Advertising Books

Color - Messages & Meanings: A PANTONE Color Resource

2008-08-10T23:38:00.000-07:00

Book Description
Color: Messages and Meanings, A PANTONE® Color Resource is the follow-up to the PANTONE® Guide to Communicating With Color. This book contains all new material to help you make effective, unique and credible color choices. Based on research and filled with hundreds of color combinations and illustrations, this book presents color expert, Leatrice Eiseman's insights on color and emotion, and addresses how best to integrate these qualities into your work, insuring your intended message is communicated. Experience inspiration through the most effective combinations for communicating moods, ranging from assertive to provocative or intimate, and many other moods. These essential guidelines and illustrations can be applied to so many of your projects... branding, packaging, signage, point-of-purchase, displays, advertising, logos, websites and more. Everything you need to make color work more effectively in your designs, from valuable color information to charts for converting PANTONE solid ink colors to four-color process (CMYK) formulas, is thoughtfully presented. Created for everyone whose color choices are critically important for the success of a project, this book will prove a valuable tool and resource that will enable you to jump-start your imagination, and provide you with the appropriate rationales for making those choices.

About the Author
Leatrice Eiseman is the executive director of the PANTONE color institute, the prestigious color research and informational center that shares its color expertise with professionals in a variety of high profile, culturally-focused industries including fashion, interior design, graphic arts, and advertising.

Selling To VITO

2008-08-10T23:37:00.000-07:00

Tom Hopkins, Author, How to Master the Art of Selling
"Destined to become a widely recommended reference by all sales professionals who are serious about achieving greatness."

Dr. Denis Waitley, Author, The Psychology of Winning
"With Tony as your coach and Selling to VITO as your training guide...you'll become unstoppable."

Peter T. D'Errico, Sales Representative
"As a result of implementing Tony's ideas, I won my company's Rookie of the Year award, became the third ranked salesperson in a company of 1,000 salespeople, and emerged as the #1 sales rep in the West."

Frank Hayes, Charlotte, NC
"After twenty years of selling, I realize not having this information has probably cost me four million dollars income!"

Book Description
This book contains all the tactics you need to get appointments with impossible-to-reach top decision-makers. They in fact are the Very Important Top Officers (VITOs), the people with the ultimate veto power who hold the key to bigger commission checks, every sales award you could possibly win, and VITO to VITO referrals that you can take to the bank!

You'll quickly learn how to:
Get into new accounts at the top
Keep out of time-consuming log-jams-and into VITO's office
Promote loyalty at the top with existing customers and capture add-on business
Increase the size of every sale

Selling To VITO offers innovative new ideas and street-smart tactics for reaching the very top person in any organization. It's based on the seminars that have helped thousands of sales professionals from top corporations like Canon, 3M, Hewlett-Packard, and MCI bust quotas and increase commissions. It can help you, too, by getting you to the right person so you can do what you do best: SELL!

Anthony Parinello is without question the country's foremost expert on getting appointments with, and selling to, top decision makers. This book is the product of his twenty-three years of award-winning sales performance.

Book Info
Offers innovative new ideas and street-smart tactics for reaching the very top person in any organization. Contains all the tactics you need to get appointments with impossible-to-reach top decision-makers. Softcover. DLC: Sales personnel--Training of.

About the Author
Anthony Parinello is one of the most innovative sales trainers in America today. His passion is in his sales and public-speaking career. When he's not on the speaking platform, you can find Tony with his wife Nancy trekking the Himalayas, scuba diving in Palau, on a photographic safari in Africa, or in any number of other exotic locales. Mr. & Mrs. Parinello live in California.

Hypnotic Writing: How to Seduce and Persuade Customers with Only Your Words

2008-08-10T23:35:00.000-07:00

Review
"…[gives] a huge amount of useful advice and ideas…lots of valuable references too…" (Professional Marketing, June 2007)

Product Description
Discover the secrets of written persuasion!

"The principles of hypnosis, when applied to copywriting, add a new spin to selling. Joe Vitale has taken hypnotic words to set the perfect sales environment and then shows us how to use those words to motivate a prospect to take the action you want. This is truly a new and effective approach to copywriting, which I strongly recommend you learn. It's pure genius."
-Joseph Sugarman, author of Triggers

"I've read countless book on persuasion, but none come close to this one in showing you exactly how to put your readers into a buying trance that makes whatever you are offering them irresistible."
-David Garfinkel, author of Advertising Headlines That Make You Rich

"I am a huge fan of Vitale and his books, and Hypnotic Writing (first published more than twenty years ago), is my absolute favorite. Updated with additional text and fresh examples, especially from e-mail writing, Joe's specialty, Hypnotic Writing is the most important book on copywriting (yes, that's really what it is about) to be published in this century. Read it. It will make you a better copywriter, period."
-Bob Bly, copywriter and author of The Copywriter's Handbook

