What could you imagine to be the biggest and most powerful business card you can carry? I bet you thought of those giant checks that non-profits produce as a photo op with their donors… come on tell the truth! You know those checks that take 4 people to hold? Now you have the picture? Well… that’s not it! 

The biggest and most powerful business card is a book… yes a book! I have been advising clients for 20 years… "Write a book, it gives you instant credibility." That statement has never been truer. With e-books and on-demand printing it makes it easier than ever to produce a book. In addition distribution is no longer a challenge, and the channels are global. If someone had told me years ago that I would sell books in Africa, Spain, Canada, Argentina or Australia… I would have thought they were smoking something. But, today it is true. The world is small when it comes to content distribution and books are no exception.

Here are six reasons lawyers should consider writing a book…

1. You will become known as an expert in your practice area… without using the word expert as some State Bars prohibit.

2. You will build credibility… without bragging. It is a way to let potential clients understand how you think.

3. It is a competitive advantage… when "you have written the book on it"... chances are the competition can’t say the same.

4. It will increase your visibility… when you are distributed on Amazon, you have a global reach. And everything you do to promote the book will increase your visibility.

5. It will get you invitations to speak and be interviewed… when you speak on your practice area you are perceived as an authority.

6. Last but not least, it will make your Momma proud… just ask mine. I took her to Washington DC with me when I received the 2006 Business Breakthrough Book of the Year. It was fun and yes, she was proud.

Okay… it goes without saying that you need to write a good book that your target audience wants to read and filled with valuable information they can understand. There are a few formats that can help you create a book in no time.

1. The Question and Answer Format – What questions do clients ask you? Make a list and it will become the outline for your book.

2. The Most Common Mistakes Format – I’m sure you already have a long list of things you tell your clients…  "NEVER DO". 

3. The Collection of Stories Format – I know that some of you don’t talk about your cases or transactions… you don’t think others would be interested…. but I want to tell you, as I have said many times, story telling helps people remember what you do and how you do it. 

4. A Collection of Your Blog Posts or Articles Format – This one is really easy… just re-purpose your content.

This, my friends is THE biggest and most powerful business card I have… and I have THREE (working on my fourth.) Believe me if they were not powerful business development tools… do you think I would be working on my fourth? To be successful you have to invest in business development and I will tell you books are a long term investment that will pay off… if done right.