Quick Tip: Deal With The Big Kahuna

Here is something that should be quite obvious, but for some reason it seems to be overlooked when dealing with corporations and large companies.  Often someone will contact the company hoping to make a sale, but they aren’t dealing with the big kahuna.

The big kahuna is the one who can make a decision to buy from you and write the check. In large companies, there are many gate keepers guarding the way to the big kahuna, and there are many workers who are not gate keepers but who will talk to you all day long.  They don’t have any authority and it’s a waste of time to try to deal with these people.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to get past the gatekeepers as fast as you can and go straight to the big kahuna.  When you do this, you’ll find you get a check much faster!

To your riches!

Kim

PS: Before you go to the big kahuna, you’d better have something good to offer him.  If you want to be sure your booklet will withstand the scrutiny the big kahuna will likely put it through, click here!

PPS: Don’t forget to click on one of the links at the top right of this page to subscribe so you never miss a single, important post.  Remember, it only takes ONE idea to start the riches flowing to you!

What You Need To Know About Dealing With Quantity Prospects

Are you currently trying to negotiate a deal with a potential quantity buyer for your booklet?  Or, maybe you’re not quite there yet but you’re wondering how it will all work out in the end.  Whether you’ve reached this stage in your booklet adventure or you’re still dreaming about it, there are a few basics you need to know to help you navigate these unpredictable waters.

No Two Deals Are Ever The Same

The first thing you must understand is that no two quantity deals are ever the same.  If you know someone who sold half a million copies of their booklet to xyz company, and you’re dealing with the same company, your deal will be different for many reasons – such as the company may have a completely different use for your booklet in mind they they did the other authors, or they may have few funds left to spend on another purchase.  Every company you deal with will have their own agenda for using your booklet, and their own budget.

Speak Up

All businesses and corporations have their own best interests at heart.  If they are interested in your booklet, you can bet it isn’t because they recognize that you’re a good writer and they want to reward you handsomely for your efforts.  The truth is, no matter which company you’re dealing with, chances are they won’t even factor you into the equation.  It’s all about them.

For this reason, you must stay on top of the negotiations.  If something seems unfair, speak up.  Ask for what you need and what you want.  Explain your reasons.  Chances are good your demands will be met at least partially.

It’s A Process

When you’re negotiating a deal with a quantity buyer, it’s a process.  The process begins when they take an interest in your booklet, and it ends when you have a check in your hand.  Anything can happen in between these two events, and be ready because it probably will.  Sometimes the company will have ideas for using your booklet on a grand scale, but then they’ll begin to pare it down to essentials, until the deal no longer resembles what was originally discussed.

Other times, however, the opposite will happen.  A company may start out very conservative and then decide to add to it.  Once again, the final deal will not resemble anything close to the original.  However, since in this case you’ll have a much larger check, that’s perfectly alright!

To your riches!

Kim

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What To Consider When Making Large Quantity Booklet Deals

After your booklet is completed and you put it on the market, you’ll find yourself talking with a number of people and considering a variety of “deals.”  This may sound very exciting to you, and it is, but you need to look at every deal with a bit of skepticism and not get caught up in the excitement too much.  If you do, it could cost you big.

Look Out For #1

The first thing you need to realize is that a deal is only good when it is beneficial to you as well as to the company you are dealing with.   Most companies are quite good at making sure that a deal is good for them.  But, it’s not their job to make sure the deal is good for you.  That is your job.  You have to be the one to look out for your interests in every deal you enter into, because if you don’t, nobody else will do it for you.

What To Consider When Making A Deal

When you’re in the process of making a deal your first thought should be about the company you’re dealing with.  Why?  Because it’s easier to persuade them to sign on the dotted line when you are able to remind them of what they stand to gain.  If they aren’t going to be helped in some way by making a deal with you, why would they want to?  So, make sure you’re clear on the benefits the company will receive from the deal.

Next, consider the benefits you will receive.  Naturally, the main benefit will be money in your bank account, but there are other benefits to consider as well.  For example, will you receive any kind of publicity from the deal – such as being mentioned in the company’s newsletter?  Does the company have more than one location that would be interested in making a deal with you?  Will your booklets be going to employees or customers?  If they’re going to customers your booklets will be reaching a much larger market than if they’re going to employees.  These things are all considerations for you to take into account.