"I couldn't put this book down. It's eye opening and filled with genuinely new stuff about writing and persuading better. And it communicates it brilliantly and teaches it brilliantly-exemplifying the techniques by the writing of the book itself as you go along."
-David Deutsch, author of Think Inside the Box, www.thinkinginside.com

"Hypnotic Writing is packed with so much great information it's hard to know where to start. The insights, strategies, and tactics in the book are easy to apply yet deliver one heck of a punch. And in case there's any question how to apply them, the before-and-after case studies drive the points home like nothing else can. Hypnotic Writing is not just about hypnotic writing. It is hypnotic writing. On the count of three, you're going to love it. Just watch and see."
-Blair Warren, author of The Forbidden Keys to Persuasion

From the Back Cover
Discover the secrets of written persuasion!

"The principles of hypnosis, when applied to copywriting, add a new spin to selling. Joe Vitale has taken hypnotic words to set the perfect sales environment and then shows us how to use those words to motivate a prospect to take the action you want. This is truly a new and effective approach to copywriting, which I strongly recommend you learn. It's pure genius."
—Joseph Sugarman, author of Triggers

"I've read countless book on persuasion, but none come close to this one in showing you exactly how to put your readers into a buying trance that makes whatever you are offering them irresistible."
—David Garfinkel, author of Advertising Headlines That Make You Rich

"I am a huge fan of Vitale and his books, and Hypnotic Writing (first published more than twenty years ago), is my absolute favorite. Updated with additional text and fresh examples, especially from e-mail writing, Joe's specialty, Hypnotic Writing is the most important book on copywriting (yes, that's really what it is about) to be published in this century. Read it. It will make you a better copywriter, period."
—Bob Bly, copywriter and author of The Copywriter's Handbook

"I couldn't put this book down. It's eye opening and filled with genuinely new stuff about writing and persuading better. And it communicates it brilliantly and teaches it brilliantly—exemplifying the techniques by the writing of the book itself as you go along."
—David Deutsch, author of Think Inside the Box, www.thinkinginside.com

"Hypnotic Writing is packed with so much great information it's hard to know where to start. The insights, strategies, and tactics in the book are easy to apply yet deliver one heck of a punch. And in case there's any question how to apply them, the before-and-after case studies drive the points home like nothing else can. Hypnotic Writing is not just about hypnotic writing. It is hypnotic writing. On the count of three, you're going to love it. Just watch and see."
—Blair Warren, author of The Forbidden Keys to Persuasion

About the Author
Joe Vitale is President of Hypnotic Marketing, Inc., a marketing consulting firm. He has been called "the Buddha of the Internet" for his combination of spirituality and marketing acumen. His articles are widely read, and his professional clients include the Red Cross, PBS, Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, and many other small and large international businesses. His past books include There's a Customer Born Every Minute (Wiley) and the AMA Complete Guide to Small Business Advertising. Subscribe to his free newsletter at www.mrfire.com.

Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, 20th Anniversary Edition

2008-08-10T23:34:00.000-07:00

Product Description
“Ries and Trout taught me everything I know about branding, marketing, and product management. When I had the idea of creating a very large thematic community on the Web, I first thought of Positioning....”—David Bohnett, Chairman and Founder of GeoCities

A handsome edition of the original 1981 text, this 20th Anniversary Edition makes available to business and marketing professionals—including tens of thousands of Ries and Trout groupies, worldwide—the work that forever changed the way marketing strategy is done. This new edition features commentary from the authors that offers fresh insight into why “positioning” a product in a prospective customer’s mind is still the most important strategy in business, and includes numerous examples of campaigns that followed, or didn’t follow, Ries and Trout’s thinking.

Book Info
A guide to marketing and advertising strategy, reprinted from the 1980 classic, based on the fundamental notion that success is not about having the best product or service, but about planting the right idea in the customer's head and keeping it there. DLC: Positioning.

From the Back Cover

"...Ries and Trout taught me everything I know about branding, marketing, and product management. When I had the idea of creating a very large thematic community on the Web, I first thought of Positioning...."
David Bohnett, Chairman and Founder of GeoCities

"One of the most important communication books I've ever read. I recommend it highly!"
Spencer Johnson, MD, co-author of The One Minute Manager

It shook up the world of marketing with all the force of a 20-megaton bomb, and now, two decades later, Positioning is still as fresh and, perhaps, even more relevant, for advertisers in the New Economy. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the classic book that changed an industry, McGraw-Hill has reunited mavens of marketing Al Ries and Jack Trout to make available to another generation of advertisers the book that forever changed the way advertising is done.

