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Passageways to Profits: A regular column of advice on making your publishing company more profitable. This issue: "Marketing the Back-End." (Part 2)

Last time, veteran information marketer Fred Gleek explained the concepts of "front-end" and "back-end" sales in relation to self-published books. In this installment he describes some "back-end" product options and explains how they are produced.

by Fred Gleeck

Here is a look at the different kinds of products you might produce.

Audio Products
You have 3 primary ways to produce audio products.

Option #1:

Record the program by yourself. You speak into a mike and record the program on your own. This can be done very inexpensively. If you are just starting out you can do this with a very inexpensive recording device sitting in your living room. I did! This is not the preferred way to do things.

Why? It is very difficult for people to listen to just one person (no matter how articulate), talking "at" you on tape. Even highly paid professional voice-over artists have a hard time keeping people interested.

My suggestion is to go with one of the other options.

Option #2:

Do your audio program in an interview format. Take your information and create a detailed outline. Use this outline as the basis for the questions that your interviewer will ask you. For this to work with a fairly skeletal outline you will need someone who is quick on their feet and has a knowledge of your field.

This method is excellent keeping people's attention. Often those who are listening would have wanted to ask the same question that your interviewer did. This gives the listeners a feeling that the interviewer is their surrogate.

Doing an audio recording way manner also makes it possible to control the environment and create a high quality audio recording. You can record it in an audio studio or another, less expensive option where you can keep the noise to a minimum.

Option #3:

Record a live seminar. If done correctly, this is often your best option. The problem is cost.

To do it correctly, you need to make sure and have a GREAT audio recording device. Additionally, you need to make sure your audience is properly miked. Audios where this is not done will create a lot of frustration on the part of your listeners. Questions asked by the audience are often inaudible. This is a major problem.

Make sure and repeat questions asked by your audience members in addition to gettting a great recording.

Newsletters
Let me caution you in advance about newsletters. They are a LOT of work!

If you choose to do them, make sure and try and get subscribers to agree to digital delivery. If you have to print and mail to each one your subscribers, you will have a monthly nightmare. I do! But I'm quickly trying to make it stop.

Don't try and do it all yourself. Get others to write articles for your newsletter. This will ease the burden on you in MOST cases. Occasionally, the writing is so bad you are better off writing it yourself. Either that or you are dealing with a prima donna who wastes a lot of your time.

Include lots of samples. People subscribe to newsletters to receive highly useable information. Make sure and give this to them. Seminars
Seminars can be a dangerous business if you don't know what you're doing. I heard a recent story about a guy who lost $30,000 on a seminar. He justified it by saying that it was "good for his positioning." Positioning for what? Bankruptcy?

This is crazy! I have never done a seminar that has lost money.

Like videos, this is another area where you should get help from experts. You CAN do seminars very inexpensively if you do it right. The way to do this is to capture email addresses and cut your mailing cost to zero!

You will also want to look for joint venture opportunities with others who have a customer base that is similar to your own. The traditional split is 50-50 of the seminar fee. This makes a lot of sense because these are attendees that you could not have gotten without access to his/her database. And think about it--it doesn't cost you a lot of money to put out a few extra chairs.

Video Products
No matter whether they are going to end up on video tapes, CdRoms, or on the Web, you need to "capture" your video images first. I would not recommend that you try and do this yourself. Most people who do create a product that looks very amateurish.

To create a good video you need two key elements. First, a great script. Second, a good production crew.

If you are a great writer, you MAY be able to write the script for your video. For most people this might be a component to "job out." Very few people, even talented writers can write scripts that will make a great video.

Over the past 15 years, I have produced over 100 how-to videos. I learned the business from a good friend of mine who was a professional video producer. He taught me some very important lessons that I have used to produce my own videos.

You shouldn't try to get into another business. Concentrate on what you do best!

High End Consulting
Consulting work will inevitably result from following the system I suggest here. Very few successful consultants go out trying to sell their consulting services directly. When people do call you and want you to do consulting work, you will want to have a few things available.

Testimonials are your most effective means of promoting and selling your consulting services. No four-color brochure will ever have near the impact of a large stack (that you will have at some point) of glowing letters about you and your work. Anytime you do any work for anyone, make sure and ask for a letter. Volunteer to write it for them and have them sign it.

When someone does expresses interest in you as a consultant, be sure to follow-up. Be persistent, but not pushy. No one wants to work with someone who appears to NEED the work.

Conclusion
If you haven't yet finished your book, start producing some "back-end" products. Start with those that are inexpensive to produce.

Include a catalogue in the back of your book. If your book is already printed, include an insert that bribes people to contact you. Also, include a bounce-back offer in your book.

By way of review, I again stress the following:

Your database is your most important asset. Capture all the names you can and more specifically, capture email addresses. Email is the least expensive of all contact options.

Automate your process. All of this "stuff" is great to do, but you need to make it easy for yourself. I suggest you check out a site called WebMarketingMagic.com.

Fred Gleeck has been an information marketer for 15 years. He is a speaker, author and consultant. He coaches authors and publishers on how to dramatically increase their revenues through a variety of creative and non-traditional means. His new book, Self Publishing for Maximum Profit will be out later this year.