Founded two years ago, Highspot Inc. is a Toronto marketing and consulting firm that shows freelancers and small business owners how to use self-published books to highlight their professional expertise and capabilities to potential clients. While Highspot teaches its clients how to create and use a variety of “knowledge products”—from seminars and newsletters to audio programs—the company emphasizes the power of a well-produced book to highlight a client's strengths.
“Small businesses need to stand out,” Highspot cofounder Jennifer Tribe, told PW. “One way to do that is with a book.” Highspot provides expertise in creating editorial content and managing the production and promotion of the book. The firm teaches its clients how to focus and document their professional knowledge to create useful content, and then manages the creation of content and the book production, putting together a team of editors, copyeditors and designers, in addition to finding a printer. Highspot oversees getting the books on Amazon and has used Baker & Taylor for distribution.
“Our clients want to reach a specific audience of hard-to-reach people,” said Highspot cofounder Ross Slater. “When you create a book, you have to set out your values clearly. Books offer wide distribution and longevity—people don't usually throw books out,” Slater said. “Most people would want to hire the person who's 'written the book on the topic,' ” he quipped.
Tribe, a former journalist and marketing consultant, said the firm has “a steady stream of business despite the current economy,” and said they get many clients through word of mouth. Slater's expertise is in management consulting and he is a entrepreneurial coach. Highspot clients range from lawyers (Bringin' in the Rain: A Woman Lawyer's Guide to Business Development by Sara Holtz) to business consultants (Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman) and self-improvement consultants (The Banker and the Fisherman: Lessons in Life, Happiness, and Wealth for the 21st Century by Ronald W. Rogé with Rosanne Rogé and Steven M. Rogé).
Through its Web site, Highspot provides a blog with updates on how to promote the content produced by its clients. The blog offers tips on everything from how to sell separate book chapters by download (“It pays to look for ways to repackage”) to making use of online social networks like Twitter (“it can help you find out what people are talking about before it becomes news”). While Slater calls books “the ultimate leveraging tool,” he also sounded a note of caution for the book industry in general. “Books are the perfect tool for marketing to a demographic aged about 35 to 80 years old. Younger than 35, you need interactivity or video—not a book. So the book industry will face some challenges in the future.”