You need to be sure to make a profit, but sometimes a company will need you to come down on your price.  If you have the room to do it, and you stand to gain other benefits such as publicity or a wider market which receives your booklet and therefore discovers you, it just might be worth it.

If The Deal Isn’t Good For You Change It Or Walk Away

When you are in the midst of making a deal, nothing is set in stone until the paperwork is signed.  Many negotiations will be made back and forth until both sides are in agreement.  If the deal is not a good one for you, suggest something better.  Most of the time, the company will agree to your suggestion.  If they don’t, they’ll come back with a suggestion of their own, and then you have the opportunity to agree or make another suggestion.

If a company refuses to listen to your suggestions and won’t negotiate, thank them for their time and walk away – unless the deal is good for you as is.  If you don’t do this you’ll kick yourself later because it can cost you big in the way of money, and even the rights to your own work.

Look out for yourself and your interests, make sure your deals are fair to both sides, and you’ll make some very good money.

To your riches,

Kim

PS:  like this post?  Please share it on del.icio.us or StumbleUpon.  And don’t forget to click on one of the links at the top right of this page to subscribe so you never miss a single, important post!  Remember, it only takes one idea to start the riches flowing to you!

Why I rejoiced Over This Rejection Letter

I received a letter in the mail a couple weeks ago from a non-profit corporation I’ve been negotiating with for several months.  They were interested in purchasing anywhere from 500 – 7,000 copies of my “Simple Tips & Recipes For Feeding The Gluten Free/Dairy Free Child” booklet.

The letter was typical of what I would have expected from any company rejecting my offer, though since this is a company I am personally involved with as member, I was surprised that I didn’t at least receive a phone call.  Still, that’s the way it is with any company, especially when it comes to rejecting your offer.  Nobody wants to tell you personally.  It’s easier to make it impersonal and do it in a letter or email.

What these people couldn’t have known, however, and what you might find shocking, is that I actually rejoiced over receiving this letter.  Why?  Because it meant I could cross this company off my list.  It meant I would no longer be wasting my time with them.  After talking with them for months, and one person having to ask another who had to ask their superior who had to take it to the board members for approval, I was glad to finally have some closure one way or the other.  And while I always prefer to make the sale, the fact is it won’t happen every time.  So, when I do get a no, I’m happy to know that my journey with that company has ended and I can spend more of my time with other companies who are interested or that I’m still courting.

In this case, this organization was not a good candidate for my booklet so I really wasn’t all that surprised that they decided not to make the purchase.  In fact, I WAS surprised when they contacted me wanting more information in the first place.

So, what’s the lesson in all of this?  Stick to your market.  If someone from outside your market approaches you for information, give it, but don’t count on a sale there.  It can happen.  You never know, so you should always take the chance.  But, don’t rely on it.

As for me, I’ve wasted no tears over the fact that this sale didn’t happen.  I’ve got too many other companies I’m dealing with to even care.  Once you get the money rolling in and you’re dealing with alot of customers, whether large companies or individuals, you won’t care about those who don’t want your product because you’ll have so many who do.

To your riches!

Kim

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The One Thing That Will Get You From Idea To Income

There is only one thing that will get take your booklet project through to the end.  Only One thing that will get it written, produced, printed and sold.  Only one thing that will put money in your pocket from your booklet endeavor.  That one thing is persistence.  Without that, you’ve got nothing.

I’ve been working with some top executives in both the food manufacturing industry and in non-profit organizations.  Most of these people are very difficult to get on the phone.  Their gatekeepers have gatekeepers.  These execs are too busy to think about handling their own calls, and letting someone else do it takes the pressure off of them.

But, I’ve learned that persistence pays off, and I’ve not only been able to get through to the executives I need to speak with, but one of these execs even went so far as to give me his cell phone number.  I must admit it was both a wonderful and scary feeling at the same time.  This put our business relationship on a whole new level.  I was now “in.”  I had been given a level of trust that perhaps even the gatekeepers do not have.

