Your Expert Position – Part 2
I hope you started working on identifying the best topics for your expert how-to book.
Just in case you didn’t start yet (or you missed it today)… CLICK HERE to do it NOW.
Remember – this week’s assignment is answering a different question in the process – each day.
- Did you give the process a try?
- Do you have any question about the process?
- Did you get stuck anywhere?
This is your opportunity to ask any question related to this week’s implementation assignment – to make sure you get the maximum out of it.
It’s also a golden chance to help someone else – by reading their question in the comments below – and offering them an answer, an idea, an encouragement…
If you have any question regarding this week’s implementation assignment or you need some support – let me know in the comment box below, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
If you can offer an answer or support to anyone – please reply to their comment below.
Top Commenters – last 30 Days
Your Expert Position – Part 2
I hope you started working on identifying the best topics for your expert how-to book.
Just in case you didn’t start yet (or you missed it today)… CLICK HERE to do it NOW.
Remember – this week’s assignment is answering a different question in the process – each day.
- Did you give the process a try?
- Do you have any question about the process?
- Did you get stuck anywhere?
This is your opportunity to ask any question related to this week’s implementation assignment – to make sure you get the maximum out of it.
It’s also a golden chance to help someone else – by reading their question in the comments below – and offering them an answer, an idea, an encouragement…
If you have any question regarding this week’s implementation assignment or you need some support – let me know in the comment box below, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
If you can offer an answer or support to anyone – please reply to their comment below.
I am looking forward to celebrate your progress and results on Friday (I’m curious to hear what solution you’ll come up with).
Until then…
Live fully, stay awesome,
Nisandeh
181 comments
Nisandeh, how did you know that yout book Leef lekker was the book you had to create? Did you experience a deep longing or something? Can you share with us how it happened, apart from the kick in your ass Roy gave you?
I think I am able to create a book, but how do I know if this is IT for me. So that I feel enough passion to create THE book?
Hmm a buddy might have to convince me at some point.....
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I had no idea if this IS the book, and it wasn’t a big deal…
I knew that I need to put in 25-50 hours of work to make the book happen (I already knew the writing system and I had published books before), so it was just a matter of taking a week off and a topic I knew what I’m talking about…
I knew I needed to establish my expertise, so I took my most popular workshop (a six-week Manifesting workshop) which I taught for a few years then, and made it into a book.
Roy didn’t give me the kick in the ass to write the book… just to finish the last few pages and get it published.
I hope I actually answered your question…
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Thaks for your answer Nisandeh. It pushes the right button in me:
Learning by doing, getting into action, stop thinking all these what ifs..... just like with the cold shower I took this morning: just do it, get into the cold water and feel the positive energy results pop up afterwards during the day!!!
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Question 3
The publisher thinks that the book will sell at least 2000 copies. In a way it makes me happy to think that these numbers could be possible- Would you have a (marketing) strategy to make this 5 fold? And to start selling the book now already?
The idea generator:
-start speaking
-we gave a the book as a present with the "card/chart set"
-buy a 1000 myself
-go door to door
-get an interview in a magazine
-start polling/ blogging about the book
-create an event
-ask some clients to read arts to get comments
-include interviews in the book, to get attention and exposure
But it feels I am thinking in the wrong direction...
Thank you!
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Personally, I don’t think that books need to be sold…
They are business tools, like a fancy brochure that people actually appreciate, that build your expert position.
Your publisher’s business model is making a little money over every book sold, so for them it’s interesting to sell as many books as possible.
Your business model should be (in my opinion) completely different…
Even if you sell 10,000 books - with royalties of €1-€2 per book - we’re talking about €10,000-€20,000 income for tons of work…
10 books in the right hands can probably make you more money than that…
I mean, I’m happy to brainstorm with you more ways to achieve the goal of selling 10,000 books - but if it’s gonna cost you losing focus on what’s important and why you wrote your book in the first place, I think that’s gonna be counterproductive…
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Hey Nisandeh,
Thank you for replying. I didn't mean to sell books as a business model, I don't expect to earn so much from them.
It is more to be able to say: so many sold. Maybe it is just an ego-thing..:D
Maybe my question is then more: how to get them in the right hands. Maybe that is for next weeks Q&A?
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That’s a better question, indeed, Bas…
Here’s my suggestion…
Spend some time coming with as many ideas now to get the books in the right hands.
Post your list of ideas here, with your top 3 favorites.
