Stand out from your Competitors… without it feeling hard or overwhelming

Does the pandemic make you ask these questions to yourself:

• How am I going to stand out?
• How am I going to be different from everyone else?
• How am I going to be an expert

Yes, it’s a crazy time. Here, I will share with you how you can come out of this time even stronger, even better, and ahead of other people or your competitors.

Now, I have to tell you: you actually have ZERO competitors. You have no one that is going to be against you because you're unique. You are YOU. But are you capitalizing on this?

Times have changed. Have you advanced at this time? Have you changed? Are you leveling up? Are you standing out from the crowd without it feeling overwhelming? That's the key thing:  without it feeling overwhelming or feeling hard because I really don't want that for you. You can stand out from your competitors and have it feel easy. Keep reading...

What you can do

I’m going to share the actions I took to gain expertise, to stand out from my competitors or just other people that are in my industry, and to increase my opportunities.
With how things are right now, a lot of people haven’t been able to do business as they normally would: you can’t touch people or bring people together. But now is an opportunity to come out of this stronger and wiser.

Choose to do something that is going to help you move ahead. ​

Instead of Business Cards ​

People use business cards to connect or network with other people. If you don’t have business cards, you’re probably adding other people’s information into your phone or adding each other on social media. The thing is, it’s the same as everybody else! You're doing the same as everyone else. But what are they going to do with that information now? ​

Yes, business cards can sit around and can sit on people's desks, but it's not sitting around in a way that's like, “Oh my gosh, I'm so excited. I have this business card from this person.” That's not what they're thinking.

Instead of handing a business card, what if you hand them something that will really help you stand out and position you as an expert? That will really show you as the real deal and that will live on? 

Stand Out by Giving a Book

When you meet someone who you want to connect deeper with, you can pull out a book from your bag and say, “Well, I’d love to gift this book to you and you can learn more about <topic you wrote about> with this book.” They will also learn more about you.

And if you don’t have your own book published you can contribute to a book, (like the books in the Dynamic Women® Secrets Series) then you’d say, “I’d love to gift this book to you and you can learn more about <topic you wrote about> and with this book. I’m a collaborative author. I’m on page 130.” ​

Not everyone gives out a book! And not only will they feel happy to receive a gift and get to know your topic, they will also get to know you!

This will help you:

• Stand out!
  
• Position you as an expert! Because experts have books.
  
• Show that you’re the real deal!
  

There are a lot of things you can do with a book: 

A book is like a bigger business card.

When you're in a collaborative book, you can take your business card and you can use it as a page marker in the part of the collaborative book that you're in. So it's marked in there where you are in the book.

Autograph the page where you’re in.

You can hand them the book AND autograph the page where you’re in so that they remember that it's you. Also, if you autograph that page of the book or even the inside page, they’re not going to rip that page, right? You can even put their name on it and write a personal message to them that acknowledges them, so they will more likely to keep it. ​

Share your information.

In a collaborative book, your bio and contact information are there. People can easily know your information that you shared about yourself. 
When a person hands out a book in an event, you get to read it when you’re not busy. You’re instantly reading something from the person that you met and you’re starting to build that relationship. 

The book will remind them of you.

After they read the book, it’ll be sitting around. They’ll be thinking of you every time they see it.

People will pass it on.

​How many times have you thrown a business card? Once you get the information, you throw it away, right? But how many times have you thrown away a book? What do you do with books? You at least pass it on to someone else or donate it, which continues the ability for the person to get to know people. (I actually got a client from someone who picked up my 1st book Dynamic You at a second hand shop.)

Cost vs Benefit 

You might be thinking, “Well, Diane, a business card costs pennies. A book costs more!” If you’re an author in a book, I hope you're getting wholesale copy pricing. That brings the price down. 

Also, what is the cost of a lead for you?

Let’s compare... If you were to give out 100 business cards but get zero leads and if you were to hand out one book and you got a strong lead. Which one is a better option for you? Which one has a better ROI?​

Maybe the book costs you $5, $10, or $20 depending on the design. Still, isn’t a $20 lead worth it if you make $1000? Even if the profit from that client is only $20 a month for six months even, wouldn’t that still be worth it? Yes! 

If you knew that you could hand something that was $10 and then receive $20 every single month for the next year, would you do it? I hope so. When I hand someone a book, and they're interested in having me speak because I'm a professional speaker, that could be a $5000-$10,000 payday depending on what it is.

Then after they hire me to speak they already know I have a book (and they might have even read it), so there’s an opportunity for them to buy books for all their attendees/audience members. 

Being in a Collaborative Book

In the collaborative books that I have published “Dynamic Women® Success Secrets” and “Dynamic Women® Confidence Secrets,” 50+ thought leaders, experts, and dynamic women shared their stories and secrets on success and confidence. 

It allowed them to level up without it feeling harder or overwhelming. When I have a speaking engagement, I get to share about them because I know more about them now and their stories and bios are in the book I have with me. For instance, I always mention Kathy Fester of SendOutCards who speaks on gratitude, she’s a collaborative author in both books. Karen Kobel of Kahlena movement is also in one of the books. Another is Nicole Doumont of Elite Fitness Team, who is also in both books!

Being in a collaborative book allows you to change in a positive way and stand up as an expert. It’s not overwhelming because you only write a piece in the book - your best message or your best set of secrets. In doing that, you are going to have your one solid message be reaching more people. That’s all you need to do. My team and I do the rest. We edit it, format it, and layout the book. We set up everything including the social media posts and the copy you need for your emails. I also do a group coaching session with strategy to help you write your piece and give a bunch of bonuses!

Times have completely changed. Being in a collaborative book, you can add “published author” to your bio. You will be able to come out and stand apart from your competitors. ​

When you emerge from this, how will you be better? How will you be more than you were before? I’m not saying you have to change. You're amazing. But what are you going to do to set yourself apart? And if that for you is working on your mental health at this time, bonding more with your kids, or taking care of yourself more, great! That's going to help you in your business too. BUT, is that going to help you stand out? Well, that depends. It's not guaranteed, right?

It now all depends on what you implement. 3...2...1...GO!

Diane

P.S. If you want to be in our next book or at least learn more about this opportunity, http://www.dianerolston.com/be-an-author.html or you can send me a DM or email me at [email protected].

Check other related blogs and videos here: 
1. Overwhelmed with Overwhelm
2. Sideswiped by Change
3. You Don't Need to Feel Busy! (I unveil my secrets)