Learn Amazon Marketing Tips For Your Business With Shawn Chhabra :Eventual Millionaire

Author, Entrepreneur, Educator, Podcaster, Book Coach and Business Guru – Shawn Chhabra

The way Shawn spots trends and predicts where things are going. (is it gut, is it data, or something else?) The little “trick” Shawn uses to get people read his books. (And how they become bestsellers.) How was Shawn able to build a profitable business selling hardware parts without any paid advertising! Detailed, step-by-step instructions Shawn gives ME to republish my book and make sure it succeeds again. (Plus, learn all the juicy insider tips about Amazon marketing!)

Resources Mentioned in the Podcast:

Check out ShawnChhabra.com for more info.

Follow Shawn on Twitter

Thanks so much for listening!

Transcript: Download

Jaime Masters: Welcome to Eventual Millionaire. I'm Jaime Masters and today on the show, we have Shawn Chhabra. I'm so excited because he's actually been listening to the show for a really long time. We've been interacting and I had no idea he was a millionaire and could be on this show. I am so excited to have you on! Thanks so much for coming on today.

Shawn Chhabra: Oh my God! My dream was to invite you and bring you on my show and I took this opportunity so that, during this chat, I could convin - and really be my guest.

Jaime Masters: That's amazing. All my fans will be like, "You have to go on his show! He came on yours!"

So tell us a little bit about how you made the money. Because I know you have iPhones and all sorts of stuff. You have books. Give us a rundown of all the things you do.

Shawn Chhabra: Actually, I have done - I have failed about in 25 businesses in my life. So there's the foundation of that. And in the - I'm an engineer that got laid off in 85 days - 90 days from my first engineering job. After that, I never worked for anybody.

So I had Indian restaurant business three times. Every time I open restaurant business, it works. It makes a lot of money. And I just want to quit and move on to something better where I can have better life and better environment. So I keep quitting that and keep looking for other things.

So when the internet came and eBay came and I started doing email marketing, then I started selling used laptops. I used to buy mostly from your state - from Texas. So Dell, HP, and all those off lease places.

So me and my wife run - I can say - IT business since 1999. And we were buying and selling used laptops on eBay. Then I bought somebody's mailing list - it came B2B.

Jaime Masters: Really?

Shawn Chhabra: Yeah. So it [inaudible] 00:05:50 in one night.

Jaime Masters: Really? So that worked. What year was that - that you bought the mailing list and then went up?

Shawn Chhabra: Around 2000 - 2001.

Jaime Masters: What made you actually go and take the risk of buying a mailing list?

Shawn Chhabra: Actually, when I was buying all of these products, I was not buying technically from Dell or HP or all of those financial companies. I was a basement business. So the people who used to sell product to me at wholesale - one day I was just doing BS and convinced him to sell me his list. So he sold me about - I think - 3,000 people he used to buy and sell.

Because, in B2B, none of us is manufacturer. So, someday, I need something - somebody else have it. And some day they need and I have it. So I ended up buying that. I did not even have money. I withdraw money from credit cards, you know?

Jaime Masters: Really? Okay. So tell me a little bit more about that. Because I think that's the thing that's tough. Entrepreneurs know that it's - we don't wanna be risky but taking a risk where you didn't have the cash - what made you go, "Okay, I think this is a calculated risk that I should go and try?"

Shawn Chhabra: Actually, I did more than 25 businesses and I never took any calculated risk.

Jaime Masters: Really?

Shawn Chhabra: I just believe in my gut feeling. It's like - I read a book - what was that? C'mon - Blink.

Jaime Masters: Yes.

Shawn Chhabra: So, after that, I thought - in that book, I think - I don't - if it's in the book or not - if somebody's playing tennis and tennis player become commentator - so, before even the player moved ahead, they are learn - you know? How they know? Their instinct. Their experiences. Their other senses can see that, you know? They absorb and they already know. So most of them, I know that.

I never do any - I'm educated enough to do anything and everything but - even my wife, we just do business just like that.

Jaime Masters: Really? Okay. So tell me a little bit more because, if you've had so many failed things also, how do you know when to trust your gut and when not? Because sometimes it might lead you astray, right?

Shawn Chhabra: Failed in the sense like I start going in one direction and, every timedon't - if it's in the book or not - if somebody's evaluating. What is the current situation? What are the variables? What else? What else? What else?

And, if I'm moving forward and somehow I see this is the wrong direction, I immediately implement tweaking within that direction. I just change - come back and just move to another business.

Jaime Masters: So that's also what people say - that they never really have failures. It's learning, experiencing, and then moving.

How do you know, though - so you just said, "I figure out, ooh, this is the wrong direction and I end up moving." How do you know it's the wrong direction?

Shawn Chhabra: For example, when I was in the restaurant business, I started - I'm moving forward and somehow I see this is the wrong direction, I immediately implement tweaking within that direction. I just change - come back and just move to another business.

Jaime Masters: So that's also what people say - that they never really have failures. It's learning, experiencing, and then moving.

How do you know, though - so you just said, "I figure out, ooh, this is the wrong direction and I end up moving." How do you know it's sick of this." That sort of thing. And then you go from there.

So fast-forward me because this is early '00s, right?

Shawn Chhabra: Yeah.

Jaime Masters: Fast forward to we are about now. Because, way back then, when people hear stories like that, they?re like, "Well, that was great. You got into it when it was young and all was well in the world and it was easier."

