I Asked For Client Feedback, and.....

Writing my books has turned into a life changing decision for me. 

First and most importantly, hearing from people who have been moved and inspired by my books means everything to me.

Like the young JAG officer (military attorney) who approached me one day while I was attending another capital court martial.

I didn’t even notice him slide in beside me, so immersed was I in the seriousness of the occasion. Rows in front of me sat two grieving families: mothers, fathers, widows, and siblings rotated in and out of their nightmare. Across the room sat the man who stole their sons, husbands, and brothers from them. He showed zero remorse. 

As I sat, reliving my own hell, praying these families would see the justice ours did not, and studying this trial so as to better understand how the system should actually work, that officer managed to catch me off guard. 

“Ma’am,” his whisper may as well have been a cannon firing. It startled the $*** outta me. 

“Are you Barbara Allen?”

My recovery was swift. I was no longer startled. I was poised to defend my right to be there, so sure was I that he was about to kick me out. It’s safe to say the military was not a fan of me. I had not gone quietly into the night after they let my husband’s killer go. They did not appreciate the front page NY Times articles, the FOX and CNN interviews, the constant climbs I climbed up every mountaintop I could find, to scream out the story of my husband’s murder and the military’s betrayal of him. 

I was certain this guy had been sent to escort me out, just like the Secret Service escorted me out of the brunch I’d been invited to.

“Yes,” I pushed out through an obviously hostile smile.

“I read your book. It changed the way I work with victims and their families. God Bless you Ma’am. “

And just as quickly as he’d appeared, he left. 

If I never achieved another thing in my life, I thought, I would rest easy, knowing that everything I’d been through, all we lost, Lou’s sacrifice, and how hard it had been to publish my book - had served a purpose. If other families would receive compassion and competence because of my book, I had indeed turned my pain into purpose.

Of all the profound feedback I have ever received from any of my talks, interviews, or books, that memory remains the most precious to me.

Impact lives, offering hope, or an escape, or a laugh, or keeping Lou’s memory alive - all of those things have been achieved through writing my books. Professionally, new opportunities arose. I have been featured in two other people’s books. I’ve won an award, been invited to speak, and now I write books for other people. 

I’m also in the process of turning one of my books into a feature film.

So I am well aware of why I write books. And I thought it would be a good idea to ask some of my clients how they feel now that they’ve published their books: Was the investment worth it? Do they have any regrets? Have they experienced any notable results? 

I knew I was opening myself up to hear things that I didn’t expect. And I was right.

I did not expect to hear the depth of impact the experience has had. 

Here are a few of the results that were shared with me:

“It’s been one of the most rewarding parts of my journey as a speaker. Having my own books has given me the ability to offer more than just the message from the stage.” 

“They’ve (my books) become an extension of my heart, my story, and my mission, reaching people in ways I never could within a single hour.”

“My book opens doors to meaningful dialogue with both past and future clients.”

Those are just some of the highlights. I am so glad I asked for this feedback. I could write pages of reasons for you to write your book. From your legacy, to opening exciting new professional paths, to enhancing credibility, the list goes on in myriad ways. But most importantly, someone out there is desperate to learn what you have to teach about your areas of personal and professional expertise. They are waiting to read it written in the precise tone you have to offer, because no one else has connected with them  yet. 

You will never hear directly from everyone about how your book quite literally helped change their life, or moved them to tears. But you probably will hear from at least one person. And that will be the greatest ROI you could ever ask for.