The 20th Anniversary Edition features commentary from the authors that offers fresh insight into why "positioning" a product in a prospective customer's mind is still the most important strategy in business. Ries and Trout look back over two decades of campaigns, offering penetrating analyses of some of the most phenomenal successes and unbelievable failures in advertising history.

The first book to deal with the problems of communicating to a skeptical, over-communicated public, Positioning describes a revolutionary approach to creating a "position" in a prospective customer's mind that reflects a company's own strengths and weaknesses as well as those of its competitors. Writing in their trademark witty, fast-paced style, Ries and Trout explain how to position an industry leader so that it gets into people's minds and stays there, how to position a follower so that it can occupy a space not claimed by the leader, and how to avoid letting a second product ride on the coattails of an established one.

About the Author

Al Ries is Chairman of Ries & Ries, Focusing Consultants. Jack Trout is Chairman of Trout & Partners. Al Ries and Jack Trout are undoubtedly the world's best-known marketing strategists.

The Sixty-Second Motivator

2008-08-10T23:33:00.000-07:00

Book Description
Based entirely on research from peer-reviewed journals and randomized controlled trials, The Sixty-Second Motivator is an easily read story that reveals practical motivational techniques. In less than 100 pages, readers will have the necessary tools to enable them to motivate themselves or others. A handy worksheet is also included which guides the reader through the motivational process.

About the Author
Jim Johnson, P.T., is a physical therapist who has spent over sixteen years treating both inpatients and outpatients with a wide range of pain and mobility problems. He has written many books based completely on published research and controlled trials including The Multifidus Back Pain Solution, Treat Your Own Knees, The No-Beach, No-Zone, No-Nonsense Weight Loss Plan: A Pocket Guide to What Works, Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff and The 5-Minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution. His books have been translated into other languages and thousands of copies have been sold worldwide. Besides working full-time as a clinician in a large teaching hospital and writing books, Jim Johnson is a certified Clinical Instructor by the American Physical Therapy Association and enjoys teaching physical therapy students from all over the United States.

Secrets of Question Based Selling: How the Most Powerful Tool in Business Can Double Your Sales Results

2008-08-10T23:30:00.000-07:00

From Booklist
Freese has uncovered a new twist on an old adage. If you walk in your customer's shoes, you'll be better able to sell to him or her. Using that philosophy, he wields the power of questions, from introductory telephone gambits to the final presentation, inserting a query into virtually every contact with the prospect. Instead of the same old blah, blah, blah at the beginning of a conversation, he recommends a simple "credentialing"--name, company, product, service--that ends with "Did I catch you at a bad time?" The process gets better. There's a detailed description of every stage--curiosity, credibility, needs development, present solutions, and commitment. There are sample dialogues, what-ifs, and rules to remember. Most of all, his "revolutionary" approach is, as he himself will admit, based on great common sense; why not engage prospects by asking them about themselves first? Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Steve Huey, Vice President, Compaq Computer Corporation
"Question Based Selling is a proven sales methodology and Tom Freese is a sales phenomenon. He will show you how to differentiate yourself and your product, and he will increase your sales results." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Jim Elliott, President, GE Capital, IT Solutions
"After we implemented Question Based Selling at GE Capital, we literally doubled our sales figures in six months." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Question Based Selling ( QBS®) is a commonsense approach to sales, based on the theory that "what" salespeople ask-and "how" they ask-is more important than anything they will ever say. This technique makes sense because in order to present solutions, you first must learn your customer's needs.

How do you uncover a prospect's needs? By asking questions. But not just any questions. You must ask the right questions at the right time. And this book provides a step-by-step, easy-to-follow program that does just that.

With this proven, hands-on guide, you will learn to:

--Penetrate more accounts
--Establish greater credibility
--Generate more return calls
--Prevent and handle objections
--Motivate different types of buyers
--Develop more internal champions
--Close more sales...faster
--And much, much more

Book Info
Takes a common sense approach to sales, the Question Based Selling (QBS) approach. The basic idea is that what salespeople ask and how they ask it has a direct effect on sales. Claims to be able to empower salespeople to penetrate more accounts, generate more return calls, establish greater credibility, and generate many other improvements. Softcover. DLC: Selling.

About the Author
Thomas A. Freese, based in Atlanta, is the founder and president of QBS Research, Inc., which teaches Question Based Selling to salespeople around the country. The list of the author's clients includes IBM, Merrill Lynch, Compaq Computer Corporation, Northwestern Mutual Life, Sun Microsystems, Lucent Technologies, Cisco, GE Capital and MCI. Freese speaks to dozens of major corporations annually.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Use People's Curiosity to Make the Sale

Excerpted from Secrets of Question-Based Selling by Thomas Freese © 2000

The newly hired salesperson, trying to rationalize his lack of production during the first month on the job, explains to his boss, "Sir, I can lead the 'horses' to water, but I can't always make 'em drink."

