If you have enough expertise to write 20 blog posts, you have what it takes to write a book. For consultants, coaches, and professional service providers, learning how to write a nonfiction book is one of the most powerful strategies you can use to get more clients.
You’re a smart, hard-working expert in your field. But without a clear differentiator, you risk being seen as just another skilled professional in a crowded market. A book changes that perception instantly. It elevates you from the pack and positions you as the definitive authority.
Writing a book to attract clients is not only achievable but is likely the single highest-return investment you can make in your business.
If you have questions, feel free to contact me.
The surprising truth about writing a book to get clients
Many aspiring authors get paralyzed by the fear that their book won’t be a literary masterpiece. Let me tell you a secret: it doesn’t have to be.
My first book was, frankly, an embarrassment to me. I created it from seminar notes, photocopied it, and had it bound at Staples. It was stupid looking (I thought) and I hated it.
But then I started using it for prospecting. I called on large firms that were previously out of my league and introduced myself as the author of this book. The results were staggering. That one, “stupid” book generated over $100,000 in training and consulting fees.
When I would ask these new, high-level clients why they hired me, they all said the same thing: “You wrote the book.”
Curious, I would press further: “What part of the book did you find most significant?”
Their response was almost always the same: “Um, well… I didn’t even actually read the book”. They explained that because I had written a book on the topic, they figured I knew what I was talking about and hired me. The book was the proof.
How a business book gives you an unfair advantage
Authoring a book is what I consider an “unfair marketing strategy”. It creates an uneven playing field where you gain an outsized advantage over competitors.
Here’s how it helps you get more customers and better projects:
- It creates instant authority and trust. A book is a tangible asset that separates the expert—the “cream of the crop”—from everyone else banging on the door. It builds credibility for you 24/7, even when you’re not in the room.
- It gives you access to a better class of prospects. You don’t just get more meetings; you get meetings with higher-quality clients who are less price-sensitive. A book makes you a viable option for accounts that were previously beyond your reach.
- It pre-sells your value before you ever talk to them. A significant portion of the sale is made before you ever make contact with a prospect. A book does the heavy lifting of building trust and demonstrating expertise, so your sales conversations start from a position of authority.
- It puts you directly in front of active buyers. When you write a business book and publish it on Amazon, you place yourself directly in the path of people actively searching for solutions. They are looking to buy, and your book makes you the obvious choice.
Surprisingly, many clients will hire you without reading your book. Most of my biggest clients did not read any of my books before hiring me. But they knew I had written books, often had them on their desks, and that knowledge, along with speaking to me, was often enough to make me the choice over other options.
You can write a nonfiction book for less time and money than you think
The revolution in self-publishing has made the process faster, easier, and dramatically cheaper. The key is to focus your resources on what truly matters.
Here is the most important piece of advice for a first-time author:
90% of your book’s sales success will come from the title and the cover.
If the title doesn’t clearly communicate the problem you solve and the cover doesn’t look professional, nothing else matters. If those are not right, there will not be a second step. Don’t overcomplicate it.
Your book is your ultimate client-attraction asset
To write a nonfiction book is a strategic business decision that will pay dividends for years.
It’s the tool that changed my own life, taking me from a regional grinder to being selected to train, consult or speak by three Fortune 20 companies. It’s the single best way I know to build authority, earn trust, and get clients who see you as the obvious solution.
The process is more straightforward and affordable than ever before.
Get started. Get your questions answered. Contact us. Review a self publishing assistance option here.