Rob Kosberg

“I just sit at my typewriter and curse a bit.” — P.G. Wodehouse

The one thing that changed my business.

The self liquidating book funnel…

I’ve been following Dan Kennedy for 20 years. He has always said his best customers come from his books. I have found this to be true as well.

Here are 7 reasons why it’s true and how it might help you.

1. Lead generation: Buyers of even a small purchase, like a $4.95 book are far more likely to buy something else from you and be engaged with you than any email subscriber. We have found they are 9x more likely to buy a high ticket offer.

2. Positioning: Authority and expertise is established with a book on your topic. This immediately puts you in a better frame with your ideal clients and they become attracted to you. You go from hunting for clients to being the one hunted.

3. Differentiation: We are all in competition with others in our fields. A book sets you head and shoulders above the other options a buyer has. It’s something you can do once and use forever.

4. Brand Building: A well-crafted book will enhance your brand's reputation and visibility when used correctly. Clients want to work with a strong brand and are attracted to working with the best.

5. Longevity: Digital content is quickly lost (and replaced) in the fast paced world of social media. People understand that books are hard to write and hold a higher position in the minds of your prospects. They have a longer shelf life than other content.

6. Education: Books that are done correctly will educate and compel your potential clients to action. This leads to the right clients being pre-sold on working with you, the author.

7. Using paid ads: When done correctly paid ads to a book funnel can (at best) create free leads via self liquidation of ad costs. There are moving parts that need to be mastered but when done well can run for years creating more income and impact in your business.

**Photo is of my latest book and book funnel launched 3 days ago selling 20-30 books per day with ads. We are still dialing in the back end but all indications are we have another winner.

If interested in learning more feel free to DM me.

Thanks Anik - it amazes me that so many experts overlook this!?

A Book can take you from Hunting for the next client to being the one Hunted

Want to guarantee you will WIN? Make the action the goal, not the result.

If you enjoy what you are doing and the people you serve (and work with), you are probably going to do it for a long time. (If not, then you should change it!)

So, what we should do then is play the LONG game.

The question then becomes, what is the long game for you?

I may not know directly what that looks like for you, but I can speak to what it looks like for authors and those with a message they want to share.

But first, a story.

Steve graduated from college with a B.A. in English and had a hard time finding a job. He flipped from job to job, working in a textile mill, as a gas station attendant, and janitor. Not glamorous. Finally, he was able to land a job as a high school teacher.

His dream was to be a writer. So, he wrote.

He threw his first novel in the trash because he felt it wasn’t good enough. His wife pulled it out of the trash and encouraged him to complete it, which he did.

It was “Carrie” and was published in 1974. It was the beginning of approximately 350 million books sold (yes, you read that right) for Stephen King.

He has written 60 novels and over 200 short stories.

He probably made enough money from “Carrie” (books sold and movie rights) to retire and never work again…

…but he played the long game, with the help of his wife, and he has risen to the very top of his craft.

From his memoir and writing guide, "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft," published in 2000…

- He writes 2,000 words every day, including holidays.
- He has a dedicated writing space.
- He reads daily to help with his inspiration.
- He doesn’t believe in waiting for inspiration, though - writing is more about hard work and patience.

Okay, how might this apply to you?

If you have a message, then you need an audience.

So, start building your audience. Don’t stop writing your book or hold off on publishing to build it. Do it all together. With social media, it’s easier than it has ever been (it’s still hard, though).

Look at King.

Have an output goal. (His is 2,000 words per day, every day) Maybe yours is one new YouTube video per week - forever. Or one podcast, or one blog post. Or daily posts.

And don’t worry about the results, you need to get better. Writing or speaking regularly will make you better, and people will start to pay attention. Slowly, then suddenly.

Dedicate your time and resources.

King was a laborer and then a school teacher and family man. He was busy. Just like you are busy, but he dedicated time and space to his craft.

Find your inspiration.

Read, get out in nature, meditate, pray. Remember, garbage in and garbage out. So, feed your brain well if you are playing the long game.

Work hard and be patient. No elaboration needed.

What other ways are you playing the long game?

