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A business card is just a piece of trash that will be thrown away. ~Me

It’s true—every business card (after it ends up in a drawer, purse, or pocket) eventually gets tossed. Maybe you enter the contact information into your phone first. Maybe you don’t.

Instead, imagine what happens to a book.

A professionally published book (with your name on the cover, your methodology inside, and your expertise distilled into pages of valuable insights) never gets thrown away. The recipient may put it on their shelf or TBR pile, but eventually they read it, share it, or don’t. No matter what, it’s still out in the world, waiting to fall into the right hands.

And whether they realize it or not, the recipient has already made a critical judgment about you: This person is an author, an authority.

THE SHELF LIFE OF CREDIBILITY

Here’s one of the coolest things about books: They are working when you’re not. Yup, 24/7/365, my friend.

Your book sits on someone’s desk, on their bookshelf, in their office. Every time they see it, they think of you, every visitor who notices it might ask about it, and (this is my favorite part) every conversation it sparks is a conversation about you and your expertise. Pretty cool, amiright?

I’ve had clients tell me that prospective clients called them years after receiving their book—when they finally had a need that matched the author’s expertise. This happened to me in 2024—a client hired me after reading one of my books in 2016.

We both know that kind of longevity doesn’t happen from a business card.

THE PROVISORS ADVANTAGE

The ProVisors network is built on referrals and relationships. A book amplifies both.

When a fellow ProVisors member refers you, your book becomes the bridge. It’s infinitely easier for them to hand someone your book than to explain what you do and why you’re the best choice. A boutique consulting firm generated $420,000 in new business within six months—from referrals driven by their book. My own business has generated almost $1.5M in new business within 16 months of publication.

WHAT A BOOK DOES THAT A BUSINESS CARD SIMPLY CANNOT

A well-crafted positioning book accomplishes what no business card ever could:

• It establishes your methodology. Prospective clients see how you think before they ever meet you.

• It pre-qualifies prospects. By the time they call you, they’re ready to engage you.

• It justifies premium pricing. A Trusted Advisor I worked with raised her hourly rate from $350 to $500 within 60 days of publication—without any client pushback.

• It opens doors that business cards cannot. Authors get invited to speak, appear in the media, serve on boards, and get invited into otherwise closed rooms.

HERE’S MY REAL QUESTION

How long will you keep handing out business cards while your competitors hand out authority?

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Ready to become the obvious choice for your prospective clients? Get your complimentary copy of Your Book Means Business at BookHip.com/FZHRJAL (or send me a message with your best U.S. mailing address and I’ll send you a hardcover copy).

Schedule time to chat with me right here: https://fantastical.app/honoree/provisors-1-1

I’m Honorée Corder, 68-time author & Executive Book Producer, helping Trusted Advisors craft books that attract premium clients.