So tell me about now. Because you're in this market and this industry now, in general. Plus, with books and everything. What do see is working really, really well for you right now?

Shawn Chhabra: Actually, I would like to still take the whole story back to when we were talking - in 2000 and something -

So I have - I didn't quit every time. A lot of time, I reinvent myself. For example, we were doing this used laptop business and, all of a sudden, there was a big technology shift in around 2004. So prices of hardware start falling very quickly. So then, I immediately switch to selling parts to repair companies.

Jaime Masters: Oh, okay.

Shawn Chhabra: So until 2004 onward, we were simply selling the CD drive, DVD drive, and AC adapters and batteries. And, literally, since 1999 'til now, I may have done - I don't know - maybe $50 - $60 - $65 million in sales.

Jaime Masters: Wow. From all that. So you saw that it was a trend. And then you decided to completely shift.

Shawn Chhabra: No. The same thing happened two years back. In last two years, we switch from parts and laptops and everything to iPads and iPhones. We are not still too much into iPhones so we sell a lot of iPads. So we are buying off lease. So history repeats.

When I started originally, most companies were having laptops. Nobody buy in America; they lease. So when they come off lease in a couple of years, somebody like me had to go and take it and resell it.

So now, the same thing is happening with iPads. Lot of iPads are coming off lease. So we are doing that. So that is also -

Jaime Masters: That's so interesting that you could really tell where things are going. Was it based on data or gut? You said it was sort of -

Shawn Chhabra: It's more than that. When you see the trend - whatever you're trying to sell -

I got like two warehouses full of parts. We are just selling at a scrap rate just to recover whatever money and come out of that. We already made lot of money out of that. So we are trying to see how that can be converted into cash. And more and more money can be invested in iPads. That's what we are doing.

So in the market you see what are you trying to sell, nobody's buying. And if you start looking carefully at what other people doing, you just start adventuring into that. Whoever were buying or selling parts - same customer, same vendors - they are the same people. So now I have all the resources - relationships - nothing much to do.

But when I use the word "history repeats," actually - day before yesterday, some other company in Canada - he's a broker. He also - he's - in my industry, there's no competitor because we are not manufacturers. So he was going out of business. I bought his mailing list two days back.

Jaime Masters: So you're like, "Oh, I already know that there's a market for this. I already know that I can sell it; therefore, I'll go ahead and scoop up as much as I possibly can."

Shawn Chhabra: Yeah. So how we are making money - this is still my main source of income - but, at the same time, from day one, we never had a retail store. So everything 100 percent online. It still, right now, at this minute - my building doesn't even have a business sign. We don't want anybody to walk in. If somebody call we say, "No, we don't sell you. We don't want your money."

So from day one, actually, it was still internet marketing. So from day one 'til now, I had learned, I had learned, I experienced, I practiced - whatever we all are doing, that's what I'm doing. Whatever the trend, that's what I'm doing. So -

Jaime Masters: But that's ridiculously impressive - that from 1999 to now - that you've been able to - because technology has changed a ridiculous amount within that. I mean - I was in high school in 1999! There's a big difference.

And I went to school for computers because I worked at an internet company when I was - then. And the difference is not only - like you said, in the hardware side - but also in the internet marketing space just in general.

So what are you seeing working really, really well for you right now in this internet marketing space? Because it's cut throat, isn't it? Especially for what you're doing.

Shawn Chhabra: Oh, for hardware, it's not.

Jaime Masters: It's not! Okay.

Shawn Chhabra: We sell cancer pills. Right? Because [inaudible] 00:13:57 let us say Dell collected billion dollar on the warrantee service from AT&T because they sold them - let us say - thousands and thousands of laptops and collected the money on warrantee. So, when the failure rate is higher than estimated, they need to go to people like me who are holding the older product. And they pay premium price.

So [inaudible] now, I'll be the school district's - especially schools and some of that - like [inaudible] hotels and all those other sales people, they use iPads. So, if some of the company that lease those iPads and collect a lot of money on warrantee, if they need to replace that, they need to come to people like us.

Jaime Masters: Huh. So - but how do they find you anyway? Right? If they haven't already had a relationship with you for a while?

Shawn Chhabra: They go online. Long time back, I was a basement business. IBM called me. I said, "What do you want?"

They said, "I see a AC adapter online." Yet they even have a phone number: 1-866-41Shawn. They call me.

I say, "Yeah, it's my brand."

The say, "We want lot of these - thousands of those."

I say, "I don't have thousands of those." I got these made in China. And I had relationship there. I just went a couple of times and I know factories there.

They say, "No. Get it made."

I say, "I cannot get it made on your [inaudible]."

They say, "No. Just - whatever you're doing - just get those." And they say, "There's Empire Electronics? or some company - I can't remember what the name - in California " "they will give you the [inaudible] wire the money tomorrow.

I said, "Why not you wire me the money?"

They said, "No. no. no. You are a basement business. We don't deal with people like you."

I said, "I don't care." As long as they're giving me green dollars.

Jaime Masters: Oh my gosh! So you've had people like that call you specific -

So tell me this, though. How did they find your web -"

Are they Googling you in your SEO? Or were you doing paid traffic? Or how do people find you, in general?

Shawn Chhabra: For this - I have other businesses but for this - I never did any paid advertising.

But right now, we are trying to liquidate lot of products so we have created so many more websites. And Google paid advertising we use - that shopping thing - they used to call Google feed. My employees do that; I don't know what they call that. Shopping. They call shopping, I think.

