The Trojan Horse Play: Stop Pitching, Start Sneaking
Hello,
Don’t Knock. Don’t Shout. Send a Book.
Ever tried getting into a new market, budget cycle, or boardroom with a PowerPoint?
Did they reply? No. They did not.
Because when you send a pitch, you’re an outsider.
When you send a book, you’re a guest.
That’s the genius of the Trojan Horse Play.
You don’t sell yourself.
You solve their problem while quietly smuggling in your brilliance.
💡 WHAT IT IS
A Trojan Horse Book is a short, sharp, strategically positioned tool.
It’s not:
- Your life story
- Your full model
- A “personal brand” exercise
It is:
- A book that solves a visible problem for a specific stakeholder
- Designed to be credible, tailored, and “pass-around-able”
- A subtle but powerful positioning asset
Examples:
A book for overwhelmed CTOs rebuilding trust with burned-out teams
A book for new managers surviving their first 90 days
A book for board chairs trying to retain senior women in STEM
This isn’t mass marketing.
It’s a hand-to-hand strategy.
MINI FRAMEWORK: The Trojan Stack
If you want all 5 plays as a mini-deck, just reply to this email and we’ll get them over to you!
Want to build your own Trojan Horse? Here’s what you need:
Trojan Horse books don’t compete. They arrive.
ASSET TO BUILD: The Trojan Horse Book Package
To get started:
- Write 5 chapter headlines that solve one very specific problem
- Design a smart cover that signals relevance, not ego
- Add a 2-page call to action at the end – no pressure, just direction
- Deliver it in a package with a personal note and a reason to care
Then follow up as if you’re already on their radar. Because you will be.
🐴 DISASTER FARM UPDATE
This week, one of the cats dragged a cardboard box into the chicken coop.
The chickens ignored it.
Until someone (might have been me) put sunflower seeds in it.
Then it became the most fought-over item on the property.
Moral: It’s not about the packaging.
It’s about what’s inside – but still, send good packaging. Don’t be stingy.
🏆 AUTHOR HIGHLIGHT
From lectures to landing pages – Dr Emma Williams made the leap from academia to Amazon with Leaving Academia, a book that’s helping others do the same.
She didn’t just publish a book. She built a bridge.
Read her case study here: When Academia Meets Amazon Success
Want to be a case study?
If you’re a client and want to be in the spotlight, just get in touch!
COME TALK TO US ON LINKEDIN
We’re sharing exactly how to turn clever ideas into strategic assets:
- This intelligence isn’t free. Someone paid for it. → https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/i-felt-guilty-using-ai-so-bought-book-debbie-jenkins-6leaf
- Is AI sharpening your leadership – or just stroking your ego? → https://shorturl.at/AHJp5
Come comment, repost, or lurk. You’re among friends.
TL;DR
- Trojan Horse Books are tactical tools, not legacy projects
- Write to get through the door, not to impress your peers
- Short, sharp, and specific beats long, vague, and clever
- Send fewer books. Make each one matter more
Got a sneaky message that needs to get inside a hard-to-crack organisation?
Build the book they didn’t know they needed – until it showed up at their desk.
– Debs
Part publisher. Part strategist. Part war horse.
PS: Need help shaping your Trojan Horse idea?
Send me the stakeholder, the problem, and the almost-title – I’ll tell you in 5 minutes if it’s got teeth. Or wings. Or if you’re building a cardboard pony.
PPS: If your readers can’t tell the difference between your content and ChatGPT’s, you’ve already started losing them.
Come to LinkedIn Live on Wednesday, June 4th, 2025.
We’re unpacking AI:OS – how to use AI without losing your voice (or your readers’ respect).
Because sounding like everyone else isn’t safe – it’s a shortcut to irrelevance.
[Here’s the sign-up form.] Save your voice. And your credibility.