I’ll be happy to look over your list any top 3 choices and comment on it, or add if you forgot anything important…
412 comments
Thanks for this clear and spot on explanation, Nisandeh
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Question 2
What is absolutely essential to take into consideration regarding the book in your opinion. As in- the WOMB gives me so much to think about, it gets confusing sometimes regarding the book. And to finish, I have to make choices/ not let me get confused too much. But I also don't want to forget something essential that messes up the book and its purpose...
Do you get what I mean?
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Not really, Bas…
If you can make your question a bit clearer, I’ll be happy to help you.
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I meant. I am structuring the book now in a certain way.
And choosing topics.
I was wondering if you have a certain structure or topics I should apply.
From this mornings workshop, I am going to focus completely on the frustrations of clients.
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If you’ll go over the Write Your Book course in the Business University, I give a very simple system to make sure you cover ALL the basics of a book.
Chapter 2 of the course covers the technology, which will be the main “meat” of your book.
In my Elements of Success book, for example, my technology takes the 6 most important chapters.
Chapter 3 of the course describes how to create the blueprint, and in your case the TOC, and I suggest there to go over the 10 top bestselling books (on Amazon.com not Bol.com) research their TOCs and find out the topics that keep repeating in most books… those chapters need to be in your book too.
Chapter 5 of the course describe how to do the research for the material you’re missing, and most important WHEN to do the research…
Describing those 3 chapters is too much for here…
But it will just take you a few hours to watch over the weekend…
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Hi Nisandeh,
I am in the middle of writing a book.
I am benefitting tremendously from the advices you gave in the last couple of weeks.
Focussing more on what than how; 1 purpose for every part, chapter, alinea, assignment; 1 page with the 10 commandments...
so thank you already for that. (I am however re-reading...but- not falling in the trap of changing everything;-))
And I try to write how you describe using a structure and just 'fill in'.
I will/am incorporate/ing the main questions asked by clients.
Question 1:
How to create a nice/ simple/ valuable assignment structure that at the one side make the reader learn and on the other hand see 'my proces'?
Would a simple: "what will you take from this chapter"- do?
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I love giving assignments…
I think at the end of every chapter in almost all my books there’s an assignment for the reader.
The challenge is, that no one is actually doing them…
So, if I were you, today I would probably send them to do the assignment online (on your website) with a reward for completing it.
But if you want to keep it simple, sure your idea can work…
Or just call it, “Implementation Assignment”
323 comments
Love that idea! thank you!
329 comments
Hi Nisandeh,
After doing this week's assignment, I decided that publishing my first book is the strategy I want to go for to build my expert position. Why? Because I clearly see the power it has in positioning one as an expert, because I am starting a business from zero and because I can make time around my motherhood to write.
You mentioned to Sin that you will share with us your Magic System about how to write on September 29... (can't wait)
Questions
1. What/how can I prepare in the meantime? I want to be ready to implement directly everything you teach us then.
2. I am having trouble choosing a specific topic since I do not have (yet) an ideal client base to ask. How can I choose the topics that make the best chances to become bestsellers? (other than looking at Amazon?)
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For question Nr. 2 I Just asked myself: “Why do I want my book to become a best-sneller?” I actually don’t. The main purposes for me publishing a book are:
1. Position me as The Expert in my field
2. Having the greatest Business Card ever
3. Get me great business opportunities/ deals
So I rephrase the question:
How can I choose the topic that best helps me achieve these goals/purposes?
Trying to answer the question myself, it comes to mind that I should choose the topic that solves the biggest pain and delivers the most value.
How would Nisandeh choose the topic in this case?
Many thanks in advance for your reply,
718 comments
Totally agree.
Except that I never pretended that I KNOW what is the biggest pain and what delivers the most value.
I hate to assume… (because I’m too often wrong. All those who assume are.)
That’s why I like to ask, ask, ask…
I suggested my favorite method to ask your target audience (Survey Marketing) in my respond to your original question… but feel free to find other ways… Amazon bestsellers is not a bad one, interviewing other experts can give you lots of insight, looking for popular articles (repeated themes) in magazines, very active discussions in social media groups and forums…
The possibilities are endless… just pick one (or more) and go for it.
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Thank you for always showering us with endless possibilities. Amazing feeling when the horizon suddenly expands!
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Good questions, Maru…
And good choice to be there on the 29th of September.
To answer your questions…
1. The workshop on the 29th of September will teach you to write a SPECIFIC type of book.
One that builds your expertise by answering the most common questions your target audience keep struggling with.
Think of “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” but for your target audience.
I’ll teach you how to find out exactly what questions they have without having to talk or interview a single person.
And I’ll teach you how to answer those questions delivering the best value to them, and the most expert position to you, in the minimum amount of time and effort.
It’s quite a cool system, but it fits for that specific type of book.