So that is the cheapest Google advertising.

Jaime Masters: Because you guys - the margins are pretty slim on those so you can't really go crazy with advertising, I'm assuming. Right?

Shawn Chhabra: Yes and no. When we are just buying and selling, it's just - I don't know - 10 - 15 percent.

But earlier, when we were selling cancer pill, you can just double the money on... maybe four times. Because somebody need it. You're the only one that has it in the world.

Jaime Masters: Okay. So let's talk about your books and stuff like that now, too. Because you have Get Published Get Noticed.

So you took what you learned and you put it in this book. So tell me a little more about that because we all wanna know how to get noticed.

Shawn Chhabra: Okay, I have to drink some water to show you. I don't know if you can see or not.

This is my other business logo - I have a college in California. It-s natural healing college. I have close to 1,000 student - most of them are not that active. So I buy this company five year back. And I did not know it's under exempt status in California and Missouri Government would said, no, I cannot run here. So then I bought a building there - another one - for just move the company there. So I got the employees around America mostly. But some in other countries - they run it.

So that had me feeling - from day one - because it's not my local business, I can't put my 100 percent into that. So, in order to promote that, I used to write a lot of blogs and articles and anything under a zillion pen names.

So then, I started writing a few How-To books. I thought, "Well, it will bring at least some free leads from Amazon and places like that."

Jaime Masters: Yeah.

Shawn Chhabra: Then I became greedy. I said, "Screw the college. I want to be a star."

So - maybe from my childhood - I wanted to be a star. I wanted to be in the movies and all that.

Jaime Masters: Yeah, jeez! C'mon, people, pay attention to me. Yeah, I get it. I totally understand.

Shawn Chhabra: So you can see on Amazon dealer the first two books I wrote.

Jaime Masters: Oh, wow.

Shawn Chhabra: And I was sold the copy in so many different countries that they republish these. And then, I'm looking at Eventual Millionaire.

Jaime Masters: Yes! Good!

Shawn Chhabra: Okay, so to [inaudible] 00:18:26 on the show, here is Jaime saying the [inaudible]. This is how she writes.

Jaime Masters: I have horrible penmanship. Don't show anybody!

Shawn Chhabra: It's wonderful. It's beautiful.

So then, I got published a chapter with Brian Tracy.

Jaime Masters: Oh, nice. Congratulations.

Shawn Chhabra: Yeah. So then, what had happened - I wrote this big Time Management book.

Jaime Masters: That's amazing.

Shawn Chhabra: So then, I'll tell you why I did that. Here's a little skinny book right here: Get Published Get Noticed.

So, during all this experimentation, I learn by publishing what you've become - actually, I've trademarked that. I don't know you can read. "Author" means "authority." So "author" and "authority" is the only "-ity."

So then, I figure out, you publish anything and you start ruling Google and everything. If - nobody Google my name but - if I Google my name, I find at least 1,000 pages.

And then I thought, "Ah! This is the way people become influential." I said, "Damn, I'm from another country. English is my handicap. I will don't know lot of things. But maybe I still know something."

So I thought, "Now I should be teaching all those things to other people so that they can reach people like Jaime Tardy - Jaime Masters, I should call.

Jaime Masters: Well, tell me about this then. So you wrote these books. How did you actually get people to read them, right?

Because I've put on - a long time ago, I remember putting on - a book on Amazon and nobody bought it.

My son just published his first book, right? And he - it just went live on Amazon last week. And, of course, it's only been the friends and family but -

How do we get it out there so, that way, people will actually buy it? Are we looking for leads and making it super cheap? Or are we looking for sales to actually boost authority and make money? Tell me what we should do as a new author.

Shawn Chhabra: Okay. Honestly, these days, nobody make money publishing and writing books. Even at old time. Let us say I want to pick one of these books and I want to become a New York Times bestselling author or something. It cost me - I think, what - $1 million to promote to that level.

Jaime Masters: I know. Crazy, right?

Shawn Chhabra: Right? So how I make people read my book? I bribe them.

Jaime Masters: You bribe them! Ooh, I need to learn this, okay? How do we do that?

Shawn Chhabra: I give them lot of other free things. I [inaudible] 00:20:52 questionnaire. I say, "Oh, answer this. Answer this. I'll give you $100.00 gift card."

No, I'm just joking.

Jaime Masters: Okay, I was like, "Wow! How does that work?"

Shawn Chhabra: So let us take everything back.

I became greedy to become popular and well known and so that I can reach influencers, right? So my - for me - you're an influencer. For lot of business people, their customer is influencer. That's what they're looking for, right?

Jaime Masters: Yep.

Shawn Chhabra: So I always give an example - let us say somebody wanted to start a solar roofing business. Six months from today.

What if they write a book about that? So get published. If it's already published, we can promote them or they promote - somehow if they can promote it to No. 1 position and all that - then that's even better than just publishing a book.

Now, six month later when they start the business, they are already known in the industry. So they are industry expert. So they can use their card as a business card. And you give them the business card - it goes in the trash. You give them a book as a business card; some will sit on the shelf.

Even if they're not ready to do business with you or even if they never thought of solar roofing today - or ever - in future, if they look at the book, they will remember you. Or, if they ever wanna do solar business or that kind of thing, they'll think of you.

And the other things is - when you walk into somebody's office or you're trying to make a relationship or appointment or sale or something, they will know who you are, right? You Google your name or my name or somebody's name. If there's so much content out there - in print, video, or digital audio - you know what I'm saying, right?

