You climbed your way to the top in your business sector. You have a lot to share. But you didn’t get there overnight or by accident. There was a lot of trial and error. Leaving out the errors in your business book gives a false impression to readers. It may even discourage them. After all, they make mistakes at every turn. They need a business professional to whom they can relate, someone who goofs up now and thene.
If you plan to write a business book, failure is a key ingredient. Here is how to put some failure in your business book aimed at helping others finding success.
Reflect on Your Past
The most obvious place to find failure is in your own past. Whether you’re Nobody Jones or Elon Musk, you faced plenty of bumps and setbacks in your business journey. Grab a shovel and pick axe and mine those missteps for your book.
As you do, answering the right questions helps you make the most of your mistakes.
- What caused the mistake? Did you ignore the recipe for apple pie or find out later the recipe had a wrong ingredient?
- When did you realize the mistake, and how did the goof up affect you personally and professionally?
- What lessons did you learn from those setbacks?
- How do you avoid making the same mistake today?
- What processes, such as scheduled post-mortems, do you follow to identify future failures?
- How do you prevent fear of failure from preventing experimentation and growth?
Learn from Others’ Failure
Focusing on your own failure shows you’re human. Pointing out others’ mistakes shows you’re not alone.
As mentioned previously, everyone fails now and then. Find case studies of failure and point them out to your readers. This gives your book more depth. It also helps your readers connect to your book more in one of two ways.
- It solidifies that common people face common problems. If you add in a story of failure from a friend or colleague, you show that others in your situation have faced the same obstacles to success.
- It proves that experts aren’t exceptions. If you’re not a household name, add in case studies featuring famous folks. Their experience lends credibility to yours. It also shows that the greats struggle on the way to the top.
Whether highlighting mistakes made by friends or celebrities, give the failing individual the same treatment you give yourself. Present their failures and illustrate how they overcame those mistakes and moved forward.
Put Failure Where It Fits
Unless you were born walking, you’ve probably experienced failure of some sort throughout your career. If you’re going to write an honest business book, you should sprinkle those failures throughout.
In addition, you may want to include a section or chapter about common failures. Just be careful. Too much failure can sow seeds of doubt in your readers. Do this, and they may put your book down feeling discouraged. That means they won’t tell others about your book, because it didn’t transform their lives in a positive way.
To avoid this, keep positive. Make sure the number of pages concerning success outweighs those focused on failure. Because while failure is unavoidable, there are ways to avoid it. And that’s why you’re writing your book.
Looking for help writing a transformative business book that includes the right balance of success and failure? I’m the Southern Ghostwriter, and I’m here to help. Contact me to learn about collaborating on your business book.