"Make 'em drink?" the sales manager sputters. "Making customers drink is not your job. Your job is to make them thirsty!"

The sales manager in this anecdote makes an interesting point. It's not a salesperson's job to make people buy. Rather, the salesperson's function is to uncover new opportunities, and then pique the prospect's interest, so they will want to know more about the products and services being offered.

In Question Based Selling, we want prospective customers to become curious. We want them to ask questions, and we want them to be "thirsty" for more information about the value we provide. But this requires a change in strategy. Rather than launching right into a litany of features and benefits, in an attempt to pique your prospect's interest, QBS recommends piquing the prospect's interest first in order to create new opportunities to uncover needs and present solutions.

If you want to engage new prospects in productive sales conversation, you essentially have two choices. You can be aggressive and try to force your way in, or you can make prospects curious enough to want more information about the value you provide-so they will invite you in. Not surprisingly, most of us would rather be invited in than to try and use brute force.

The Conversational Layering model (from chapter 6) shows us that curiosity is the key that unlocks the rest of the sales process. If a prospective buyer is not the least bit interested in who you are, or what you can do for them, then you will not get their time or attention. Fortunately, the opposite is true. As prospective buyers become more and more curious about how you can offer value, it becomes much easier to create new opportunities to sell. This is actually good news for salespeople because it simplifies the sales process. It also puts you in control of your own destiny. In other words, if you can make prospects curious, then you will have many more opportunities to establish credibility, build relationships, uncover needs, present solutions, and secure the commitments necessary to move forward with a sale.

Now, the question is, what makes people curious?

The Easiest Way to Make Someone Curious
There are lots of ways to make people curious. You can make someone curious by saying something that piques their interest. You can also leverage curiosity with provocative voice-mail messages or by sending intriguing emails. We will analyze each of these as the chapter unfolds, but for starters, let's begin by talking about the easiest way to pique someone's curiosity.

Making people curious doesn't have to be difficult. In fact, the easiest way to pique someone's curiosity is to simply say, "Guess what?" Virtually everyone you say this to will stop what they're doing and say, "What?" That was easy. Now, at least for the moment, you have their complete and undivided attention.

You can produce a similar result by saying, "Can I ask you a question?" That's another easy yes. Test it out for yourself. Simply walk up to the next person you see and say, "Can I ask you a question?" This question usually stops people in their tracks because they instinctively begin to wonder what you are about to ask.

Both of these questions are designed to create what we call a mini-forum for engagement. We said earlier that you must first have a prospect's time and attention in order to position the value of your product or service. In the Conversational Layering Model, we characterized this as having a forum for selling. But sometimes (especially in sales) you have to walk before you can run.

At the very beginning of the sales process, sellers haven't yet earned the right to ask for several hours of the prospect's time. It's more likely that we are just trying to get through the first few minutes of the call. By asking for smaller commitments, you make it easier for prospects to engage-at least initially. Then, what you do to pique the prospect's interest further, will ultimately determine whether the sales process moves forward or stalls.

This is important because the larger sale is usually an accumulation of smaller successes; and if you can consistently secure the prospect's attention, you will create many more opportunities to expand your sales conversations. For example, I don't start probing for needs without first saying, "Can I ask a couple specifics about your current _________ environment?" Likewise, I rarely offer a suggestion without asking, "Would you like to hear some feedback?" We use this technique throughout QBS to garner the prospect's time and attention, which is much more effective than just trying to bully your way in.

I would like to add that leveraging curiosity in the strategic sales process is not a manipulation strategy. Quite the contrary. Asking questions to make sure it's OK to proceed is not only good manners, it demonstrates that you are sensitive to the prospect's situation and you are also very respectful of their needs. Let me ask you, do customers appreciate it when someone is respectful of their time and space?

Voice Mail: Friend or Foe?
For many sellers, voice mail is the enemy. It's the gatekeeper that stands in the way of a salesperson talking directly with the prospect they are trying to reach. As we said in chapter 1, thousands of voice-mail messages are being left every day, but only a small fraction of these calls are ever returned.

Prospects, on the other hand, think voice mail is terrific. Automated messaging systems have given them the flexibility to be out of the office and away from their desks, yet they can still receive important messages. Voice mail also enables key decision makers to screen incoming calls, so they can focus on their business rather than be interrupted by constant solicitations.

Some sales trainers teach salespeople to hang up when they get a prospect's voice mail and not leave a message. Instead, they would rather you keep calling and calling until the person you're trying to reach actually picks up the phone. The busier the prospect, or the more averse they are to receiving sales calls, the less productive this strategy is, however.

Other sales trainers suggest that you should leave increasingly forceful voice-mail messages so prospects will feel a sense of obligation to call you back. The problem is, these messages often fall victim to Charlie Brown's Teacher Syndrome (chapter 6), because salespeople end up leaving the same old worn-out messages over and over.

