Today, Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as our guest, David Mason author of Marketing Your Small Business for Big Profits.

David is the president of Mason Performance Development Inc., a Speaking, Training and Coaching company. As a Performance Development Coach and Marketing Strategist, David has worked with small business owners, entrepreneurs and sales and service professionals from around the world. He helps his clients get through the sticking points, set goals and take purposeful action towards achieving those goals.

David left behind a career as a Research Biologist to pursue his entrepreneurial urges. He has started, built and successfully sold two service businesses. This has led him to where he is now.

Good day David and thanks for participating in our interview.

It is my pleasure!

Norm:

Whom do you believe will benefit from Marketing Your Small Business for Big Profits and why? As a follow up, what makes your book different from the hundreds of other books that deal with the same subject matter?

David: 

I wrote the book for small business owners, entrepreneurs and sales & service professionals, essentially anyone who is in control of their own income.

I’ve tried to make the book as reader friendly as possible.  I purposefully wrote it as a quick read and in a conversational tone.  The fact is, 80% of non-fiction books don’t get read.  Sure people buy them and most people start reading them but most people just don’t finish them.  The reason is that unlike a fictional book there are no characters, plots and story lines that compel you to keep reading to see how the story ends.  Non-fiction books are easy to put down and not come back to.

I have also loaded the book with templates, fill-ins, lists and questionnaires that make it easy for the reader to implement the information once they have read it.

Norm:

Where did you get your information and ideas for Marketing Your Small Business for Big Profits ?

David:

Much of the information in the book comes form my own real-world experiences as a successful small business owner.

But I have also invested a great deal of money and time, criss-crossing North America meeting with the gurus and taking courses, attending seminars, trainings and intensives as part of an on-going education.

Norm:

Is there a message in Marketing Your Small Business for Big Profits that you want your readers to grasp? Why do you think this is an important book at this time?
 
David:

The main message I want my readers to get is that marketing is the life-blood of a business.  You may be the best there is at what you do, but if nobody knows about you, you may still starve.

Unlike any other time in history, this is a great time to be a small business owner… if you know what you’re doing.

Unfortunately, 80% of small businesses fail in the first year and 90% before year five.

Norm:

What motivated you to write Marketing Your Small Business for Big Profits and what has been the feedback up to now?

David:

I wrote the book for several reasons.  One reason is that I realized the importance of marketing and the ‘marketing mindset’ and I was able to benefit substantially in my own business.  Many of the failed small businesses may have been able to succeed if they only knew how to market themselves effectively.

Another reason for writing  the book was to use it as a high credibility marketing piece for my own business.  When I wrote it I had no idea that it would become an international best-seller.

I have had absolutely amazing feed back about the book all the way from the individual readers right up to some very big names in the industry.

I was very fortunate to have people like Brian Tracy, Joe Vitale and many more leaders in the marketing arena endorse the book.  I think what people like the most about the book is the simplicity and usability of the information.  The whole idea was to give people something they could use in their own business to see results.

Norm:

What challenges or obstacles did you encounter while writing your book? How did you overcome these challenges?

David:

When I wrote the book I originally had it self-published.  It was done professionally by a company with an imprint but I covered all the costs myself.

I then listed it on Amazon.com which was a daunting task.  I planned a release date that I was going to launch the book and send emails to my own lists of contacts and I had bonuses to offer if people purchased a copy of the book. 

I ran into deadline issues and the book was delivered to me the day before my launch day and I had copies sent directly to Amazon but they weren’t there in time to show as available on the website.  The cover photo did not go live until 1:30 am on the day of the launch and my press release and subsequent interviews did not happen until after the launch.

However, I was still able to pull it all off and the book became a best-seller on Amazon.com which then attracted a New York publisher, Morgan James Publishing.  I signed the book with them and the book was re-released the next year and has gone on to become an international best-seller. 

I am pleased to say that through efforts like this interview, the book makes its way into the hands of many more readers who go on to use it and see results in their own businesses.

Norm:

Do you feel that most business owners don’t use their imagination when it comes to sales?

David:

Unfortunately that is the case with many small business owners.  They fall into the ‘me-to’ trap and just do what everybody else is doing.  When this happens you just become one of the pack, with no way to stand out.

I encourage people to take the time to establish a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) that tells their potential customers or clients why they should choose them over all the other businesses offering the same product or service.  Here’s a tip with this; Honesty, Integrity and Good Quality service aren’t unique.  People expect those things from you or they wouldn’t consider you in the first place. 

I go into depth on this in the book because it is very important, but here are 3 over simplified steps to help you create a USP.

1) Make a list of all the benefits of your product or service.

2) Scratch off everything on the list except those things that your competitors aren’t saying about themselves.

3) From the smaller remaining list choose the best key benefits that you want to tell everyone about your product or service.

Now that you have this you can use it in all of your marketing efforts.

Norm:

I see you are President of Mason Performance Development Inc. What is this all about?

David:

Mason Performance Development Inc. is a speaking, training and coaching company that I started after I decided I had more to offer in life.

After a great deal of soul searching and introspection I came up with a mission statement for my life and my business.

“I help people become more successful, so that in turn I can help those that can’t help themselves, to have a better quality of life.”

I have instilled this mission into the grass roots of my business.  A portion of the profits from every book that sells goes to Habitat For Humanity, which allows those that would not otherwise get the chance, to experience the joys of home ownership.  I contribute to other charities and have plans for more enlightened philanthropy in the future.

Through my business I am available to travel worldwide to speak to or provide my workshop for your group, association or sales team.  To learn more about how I can help you or to arrange for private book signings please contact me by phone at 902-660-3070 or send an email to Dave@YourBigProfits.com.

Norm:

Are you working on any books/projects that you would like to share with us? (We would love to hear all about them!)

David:

Actually I have many irons in the fire right now.

I am a co-author along with Anthony Robbins, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Rev. Michael Beckwith and many others in a book called, Living in Abundance, which is now available and will have a major release this spring.

I am actively searching for someone in the Real Estate industry who would be interested in becoming a best-selling co-author with me as I turn my current book title into a series.  The book will be, Marketing Your Real Estate Business For Big Profits and will be published by a New York publisher with book store distribution and available on all major on-line bookstores.

I am working with a colleague in Texas on an anthology book called Rise Up Now! Taking Your Life To The Next Level.  We are seeking interested co-authors and again we promise you will become a best-selling co-author.

I am also looking for a few more exclusive clients to work one-on-one with me in my Performance Development Coaching program.  If you are ready for success and willing to do the work, I will guarantee you results.

If you are interested in any of the above projects or you are ready to take your business and your life to the next level by becoming one of my exclusive private clients, send me an email at Dave@YourBigProfits.com or call my office at 902-660-3070.

Norm:

How can our readers find out more about you and is there anything else you wish to add that we have not covered?

David:

Please visit http://www.YourBigProfits.com for more information about Marketing Your Small Business For Big Profits, my Performance Development Coaching program or an onsite workshop.

While you’re there be sure you subscribe to The Performance Development News.  It is a free weekly ezine for small business owners that want simple to use information and marketing advice that works, guaranteed!  If you sign-up now I’ll also send you the Big Profits Bonus Toolbox as my gift.

Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors.

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