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Selling over 500,000 copies of an informational tips booklet, 110 Ideasfor Organizing Your Business Life, and earning a quarter of a milliondollars in the process is not at all where I thought I would end up when Istarted writing a tips booklet in 1991. Putting it bluntly, I was broke. Iwas desperate. I was trying to use the booklet as a marketing tool tobreathe some new life -- any life -- into my speaking and consultingbusiness. Not only did that happen, but the process spurred an entire newbusiness along the way. And I did it without spending a penny onadvertising. Or PR people. And, 110 Ideas is now in three languages,other booklet and guide formats, and an audio tape program. August 1994 was the magical turning point: I went online, signing up withCompuServe, solely for the purpose of marketing my business. Little did Iknow what doors I was opening. I was like a kid in a candy store, roamingaround the forums, reading the postings, and chatting with people online. Isaw opportunities to market everywhere I looked. The third day online, I exchanged email with a man in Milan, Italy, who hasa marketing company. I read his post in a forum. I asked who his clientbase was. When he said small business and vendors to small business, I toldhim I had something he might find useful. I asked his permission to sendhim a sample of my tips booklet. Eighteen months later, he wired me severalthousand dollars for royalties on the first sale of the Italian version ofmy booklet. We had struck a deal for him to translate, edit, produce, andmarket my booklet contents in Italy. The first sale was 105,000 copies to amagazine. To this day, we have communicated solely by email, fax, earthmail, and electronic funds transfer. I have no idea what the Italianversion says, although my former hairdresser said its a great translation.What I do know is that the deal was a good one. I am currently talking with others to translate my publication into otherlanguages,again from connections made online, connections I doubt wouldhave happened any other way. Those connections happened by others seeingposts I placed, and by my responding to things I saw posted. Anotherlanguage happened after the Italian version. It is now also inSpanish...all from online contacts. The results Ive had come from my using a buffet of basic online formats: Email * Submit articles and queries to online and hardcopy publications *Send promotional information to media and prospects * Answer questions fromprospects and clients * Process orders directly Seminars * In real time * Post in forums * Participate in others seminars Listservs and Discussion Boards * My own discussion board * Initiatepostings * Responses Web site * My own web site * Linked to others * Articles posted to otherpeoples sites Online newsletters * Write an article * Be written about This happened much the same way I networked offline. To get online seminarand conference bookings, I developed a presence and relationships with thedecision makers of those areas. They are always looking for interestingprogramming for their audience. My story about writing and marketingbooklets for cash has been an interesting one for audiences in severalonline forums. I posted questions seeking suggestions to all kinds of additionalopportunities. Does anyone know who, how, where...? That brought many newconnections, one after the other. In some cases, it also brought new ideasI hadnt considered. Asking for information or suggestions is one of thebest-accepted forms of marketing yourself online. Its a more benign way ofpublicizing yourself that a blantant sales approach. Reading the postings in the forums, newsgroups, listservs, discussionboards, and anywhere else is like mining for gold. Responding to otherpeoples posts allows for a soft sell of your own products and serviceswhile being helpful and providing solutions to their concerns. I oftengently make reference to my publications or services. Youd be amazed howoften that generates at least an inquiry, if not a direct sale. It mightseem to take a little longer. It is a very effective way to go muchfurther, though. Referrals come when and from where you least expect them,I have noticed. Online newsletters are like hard-copy newsletters. The two differences I amfinding are that online newsletters appear more willing to accept articlesand that the decision-making process on acceptance seems faster. The onlinenewsletters often have a larger subscriber base than many hard copynewsletters. For me, this has also been like trying to eat only one potatochip. The emergence of online newsletters is huge. Finding one generallyleads to more. I view my technological capability. savvy, understanding, and certainlyequipment at the lower end of the scale. In spite of this, my results haveincluded: Direct sales of my booklet, audio tape, and manuals (about 150,000booklets solely through online efforts) Translations into two languages. Speaking engagements around the country and the world Consulting clients, served by phone, fax, and online Interviews in other media (in print, online, radio and television) Saving time and money in communications (greatly satisfying that instantgratification urge) Writing assignments (small, medium and large assignments) Reseller relationships to distribute my products throughout the worldConsider this: I have never taken a business course. (I used to be a musicteacher.) I did the copy and original design on a primitive computer withno hard drive (its amazing what you can do with floppy disks). Every daybrings new possibilities and opportunities to this booklet journey. I havehad a web site for a few years now, and, like every web site, it is foreverevolving. The latest addition has been an e-booklet catalog which sellsother peoples booklets as digitally as fully automated downloads. I can hardly imagine what results will show up next!

About the Author

Paulette EnsignTips Products International12675 Camino Mira Del Mar #179 * San Diego, CA 92130voice: 858-481-0890 * fax 858-793-0880Paulette@tipsbooklets.com * http://www.tipsbooklets.comVisit All About Booklets Discussion Board and E-BOOKLET CATALOG.