So, the only thing you want to be prepared with is the topic of your book.
2. You don’t need to have a base of ideal clients to ask.
My preference is the opposite.
Find out where your target audience hangout online (social media groups, discussion forums, etc…) and entice them to answer 1-3 questions to help you identify the topic of your next book.
Then promise them a free copy of the book as soon as it’s ready (you can always send them the kindle version for no cost to you).
This gives you an instant mailing list, that is involved, engaged, and eager to read the book.
Keep them hot during the writing process, by asking for feedback on specific sections/chapters, and you,l probably have many of them happy to pay for your expertise in other forms…
I did that before - both for books and workshops and it works like magic.
I invented a term for that strategy “survey marketing” and it’s one of my all-time favorites.
I hope that helps…
329 comments
Thank you so much Nisandeh! This certainly inspires and helps!
139 comments
Great! I am so looking forward to it 🤩
366 comments
So, next up is to make a poll and let clients know our short list?
Or are we supposed to be strategic about topics? Like related to expert topic, funnel material,...?
Do I Use the feedback from previous weeks? Or do I select the 5 I most like to write about?
Do we ask "what other topic"?
How to write it - is that also a topic in next weeks? If not... i'm knee deep in my automation and its marketing. But I trust the system and I like creating, so I'm looking for shortcuts to still do this weeks assignment. I have 1 think hour that I can use for it, but it is shared with resolving tech stuff 😞
I asked myself "who can I still do this".
1. Syllabus instead of a book
2. The Elco way: write it ultra short and by hand during a flight, train trip,... and export to pdf.
3. Use otter.ai to talk it out in English, and run it through deepL for Dutch.
4. Ignore deepL, just do it in English.
5. Hire a ghoastwriter
6. Make it a course instead
7. Make voicenotes on whatsapp so my jobstudent can type them out
8. Just do it. Skipp some classes,... and get it done.
9. Repurpose. Take existing PPTs and record mp3s to tem. Have it typed out.
10. Skip the writing. Just give an mp3 player with podcast like material.
1 to 3 is doable but
1 is still very time consuming,
2 is unprofessional
3 will ask for a ton of redacting work so be expensive.
The others have too big issues and I don't see how to solve those.
Any magic solution? I find it hard to move forward with thinking about what won't happen due to no clear path forward.
718 comments
At this phase, Sin, I would simply do as I suggested.
Pick up 7-10 topic you believe have the best chances to become bestseller for your ideal clients (that should take care of the right people to read it).
Then give each topic an exciting title and tagline (personally I would go to Amazon.com look for the best selling books on each of the topics you want to present and “steal” titles and taglines that you find most exciting. Then tweak them if necessary and translate them to your language.
Now that you have 7-10 book names (+taglines) go to your clients/subscribers and ask them to choose the 3 ones they would like to read and ask them to explain WHY (that’s the most important part).
When you get, say, 40-50 responds you’ll have tons of information about what they want to read about.
About the magic solution to “how to write”…
This is NOT part of WOMB program, but I’m going to give you an amazing system I developed when I was bored during the 2020 lockdown…
There is NO better/faster system to write a nonfiction book (and make it a success) than that system.
I’m going to share this system/strategy in the bonus workshop on September 29.
(If you could be patient until then… 😅)
366 comments
Ok. Thanks.
183 comments
From last week's lessons and the training on Thursday evening, the following remains with me.
Indeed, I see that wanting to train an expert is not the ideal target group because they already know. The fact that a virgin is much more interesting and that makes me happy and gives me energy.
Now I will definitely focus on that.
Still, there is still a lot to learn from the bicycle mechanics (just like everyone else, of course. I have so many insights that they can benefit from. And we also need each other.
Now the question is. What would Nisandeh do if he starts training expert? How do you reach them or is it a no go area.
An expert must still be reachable. I like to learn from other cyclists.
It really feels like I'm not reaching them and can follow your story all the way. And it's also frustrating that I can't reach them and that's not a good starting point. The energy does not flow.
How do I get other energy to do that myself so that they do participate?
Is writing a book an ideal idea for the expert to achieve?
Do experts also want to learn?
Please give your advice and tips. Thank you very much already
366 comments
Hi Leo, good thinking. What is the topic that your experts concider themselves virgins at AND want to pay for to learn it? What is the EXACT moment in their lives where they say " damn, I need to learn this. Right know. Who can I hire to teach me that?" (Do market research, don't guess nor assume. Just call some folks at the other part of the country, and ask. I did. My folks did not want to learn, they wanted to earn education credits and talk among themselves. So the course became a association where I teach or get other benefits. Dare to drop your idea and use theirs)
718 comments
So your question, Leo, is:
Well… Nisandeh would NEVER consider writing a book to experts.
