This article narrates the journey of a simple tips booklet, '110 Ideas for Organizing Your Business Life,' which sold over half a million copies and generated a quarter of a million dollars in revenue. The author, who was initially struggling financially, used the booklet as a marketing tool to revive their speaking and consulting business. The process not only revived their business but also led to the creation of a new one, all without spending a dime on advertising or PR. The booklet is now available in three languages, in various formats, and even as an audio tape program.
In August 1994, the author decided to go online and signed up with CompuServe, with the sole intention of marketing their business. Little did they know that this decision would open up a world of opportunities. They started exploring various forums, reading posts, and interacting with people online, and soon realized the potential for marketing their booklet.
On their third day online, the author connected with a man from Milan, Italy, who ran a marketing company. After learning about his client base, the author offered him a sample of their tips booklet. This led to a deal where the Italian marketer translated, edited, produced, and marketed the booklet in Italy. The first sale was 105,000 copies to a magazine, and the author received several thousand dollars in royalties. All communication and transactions were done online, proving the power of online connections.
The author is currently in talks with others to translate the booklet into more languages, all thanks to the connections made online. They have also used various online formats to market their booklet, including email, seminars, discussion boards, their own website, and online newsletters.
The author's online success mirrors their offline networking efforts. They developed a presence and relationships with decision makers in various online areas, leading to online seminar and conference bookings. They also used forums to seek suggestions for additional opportunities, leading to new connections and ideas.
Reading and responding to posts in forums, newsgroups, discussion boards, and other online platforms is like mining for gold. It allows for a soft sell of products and services while providing solutions to others' concerns. The author often subtly references their publications or services, which frequently leads to inquiries or direct sales.
Online newsletters are similar to hard-copy newsletters, but they are more willing to accept articles and have a faster decision-making process. They also often have a larger subscriber base. The author has found that one online newsletter often leads to more, creating a snowball effect.
Despite considering themselves technologically challenged, the author has achieved impressive results, including direct sales of their booklet, translations into two languages, speaking engagements around the world, consulting clients, media interviews, time and money savings in communications, writing assignments, and reseller relationships to distribute their products globally.
The author, who has never taken a business course and started with a primitive computer, is excited about the future possibilities. Their website, which has been evolving over the years, now includes an e-booklet catalog selling other people's booklets as fully automated downloads. They are eager to see what the future holds for their online booklet journey.
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