Jaime Masters: Definitely.

Shawn Chhabra: So your listeners are well aware. They watch all of your videos. They read your book. I had one right here, right?

So, because of this digital technology, the truth is: nobody like any sales people anymore.

Jaime Masters: I know, right?

Shawn Chhabra: When they're looking for something - they're asking for something - they really go online do their own research. Attention span - especially your generation. I'm not from your generations; I'm one generation X behind. Ahead, I should say. So attention span is so little, if they do the research, they already put an x on you. No, no, no, not you, right?

So how do you make sales, right? So in their head, if you already have a position as an authority or something, they will listen to you, they'll talk to you, they'll give you at least opportunity to try to sell or present yourself. That's what I believe in. And that is working. This is the proof! I am talking to you.

Think about the [inaudible] 00:23:45. Any migrant from a small country - small town - somewhere - if I turn around the camera, you'll see that this is a warehouse. We are just packing the iPad [inaudible] onto this little corner closet. And I'm talking to you. How?

So that's the power of -

Jaime Masters: Thank goodness we have the internet. Exactly, right? We wouldn't be able to be where we are.

Shawn Chhabra: Okay. Very good. You said, "We have internet." Over half the population of the world have that, right? If you publish your book or your content in digital media - so, literally, you can penetrate into that - over half the population of the world, right?

And not only that - if you publish on Amazon and all those places, they're promoting your book. Right?

So, even if you're selling, nobody's buying. It's still there, right?

And - but - there are tricks. Let us say you publish on Amazon for, let us say, $10.00. Publish somewhere else for $0.00. And, as a customer, go and complain to Amazon. Rest of the life, Amazon will show your book for $10.00 or whatever but they will distribute for $0.00. It's indirectly mailed. So they will be promoting your book. Everybody will be buying that book for $0.00 and they will see the price $10.00.

Jaime Masters: Oh, I see what you're saying. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Okay, well let me ask you this. So the guy that's the solar tech or the service professional - so No.1, they have - let's say they could use it as their card, right? Though I know it's a funny thing to see people coming to networking events with a whole bunch of books. You're like, "Okay, wait a minute."

But, if they're on Amazon, can they leverage that online and locally? Do you know what I mean? So people like us - we can just put it everywhere. But is it really worth it for an author if they're just local?

Shawn Chhabra: When you say "author" - I help non-writers to become authors. They don't know how to be an author. What author? In any industry, you know what your ideal client think and what they want to know. That's what you write or talk, right? As long as you can talk, than write.

So if you can write and you can publish online/offline, paper, this media, that media - local and not local means nothing. Local is even a lot easier because your local - as to your local online marketing - even they are local, you still need to do local online marketing. Then only you can run the business. Probably, you can convert that into an app.

Jaime Masters: Hmm. Do you - is it - and I don't know so that's why the - with Amazon and stuff like that, does it help local SEO? Can you actually try and rank for local? I've never tried that before but you have a bazillion -

[Crosstalk]

Shawn Chhabra: Because Google will pick that based upon how you promote your book on Amazon.

Jaime Masters: Mm-hmm. So should I put where I - well, if I was a local service provider - should I put, "From Austin, Texas. Blah blah blah?" Right? Would it rank better?

Shawn Chhabra: Sure.

Jaime Masters: So, if they look up whatever the name of the industry I'm in along with Austin, Texas, the book might rank better? Because that would be awesome.

Shawn Chhabra: Yeah. That works.

Jaime Masters: Okay. Okay.

So have you done a lot with making it free like you were saying? So I know a lot of people are really looking for leads. And they're going after - and they do Amazon KDP Select, I think it's called? Right? So can you tell me a little bit about that?

Because, even if you're not trying to go after making money - because, again, it doesn't really make you very much money - but you're going after authority and leads, what's the best way to get a bunch of leads from having a book on Amazon?

Shawn Chhabra: Well, on - let us say, Amazon allow you to show 10 percent of the book as a preview. So if, on page one, you offer them some free bribe and you're telling them, "Hey, by the way, in addition to this you can watch these videos or this training and this free -" Let us say it's about health. Okay, you can get the recipes or those kinds of goodies.

So personally, looking at your book - they don't have to buy. They can click and come to your website and subscribe.

Jaime Masters: Okay. So you put it in the first however many pages and be like, "Go get your free stuff now" If the click on the preview.

Shawn Chhabra: Yeah. That's right -

[Crosstalk]

Jaime Masters: - have it be - cost money. Either way, they can take a look at that.

Shawn Chhabra: Not only that - in the book, you say, "Okay, I'm giving this book for $2.00. And I give you $2.00 back if you just write me an email."

Jaime Masters: Oh, okay. So does that - have you tried that yet? Because that seems really interesting.

Shawn Chhabra: Yes.

Jaime Masters: Okay.

Shawn Chhabra: And not only that - on Kindle you can keep changing and trying different things on the same book. And, under that KDP Select, you can run a promo for three to five days every 90 days or something. So during that time, people are getting your book for free.

Jaime Masters: So I wasn't able to do any of this stuff because I had a publisher. So they would not let me do any of this. So I have no idea about any of these things.

But, a long time ago, I wrote a book called - something like - How to Network with Millionaires as just testing the Amazon side. But I haven't done anything with it.

