In an earlier post I talked about your book being your “ultimate” business card. Many of the people I network with love this idea but they have a really tough time coming up with a topic to write about. Several of them are in businesses that offer multiple products or services. Take for example my financial planner. He offers retirement planning, estate plannning, tax planning, investment options, life insurance and on and on. How can he decide exactly what topic is going to resonate with his existing and prospective clients? How can you?

Astute Authors Ask

There are several methods that you can use but by far the easiest is to ask.

First, you can ask your existing clients what areas of your business they have the most difficulty understanding.  Let them know that you’re asking because you want to write a book to help not only them but others who may have the same issues. They’ll be happy to share their opinions.

Second, you can ask your existing social or physical networks either with a straight question or using a poll service like Survey Monkey to suggest topics and see what ranks highest.

But most important you should ask yourself. You know more about your business than anyone else. After all, you’ve spent years learning. Just think about your business day to day. What are people always asking you? Take a piece of paper and jot down the top ten questions that you get asked. Now look at those questions and ask yourself – what are the top ten questions people SHOULD be asking me that they seldom do?

Bingo! The answers to the questions that seldom get asked are more than likely the most valuable information you have to share. Build your book around those answers and you’ll truly have a book that is beneficial to the people who receive it and sets you apart as the “go to” person for your industry!