In QBS, we want to differentiate ourselves from the typical sales caller, but not just for the sake of being different. We want to differentiate ourselves for the sake of being more effective. This means leveraging curiosity on voice-mail messages to get more call backs and, ultimately, engage more prospects in productive sales conversation.

Once I learned how to make people curious, voice mail became a terrific asset and a good friend. In fact, one of the secrets to my success in selling was that I had a very high engagement rate-95 percent of the voice-mail messages I left generated a return call. Let me say that again: 95 percent of the people I called, called me back. Why did they call back? It's because when I left a voicemail message, I didn't think about features, benefits, solutions, needs, or relationships. I only thought about one thing-what could I say that will cause this person to become curious enough to call me back.

Leveraging curiosity does require some thought and creativity. There are no magical scripts that will guarantee your success on each and every call. But there are many ways that you can pique someone's interest (when leaving voice mail) in order to engage potential customers in a mutually productive sales conversation. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

A Question That Only You Can Answer
Salespeople aren't always calling new prospects. Sometimes we're calling people where there is already a relationship-for example, existing customers, business partners, or other contacts in our industry. Calling someone who is familiar can be much easier than making cold calls, but you still have to compete with everything else that's vying for that person's time and attention. So rather than leave the same old generic-sounding message, you might leave a voice-mail message that says:

Salesperson: "Hi Susan, this is (your name and affiliation). I was hoping to catch you for a minute because I have a question...that only you can answer. If you could please call me back, I'll be in my office this afternoon until around 4:30 P.M."

Will Susan return the call? If your voice-mail message makes her curious, she will. This technique is particularly effective because it's personal without being offensive. It also conveys a certain sense of urgency. After all, any question that "only you" can answer must be important. It's also very easy to implement. Before you dial the phone, just think of a question that only your prospect can answer. Examples include: "Susan, how do you feel about ______?" or "What is your opinion on ______?" These are questions that only Susan can answer (by definition) because you are soliciting her thoughts, feelings, and/or opinions. By the way, most people (that you have some familiarity with) love to give their opinions, and they will likely be flattered that you asked.

Something Made Me Think of You
Using a similar approach, you can make existing contacts curious, so they will respond to your call, by leaving a voice-mail message that says, "Hi Richard, I decided to pick up the telephone and call...because something happened earlier today that made me think of you. If you get a minute, I'll be in the office until around 6:15 P.M. this evening...

Solution Selling: Creating Buyers in Difficult Selling Markets

2008-08-10T23:29:00.000-07:00

Review
``Solution Selling is an excellent vehicle to teach new salespeople critical sales skills and allow experienced salespeople to fine tune their skills. Solution Selling is the best methodology I've seen for placing emphasis on business issues rather than product.'' (Gorshi, Dan Sales Manager, AT&T Global Business Communications Systems )

``Solution Selling is the most comprehensive sales and sales management process available today. Mike Bosworth has the best understanding of sales process in corporate America.'' (Fisher, Jeffrey M. Vice President, Symix Computer Systems )

Gorshi, Dan, Sales Manager, AT&T Global Business Communications Systems
"Solution Selling is an excellent vehicle to teach new salespeople critical sales skills and allow experienced salespeople to fine tune their skills. Solution Selling is the best methodology I've seen for placing emphasis on business issues rather than product."

Review
``Solution Selling is the most comprehensive sales and sales management process available today. Mike Bosworth has the best understanding of sales process in corporate America.''

Product Description
``Solution Selling is the most comprehensive sales and sales management process available today. Mike Bosworth has the best understanding of sales process in corporate America.''Jeffrey M. Fisher, Vice President, Symix Computer Systems.

About the Author
McGraw-Hill authors represent the leading experts in their fields and are dedicated to improving the lives, careers, and interests of readers worldwide

Web Copy That Sells: The Revolutionary Formula for Creating Killer Copy Every Time

2008-08-10T23:28:00.000-07:00

Review

All who are interested in making their communications more effective should read it.”

-Journal of Consumer Marketing

Book Description
In order for a Web site to sell effectively, it must appeal to the unique culture, mindset, and psychology of the Web. Simply put, what works in the brick-and-mortar world does not necessarily grab Web shoppers. Companies selling products and services online need to promote their wares with engaging copy that grabs attention and compels Web site visitors to buy.

Web Copy That Sells presents copy strategies that have been proven time and again in the e-commerce arena. Maria Veloso, perhaps the most widely acclaimed Web copywriter in the world, reveals her revolutionary approach based on five simple questions, which, when answered, make the copy practically write itself. Veloso crams all the information from her 12-hour, $997 live seminars into a comprehensive book that will help any Web copywriter:

* write sizzling and irresistible Web copy, e-mails, and marketing communications * quickly turn lackluster sites into "perpetual money machines" * use Neuro-Linguistic Programming and psychological tactics to compel Web surfers to buy * avoid the top three blunders that can wipe out your sales * convert up to 50% of online prospects into paying customers * and more!