So the reason - one of the reasons why I'm asking you some of these questions is - I'm like, "Well, I could totally -" because that one's self-published - "I could learn how to get leads that way." I think it was published under a different na - I have to check.

[Crosstalk]

Shawn Chhabra: I'm the - same content, you can just do minor change - add a chapter - and we can republish. And that will be a case study. We can just do that. It's really simple.

Jaime Masters: That's actually a really good point. Okay, because it is just Kindle.

Hmm - I could probably put it in CreateSpace, too.

Okay, so tell me what I should do. So I have a book. I can republish it like you said. And I'm looking for leads as my No. 1 goal. What would you do if you were me just launching this?

Shawn Chhabra: Okay. If I do the KDP Select, I'll be running the promotion - in 90 days, I get about five days. But I can just split - like two days one time and three days one time. So, when I run that free promotion all over the social media and everywhere, I'll be promoting that. You are giving away this book.

And, in addition to that, you can run some contest for $100.00 gift card and things like that.

Jaime Masters: How would I do that? Tell me more about the contest. Do I have people download it? How - because I can't get their names. Well, unless they give me their email address for the contest. Okay.

Shawn Chhabra: Yeah. And not only that - then, to promote, you'll ask, "How to promote?" It's no different than any other promotion. You can run the - a paid ads, free postings here and there, or if you find relevant Facebook groups.

Jaime Masters: Okay. So you post about those. Okay.

Well, let me ask you this because I know I've had people do this before. What can I expect for numbers as far as the free downloads?

Because I know - my friend, Chandler, that does this all the time was like, "Okay, you can expect this many." I have no idea what to expect. So what would I - what am I hoping for as far as free downloads go? Or as far as email addresses go if I do a good job?

[Crosstalk]

Shawn Chhabra: For example, I spend over $300.00 in advertising here and there. I use third party crowd sources.

Jaime Masters: Oh.

Shawn Chhabra: For one of these book, I think it was - this was very first book Quitting Sugar - on that one I think I got for $300.00 - $400.00, I got about 300 leads.

Jaime Masters: That's awesome! You said "crowd sourcing" and "third party." Tell me more about that.

Shawn Chhabra: I go to my motherland - poor people.

Jaime Masters: Oh, well that's easier. Okay. Well are those leads that will buy stuff later, though? Because you wanna -

Shawn Chhabra: No, no, no, no, no, no. I mean, I go and hire people and make them go to thousands of places online and just promote.

Jaime Masters: Oh. So the 300 to 400 leads are leads that will actually convert and turn into something for you.

Shawn Chhabra: Yes. Those are from North America. Yeah.

Jaime Masters: Hmm. Okay. So what is the best way to promote that way? Either - because I've heard of - when my book went live, Amazon actually promoted it. I don't know if my publisher paid for that. They didn't even tell me. But I was in the emails that went out to a whole bunch of people, which was awesome!

But can you buy that? And is that worth it? Have you tried any of that stuff?

Shawn Chhabra: I never bought from Amazon. But Amazon promotes ? once they see the trend, they promote right away.

Jaime Masters: Oh, they promote anyway? Without you having to pay for it?

Shawn Chhabra: Yes.

Jaime Masters: Really?

Shawn Chhabra: Yes.

Jaime Masters: Okay. So if you - what some - what are the - can you give me the number? You know me and numbers, right? Can you give me the numbers? How many downloads do I need to get so that they actually see it being valuable? Do I have to hit a No.1 in some certain niche or something like that?

Shawn Chhabra: Most of the time, it's like what happened in one hour or two hour or 24 hour - how frequently people are downloading. And, when you have a team and you have people working for you, you just try to do as fast as possible within 24 hours.

And not only that - that's one way I became No. 1 on all the places. So every single book became No. 1. What I did is: I scheduled download for three days. So possibly become No. 1 in all the categories - in all the free categories.

Jaime Masters: Ah.

Shawn Chhabra: Okay. But - when - let us say every day I promoted, saying that it is free for three days. But after two-and-half-day, I stop it. I just go on the back end and say, "It's not free anymore."

But the trend stays there. People are coming and start buying. So then Amazon see, "Oh, wow! In last two hour, that many people came and bought." And then it become No. 1 in all the paid cate?

Jaime Masters: Ah! Okay. I'm gonna have my online marketing manager, Keagan, watch this because that's the thing -

So I have this book. I just haven't actually done anything with it. But I could send it out to my entire list. Say, "It's free right now for you guys," have it up for a day or two days or whatever and try to rank in Amazon for free, and then - like you said - later on, change it and then maybe I could hit the paid later on, too.

Shawn Chhabra: And, if they can promote to their friends and Facebook page and all that - so - this is stop eight hours earlier than that. They will not know exactly what time you said. But the traffic is - their [inaudible] 00:34:02 is there so -

Jaime Masters: Okay. I wrote a whole bunch of things down. So I haven't actually done very - I have tons of friends that do some of this stuff but I haven't actually really gone down that path. I forgot that I even wrote a book about this a long time ago, which is horrible.

Okay. So is there anything else that I should do that we've missed so far? That we need to tell Keagan, my online marketer, that we need to do to try and make this better for us? Because we want leads.

So, No. 1, I'm pretty sure in the book we actually give something away for free for leads. I was smart enough about that way back when - when I did that. Because the book's only two or three years old.

But what else should I do to make sure I?m scooping everything else up? Because I want new leads! Right?