(Photo credit: Bob playing the "Long game")

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” - Winston Churchill

"How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not
stood up to live."
-Henry David Thoreau

There are lots of "To Do's" in Business and Life...

But what about "To Don't's"?

Here are a few of mine....

Don't wait for permission:

Unless you are attempting to be a brain surgeon, or practice law, you do not need a degree or certification to get started. You want to coach others in your area of expertise - great, do it. In fact, start for free and make sure that you really can help others. Then you can charge, grow, and scale a business - if you wish.

I told my kids that if they go to college, I will pay for it, but they need to go for a real degree with a plan to use it. All three started, and two decided to instead apprentice at jobs they had an interest in. The third stayed in school and got a degree in the field he works in. Only one needed the degree to get the job he wanted. The other two didn’t need “permission,” and they are all doing great!

You don’t need to join anything or get the OK - dive in and get started. Why wait?

Don’t worry about what someone else is doing or saying:

On any given issue, half the people believe one side, and another half believe the other. With entrepreneurship, it can be even more lopsided. You don’t need anyone’s approval on your idea. Sure, does it make sense to get advice from someone who has been there and done that - yes. But even then, there is no guarantee that the advice is good advice for you. You still have to step up and make the decision.

I see this with some authors. Professionals are often so worried about what their peers are going to think. Attorneys especially seem to be. Look, the book you are writing isn’t for them, unless you are writing to help attorneys as an attorney - but doubtful. Stop worrying about what other people think and pull the trigger.

Don’t be afraid to stand out:

The Aussies have a term, “Tall Poppy Syndrome,” which refers to how successful people are criticized for their success when they stand out. Their peers will scrutinize them to “cut down the tall poppy.” This is not just prevalent in Australia - it’s everywhere.

Sometimes I show my wife or friends the vile things people say on my ads on social media. In the beginning, it bothered me, and I responded, but not any longer (unless I want to have some fun!). How sad that someone else feels like they need to degrade a total stranger that they know nothing about.

Here’s what I do know, though: No one who is doing better than you will ever criticize you! Ignore them and move on.

Don’t ask others to do what you aren’t doing:

This might be better said as: Don’t think you will attract what you are not. You want clients that make fast decisions, right? You know you can help them, but they just seem to take forever to get started with you. Well, do you make fast decisions? You want clients that pay on time, of course. Do you pay on time? You want people to hire you as a mentor, do you have a paid mentor? Not selling anything here - I don’t mentor people for a fee.

When I was a kid (and my dad wasn’t much older), I remember him lighting up a cigarette and telling me that if I ever smoked, he’d bust my butt. Even as a kid, I understood the nonsense in that. You may not be that obvious, but rest assured, you will attract what you really are. By the way, Kevin Nations is the master of teaching this, and you would do well to pay attention to him.

Don’t think too much about tomorrow:

I know, I know - we must have goals and plans for our future. I get that. Truth be told, though, much of our thoughts are directed toward things that concern us - worry. Or is it just me? The things we worry about today either never happen, or if they do, then we deal with them when the time comes. In teaching about this, Jesus said, “Let tomorrow worry about itself; each day has enough trouble of its own.” Remember, Jesus was an entrepreneur, after all.

I grew up in a Jewish home, raised by my grandmother. So, I come from a long line of professional worriers. The vast majority of stuff that you are concerned about today, you won’t even remember next month. In some cases, much sooner than that. Don’t let it take up room in your brain today.

Don’t forget to give back:

We are all busy. Somehow, with all the advanced technology we have, we have only gotten busier! Seems there is an important lesson in there as well. You want to give back, you want to serve - but then, before you know it, a new week has begun. It’s easier to prioritize the urgent things over the important things in life - but it’s never better. I would argue that giving back is one of the more important things we can prioritize because of what it does FOR US! Let alone for others.

Years ago, my wife and I went to Smoky Mountain in the Philippines. We went carrying suitcases of goods to give out to those that live literally on a smoking trash mountain. What stunned me most was the joy that those people had. Yes, gratitude for what we and many others brought, but more than that. They were happy. They were grateful. They were joyful. Often, it’s hard to find that here in the land of plenty.

Yes, being of service to others is the main idea, but in that service, those that serve are rewarded greatly.

