Writing a book to build your authority as an HR professional.

Writing a book allows you to share your unique insights, experiences, and knowledge, further solidifying your status as an expert.

The most well-known and highly valued people in every industry are those who have successfully built authority in their niche. They’ve positioned themselves as experts through consistent effort, high-quality work, and strategic visibility. Often, they don’t need to chase clients anymore: the clients come to them, seeking their expertise and guidance.

So what does writing a book have to do with it?

Published content like a book creates ownership over your chosen niche or micro-niche, and tells the world that you are an authority in your field. It’s no coincidence that the word ‘authority’ contains the word ‘author’!

Writing a book allows you to share your unique insights, experiences, and knowledge, further solidifying your status as an expert.

But don’t just take my word for it. Many successful HR professionals have found that having a book to their name has significantly helped them build their authority.

One such professional is Jill Aburrow , a qualified HR expert with 30 years’ experience. Jill runs Heartfelt HR, providing small businesses with generalist HR advice, and also works directly with HR teams in larger companies to support their redundancy programmes. She wrote and published her first book, ‘Redundancy with Love: Getting it Right for Your People and Your Business,’ in 2023.

“Writing the book has given me credibility in my industry,” says Jill. In this blog post, we’ll explore how – and how writing and publishing a book could build your authority too.

Why should I write a book to build my authority as an HR professional?

Jill initially decided to write her book because she had an important message to share. “I wanted employers to understand that there is a kind and compassionate way of dealing with redundancy, which brings better results for everyone involved.”

In showcasing her expertise in handling redundancies with compassion, Jill positioned herself as a trusted expert in the field of HR consulting. This strategic move increased her visibility, boosted her lead generation, and enhanced her sales and repeat business. What’s more, it significantly built her authority by:

Differentiating herself from other HR consultants

Jill is a redundancy expert, and she collaborates with employers who want to treat people with kindness and compassion. That’s a strong brand. Having a book gives her the platform to showcase that brand, so readers understand the values and approach they will be working with when they hire her or her firm.

Building her confidence

The writing process teaches you a lot about your own expertise! As Jill says, “It has proved to me and the world that I know what I am talking about.” That’s precisely what building authority is about. Jill’s book delivered an extra boost to her credibility and self-confidence when it was shortlisted for the Business Book Awards 2024.

By writing her book, not only was Jill able to convey her important message, but she also positioned herself as a leading authority in her niche.

Does writing a book increase your lead generation results?

Nothing sells you like a book. It’s a more in-depth marketing tool than an ad or an email campaign, and more efficient than arranging multiple face-to-face meetings.

Jill sends her book to current and potential clients and interested parties, often for free. By sharing her book, she provides an opportunity for potential clients to learn more about the value of her HR consultancy services before they decide to buy. This approach allows her to establish a connection with her prospects, showcasing her expertise and insights more broadly and deeply than she could otherwise do.

But a book doesn’t just help you make sales: it can also help pre-qualify your leads.

If someone reads Jill’s book and then approaches her about working together, Jill knows that they’re likely to be a good match – that handling redundancy with kindness and compassion is as important to the employer as it is to Jill.

There’s also a multiplier effect at play here. Jill’s book has led to articles, podcasts, and speaking engagements, which in turn have led to more leads and sales.

What topics make the best books for HR professionals?

If your book is going to bring in clients, you need to start thinking about those clients well before you start to write. That’s how you decide on the book you’re going to write: it’s the book that your ideal client needs to read.

Think about the 3 Ps of Position: the Person, the Pain and the Promise.

• Person: who is your ideal client? What industry do they work in, and what’s their role in it? What’s their income or turnover? What might be their motivation(s) for using your services?
• Pain: what is the central question or problem you solve for your clients?
• Promise: what solution will your readers find in this book, and how will it make them want to come to you for more?

The answers to these questions will help you define the book you need to write, and to understand how it ties in with the services you offer.

Jill’s ideal client, her person, is an HR professional – or someone fulfilling HR services in a very small organisation – who wants to treat their employees kindly.

She noticed a common pain point that she could address with her expertise: that many employers struggled with managing redundancies in a compassionate and effective manner.

Her book promises to address this specific issue, providing practical guidance on how to handle redundancies in a way that benefits both employees and businesses. By addressing a critical and relevant topic, Jill ensured that her book would be valuable to her audience.

Think about your ideal client and a challenge they experience within the HR space that you could address with your expertise. It might relate to:

• Customising solutions: developing tailored HR solutions that meet the unique needs of each client.
• Keeping up with regulations: staying updated with constantly changing labour laws and HR regulations.
• Managing expectations: balancing client expectations with what is feasible and compliant.
• Delivering ROI: demonstrating to clients the return on investment of their HR solutions.

Will writing a book transform your HR business?

A successful book is one that does for you what Jill’s book has done for her: increasing her credibility in the HR industry, boosting her self-confidence, and providing her with tangible proof of her expertise.

Jill’s book has also opened doors to new opportunities, such as media features and speaking engagements, which have expanded her reach, influence, and sales. Overall, the book has significantly enhanced her professional reputation and contributed to the growth of her consultancy business.

Your book is only going to be a success if it reaches the people who need to read it: defining and understanding your audience is everything.

Book Magic AI gives you a framework to follow, using the 3 Ps of Position, to effectively plan your book. It also provides the support and structure you need to get your book written, edited and published, so you can start building your credibility as a published author.

Want to build your authority as an HR professional with a book that adds real value for your ideal clients and showcases your expertise? Get started with Book Magic AI here.