How to Succeed in Business with an Ebook

Every business seems to have an ebook these days. Why is that? Well, in the age of the internet, it is important to be able to offer your clients, or potential clients, something for free. That's right. The more free information you give out, the more likely you are to have clients actually pay you for more of the same. I don't know why this is. Something about human nature, something about priming the pump, something about people getting giddy with knowledge juice, I guess. You don't have to be a writer to do it. You hire a writer to ask you the right questions, organize your information, and make it all presentable. Judging from my own experience as a customer who appreciates free ebooks, I would say it is successful because when you draw someone into your profession by giving them a taste of just how complex your work is, just how much is involved in it, they will no longer want to do it themselves. They will realize how worthwhile it is to hire you to do it. I have seen this work with websites that give away information on: how to write a resume, how to SEO optimize your website, how to do inbound marketing, project ideas for teachers . . . It's endless.
At first, if they are diabolically minded, like me, they will think- Aha! I have the information! I can do it myself! Then, very soon they will realize that there is no way they have the time to learn all the information they need. I have written ebooks for several clients who are business consultants. They give away their success ideas for free. You may ask: if their aim is to get hired to conduct workshops and seminars about these strategies, why would they give them away for free? It seems counter-intuitive, but it isn't. The fact of the matter is that the more information you give away, the more people respect you as an expert, the more they believe that you have MORE to teach them. However, do not take this statement as a suggestion to make your ebook a teaser that only gives part of the information the reader needs, urging them to pay you for a consultation where you will get the rest. It's not like that. Your ebook should be an honest, straightforward nonfiction book about the information it says it will provide.
Here is how you reel people in: Let's say you are a business consultant who deals with time management, increasing productivity, creating SMART goals, improved management strategies, insightful hiring practices, and innovative customer service. You write your ebook on "time management," one component of what you do. People get it for free and they use the ideas. They are impressed. They want more. They like you and want you and your expertise to be a part of their life and business. They hire you to teach them the full spectrum of business-improvement ideas. It's as simple as that.