Shawn Chhabra: I mean, every 5 - 10 pages, you-re asking that - you're asking them to contact and you're giving the links to your - this podcast, an interview - then all those things are different places, different time, different gift.

Jaime Masters: Okay.

Shawn Chhabra: Every - I mean, at the end of every chapter, you are giving them something new. Something different. Even if you are bringing them to your YouTube channel - your website.

And, eventually, it all adds.

Jaime Masters: Okay, awesome. Now, I'm really excited. I wanna do it and then use it as a case study and tell everybody how I did. So we'll see - I'll be like, "Shawn told me to do this stuff. I did it." And then see what the actual results came out.

Because a lot of people are - especially now with online marketing - everybody's a little - not tapped out but - there's the skeezy internet millionaires that are like, "Oh, you should do this!" And, "Bait advertising's amazing!" And then I see people actually trying it and their like, "I've spent so much money and gotten nothing back." And that's rough.

So that's why I'm having people like you on that can go, "Okay, what's working right now? Tell me what I should do and what to expect?"

So what do you think I should expect? Or set a goal for how many leads that - new leads I should say - that I'm trying to get from doing something like this?

Shawn Chhabra: Because you are promoting to your existing list so, unless - either they can promote you but, at the same time, even if they don't promote - once Amazon see the trend, they will be promoting you.

And there are so many other things like - you could list all your competitor - all the other books which are in the same category and they're already best sellers - in your book, you can recommend those books.

Jaime Masters: Oh! So I can name-drop them and that'll put me in the same -"

Shawn Chhabra: Yes. For example, next to my book, I say, "Buy Jaime Tardy's Eventual Millionaire."

Jaime Masters: Huh. So, if somebody looks up that book, then your book will come up underneath.

Shawn Chhabra: Yes. Because they're bringing a lot more traffic to their book. So anytime their book is there, people will say, "Oh, by the way, other people also looked at this book and bought this book." So your will get the piggyback ride.

Jaime Masters: Okay. So that's why I had Dan Miller do my forward. Because everyone was like, "Get an author who's in your niche to do the forward so, when somebody looks up his name, it says "that forward by Dan Miller" so that everybody can see that, too."

Shawn Chhabra: Yes and no. That is a borrowed credibility, right?

Jaime Masters: Yes.

Shawn Chhabra: But, what I'm saying is, if somebody already bought your book or downloaded it for free - so you are saying, "Get this - this book is even better!"

So they go and buy that book. So Amazon's algorithm will see, "These two books are being sold together." So anytime some fresh visitor go to their book and looking at that, they'll say, "Oh, by the way, look at this."

Jaime Masters: Oh. Okay. So, what you're saying is, at the bottom when it says, "People that bought this book also bought this." And so you wanna make sure you're actually getting in the right category for all of that.

Shawn Chhabra: Yes. Right - not only right category - you do want to recommend those books. They're your competition. It sound like it doesn't make much sense unless you really look carefully. Because they bought your book. They download it. So it doesn't matter if they download that one. But Amazon is watching, right?

Jaime Masters: Yeah. Good old Amazon - always knowing everything.

It was creepy! I've seen stuff where I was like, "Huh!" and then they Facebook ad-ed me later. So I would get ads about my book on Facebook. I'm like, "Well, I wrote that book so I'm pretty sure I already have it."

But they get really super sneaky because, if somebody's been there, they retarget you and all sorts of craziness.

Okay. So many things! I have so many things written down.

So tell me a little bit about how you got with the Brian Tracy one because I'm sure people are interested on how that actually ended up coming about.

Shawn Chhabra: Because I had a good profile on - I think - LinkedIn or something. And people have been calling me because - it's like - what was that company? I forgot who published this.

Jaime Masters: "I forgot who published this." That's awesome.

Shawn Chhabra: Like it's Nick Nanton's company. He's a four-time Emmy award winning film producer and TV producer. So he organizes all these collaborative books.

So, in this book, I wrote a chapter about when I came to America I did my Masters in Engineering. And there I used to teach. So I got a teaching job as a student. Teaching Assistant - but I used to teach two classes everyday - even in summer.

So there I learn how people can do the business or how they can solve life problems. So it's about that. How they can analyze a situation. Maybe from there I learn how to do business.

Jaime Masters: So can you pay in order to get a chapter? Or how does that work?

Because I know Jack Canfield just wrote a book and asked one of my friends to be in it and I'm like, "How do you do -" I wanna - I want that. That sounds great." How do we -"

Shawn Chhabra: That is more like a - sharing the marketing money for the whole project. It's a collaborative book so, as I said, in the whole book they spend a quarter million dollar in the whole marketing and processing and things like that.

So, as I said in the beginning of the interview, I can pick any book and become New York Times bestselling author; it cost quarter million dollar.

Jaime Masters: Yeah, I know. I have tons of friends that have done that and I'm like, "Is that really worth it?" And they're like, "Well, if you wanna put that little credibility - or if you're a speaker or something like that - it makes a lot more sense but -

Yeah, it's sad how you - it's neat because you're like, "Oh, I could buy it." And it's also horrible for the books that are actually - you're hoping that it would be good.

I started going down that path and I was like, "Ooh, that's why I wanna get published." And then I realized what it took and I was like, "That's not worth it. I'm gonna be an Amazon best seller." Because that's actually way easier.

Shawn Chhabra: But it's not a question of "easier," it's a question of end goal. What do you want? How you want to be seen?