Now go and don't do something 😁

John Maxwell's first book failed...
..and he didn't write another one for 6 years!

Today he has over 70 titles and more than 20M sold. He commands $100,000+ speaker fees and is a world renowned expert on leadership.

He's a great guy too!

Don't stop writing.

Your first attempt may be like John's. Good thing he kept going.

What about you?

Truth most people need to hear.

You’re going to fail! Especially as an entrepreneur...

If that’s true (and it is) then how you view your failures/setbacks is key.

A study published in the "Journal of Personality," showed that self-oriented perfectionism (there’s a term!), and high levels of self-criticism, massively impacted people’s productivity. (shocking)

I see this a lot with authors.

Many can get to the point of completing a first (rough) draft only to be caught up in self criticism and perfectionism - not liking how it is reading and where it is at.

I’ve talked to people who have 12 different first drafts written and nothing published.

OK, so being a perfectionist and super self critical = bad.

What to do?

Here are a couple ideas…

1. Be realistic. Stop being surprised by setbacks and instead, EXPECT them. Your first iteration of anything is never going to be best and that’s true of everyone. Embrace and be ready for it.

2. Get some feedback. Often we see our clients are a lot harder on themselves and their writing then is warranted. Have someone else put some eyes on what you’re doing and give you some positive and constructive feedback.

3. Embrace discipline. Sometimes you just need to work through the problem or setback rather than allowing discouragement to halt your progress. Get back to it!

4. Be kind to yourself. I would never allow someone to talk to me the way I can talk to myself on the golf course! If you wouldn’t allow someone else say it then make sure you do not speak to yourself that way either.

Hope that helps. Now back to work!

Thank you for the hundreds of birthday wishes - so grateful! ❤🙏

Every author wants their book to sell...
..most are wildly disappointed - let me show you the way.

There are two paths to go down - the PROFIT path and the PLATFORM path.

Let's start with the PROFIT path.

The PROFIT path starts with a business or high ticket offer. You are a coach, consultant, service provider (like BSP) or even a SAAS.

Your book is your primary source of credibility, authority and has your message packaged in a way that makes people either love you or not.

Your book can be "sold" via paid advertising, PR, speaking etc... AT A LOSS because those that buy it are the perfect customers for your higher ticket offer. (As many have said, your book buyers and readers are always your best customers)

*NOTE: I sell my book everyday on the socials at a (small) LOSS. (My book has been out for 4 years and it continues to sell and drive new "done for you" clients to my company).

Book buyers are reached out to and offered a coaching call and helped and then offered a "faster, better and guaranteed way" - our services - the right people invest.

We've been doing this longer than ANYONE in the book space. It worked in the past and it works NOW.

Now, that PLATFORM path.

The PLATFORM path starts with your book being the ONLY thing you are selling that has a monetary value.

Perhaps you've written your story, a legacy book, something educational, a fiction or children's book.

You have nothing else to sell.

That means that paid advertising is only going to work IF it is profitable or breakeven. Possible to do. Very hard and near impossible without training and testing (ie. failing).

Will PR/Media work? Yes with a caveat. It only works for the time you are doing it. When you stop, it stops working.

Will speaking engagements work? Yes. Again, ONLY while you are speaking.

What to do?

The ONLY thing to do is build a PLATFORM.

An audience (email list and social following) that loves you, enjoys you and looks forward to hearing from you.

THIS is what Traditional Publishers want and buy. If you have it great - if not, then don't even try the Trad Pub path - it'll be an enormous waste of your time.

How do you do this?

Find the intersection of what you enjoy and where you are strong.

Love speaking?

Do a video podcast and build a Youtube channel. Strip out the audio for a podcast. Then have a team cut the video for shorts and reels. Send people to your website and collect email addresses.

Love writing?

Build a blog that is search engine friendly and attracts your people. Repost the content on the socials in the form of posts and tweets. Send people to your website and collect email addresses.

What will NOT happen is what every author HOPES will happen...
..that your book will catch fire and simply SELL ITSELF.

This is where all the disappointment comes from.

My take...

YOU CAN DO THIS!

But you must choose your path.