How to Sell Your Book Without Sounding Salesy

You walk onto the car lot… and instantly your guard goes up.

The salespeople start circling, flashing those big white smiles, and suddenly, you’re suspicious of everyone. Why?

It feels pushy. It feels manipulative. And you can’t shake the nagging thought that someone’s just trying to hustle you into signing on the dotted line.

That exact same feeling creeps in on podcasts and webinars when you spend too much time pitching your book.

But here’s the good news: podcasts and webinars aren’t car lots. They’re incredible vehicles for sparking curiosity – if you approach them the right way.

Your job isn’t to sell the book.

Here’s how to do it…

Ideas First, Book Second

First things first…

Rather than telling people all about your new book, focus on the ideas within the book.  Help your listeners really understand the concepts and how they can impact their lives.

Make the listeners want to learn more.

This tactic makes sense when you think about the motivation that leads people to hit play on a podcast.  They aren’t thinking...

“Hmm… I’m going to listen to this episode and see if I want to buy the book.” 

Instead, they’re thinking...

“I’m curious what insights I can gain from this person.” 

That’s why you need to first serve your listener with value and leave the book as a mere supporting character.  Done right, people naturally want to take the next step, grab your book, and learn more.

I was just listening to a podcast yesterday where they were interviewing a musician who was releasing a new album.  

(Rachael freaked out a bit when I shared this because she thought it was the Taylor Swift interview everyone is buzzing about. Sorry, Rachael – no Swifties here. Just some guy talking about jazz fusion.) 

Anyway, they kept talking about how phenomenal the new album is.  The host did a great job of asking about the inspiration behind some of the songs.  Eventually, I was so inspired to go check out the new release.

The album in this case is a supporting character.  It’s the stories behind that album that are featured at the forefront of the conversation.  The whole episode is more of a case study than a commercial.

Sneak In the Book (Like a Ninja)

Just because you’re not hard selling your book, it doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to casually reference it when it makes sense.

For instance, you might say:

“One of my favorite chapters in BOOKNAME HERE, starts on page 99 and talks about XYZ.”

Then you can tell the story behind the message that is shared on those pages.  Give context for how the contents will apply to the listener’s life. There are several speakers who do this exceptionally well.  

For instance, when Brené Brown came out with her book on vulnerability, she did many podcasts that talked about the ideas behind her TEDxTalk.  She wasn’t constantly telling people to buy her book, but they did anyway.

Ann Handley is another example.  Her witty stories leave listeners asking themselves if they could learn even more if they grabbed a copy of her book Everybody Writes.

And finally, Malcolm Gladwell.  Every time I’ve ever seen him speak, he includes these irresistible stories that people can relate to.  It makes the podcast listeners curious about his book so they can learn even more.

Sticky Phrases = Sticky Sales

When you’re describing the ideas in your book, be sure to use memorable phrases and really smart frameworks that stand out in the listener’s mind.

The term “Deep Work” is one such phrase used by Cal Newport when he goes onto podcasts.  It’s a sticky phrase that makes people want to learn more.  When your idea is well branded, it’s easier for the listener to remember.

Personally, I do this by naming the ideas in my speeches… the Loyalty Loop and Cube of Creativity are two examples.  These ideas become the hooks that lead directly to book sales.