For example, I'll give an example. I'm a podcaster like you. I started audio podcasting. I was going to do the video recording for this publishing book. And one of my new hire - I had a local graduate from here. He - Twitter picked him and he's gone to Twitter. He doesn't work with me anymore -

But he says, "Shawn, why you want to do video recording and all that? Why don't you start a podcast?"

I said, "Okay." My gut feeling say, "Okay." And I started doing that.

But, as I told you in the beginning, I wanted to be a hero. So, after a couple of recordings, I again switched back to this video podcast. So I had video and audio both podcasting. So I always question that - why I even started that, you know?

So I'm always hungry for more knowledge. Every day I learn something. Every day I read something. Seven days a week. Rain or shine.

So then, I figured out how can I be paying that many coaches? Then I figured out, by interviewing people one-on-one, no distraction, nothing - and I'm learning so much. It's like I satisfy my soul. In addition to actual learning, which can help in life - I'm sure it's helping.

Jaime Masters: I agree 1,000 percent. I think getting on the line with people like you and going [gasp]! I get super excited and write a whole bunch in the worst chicken scratch humanly possible - but still! I write so many things down and I get super excited and I can ask you exactly what I want.

So whether or not - this is what I used to tell my mentor - whether or not people actually listen to the show, which - thank goodness - they do. But, whether or not they do or not, I would still do the podcast because being able to connect with people like you or the people that I've interviewed so far today. It's insane to see how excited and motivated - and the learning that comes about from all that.

Shawn Chhabra: No but think about that - two minute back actually - the reason I gave you the example of podcast, I was trying to tell you the end goal. Why people are writing the book. Or why they want to do anything. Why they want to become New York Times bestselling author. Or what they want to become.

So that end goal - I - my end goal was, think about that. I believe in lot of medication. Lot of power of mind. And, practically anything I want, it happens. Any kind of employee I want, they just show up.

Jaime Masters: Really?

Shawn Chhabra: Yes.

Jaime Masters: I love that stuff. Let's, okay, keep going.

Shawn Chhabra: Yeah, but the whole point is - for example - I wanted you to be connected with me. And I wanted you to be part of my - this podcasting, right?

So what I did: I did not just think of that, right? I took action, right? I find you on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, I had been asking you this/that, and I had -

Jaime Masters: I've been seeing you everywhere! I felt like I knew you already.

Shawn Chhabra: In real time, see this is a closed envelope? It bounced back. I sent it to the wrong address.

Jaime Masters: Oh no!

Shawn Chhabra: I saved it to show it to you someday.

Jaime Masters: That's amazing. I'll give you the updated address.

Shawn Chhabra: But you got my point?

Jaime Masters: Yes.

Shawn Chhabra: You have to be taking action! So that is part of my - a case study. You see that how I achieved that?

Jaime Masters: Well, you've done it really, really well, too, by the way. Because it was - you were never annoy -

Because there's some people that are just like this -.

But you were just always there. Like for year - like you for - a long time, though, right? Years.

Shawn Chhabra: Yeah. Uh huh.

Jaime Masters: Because I follow you on Twitter and then we're friends on Facebook and then it just adds up and adds up. So I just assumed we were friends. I had no idea you were a millionaire at all.

Shawn Chhabra: No, think about that! I was nobody but you still knew who I am.

Jaime Masters: Yes, of course.

Shawn Chhabra: I even gave you picture of one of my daughter. Elder daughter - she live in London right now. I told her she look like you from your right side.

Jaime Masters: I remember! See, that's the thing. I remember that from a long time ago.

Okay, so let me ask you this - because I love that you were saying "the end in mind." So, when people come up and go, "Okay, I want this - whatever the goal is." But they don't tot - you connecting with me, that seems easy. Okay, I'm gonna add her on Twitter, I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that. What if it's something that they don't know how to get there yet?

So, like you said, if it's an employee and you're like, "I don't know where they're gonna come from - I'm just gonna randomly do stuff." Or if it's something maybe even bigger -

How do you go about taking those steps when you don't know exactly the right steps to take?

Shawn Chhabra: It's very simple. I don't have a board. I can show you. Let us say you want to go 45 degree from here to here, right?

Jaime Masters: Mm-hmm.

Shawn Chhabra: So as long as you're still headed in the right direction, you - sometime up and down, lower here and there - as long as you are - you're not moving in a straight line but you're moving in a tunnel. So, as long as in the tunnel - as long as you know you're going that way and -

Most of the people, they don't take action. They don't go anywhere. They have the GPS. They have the money in the pocket. They have the gas. And they sit on the driving seat. And they don't even use the key. It's not starting. They don't do anything.

Jaime Masters: See, one of my favorite quotes is, "Even if you're on the right track, you're gonna get run over if you just sit there."

I agree 1,000 percent. And your tunnel makes a lot of sense. As long as you keep taking what you think is the right next action, you'll keep going down the tunnel and bounce around maybe a little bit but eventually get -

So you found - in everything that you've been as an entrepreneur - if you just keep moving forward and bounce around in that tunnel, you usually get what you want?

Shawn Chhabra: You don't even moving forward. You start falling forward! That's good enough.

Jaime Masters: I like it. I like it a lot. I always say this to some clients, "You feel like you're running, and catching yourself, and tripping at the same time." You're like, "Oh, I'm barely making it and staying on my feet!" But that's what it feels like as an entrepreneur, in general, isn't it?

