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Welcome to Season 4 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully.
This episode unlocks some of the secrets of successful book marketing with insights from an accomplished author who has sold over one million books! Becky is joined by Michael Bungay Stanier—Bestselling Author of The Coaching Habit, Founder of Box of Crayons, Keynote Speaker, and the #1 Thought Leader on Coaching. During the episode, Michael talks about the continued success of his book, The Coaching Habit, and what he has learned about the book marketing journey as a result.
Key Points From This Episode:
[01:16] Michael shares about himself and his work in the world.
[03:14] Michael reveals how many Amazon reviews The Coaching Habit has and how the process of getting reviews has been different for his more recent books.
[5:00] Discover how many reviews Michael hopes to get for his latest book, How to Work With (Almost) Anyone, and what efforts that will take.
[06:41] Michael shares some statistics about book sales and reflects on what success really means as an author.
[09:28] Michael talks about why he offers his books to people for free.
[13:11] Learn how Michael received his top voice badge on LinkedIn and the impact of having it.
[15:12] Michael discusses what it’s like having other people running his social media channels and the preparation that went into it.
[17:26] What mindset shift did Michael have to make to allow others to build his social media presence and allow himself to step away from it? He shares.
[18:52] Michael reveals what he thinks about the idea of giving away the best content from a book through online content.
[20:39] Discover Michael’s strategy for changing the working lives of 10 million people rather than focusing on specific book sales.
[22:34] Michael explains how he measures whether or not he has affected a working relationship.
[24:40] Michael talks about how much time he takes between writing books.
[26:42] How has the momentum for books and marketing gotten easier for Michael as he’s progressed from book to book? He discusses.
[28:07] Michael reveals whether or not he anticipated that The Coaching Habit would become his “unicorn book.”
[29:42] Michael explains how his books have fueled his other professional services, including speaking.
[31:25] Michael shares some final thoughts about how to build an ecosystem around a book.
Action Steps:
- Visit the individual websites for each of Michael’s books—The Coaching Habit, The Advice Trap, How to Begin, and How to Work With (Almost) Anyone—his business website, and his personal website. See what you can learn by observing the way that Michael invites people into the ecosystem of the services that he offers.
- Write down a vision that’s bigger than book sales. Think of a mission you can accomplish with your book that will help you stay focused as you market it. Be creative in the ways that you can reach more people with your work.
Resources:
- Purchase Michael’s latest book, How to Work With (Almost) Anyone.
- Make sure to get a copy of Michael’s bestselling book, The Coaching Habit.
- Follow Michael on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter).
Key Quotes:
88% of books sell less than 5,000 copies. —Michael Bungay Stanier
Marketing and selling a book takes a real kind of dedication and focus. —Michael Bungay Stanier
I think because I’ve got a team regularly posting, I’ve done a LinkedIn learning course, and I’ve been on a LinkedIn podcast that I got the top voice badge just because of repetition and longevity. —Michael Bungay Stanier
If people only read the first chapter of my book, I want them to have the best ideas in the first chapter. —Michael Bungay Stanier
It’s probably a two-to-three-year game to really get a book out in the world and get a flywheel spinning so you’re having some success with it. —Michael Bungay Stanier
My best way of getting ideas out in the world is through books. —Michael Bungay Stanier
Make it really easy for people to depart the book and arrive at your website. —Michael Bungay Stanier
To connect with Becky Robinson, send her an email here!
I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.