Book Description

"In order for a Web site to sell effectively, it must appeal to the unique culture, mindset, and psychology of the Web. Simply put, what works in the brick-and-mortar world does not necessarily grab Web shoppers. Companies selling products and services online need to promote their wares with engaging copy that grabs attention and compels Web site visitors to buy.

Web Copy That Sells presents copy strategies that have been proven time and again in the e-commerce arena. Maria Veloso, perhaps the most widely acclaimed Web copywriter in the world, reveals her revolutionary approach based on five simple questions, which, when answered, make the copy practically write itself. Veloso crams all the information from her 12-hour, $997 live seminars into a comprehensive book that will help any Web copywriter:

* write sizzling and irresistible Web copy, e-mails, and marketing communications

* quickly turn lackluster sites into ""perpetual money machines""

* use Neuro-Linguistic Programming and psychological tactics to compel Web surfers to buy

* avoid the top three blunders that can wipe out your sales

* convert up to 50% of online prospects into paying customers

* and more!"

About the Author

Maria Veloso (Los Angeles, CA) is Director of Web Copywriting University and the former Director of Creative Web Writing for Aesop.com, a major Internet marketing company.

How to Use the Internet to Advertise, Promote and Market Your Business or Website with Little or No Money

2008-08-10T23:25:00.001-07:00

Review
"...Anyone considering a web business will find this book valuable reading." --Michael Warren, President; USA4SALE Networks, Inc.

Product Description
Interested in promoting your business and/or Web site, but don t have the big budget for traditional advertising? This new book will show you how to build, promote, and make money off of your Web site or brick and mortar store using the Internet, with minimal costs. Let us arm you with the knowledge you need to make your business a success! Learn how to generate more traffic for your site or store with hundreds of Internet marketing methods, including many free and low-cost promotions. This new book presents a comprehensive, hands-on, step-by-step guide for increasing Web site traffic and traditional store traffic by using hundreds of proven tips, tools, and techniques. Learn how to target more customers to your business and optimize your Web site from a marketing perspective. You will learn to target your campaign, use keywords, generate free advertising, search-engine strategies, learn the inside secrets of e-mail marketing, how to build Web communities, co-branding, auto-responders, Google advertising, banner advertising, eBay storefronts, Web-design information, search-engine registration, directories, and real-world examples of what strategies are succeeding and what strategies are failing. **Award-Winning Finalist in the Business Category of the National Indie Excellence 2007 Book Awards **Bronze Winner in the Computer/ Internet Category of the 2007 Independent Publisher Book Awards

About the Author
Bruce Brown has been an officer in the United States Coast Guard for more than 22 years and is currently stationed as Comptroller at the Coast Guard Air Station in Clearwater, Florida. Prior to this assignment he was heavily involved in designing document imaging applications and web-based financial application systems design and deployment for the Coast Guard Finance Center in Chesapeake, Virginia. For the past 8 years, he has owned and operated of a small Web design and consulting firm. He currently resides in Land O’ Lakes, Florida with his wife Vonda, and youngest son Colton. His oldest son Dalton, is currently attending the University of South Florida and his other son Jordan is attending the University of Florida.

The SPIN Selling Fieldbook

2008-08-10T23:24:00.000-07:00

Product Description

Strategies and tools that guarantee big-ticket sales!

Neil Rackham's national bestseller SPIN Selling revolutionized high-end selling. Now, The SPIN Selling Fieldbook shows you how to actually put into practice the proven tools and techniques outlined in that cutting-edge guide. After a review of the SPIN method of selling, Neil Rackham zeroes in on the critical SPIN® questioning behaviors. He shows you how to apply the tools and techniques to your own selling situation, using practical, skill-building exercises incorporated into each chapter. Addressing the sales of services as well as capital goods, the Fieldbook provides you with a hands-on implementation guide for applying SPIN in a wide range of businesses from localized companies to large multinationals. Real-life case studies of sales forces at leading-edge companies such as Motorola, Johnson & Johnson, and AT&T help you explore additional techniques that go beyond the basics to boost sales with even the toughest customers and clients.

From the Back Cover

Put into practice today's winning strategy for achieving success in high-end sales!

