One of the common reasons why a non-fiction book will flop is that it offers no value to the reader. Different genres and types of books will offer different types of value. Non-fiction books by coaches provide written coaching to help the reader solve the problem. So, the important question all coaches should ask themselves before launching a new book is, does this book help my ideal coaching clients win?
Why Your Book Needs to Help Your Coaching Clients Win
To put it quite simply, if your coaching book doesn’t help your ideal coaching clients win, there is no reason for them to buy it. Sales is a transactional relationship. You trade one thing of value for another. In the case of a book, the expected value is actionable advice that the reader can apply to their life.
In addition to selling your book, a book that helps your coaching clients win will have the following benefits.
Word of Mouth
When you read a great book that changes your life, you share it with other people. The more benefit you get from a book, the more likely you are to tell the people around you about it.
Word of mouth advertising is extremely powerful because it comes from a trusted source. Someone is making a recommendation based on what worked for them rather than trying to sell you something. This makes people less skeptical and more likely to try it out.
This is why you want to write a book that solves a problem. You want the reader to experience a win if they implement just one piece of advice. You want people to recommend your book when people they know are talking about the problems they have
Wins New Coaching Clients
One of the main reasons why coaches should write a non-fiction book is because it is a great low-barrier way for people to experience your coaching for themselves. They get to see how you approach a problem and guide them through the solution. It also gives them a great insight into your personality and values.
When your book also provides them with a win, you become someone they think of when they want to solve another problem within your area of expertise. In their mind, if you helped them with X with just a book, then there’s no doubt you’ll be able to help them with Y. You’ll be the first person they come to when they want to work with a coach.
How to Tell If Your Book Helps Your Clients Win
Before you start writing your coaching book, you need to ensure it is centred around your ideal coaching client. What would they find most useful? What are the barriers they face to implementing your advice? There are things you need to consider on your side, like whether the topic is in your zone of genius or if you are passionate about the topic, but the needs of your ideal coaching clients is just as important.
Does Your Non-Fiction Book Solve a Problem?
When people buy a non-fiction book from a coach, they are looking to solve a problem that they feel is holding them back in life. If your book doesn’t solve a problem, then what reason is there for people to buy your book? Remember, every sale is a transaction. People are handing over money to get something that they want. You just need to identify what your ideal coaching clients want.
The problem that your coaching book solves needs to be impactful enough to justify spending money to solve it. It needs to at least cause significant frustration or cost them in some way rather than just being a bit of an inconvenience.
Is It Clear Who Your Non-Fiction Book Is For?
Don’t be afraid to niche down in your target market for your book. This should be relatively easy because you likely already have a niche for your coaching business; write your book for the same audience. Think about your book as a marketing asset that earns you money. If you deliver enough value, your non-fiction book will generate leads for your coaching business. You want those leads to be the type of coaching client you work with.
Be clear about who you wrote your book for in all of your marketing. It will help you sell more books to the right people. This is because your book is not just a book that will help them to solve a problem. It is a book written to help people like them solve that specific problem and, therefore, will likely take into account the struggles that they face and their available resources.
Does Your Book Give Actionable Advice?
The goal of a coaching book is to give readers the steps they need to go and apply the advice to their lives. This means that in addition to providing the background information, they need a step-by-step guide on how to implement that knowledge. Most coaches do this by adding a short summary and “action steps” or exercises at the end of each chapter. This is great for readers with dyslexia, and it has the added bonus of giving your readers a quick refresher.
Does Your Book Troubleshoot Common Issues?
Not every coaching client is the same. Some coaching clients will face challenges in implementing a piece of advice that others won’t face. The challenge with a book (compared to face-to-face coaching) is you can’t address these issues as they come up. In the interest of not having people quit a few chapters in because it “just doesn’t work,” you need to anticipate issues your ideal coaching clients may face. From there, you can include a small troubleshooting section where you can offer variations on your advice or problem-solve issues they may face.