To Help Yourself, You Must First Help Others
Steven E, a book publisher and the bestselling author of “Wake Up…Live the Life You Love” series, has over 20 books in print. Fourteen of those books have been bestsellers. He is one of the leading experts in the movie “Pass It On”, and he lives his life helping people awaken to their full potential on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level.
Finding your life’s purpose early is the best thing you can do for yourself. When Steven E was 21 years old, he heard an inner voice telling him to write a book. The voice was so strong, it awakened him from his sleep. He wrote a book, and he knew right from the start it would sell millions. Now he publishes books, has CDs and scheduled speaking engagements.
It’s magical the way people start showing up in your life to help you when you’ve found your purpose. Steven helps others so he can help himself, and he believes it will work for everyone. He first tried this method by recruiting 55 people to contribute to a book he was writing. In what he calls “team publishing,” everyone was able to get published at the same time.
Compare team publishing to opening a new business with investors. Imagine you’re opening a coffee shop. All of your investors will surely invite their friends and family to the grand opening, and you’ll reap the profits and word of mouth advertising to follow. Book publishing is the same way. Everyone who contributes to your book will tell everyone they know about it. Sales are almost guaranteed.
Steven E believes the key is to help others first. When he introduces himself, he says, “Hi. I’m Steven. How can I help you?” This introduction catches people off guard and breaks the ice. They’re free to find out who you are and how you can be of benefit to them. At the same time, you can devise a way to help yourself by helping them.
When you find out what others need, helping them will form a bond with them. They will refer you to all of their contacts and help you get noticed by jointly setting up speaking engagements, book publishing, and so on. This type of marketing can even be seen in the small business world. Perhaps you’re a massage therapist? Offer your services to people free of charge. They will tell all of their friends about you, and you’ll soon have more clients.
If you plan to publish a book, be aware that major publishers only pick up major authors. It’s rare to see an unknown rise to the top of a major publishing company. Steven E says you’ll almost always have to self-publish. You’re going to need to figure out your own marketing strategy, and his advice is to start small with a business card approach. If you hand out a business card, you’re just another face in the crowd. If you hand out a book, you’re an “expert.”
Handing out books helps set you up for residual incomes. People are much more likely to talk about your book than they would be to talk about your business card. Build even more credibility by contributing to a major author’s book. You’ll help the major author add content and perspective to his work, and at the same time, your name will be seen by people who otherwise would never know you.
