7 Questions To Ask Before Writing Your Sell Sheet

TheseQuestionsWillHelpYouStartToBuildThisPowerfulMarketingToolThatWillHelpYouSellMoreBooks

Introduction• Asellsheetisnotassimplisticasitmightfirstappear.• It’smuchmorethanasimplelistofphysicalfactsaboutyourbook,andapictureofyouandyourbook.• It’sasophisticatedandcalculatedstrategicmarketingtoolthatcanhelpyouachieveseveralimportantgoalsatonce.• Thefollowingsevenquestionswillhelpyoudevelopanamazingandpowerfulsellsheetthatwillhelpyoustarttosellmorebooks.

7QuestionsToAskBeforeWritingYourSellSheet

1.What’sYourObjectiveForThisSellSheet?• What’syourmostimportantgoal?Secondmostimportant?Third?• Answering“sellingmorebooks”istoogeneralandsimple.• Sobeforeyouanswer,youmustunderstandthatasellsheetissimplyamarketingtool.


1.WhatIsYourObjectiveForThisSellSheet?• It’sultimategoalistohelpyouachieveseveralbusiness,personal,andfinancialgoals,allofwhichwilleventuallyleadtomorebooksales.• Nowthinkaboutitforafewminutesbeforeyouanswer.• Forexample,doyouwantittohelppositionyourselfasanexpertthat’savailableforspeakingengagements?


1.WhatIsYourObjectiveForThisSellSheet?• Doyouwanttouseitaspromotionalmaterialtogiveouttoyourcurrentandprospectiveclients,inthehopesthatthey’llgiveyounewbusiness• Doyouwanttoimpressyourcolleagueswithanimpressivesellsheetandmediakit?• Doyouwanttouseittoconvincebookretailersandwholesalerstobuyyourbook?• Nowmakeyourlist.Anddon’tholdback.


2.WhatInformationWillHelpYouAchieveYourObjective?• Startbylistingeverythingyoumightwanttoincludeaboutyourbook: whereyourbookcanbepurchased,what'sitsshelvingcategory(BISGcategory),whoisyourco-author,forewordauthor,theformatsuchaspaperback,orhardcover,orebook,theISBNnumber,yourphotograph,apictureofyourbook’scover,...


2.WhatInformationWillHelpYouAchieveYourObjective?• ...thenumberofpages,thepublicationdate,thesizeofthebook,testimonials,whatareyourmarketingplansforthebook,andanyotherfeaturesandphysicalcharacteristicsthatyoucanthinkof.• Nowmakeyourlist.Anddon’tholdback.


3.Who’sYourAudienceForThisSellSheet?• Thepeoplewhoyouwrotethebookforandnotnecessarilythesameasthebookstoremanager.• Yourbookhasanaudiencethatitwaswrittenfor.• Yoursellsheetalsohasitsownaudience.• Maybeitisthepubliclibrarybookbuyer.• Maybetheuniversitybookstorebookbuyer.


3.Who’sYourAudienceForThisSellSheet?• Maybethemediarepsandbookreviewers.• Maybethebuyersatthenationalchainbookstores.• Maybeyourownclients.• Understandingwhowillbereadingandusingyoursellsheetwillhelpyouwhenitcomestimetowritethesalescopy.• Nowmakeyourlist.Anddon’tholdback.


4.WhatCanYouSayToGrabTheReader’sAttention?• Usethetopofthepagetograbattentionwithaheadlineandafewsentencesofcopythatcutstotheheartofthematter.• Whatcanyousaythatwillcatchtheattentionofyourreader?• What’sthe“bigproblem”thatyourbookishelpingthereaderfix?


4.WhatCanYouSayToGrabTheReader’sAttention?• What’sthe“bigquestion”allofyourreadersneedanswered?• Howareyougoingtohelpthem?• Remember,unlessyoucangettheirattention,andthenholdontoit,theywillputyoursellsheetdownandmoveontothenextone– allwithinafewseconds.• Nowmakeyourlist.Anddon’tholdback.


5.WhatBenefitWillYourAudienceGetFromReadingYourBook?

• Thispartshouldhavealreadybeencompletedwhenyouwroteyourbook.• Thesebenefitsareprobablyalreadyonthebackcoverofyourbook.• Butifyouhaven’talreadycompletedthisstep,nowisthetimetodoit.


5.WhatBenefitWillYourAudienceGetFromReadingYourBook?• Noonewillbuyyourservices,oryourbook,iftheydon’tunderstandwhatbenefitstheywillgetfromdealingwithyou,orreadingyourbook.• Howisyourbookgoingtohelpyourreaderimprovetheirbusinessorpersonallife?• Howwillyourbookfixtheirproblems?• Nowmakeyourlist.Anddon’tholdback.


6.WhyShouldSomeoneBuyYourBookOverAllOfTheOthersThatAreAvailable?• Whatisyouruniquesellingpoint?• Whyareyoutheonetobewritingthisparticularbook?• WhyYou?• Doesyourbooksolveaspecificproblem?• Ifitdoes,explainhowitdoes.


6.WhyShouldSomeoneBuyYourBookOverAllOfTheOthersThatAreAvailable?• Remindthereaderoftheirbusinessandpersonaltroublescreatedbytheproblem.• Makesurethatyouareveryclearthatyouaretheonetohelpthemwiththis.• Answerthe“what”andthe“why”questionsweallhave.• Nowmakeyourlist.Anddon’tholdback.


7.WhatDoYouWantYourSellSheetReaderToDo?• Inmarketingterms,thispartiscalledthe“calltoaction”– orCTA.• Whatphysicalactionsareyouaskingthereaderofyoursellsheettotake?• Doyouwantthemtocallyouandaskyoutospeakattheircompany,orspeakataconference?• Doyouwantthemtodirectlycallyourbookdistributorandplaceandorder?


7.WhatDoYouWantYourSellSheetReaderToDo?• Doyouwantthemtovisityourwebsiteanddownloadfreeinformationaboutyourbookorcompany?• DoyouwantthemtovisityourAmazonAuthorPage?• Youneedtobespecifichere.• Youmustprovidetheappropriatetelephonenumbers,links,QRcode,andemailaddresses.• Nowmakeyourlist.Anddon’tholdback.


Conclusion• Nowyoushouldhavesevenwell-thought-outlistsofalltheimportantinformationthatyouwillneedtocreateapowerfulandprofessional-lookingsellsheet.• Youwillnotbeincludingitall,butyouwillneeditalltohelpyouplanoutwhatyouneedtosay.• Ifyoumustincludealotofthisinformation,trybreakingitdownintogroupingsthatareeasytofind,read,andunderstand.


Conclusion• Butdon’toverdoit.• It’sveryimportantthatthesellsheetbevisuallyappealingandeasytounderstand.• Usually,includingtoomuchinformationisasbadasgivingtoolittleinformation.• Muchmoredetailedinformationshouldbefoundonyourwebsiteandinyourmediakit. fini


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7QuestionsToAskBeforeWritingYourSellSheet©2016JosephC.Kunz,Jr.

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7QuestionsToAskBeforeWritingYourSellSheet©2016JosephC.Kunz,Jr.

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