9 Ways to Sell the Same Idea

“First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.” – Napoleon Hill

Since 2001, I’ve trained entrepreneurs, independent professionals, and small-business owners to use teleseminars to amplify their bottom line. And I practice what I preach. In fact, teleseminars have changed my life. On 16 separate occasions in 2006, I made more money per hour than I made in the entire year of 2001.

In my experience, teleseminars are a fast, easy, and economical way to increase your sales. Plus, you don’t need to spend extra money on marketing or advertising costs. Even better, you can conduct them from the comfort of your home, your office, a hotel room, or practically anywhere in the world.

One reason teleseminars are so profitable is that they give you fodder for making more money above and beyond what you make during the live event. This is called “repurposing” your content, or turning the audio content of your teleseminar into new and different products. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that, for entrepreneurial CEOs like me, repurposing is the most powerful moneymaking force in the information-publishing world.

Here are some ways you can turn your teleseminars into brand-new products that you can sell:

Turn Your Teleseminar Into a Hardcover Book

Creating a book out of repurposed content or creating a compilation book is an inspired way to profit. If you have anything that is collection-based, such as letters, articles, lectures, seminars, or product reviews, you can do it. Think of it as your “greatest hits” – like the many compilation albums produced by the music industry.

For instance, I turned a teleseminar about podcasting into a chapter in my book The Business Podcasting Bible, which I sell for $20.

Then Turn It Into a Softcover Book

A softcover or paperback book is the repurposing of your hardcover book. Know that a softcover is nothing more than a repurposed message that is more affordable. And I’ll tell you something – many people who purchase hardcovers also purchase softcovers.

The Business Podcasting Bible also sells as a softcover for $15.

Then Turn It Into a Digital E-book

An e-book, or electronic book, is the digital equivalent of your printed book. E-books are downloaded directly from the Internet as a PDF file, and can be read on any computer or specialized e-book reading device. Many people prefer e-books, because they can pay, download the book, and start reading it in moments. E-books satisfy the desire for instant gratification. And for you, there is no cost to print, ship, or store inventory.

When I turn products into digital e-books, I usually price them at $97 and include an audio version.

Then Turn It Into a CD or MP3

Audio is another powerful way to repurpose a physical or electronic book. People may not be able to read your hardcover book while driving to work or taking a jog around the block, but they can listen to your audio book on a CD player or MP3 player.

When I did a series of teleseminars on how to give teleseminars, I bundled the recordings into a home-study course for $997.

Then Turn It Into a Blog, E-zine, and Website

Creating a blog, e-zine, and/or website is an easy way to get your content on the Web. Everyone thinking about getting into the Internet marketing business should start with a blog or an e-zine. I prefer a blog, because it’s so simple and easy to put up, especially if you use a program called WordPress.

Google and other search engines love blogs because of the constantly updated new content. Readers love the new content, too. Give them unique, useful, free content, and lead them to your sales message – and, ultimately, to your book. The name of the game is getting your content and message to as many different markets as possible.

Even if you are technophobe like me, you can put up a blog. If you know nothing about blogging, a great place to start is emiDOMAINS.com. It has everything you need, all in one place, to get a site on the Web. You can check domain names and purchase or transfer domain names. You can also get information about website building and hosting, along with marketing tools.

I turned my teleseminar series on teleseminars into blog posts, which have resulted in the sale of thousands of dollars’ worth of my “Teleseminar Secrets” program.

Then Turn It Into Internet Articles

Internet articles are another vehicle for distributing your content to the masses. You can post your articles on your own website or in your own e-zine, or you can submit them to other electronic newsletters and article databases. Always include a short blurb about yourself at the end, with a link so readers can find your website or buy your book.

Again, I’ve turned my teleseminars into articles to post on the Internet, and that’s resulted in thousands of visitors coming to my sites and buying my products.

Want to see all of this in action? Here’s a case study of one person who turned his book into an empire:

John is an outstanding businessman, lecturer, and author, but he knows what it’s like to experience failure as well as success. He takes his own experiences and incorporates them into his lectures and books as inspiring tales of strength, courage, and character.

When lecturing and teaching around the world, John speaks of three principles that bring wealth, success, and happiness. These principles evolved into an e-book titled PowerPause that can be downloaded directly from the Internet as a PDF file. John started selling his e-book online for $19. He sold one book.

Then he decided to ask $29 for it, just for the heck of it. He sold two books. At $39, he sold a few more. Finally, when he hit $97, the book started selling well – and, to date, he’s sold more than $500,000 worth of downloads.

John initially marketed his books to the self-help audience, but it was Internet marketers who ended up buying it. Once he found a few champions in that marketplace, he had a best-seller.

PowerPause is the perfect example of repurposing. John took his lectures and repurposed them into an e-book. He then created a printed version, which he mails to people for $149. Then he created a user’s manual, which is basically a guide telling people how to do what’s in the book. Repurposing again, he sat down one weekend and recorded himself reading the book, then made the recording available online.

John speaks at seminars about PowerPause. He offers an e-class on PowerPause. At his website, PowerPauseSecrets.com, he offers special bonuses, including PowerPause – The Missing Chapters, The PowerPause Q&A (as a PDF and audio file), and PowerPause – Official Guide (also as a PDF and audio file). And soon he will be coming out with a hardcover version of PowerPause.

Instead of giving up after the e-book failed to sell at $19, John raised the price and then repurposed, repurposed, repurposed.

You can do the same thing with any book or idea. One concept can lead to other products, other information, other lectures, and other repurposing. And with each repurposing, your income increases.

Content is king on the Internet, and repurposing is the key. People go online searching for information about what interests them, and these are just some of the ways to get your message on their screens.

(By the way, this article was created out of repurposed content.)

[Ed. Note: Alex Mandossian, CEO of Heritage House Publishing Inc., has generated over $233 million in sales and profits for his clients and partners via “electronic marketing” media, such as TV infomercials, online catalogs, 24-hour recorded messages, voice/fax broadcasting, teleseminars, webinars, podcasts, and Internet marketing since 1991. Alex will be giving his insights into information marketing at ETR’s Info Marketing Bootcamp. To learn more online book marketing strategies, and to download his free e-book “5 Secrets to Making Change Now,” log on to www.AlexMandossian.com.]