Become an Author – It’s Good for You and Your Clients
By Martin R. Baird

I have written two books on marketing for financial advisors and it recently dawned on me that there’s a lesson here for financial advisors and planners everywhere.
 
You should become an author. Even if you have to self-publish, becoming an author is a good thing for your marketing.
 
Writing a book is a great way to position yourself as an expert. It’s also a great way to generate recognition. I know you’re thinking that you’re too busy to write a book. I can relate to that because I’m too busy as well. I really didn’t have the time to write either of my books.
 
But the opportunities created by writing a book far outweigh the pain of the process. Once you have finished your book and it rolls off the presses, you are an author and that gives you some amazing power.
 
As an author, organizations want you to speak to their members. Businesses are honored to have you speak to their employees because you’ve written a book. The media is more open to talking to you. These are just a few of the wonderful doors that open when you write a book.
 
A book also gives you the opportunity to help more people. It would be impossible for me to personally reach out to all the people who have read my books. I could not physically share with them all the information that I put into my books. Writing a book is a great way for you to share your ideas and views. Maybe some people can’t afford your fees today, but they can afford $15.95 for your book.
A book also works as a lead-generation tool. After people read your book, they will want to know more about what you have to say and how you can help them. I’m always amazed at the number of people who read my books and then call and ask if I will work with them one on one.
 
Writing a book can be a painful process. But here are a couple of ways to make the experience easier.
One is to record your seminars and have it transcribed. If you do a series of three seminars on a particular topic, that could be a great start for your book. After you have the seminars recorded and transcribed, add a list of the most common questions you get and your answers. When all that’s done, you could be well on your way to having your first book.
 
Another way to make book writing easier is to look at material you have already written. Could you take the contents of your last two years of client newsletters and put it into book format?
 
One last point on books. Get a good editor! A good editor is worth their weight in gold.
 
Many of you have the makings of a great book inside you. Now all you need to do is let it out and put it on paper so the world can learn from your expertise. If you have information that will help others realize the financial future of their dreams, make it a goal to put your ideas down on paper. The people you help will be glad you did.


Martin R. Baird is chief executive officer of Robinson & Associates, Inc., a consulting company that helps financial professionals measure and manage the quality of client service and improvements to their internal operations to enhance business performance and increase revenues. He is a highly regarded speaker in the areas of marketing and client retention and development. Baird is author of “The 7 Deadly Sins of Advisor Marketing” and “Guaranteed Results.” He may be reached at 206-774-8856 or mbaird@raresults.com.