Bob Baker's Book Promotion Blog

How to Make Instant Connections with Authors & Experts

Many people who aspire to accomplish things in life get dejected because they focus on perceived obstacles -- usually in the context of what they DON'T have.

"Sure, I could make a lot more progress with this project," they complaint, "if I only had more money" or "more experience" or "more free time."

(Hint: Proactive people get things done every day with no money, no experience and little free time. So get over that silly hurdle right now.)

Another scapegoat often used is "if I only had more connections ..." -- and that's what I want to address with this post. How do you get people -- especially authors, experts, bloggers, and other thought leaders in your field -- to know about you and even correspond with you?

There are many ways. You can attend their live events and attempt to meet them. You can hire them if they offer consulting services. You can try to have a mutual friend connect you.

Or, you can do what author Debra Atwood did and use a simple technique I call "shining the light on others" to expand your network.

You see, Debra recently bought a copy of my book, "55 Ways to Promote & Sell Your Book on the Internet." In one section I write about how I've connected with a number of prominent authors over the years.

It's a very sneaky and complex method, which I will reveal to you now. Grab a notebook. Here goes ...

I write or record something about a person I admire and respect. It could be a book review, a riff on a recent blog post he or she published, or simply some genuine praise about how the person has impacted my life.

I post this content as either a blog post, an audio podcast, or a video -- depending on what format seems appropriate.

Then ... here comes the sneaky and complex part ... I send an email to the person letting them know that I just posted something about them, and I provide a link to the item in the email. I don't ask for anything in return. I simply post something about them and let them know.

There you have it.

Okay, I guess it wasn't that sneaky or complex after all. The truth is, most effective actions in life are actually quite simple.

Another effective thing smart people do is take action on good ideas when they come across them -- and that's what Debra Atwood did. She took the simple idea she found in my book and used it ... on me!

Here's the email she sent me the other day:

Hi Bob,

I wanted to let you know I favorably reviewed your book on my blog -- and am telling you about it because of the advice contained in your book!

Here is the link:
http://peninherhand.wordpress.com/tag/resources-for-writers/

Thanks for a great book!


Sweet. That's what I mean by shining the light on others to expand your network.

Will everyone you contact respond? No. Will everyone you write about return the favor with a blog post like this? No.

Is this unselfish practice worth doing? Absolutely! It's helped me make many valuable connections over the years - and many of them have grown into rewarding relationships.

Think about it ... then put this practice to good use!

I welcome your thoughts and encourage you to leave a comment below.

-Bob

P.S. Did you enjoy this blog post? Get my latest book promotion tips delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my Full-Time Author ezine -- filled with lots of author career-building advice. Go grab your free subscription now.

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7 Comments:

  • Wow! That was fun to read. Thanks for the shout out. And yes, I love your sneaky approach. I never would have had the nerve to email you if I hadn't read it in your book, but it's been a great experience. I look forward to keeping up with your work and following your tips!

    By Anonymous Deb Atwood, At Thursday, November 17, 2011  

  • Don't forget, your very own assistant created a relationship with you this exact way!

    For those of you who don't know I (Kendra - Bob's assistant) wanted to connect with Bob. So I went to a live event he held, introduced myself and then over a few years built a friendship with him.

    This tactic DOES work...I've used it over and over! And it's created a great deal of connections, and very valuable one's at that!

    By Anonymous Kendra, At Thursday, November 17, 2011  

  • Thanks, Deb! And thanks, Kendra!

    Actually, Kendra ... The amount of time between first meeting you and asking you to be my assistant was less than two years - about 20 months.

    Of course, you had to be totally awesome, friendly, cool and reliable for things to progress to that level :-)

    Great to see this simple idea put to good use in all directions. Yup, it works!

    By Blogger Bob Baker, At Thursday, November 17, 2011  

  • Good and simple idea Bob!

    Thanks for sharing this with us!!

    Cheers.

    By Anonymous Regisson Silva, At Friday, November 18, 2011  

  • Bob, you exposed my secret! But I forgive you. Many of these experts and authors have Google Searches out for their names and manage to find posts about them that way, too. I've been surprised a few times to hear from authors I never thought to contact. And, of course, many are on Twitter and find when you mention their names there (to make it easy for them, find their Twitname and mention it in your tweet).

    By Anonymous Linda Austin, At Friday, November 18, 2011  

  • Know what else I love about this approach? Unless you're willing to be totally inauthentic (none of your readers would be in that category, I'm sure) it gives you a great incentive to find the value in the person and their message. So your point of connection isn't just "you're somebody important and I need to know you" but "you have added value to my life and I have shown my appreciation." Congrats to Deb for being totally authentic AND transparent about what inspired her to write and to you for inspiring her to do so!

    By Blogger Dixie Gillaspie, At Sunday, November 20, 2011  

  • I can't wait to see where DIY takes us in the next few years. What a sneaky approach. Reach out to people.Who would have thought?? lol

    FYI Bob I mention you on FB a few minutes ago.
    https://www.facebook.com/SoundShopMobileRecording

    By Blogger The Sound Shop Mobile Recording, At Monday, November 05, 2012  

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