The SPIN Selling Fieldbook is your guide to the method that has revolutionized big-ticket sales in the United States and globally. It's the method being used by one-half of all Fortune 500 companies to train their sales forces, and here's the interactive, hands-on field book that provides the practical tools you need to put this revolutionary method into actionimmediately. The SPIN Selling Fieldbook includes:

* Individual diagnostic exercises
* Illustrative case studies from leading companies
* Practical planning suggestions
* Provocative questionnaires
* Practice sessions to prepare you for dealing with challenging selling situations

Written by the pioneering author of the original bestseller, SPIN Selling, this book is aimed at making implementation easy for companies that have not yet established SPIN techniques. It will also enable companies that are already using the method to reinforce SPIN methods in the field and in coaching sessions.

About the Author
McGraw-Hill authors represent the leading experts in their fields and are dedicated to improving the lives, careers, and interests of readers worldwide

The Attractor Factor: 5 Easy Steps for Creating Wealth (or Anything Else) from the Inside Out

2008-08-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

Product Description
In The Attractor Factor, Joe Vitale combines principles of spiritual self-discovery with proven marketing concepts to show how anyone can live a happy life in and outside of business. He shares his own quest for wealth and success while leading you through the five simple steps that will make all your aspirations, professional and personal, a reality.

Download Description
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A breakthrough practical spiritual guide to achieving all your goals

For the first time ever, one of the rarely discussed formulas for building wealth and achieving success in all areas is revealed in The Attractor Factor. Popular marketing and spirituality guru Joe Vitale argues that those who try hard and fail need to remake their inner beings in order to easily attract success, wealth, and happiness. Many people do the right things but get the wrong results; it’s not so much what they do, as what they are inside. The problem for most people is self-sabotage. In five easy steps, Vitale shows anyone how to become happier and more successful by doing a few simple things differently every day. Part wealth-creation guide, part spiritual road map, part autobiography, The Attractor Factor offers inspiring, effective answers for anyone who wants to feel better, be happier, get wealthier, and get ahead in life.

Joe Vitale (Wimberley, TX) is President of Hypnotic Marketing, Inc., a marketing consulting firm. He has been called "the Buddha of the Internet" for his combination of spirituality and marketing acumen. His articles are widely read and his professional clients include The Red Cross, PBS, Hermann Children’s Hospital, and many other small and large international businesses. His past books include There’s a Customer Born Every Minute and The AMA Complete Guide to Small Business Advertising.

From the Back Cover
Praise for the ATTRACTOR FACTOR

"To manifest success in any endeavor, there is always a spiritual component—a part of our success that isn't always obvious to the casual observer. Joe Vitale clearly demonstrates how he has effectively recognized and used this spiritual component with amazing success and how you can easily adapt it to your life as well—all in five easy steps. I can personally attest to this process and its effectiveness."
—Joe Sugarman, Chairman, BluBlocker Corporation

"The Attractor Factor is the missing 'owner's manual' for your mind. By using Dr. Vitale's five simple steps, you can regain control of your beliefs and learn to focus your intentions to create the life you really want."
—Pat O'Bryan, Director, The Milagro Research Institute

"Anyone reading this book will receive a key, a key they only need to turn, and doors begin opening quietly, mysteriously, magically. A couple of months ago, I wanted a several thousand dollar bump in income. Four days later, on a seemingly unrelated phone call, I was offered a deal that brought me the exact amount I'd requested. These things happen all the time now, thanks to The Attractor Factor."
—Charles Burke, author, How to Prime Your Cosmic Cash Pump

"A radical and wonderful new way to achieve any goal. I can't wait to put it into practice."
—Shel Horowitz, author, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First

About the Author
Joe Vitale is President of Hypnotic Marketing, Inc., a marketing consulting firm. He has been called "the Buddha of the Internet" for his combination of spirituality and marketing acumen. His articles are widely read, and his professional clients include the Red Cross, PBS, Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, and many other small and large international businesses. His past books include There's a Customer Born Every Minute (Wiley) and the AMA Complete Guide to Small Business Advertising. Subscribe to his free newsletter at www.mrfire.com.

Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless: How to Make Them Love You, Keep You Coming Back, and Tell Everyone They Know

2008-08-10T04:56:00.000-07:00

Amazon.com
To longtime sales and customer-service pro Jeffrey Gitomer, boasting about a near-perfect customer-satisfaction rating of 97.5 percent is a major mistake. "That means 2.5 percent of your customers are mad and they're telling everyone. And 97.5 percent of your customers will shop anyplace the next time they go to market for your product or service." Based on a philosophy that's been developed through his syndicated business columns and the more than 150 seminars that he gives each year to companies such as Radisson, Sony, NationsBank, and Time Warner Cable, the book outlines his formula for making customers so faithful they "will fight before they switch--and they will proactively refer people to buy from you." Regularly employing oversized type in screaming bold fonts to grab the reader's attention, Gitomer breathlessly recounts his start-to-finish approach to becoming "memorable" to consumers along with illustrative tales of his own encounters with particularly egregious examples of poor service. All of this is bolstered by an ongoing sampling of his inspirational quips and a variety of self-evaluating quizzes designed to pinpoint individual strengths and weaknesses. Take a deep breath, read it straight through, and prepare to delight thy customer! --Howard Rothman

