From Successful Entrepreneur to Influential Author

Writing a Business Book is Easier Than You Think

Ever mused about becoming an influential author or contemplated writing your business book? One which transforms your hands-on business expertise, your hard-earned, well-honed knowledge, and your wonderful personality traits into a tangible, viable, professional business card your clients won’t be able to resist buying?

Then hold onto that thought…

Why?

Because as a successful coach/business owner/therapist/teacher, the transition to becoming an influential author is easier (and more enjoyable) than you might think. Let me explain.

As a business owner you already have stacks of knowledge

You didn’t suddenly become an expert in your field, did you? You’ve had to work hard to earn your stripes. How many self-development books have you consumed? How many courses and conferences have you paid for and attended? Maybe you’re still learning and investing in yourself. All this expertise, time, energy and effort can be put to good use. It can make you the influential author you aspire to be.

Knowing your subject inside out and back to front means you can write a business book with ease and confidence. You won’t have to spend hours researching your topic because it’s all in your head, just waiting for the floodgates to open.

Book-Writing Start Tip #1: Grab yourself a pen right now and unleash those ideas; I promise you’ll be amazed at how many are bursting to be released. And once you’ve done this, put your paper away and return to it tomorrow for a second release!

As a therapist you know your ideal client better than they know themselves

Because you’re a people-person, intuitive, perceptive, and you understand your ideal clients’ biggest stumbling blocks, their deepest desires, and their quirks/confidence issues, you can tailor your coaching support to their individual needs. This detailed insight and understanding works for your book’s ideal audience too. Chances are, your readers will be past, present, and future ideal clients, so you’ll instinctively know how to reach out to them, answer their most pressing questions and teach/support them in a way only you know how.

Book-Writing Start Tip #2: How could you support your readers based on the different ways you work with your clients? Brainstorm your ideas now. What could you write about with ease? Could you take your readers on an ‘A-Z journey’? Teach them the basics of x, y, z? Or transform their mindset/skills/ to enable them to reach the next level in their lives or businesses?

As a coach you have incredibly high standards

You don’t do half measures, that’s why your clients love you, right? So any initial doubts and fears you have about writing an amateurish book won’t stand a chance. You know the mindset techniques to use to quell your own wobbles (they’re the same ones you use to support your coaching clients) and you can sniff out procrastination from miles away. These intuitive skills and techniques will serve you well when it comes to writing your business book.

Book-Writing Start Tip #3: Make a list of your worries/doubts/fears about writing your book. Spend a few minutes really thinking about them. Are they justified? Or are they just wobbles? Chances are, they’re wobbles, and when you see them written down, it makes them look much less scary, doesn’t it? So instead of talking yourself out of writing your business book, talk yourself INTO write your business book. Finish this action point by making a list of all the reasons why you have to write your business book, and wait for the excitement to bubble.

As a trainer/teacher you appreciate the importance of deadlines

You set deadlines all the time with your clients. You know how crucial they are to reaching the finish line. You prepare schedules and break tasks down into baby steps and bite-sized chunks. You know precisely how to ninja-kick overwhelm. You know what happens when the most important task isn’t prioritised, and you know that sinking feeling when you (or your client) have let a deadline slip and your schedule needs to be re-organised. And all of these transferrable skills will help you when you begin to write your business book.

Book-Writing Start Tip #4: Look at your book-writing journey as another project to manage. Break down the tasks and set deadlines – eg research the competition on Monday, brainstorm your book ideas on Tuesday, bullet point your chapters on Wednesday, flesh out your bullet points on Thursday, write your introduction on Friday, etc, etc. Put your training skills/teaching expertise into practice and make a start on your book today.

As an entrepreneur, you’re already a great communicator

You are articulate. And you know when to shut up and listen. You don’t just listen to what’s being said, you listen to what’s inferred. You don’t just understand what’s being inferred, you watch people’s body language. And all these wonderful communication traits of yours mean you’ll get right to the heart of your audience’s mind when you’re writing. You’ll be able to explain yourself without the jargon and techy stuff. You’ll be able to present the bigger picture rather than a blinkered snapshot. You’ll know how to consolidate your ramblings without too much effort. And you’ll instinctively know how to deliver crisp, concise and valuable content from page one to the end of your book.

Book-Writing Start Tip #5: If you need a reminder of just how great your written communication skills are, take a look at your blog archives, your lead magnets, and your social media posts. How succinct, valuable and informative are they? Take this action point one step further and see if you could repurpose any of your previously written content into your first business book.

Remember, your audience is already waiting…

Everyone who follows you on social media, the subscribers on your email lists, past and present clients, and the people you network with offline are all potential book buyers. Having a ready-made audience is another pivotal reason why writing your business book is a much easier transition than you think.

Need a few book-writing prompts to help you start on your book ideas…?

Cast your mind back to when you started your business. Where did you find the most valuable advice?
How did you survive that first year?
How did you grow your business?
How did your brand become more visible?
What did your budget look like as a start-up?
When did you first start outsourcing?
How did you find out the best way to market your business?
What mistakes did you make that you learnt from?
What was your proudest moment in business?
When did you realise you’d made it?