Everybody’s got a book for their business. But why?

Not only are they great for when you think your bag isn’t already heavy enough, or when you need to fill empty space on an event table. Not only are books great for stacking up to reach the cookie jar . . .

Books are great for getting people acclimated to the program they just enrolled in, or are about to enroll in. They are great for reaching a bigger audience, impacting more people, and turning skeptics into buyers. They are also great for preventing you from repeating yourself and offering someone a reference so they always know where to find that info.

Let me show you what I mean:

Industry: Coaching, Health & Wellness, Business, Real Estate, Long-Term Design

You may want to write a book for—

• Clients to explain a simple process they need before you work together
• Clients as an overview and reference for your process and work together
• Clients so they understand how to get results faster and can refer back later

For this type of book, the writer wants to eliminate the repetitive part of the process. This is an easy way to help the person you’re working with without you being there. They can get the info to make their relationship with you work smoother because they know the background, what to expect, or how to speed up the process. The key here is that your time is incredibly valuable, so if you can give them a reference to get them up to speed without you being there, you’re golden.

Industry: Business, CEO or Team Leader, MLM (like selling jewelry or wellness products)

You may want to write a book for—

• Your MLM team so they know how to sell, grow, thrive (include the “secret sauce” you use!)
• Your business team so they understand company culture and procedures

This is a situation where you are leading a team either in one sector or the entire business. It’s helpful for people who are new to the company or your team to understand the underpinnings of your group. What are some of the most important parts of working under you that make your group unique when dealing with clients or getting things done in general? If you’re with an MLM, you may have certain recipes, exercises, or methods that you use that get results, and you want to share them with your team. Or in a business, you may have certain guidelines that are just used by your team. The ideas are endless!

The trick here is that, if you don’t write it down, it might get lost. I worked at Dairy Queen during college. When I first learned how to be the opener, I was SHOWN a group of tasks that I needed to accomplish: refill anything that was missed the night before, sweep up cigarette butts from the parking lot, flip the chairs off the tables in the dining room, etc. There was a list for the night staff, too. Sometimes, I would spot things that they haven’t done. They “forgot.” That made me realize, if it’s not written down, then who’s really keeping track of the tasks?

A book would be incredibly helpful for this!

Industry: Really anything!

You may want to write a book for—

• Potential clients so they understand your teachings and want more
• People who aren’t ready to work with you till they reach the next level of their business
• The tire-kickers, those people who want to DIY everything, hanging out at the fringes and grabbing up the free goodies

Let’s just be honest: not everyone is jumping up and down waving money at you. And that’s ok. This is where your book comes in. Offer a book to warm up an audience. It’s a low-end buy—usually $6-$20, with a digital version running $0.99-$15.99. Most people are willing to pay less than $20 for great info from an expert. AND this is something that they can pass on to their friends if they think it’s quality, so it has legs.

Some people will never be willing to buy from you, either because they want to do it all themselves or because they aren’t at that point financially in their business. A book is a great tool for them, too, because it gives just enough information that they probably could do it themselves. BUT, they would have to pay you for a program where you could apply your techniques to their specific situation.

In short, there are loads of reasons to write a book. Look at what you really want to get out of it. What can be made easier, faster, shorter for you? How can you make your relationships more effective? Your time is valuable, get the most out of your time by writing a book!