What to do? They could have thrown more money at their advertising, but in some ways that wasn’t really the answer. What they did next was so creative and really thinking through to the solution.
They decided to get people in their cars and on the road! First they developed a map book which they provided free at gas stations. They were super popular, and they took the guides one step further and created guides on where to stay, eat, shop and go in different cities. This time they sold them. Today you can still purchase the Michelin guides, and not only have they got folks out and about, driving their cars and wearing down those tires, but the guides have become another revenue stream.
When I first heard this story, I was really impressed with their creativity and I could also see how we can use their example in our own businesses. It all gets back to having a book as a platform.
Like Michelin, entrepreneurs can use a book to drive traffic to their main business. A book is one way to showcase your expertise, to give people a glimpse into the person behind the business persona, and at the same provide useful information that can help people.
Now let’s be clear here, unless you have a best seller on your hands, and I mean a real best seller not a # 1 on an Amazon obscure category, books are not a get-rich plan.
But they can open doors and lead to opportunities that can make you money through increased awareness of what you do and what you offer. Adding “author” to your list of achievements, gives you credibility.
So if you are looking at ways to have potential clients ‘see the light’ consider writing a book – who knows, like Michelin, it could become the start of a whole new, long term project, one that makes for constant name recognition, and that is never a bad thing.
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