Adding (Core) Value: Remembering Who You Are . . .

By Michael Drew - Apr 30 , 2008

. . . When You Don’t Know Where You’re Headed

Hurricane season doesn’t start until the beginning of June.

Yet some of you agents, publishers, authors, and promoters probably feel like you’re already looking into the eye of the storm. Keeping your business on course during a recession is hard enough. But when consumer confidence plummets at the same time, and a wind called Technology blows the entire book industry adrift, it gets awfully tricky trying to determine which way you’ll be heading when the storm dies down.

Are you searching for a lighthouse to fix your position on? Remember, no matter how choppy the Sea of Change gets, your Core Values will be your lighthouse and will never lead you astray. Strong brands embody strong core values. Like Harley Davidson and freedom. Like Apple and self-empowerment. Like Jimmy Buffett and fun. Like you and …

Like you and what? What are your core values, anyway? I’ve provided you with a partial list (below) to get you started on what I think is an extremely value-able exercise. What I’d like you to do is go through the list and choose the seven that you hold higher than the rest in your own life (if you don’t see one you’re looking for on this list, feel free to add it on your own):

Guess what. Not only do you use these seven core values to run your life, but you also use them to run your book business. It is utterly impossible not to take them to work with you. They’re a part of your fiber and, whether you realize it or not, they guide almost every decision you make. Your customers can see evidence of them. But which one of these core values do you do the best job of delivering to them?

Did you identify it? Congratulations. You’ve just found your lighthouse. Make decisions around it. Construct policies and procedures that support it. Create a message about it. In fact, create many messages about it, and make them stand out. Let it be your guide as you navigate the choppy waters of the Sea of Change.

After all, it’s gotten you this far, hasn’t it?

Questions about how to stay relevant in a changing book industry may be directed to Michael R. Drew at the Austin, Texas, headquarters of Promote A Book: 512-858-0040. You can also contact Michael via email at michael@promoteabook.com.