I had never been to a book launch before I went to my own. So I didn’t really know what went on. Therefore I didn’t know how to run one!
I’ve just looked up best practices on the internet now – not sure why I didn’t do that before. But frankly, there isn’t anything particularly creative there. And I do like to be creative!
So I made it up. I did what I wanted to do rather than following anyone else’s model. What a good reminder for so much in life – not doing things a certain way, just because everyone else has done it that way.
For my first book launch in May 2020, it couldn’t be like anyone else’s book launch anyway, as it had to move from face-to-face to virtual, as we went into lockdown. As far as I know, no-one had ever done a virtual book launch before, so I had no-one to copy even if I wanted to.
How exciting, a blank sheet of paper. Also a little daunting. How could I make it my own? How could I engage people? How could I send them away saying that was 60 minutes well spent?
I realise that it’s as much about the photos you take on the day to share on social media as it is about the event itself. But I have certain principles that I adhere to when I am designing workshops, so I wanted to do the same here. Lectures just don’t cut it, from an engagement point of view. Here’s what I say on my website, which I wanted to inform these book launches too:
What it’s like working with Clare Norman Coaching Associates
Whether we are online or face-to-face
…our style is:
- nurturing and stretching
- engaging and learner-centred
- creative, tapping into the physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual parts of your personal wisdom
- compassionate and consistent
- witnessing you as a unique individual
- generous
- in partnership
- adult-to-adult
- richly insightful, based on years of experience.
When we’re online and virtual…
…we use Zoom (we’ve been using it for years). It works well, and we use the breakout rooms and chat facilities to replicate what we also do in a face-to-face situation. Our experience working in an online environment tells us that people like the flexibility and the learner-experience that we create. We also use Zoom’s recording facilities – so useful for looking back at a session to review and identify strengths and stretches. We take frequent brain-breaks to re-oxygenate, re-hydrate, re-fresh and rest the eyes.
The one thing we miss with online sessions are the social catch-ups over coffee, as everyone moves to their respective kitchens. So we purposefully integrate time for one-to-one social time to get to know each other away from the screen. This might be between sessions or within the session.
When working one-to-one, we also work with audio only (good old-fashioned phone) as it enables you to walk and talk, which has been proven to improve your thinking capacity by 60%.
When we’re face to face, in person…
Our style is… no different! But if you come to us, the space is different. Light, airy, spacious, private, quiet, away from your usual thinking space to promote new thinking, memorable and with healthy brain food.
We are in the midst of the New Forest, so a great place to retreat. With nature all around us, you get to experience the greens and blues of forest, open sky and sea. Green is calming, stress-relieving, and encourages creativity. Blue is associated with freedom, intuition, imagination, inspiration, vision and sensitivity.
We think that is important because they stimulate learning and growth.
Because ultimately, we want you to connect with your full potential as a human being, who creates a ripple effect out into the world around you.
Our design principles for group work (adapted from Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Brown & Roediger and McDaniel)
So if this is what I say on my website about service quality, I felt I needed to live up to this in this different kind of event, to be completely aligned and congruent.
Ok, so my guests wouldn’t have been expecting learning or having to try hard or to retrieve information, nor would they be coming back so there was no spacing. In fact, they might be downright annoyed if I pushed and prodded them into working and thinking hard in this setting. But I did want them to feel fully engaged. And my outcome was for them to all buy – and promote – the book! As well as for me to have material for social media that would hopefully encourage others to buy the book.
So that’s what informed the agendas for my three book launches. If you were there, I hope I succeeded in fully engaging you. And whether you were there or not, I hope you have – or will – buy the book and then shout about it to every coach you know.
My request is that as soon as you read the new book (please don’t leave it languishing on your bookshelf!), you write a review on Amazon if you feel so inclined. It’s easy to do, right here:
And if you are moved to do so, take a picture of yourself with the book and post your review on Linked In for your followers with a link to the book on Amazon.
Thank you!