And, for me, the most important of all…
I know it’s not the answer you were looking for, Leo, and I don’t expect you to think/act like I do…
But you asked “what Nisandeh would do”… we’ll - now you know.
183 comments
Thank you for your response. I definitely benefit from it.
if I go back to the why question.
why expert in my business plan ?
I need the bike mechanics because I can't do all repairs and maintenance alone.
what advice do you give me on how to do that?
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I understand that you need the bike mechanics as “partners”…
But would it make a difference for them how big of an expert in bike repair you are?
They might want to know that you’re an expert on marketing so you can deliver them massive amount of work.
They might not need to see you as an expert at all, but as a reliable partner…
Not everyone, not in every business, and not for every purpose we need to become KNOWN as an expert.
I’d say that the end client, the cyclist, would be more inclined to repair their bikes with an expert.
But the bike mechanics…? I don’t know. 🤷🏻♂️
You might want to ask them.
183 comments
Thanks your answers are very helpful
314 comments
As i already know what I want to wright about would it be a good Idea to start thinking about subjects of trainings for the diggerent clients who the book will be for?
Teachers on how to use the games to increase school results based on the IQ test
Orthopedagogen on how to write better test reports
Coaches on what to do with the test results
After our last one on one I started the marketing idea and came upt with a small e-book to download for free with one or 2 sub test written out, then a training for every test there is and the more popular the IQ test the more expensive the training and at last a training for teachers regarding the games to use to increase math, writing, spelling in childeren based on there IQ test result.
718 comments
A few comments, Claudia, before I answer your specific question:
1. You write “the different clients who the book will be for”.
If I were you I would write the book only to ONE, very specific client type (e.g. the teachers).
If you want to target all 3 types of clients, finish the book for one target audience, then duplicate the document, and go over it and change anything that is specific to one target audience to fit the other target group. Do that a second time with the third target audience and you hace 3 books that just took you 10% or 20% more work on top of the first book, and you’re becoming a real expert AND a specialist in the eyes of 3 different target groups.
2. Just to make sure you (and everyone else) understand.
The fact that a book and an ebook requires the same structure, content and work doesn’t make them equal.
A printed book has a huge perceived value in the eyes of the “right” reader (even if you give it away for free), while ALL e-books have the exact same perceived value of ZERO.
So, when I’m suggesting you write and PUBLISH a book - I mean a PRINTED BOOK.
Now… to your question…
Should you already think about the subjects for the trainings to those who read the book?
I don’t think you need to bother.
If you follow the process I’m suggesting, and let your target audience to choose the topic of the book, and then you’ll follow my system of writing the book - the topics for follow-up trainings will present themselves clearly as chapters and sub chapters in your book.
I hope that helps…
314 comments
Thank you for this great insight.
I will take it all this fryday when I come together with my co developers/writers and we will start the project.
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I like to write a magazine instead of a book. That makes it easier to give nice information incl. a lot of pictures.
For example about: the Nat. Parcs, nice trips, beautiful castles and also good stories about the people.
And to make more than 1 per year. Is that okay?
That is for me the same compelling Why as a book:
• To grow my business
• To build a list
• To show my expertise
• Get media attention
• Serve other people
718 comments
Of course it’s OK, Jellie…
The question is if a magazine is the best vehicle to reach your goals.
A book is first and foremost a tool to position you as an expert.
I can’t believe a magazine can do that, although is can “show” your expertise (as you defined it).
People read magazines for different purposes than a book, and the perceived value of a magazine is a lot lower than that of a book.
Also, a printed magazine is many, many, many times more expensive than a printed book in all stages of production, marketing and distribution…
I think there’s a reason why magazines are dying for years now, all over the world, in any topic…
This is not to discourage you… Jellie…
It’s just to make sure you do your research and ROI calculations.
If you still think that a magazine is a good way to go, then go for it.
But for the purpose of this program - I believe that a book is the way to build an expert position quickly, effectively, cheaply.
Although… a book doesn’t fit every niche, and every product/service…
So, if you think that a book would do you no good, in your expertise/market/service - I would definitely drop the idea and go for something else… this is just one week of the program…
I hope that helps.
78 comments
Hello Nisandeh,
Yes this helps. This gives me another insight.
I shall reconsider to make a book. We can make it also with beautifull pictures, etc.
The idea of the magazine stays. We can make it a "flipp-over" magazine, only digital. But I prefer to print it. W'll see.
Thank you so much for you point of view. I know you are right:)