Marketing Advice for Small Business Owners

On this blog, I focus on three things: 1) building a great career, 2) leading people, and 3) running a small business.  Recently, I came across a copy of a great book by Francine Silverman entitled Book Marketing from A – Z.  I’m discussing it on this blog because it is more than a book about how to sell your book, it is a book filled with great marketing advice and wisdom.  And all small business owners need to do an effective job of marketing and selling…

Book Marketing from A – Z presents tips from published authors – some famous and some not so famous – arranged in alphabetical order.  Here’s a few examples.  A: Advertising; B: Branding yourself and book; C: Contests and Competitions, holding them and entering them; H: Holidays; N: Newsletters; P: Press Kits; S: Speaking Engagements; T: Targeting your audience; Z: Zero Promotion.

The advice presented here may focus on selling books, but it is solid advice for anyone who is interested in selling more goods and services.  All of the topics mentioned above are relevant to any small business owner.  For example, small business owners need both an advertising and Public Relations strategy to promote themselves and their business.  Book Marketing from A – Z provides real world advice on how to craft an advertising plan, and for pitching the media. 

Here’s a specific example.  This one related to “S” advice: Speaking Engagements 

• “Get comfortable speaking in public”, urges cookbook author David Lebovitz…“You can take public speaking courses, but I found Speaking Circles to be excellent with learning silly techniques.  Speaking Circles are about honest communication, finding your own voice, and connecting with an audience.”

I had never heard of Speaking Circles until I read this tip.  As it turns out, Speaking Circles is pretty cool.  It’s a company run by Lee Glickstein, author of Be Heard Now.  Lee and his colleagues help speakers develop their ability to connect and build a relationship with their audiences.

Almost any business owner can benefit from speaking to groups about the goods and services offered by his or her company.  In the chapter on speaking engagements, in addition to the advice on speaking from David Lebovitz, Ms. Silverman offers advice form Bobbi de Cordova-Hanks, a woman who runs a Bosom Buddies, a breast cancer support and education association; Donna Lancaster, who sells books about her life story – she was born without hip joints, knees or lower legs; Marilyn Meredith, a mystery and horror book author; Larry Hehn, a motivational speaker; and several other people who have learned how to use presentations and speaking engagements to sell more of what they have to sell.

I really liked Book Marketing from A – Z.  I have already put to use many of the ideas.  I particularly like the fact that the ideas presented in the book are real ideas that real people used to promote themselves and their products and achieve real results. 

Book Marketing from A – Z is a book that I recommend to all small business owners.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for reading.  Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense advice on starting and running a small business.

I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud

PS:  In case you missed it I am holding a virtual Alex’s Lemonade Stand.  I am offering a signed copy of my book 4 Secrets of High Performing Organizations ($14.95 cover price) to anyone who makes a donation of at least $10.00.  I will send signed copies of the library of the six business books I’ve written to anyone who donates $50.00 or more.

I would really welcome your support.  This is an especially important issue for me, as I am a cancer survivor myself.

Please take a moment to visit my online fundraising page and make a donation. It's really easy - you can donate by credit card and receive a record of your donation.  Here’s my page:

http://www.firstgiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy

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Comments

[Melonie K. Murray (SmallBizMentor.com)]

This sounds like an amazing read, Bud. I'm putting it on my library list for next week! Can't wait to get a copy in hand.
I've also linked to your virtual lemonade stand and mentioned the "cookies" you're offering to go along with the lemonade. Hope it's of service!