Thursday’s profit tip for authors

On tonight’s Guerrilla Marketing Association teleseminar interview, which I host Wednesday evenings, marketing coach and book marketing strategist Warren Whitlock shared an easy way to get around the gatekeepers who may be keeping you from getting through to your dream prospect. Warren’s idea is simplicity itself; it’s a perfect complement to the low cost/high-effectiveness marketing ideas that Jay Conrad Levinson has always advocated in his Guerrilla Marketing books.

To get noticed by the “protected prospect,” send them a book from Amazon.com. Choose a title, of course, that is appropriate to the product or service you want the prospect to associate with you. It’s even better, of course, if the book you’re sending is your own book!

When you specify ordering instructions, de-select the “gift wrap” option, but instruct Amazon to enclose a personalized gift card. You can add up to 10 lines of text on the gift card. This is more than enough space to introduce yourself and provide a website address–ideally, landing-page customized for that client.

Put your prospect’s new business proposal on a
landing page announced in the gift card
accompanying the book you send to your prospect

As Warren said, gatekeepers will typically pass along, unopened, boxes from Amazon. More important, again quoting Warren, “No one can resist opening a box from Amazon.com!”

Obviously, you’re not going to want to send a book to everyone on your prospect list, but when the stakes are high enough, and your mail, phone messages, or e-mailed messages are not getting through, this might be the perfect approach to take to deliver a high-stakes proposal.