If you’re not the type of person who persists until you get the results you need, either start being persistent now or forget about the booklet business.  In fact, forget about publishing all together.  You’ll never make it.  This business doesn’t require a college degree or any other kind of fancy credentials, but it does require a huge amount of persistence from the moment you begin writing.  If you have that, you’ll go all the way from idea to income.

To your riches!

Kim

Fail And Get Rich Anyway

It’s a fact that not everything you do will turn out right.  Sometimes you will fail.  That is part of being human.  The first booklet you write may not do as well as you had hoped.  It may be that your subject isn’t as well received as you expected it to be.  It might be that you’re targeting the wrong market.  Or it could even be that you finish the project and find that you aren’t as enthusiastic about the finished piece as you thought you would be.

Failure is part of the game of life.  Nobody gets it right all the time.  But, what really matters is what you do when things don’t go the way you planned.  If you give up, you’ve lost.  The best thing to do is keep writing and keep going.  If your first booklet needs to be rewritten, do it.  Chances are you’ll know what needs to be done.  If you’re targeting the wrong market, try another one.  And if you find that you really don’t want to push that booklet into the marketplace after it’s finished – don’t.

I have two booklets – my first two – that I have lost enthusiasm for.  When I wrote them I was excited about getting them out into the marketplace where they could help people.  But, now I’ve got new titles that excite me even more.  I stopped marketing those booklets.  I let them sit.  But, while they were sitting people were still looking at them and contemplating.  Then, today someone contacted me.  He’s interested in a large quantity purchase of not one title, but both of them!

You just never know.  If your booklet needs to be improved, do it now and get it back out there.  If you’ve lost enthusiasm for the project, leave it and move on.  Someone may just decide to place an order even if you aren’t marketing that title, as long as it is in a place where it can still be seen.

So go on.  Fail, and then get up and move on and get rich anyway!

To your riches!

Kim

How I Turned A No Deal Into A New Deal

One of the great things about writing booklets is that there are so many ways they can be used.  This means that when opportunity stops knocking on the door, you can open a window of opportunity.  This is illustrated by my conversation today with my contact at the food manufacturing company that told me they wanted to order 600,000 copies of my booklet.

I knew from the start that this deal might not go through.  My contact wasn’t sure it was a feasible idea.  After speaking with him today I’m fairly certain this particular deal will never see the light of day.  The problem lies with their method of production.  They hand stuff their packages, and in order to add the booklets they would have to slow down the assembly line considerably.  Even then, it is quite likely that not every package would get a booklet inside.   Many would be missed.  My contact had even briefly considered adding the booklet to only every fourth box, but he quickly realized this was not a good idea.  I agreed.

I was neither sad nor disheartened at his words.  He had already paid me the highest compliment by telling me he wanted to order so many copies of my booklet.  He had told me that he felt it was extremely well written, put together and designed.  I knew he liked my product.  He just wasn’t able to use it in the way we had planned.

My contact told me he would speak with the plant manager again just to be sure, but I’m already looking at other ways this company can use the booklet.  I know they attend industry conventions and trade shows, and I know they send sample kits to certain stores.  I know they like my booklet and they still want to use it.  In fact, my contact even told me at one point that maybe they would order some just to keep on hand in their warehouse to use whenever they wanted to.

While I feel the door is closed on the 600,000 copy deal, there are several windows of opportunity open here, which I mentioned to my contact.  Thus, my no deal is now a new deal.  The best part is that this won’t be a one time deal.  I mentioned to my contact that I’m working on two spin-offs, and he’s interested.  He indicated that he wants to be kept in the know about my new products.

When I started talking with my contact at this company, and I knew he liked my booklet, I thought it would be a one time sale.  But now, that doesn’t seem to be the case.  It appears I’m going to have the luxury of having a long time client in this company.  While the 600,000 booklet deal would have been nice, I’d much rather have a client for life than a one time customer.

I’m elated about what transpired today.  I’ll be talking with my contact again at the end of August and we’re finally going to be able to talk about money and volume, not for the original deal, but for a new one.  Today was not the end.  It was a new beginning.

Kim