, 2010
The most frequently asked question I get from authors: now that my book is out, how do I get more revenue? Everyone knows that books don’t pay — the money comes from the better opportunities, the cooler clients that call, the invitations to speak.
My answer: it’s all about strategy. Yes, publicity from books creates prominence. But not all prominence is created equal. The dirty little secret we don’t talk about is that there are two kinds of prominence: 1) the kind that creates mostly promotional opportunities — such as those dreaded free speeches — but not revenue. That gets old really fast. And, 2) prominence that generates revenue — as in paid speeches and paying clients. Usually the reason why folks write books in the first place.
There are three ways to position your book to create the revenue authors look for. I’m drilling down on each one on Tuesday’s Extreme Mini Makeover call on positioning your book. This call alone will be worth the price of the entire series. Click here to register.
Tags: authors, books, Extreme Mini Makeovers, promotion, speakers, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Tuesday, June 15th, 2010
I’ve heard a lot of crazy things because of the economy, but this takes the cake. I’m hearing a lot of folks are writing a book right now. When I ask why, here’s the number one answer: well, business has been slow so why not? This answer has spawned a rant not to be missed – click here to see the video.
Let’s get real: this kind of delusional thinking takes over when a business is in trouble — that big client suddenly goes away, referrals dry up, a more prominent competitor invades your space. It’s easy to rationalize, “Hey, instead of figuring out how to get more business, I think I’ll go write a book.” It’s easier to focus on a book than it is your business strategy. Why? Because we feel vulnerable when we don’t know what to do when the game changes. What used to work doesn’t anymore and we’ve got to do something NOW to fix it. The book becomes our security blanket. Writing that book makes us feel in control. By golly, this book will jumpstart my business. And while writing that book, we don’t have to do tough stuff like get out into the marketplace and compete. It’s a great way to hide, to stick our head into the sand. And again, there’s plenty of people urging us to write that manuscript. For a price.
The hard truth: the best motivation for writing a book is market-driven. So before the book train leaves the station, let’s step back and take a hard look at our motivations. Ask yourself: what trends are converging that will make this book create more clients or more speaking?
This recovering economy has created trends that will make some books soar – and some sink. I’m unveiling my latest analysis on those market dynamics at the next Extreme Mini Makeover call on June 22nd. Click here to join in the fun.
Tags: books, branding, experts, Extreme Mini Makeovers, Marketing, positioning, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
Heads up: There’s a trend emerging that can either be your worst nightmare or an opportunity for paradigm shift. I’m calling it the “free for all” syndrome and you better pay attention to it. Trust me, this is not going away when the economy rebounds.
As experts, we all know that giving away free content is just good business. And most of us noticed that the bar keeps rising. What’s happening now: the market now demands free stuff. As in, stuff that is usually purchased, not any of that pep talk with a pitch programs that are bandied about. Don’t give it up and you’ll either be ignored or bashed.
Think I’m joking? Exhibit A: Meeting Professionals International (MPI) got major grief for having the audacity to charge for virtual attendance to their World Education Congress 2009. There was a very loud contingent who felt that all that content — videos of all the presentations, handouts, all of it — should be free. These folks raised enough Cain that MPI actually had to go on the defensive on this. Can you imagine — demanding that you get for free what the attendees paid to get? Wow.
So here’s how I’m jumping on the bandwagon. Last month, I dd a Here’s the Deal call on writing that best-selling book. Folks loved it. Click here to get a free eight-minute preview where I give my best four book angles that will launch your brand. Yep, that’s right. It’s free. Just download and enjoy.
Tags: books, branding, Here's the Deal, Marketing, opportunity, shift, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Thursday, July 16th, 2009
Had a total blast on Tuesday’s call. As an avid reader, I love books. As an advocate experts, I want authors to get the value of all their hard work. But it’s just plain crazy in the publishing world. And let’s face it: publishers and agents want to sell books. They don’t care one bit about your platform or if you leverage all your time and money. To their defense, they aren’t suppososed to care. Let’s get real: that’s your job.
One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen authors make: they forget who is in charge of their platform. They are so thrilled that a publisher wants their book, they throw strategy out of the window. They’ll do anything the publisher wants; won’t even try to suggest a better idea. The result: a book that sounds great, even gets some sales, but doesn’t translate into better opportunities for any other revenue stream. Like speaking or consulting. I call this having fame without fortune. Nothing good comes from this.
Here’s the secret: publishers want to sell books. Platforms sell books. Keeping the publisher happy and supporting your platform are not mutually exclusive. You have a voice here. Use it. If you want to hear about the other mistakes authors make, reality checks on what books can really do for your business and other good stuff, the mp3 of Tuesday’s call is now available. Click here to purchase.
Tags: agents, authors, books, experts, Here's the Deal, Marketing, publishers, publishing, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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