Shawn Chhabra: No, I mean, it - I never played any sports here but, in India, I used to play cricket. I'll just fall. Physically, if you are there, you are there. That's what's happening at the Olympics and everywhere.

Jaime Masters: I think that's awesome. Thank you so much.

I know we have to start wrapping up soon. And I've been smiling so much my face hurts, which is awesome. So thank you for bugging the heck out of me and finally getting on my show.

But let me ask you the last question that I always ask: it's what's one action listeners can take this week to help move them forward towards their goal of a million?

Shawn Chhabra: Oh, you're asking only one. That's not easy. What should I tell you?

A No. 1 I can tell them, they listen to your podcast, watch your videos.

Jaime Masters: Oh, you're such a smart man! Thank you very much. No, go ahead.

Shawn Chhabra: And second thing, they come watch my videos.

The third thing is - only one? That's not easy. I'm 58 year-old tomorrow.

Jaime Masters: Oh yeah, happy birthday tomorrow. Everybody, by the way, this is coming out after his birthday but send late birthday messages to him on Twitter. We'll ask about that later but - I'm buying you time anyway. Come up with only one.

Shawn Chhabra: Thank you, Jaime. I owe you for that. Okay, so one thing I'll literally tell people to start their morning a better way. Better in the sense that they should tweak it to a successful morning. Everybody should have a half an hour to one hour in addition to whatever they want to do all day.

Jaime Masters: Okay. What do you do? So, that way, we have a good idea.

Shawn Chhabra: For example, one of my coach is John Assaraf. He was in movie The Secret. So he has given me lot of meditation and affirmations - those kind of thing.

Jaime Masters: Yeah. That's awesome.

Shawn Chhabra: So I learn all that from him. So in the morning, when I wake up, I just listen to him and do some meditation. Do a little yoga.

And, in addition to that, you should literally know, "What I want to do all day?" Right? You should figure out, "What do you want?" What do you want and what do you want to do? Whatever you want, look up and just ask for that. Most of time you will get it. And most of the people don't even believe they can do that. Most of the time, people don't even have faith in themselves. Forget about anything else. I always tell people, "Go look in the mirror. Do you like yourself? Then tell that. If you don't like yourself, how other people will like you?"

Jaime Masters: I love that.

Shawn Chhabra: So back to the morning thing - the other thing is - if you plan what you want to do, then your body/mind/soul is in synch. In addition to that, you just eat something. Eat good food. But bad food is better than no food.

Jaime Masters: Hmm - okay. So, everyone that's listening, make sure you check out The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod or any of the John Assaraf stuff -

I need to have him on the show! Actually, I've been told that I could get an introduction so I need to get him on the show, too, so that way we can interview him and then go deeper into that side. Because it sounds like it's working really well for you.

Where can we find out more about you? Where do we get your book? So that way they can go above and beyond for learning all the stuff that they learned today? How can we connect with you and wish you happy birthday?

Shawn Chhabra: Oh, thank you. I mean, I don't know if anybody can spell my weird name - ShawnChhabra.com.

Jaime Masters: Spell it for everyone so that way they can.

Shawn Chhabra: C'mon. S-h-a-w-n-C-h-h-a-bra.com.

Jaime Masters: That's awesome. So we'll also link it, of course, so that's one. Alright, where do we get your book?

Shawn Chhabra: Book they can get on Amazon. Get Published Get Noticed or they can go to getpublishedgetnoticed.com - get for free. Or they can actually go to any of my website forward slash Jaime or forward slash EM - for Eventual Millionaire -

Jaime Masters: Smart to put EM because nobody can spell my name either, Shawn.

Shawn Chhabra: Yeah. So shawnchhabra.com or wgl.fm/em - or anywhere they can find my company - forward slash EM and they can get not only this Kindle PDF version, they can also get the audio book for free.

Jaime Masters: Awesome.

Shawn Chhabra: And, actually, I can even give them 30 minute of my free time. For absolutely nothing to buy, nothing to do. Just have a conversation.

Jaime Masters: You have to be careful with that! To say that. We've had people do that before and they were booked up like crazy. But that is amazing and awesome. And thank you so much. And I'll make sure to put on your Twitter, too. So, that way, people can reach out to you. Because I also don't want you to get super super booked up with people. Thank you everybody but still -

Shawn Chhabra: No, no, actually, it's so satisfying. That's the fun part! If you can give something and - either you made yourself to that level and you're able to give something and or God gave you those powers of time and authority or education or something - and you can give, there's nothing better than that.

Jaime Masters: See, this is why I love what I do. The fact that I can have somebody on the show who's like, "Oh, by the way, I'll do a half an hour of my time."

I'm like, "Oh my goodness!"

We are, thank goodness, the people that I've interviewed - just like you - are givers. And I really, really, really, really appreciate that.

So, everybody, make sure you check out at - we'll definitely link everything up - so go to my site so you can check it out. And we'll link to your Twitter and stuff like that, too, so they can wish you a late happy birthday.

But I hope you have a fantastic birthday tomorrow. And thank you so much for coming on the show today.

Shawn Chhabra: Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Video Transcription provided by GMR Transcription Services

Tags: Amazon Book Writing, amazon marketing, book marketing, Book Publication, millionaire interview, Shawn Chhabra

Categories: All, Book Publication, Business, Business Model, Entrepreneurship, Goals, Marketing, Millionaire Interviews

Millionaire Interviews

Winning The Game Of Business With Shawn Chhabra

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