From Booklist
Gitomer, who conducts more than 150 sales seminars each year, is the author of The Sales Bible (1994) and a weekly column in more than 60 regional business newspapers. The first half of his title makes the unconventional assertion to make a point. Although a customer who is not satisfied is not as likely to return, companies should focus on building repeat business rather than just pleasing customers. The two efforts are obviously not mutually exclusive, but building customer loyalty is a separate and different process. Gitomer uses lists, anecdotes, observations, and aphorisms to demonstrate his point and his sales technique. Like his Sales Bible, this book, too, is laid out in a frenetic style: exclamation points abound and boldfaced, oversize motivational exhortations practically jump from the page. David Rouse

Product Description
Nationally syndicated columnist and sales trainer, Jeffrey Gitomer shows you how to convert satisfied customers into loyal customers.

Book Info
Contains a game plan that any customer-serving employee, salesperson, manager, executive or entrepreneur can enact to make customers love you, keep them coming back and tell everyone they know. DLC: Customer loyalty.

The SPIN Selling Fieldbook

2008-08-10T04:54:00.000-07:00

The Attractor Factor: 5 Easy Steps for Creating Wealth

2008-08-10T04:53:00.000-07:00

Selling the Invisible: A Field Guide to Modern Marketing

2008-08-10T04:50:00.001-07:00

Amazon.com
The transformation from a manufacturing-based economy to one that's all about service has been well documented. Today it's estimated that nearly 75 percent of Americans work in the service sector. Instead of producing tangibles--automobiles, clothes, and tools--more and more of us are in the business of providing intangibles--health care, entertainment, tourism, legal services, and so on. However, according to Harry Beckwith, most of these intangibles are still being marketed like products were 20 years ago.

In Selling the Invisible, Beckwith argues that what consumers are primarily interested in today are not features, but relationships. Even companies who think that they sell only tangible products should rethink their approach to product development and marketing and sales. For example, when a customer buys a Saturn automobile, what they're really buying is not the car, but the way that Saturn does business. Beckwith provides an excellent forum for thinking differently about the nature of services and how they can be effectively marketed. If you're at all involved in marketing or sales, then Selling the Invisible is definitely worth a look.

From Library Journal
"Don't sell the steak. Sell the sizzle." In today's service business, author Beckwith suggests this old marketing adage is likely to guarantee failure. In this timely addition to the management genre, Beckwith summarizes key points about selling services learned from experience with his own advertising and marketing firm and when he worked with Fortune 500 companies. The focus here is on the core of service marketing: improving the service, which no amount of clever marketing can make up for if not accomplished. Other key concepts emphasize listening to the customer, selling the long-term relationship, identifying what a business is really selling, recognizing clues about a business that may be conveyed to customers, focusing on the single most important message about the business, and other practical strategies relevant to any service business. Actor Jeffrey Jones's narration professionally conveys these excellent ideas appropriate for public libraries.?Dale Farris, Groves, Tex.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
Advertising professional Beckwith startles and disarms all potential doubting Thomases with one fact--that by the year 2005, 8 out of 10 Americans will be working in a service business. Chapters here are remarkably short; they are intended to convey one point (summarized in one sentence in boldface italics) and are blessedly free of jargon. Hints and tips cover the conventional four Ps of marketing--product, promotion, place, and price--in an irreverent and iconoclastic manner; nothing is sacrosanct. Stories from every corner of life illustrate and drive home messages. In a quandary about pricing? Read the Picasso story to remember, "Don't charge by the hour; charge by the years." About the value of research? Forget questionnaires and focus groups; instead, ask individuals what improvements are needed--not the dreaded "What don't you like?" A very human, much-needed book to savor and be refreshed by. Barbara Jacobs

Product Description
The transformation from a manufacturing-based economy to one that's all about service has been well documented. Today it's estimated that nearly 75 percent of Americans work in the service sector. Instead of producing tangibles--automobiles, clothes, and tools--more and more of us are in the business of providing intangibles--health care, entertainment, tourism, legal services, and so on. However, according to Harry Beckwith, most of these intangibles are still being marketed like products were 20 years ago.In Selling the Invisible, Beckwith argues that what consumers are primarily interested in today are not features, but relationships. Even companies who think that they sell only tangible products should rethink their approach to product development and marketing and sales. For example, when a customer buys a Saturn automobile, what they're really buying is not the car, but the way that Saturn does business. Beckwith provides an excellent forum for thinking differently about the nature of services and how they can be effectively marketed. If you're at all involved in marketing or sales, then Selling the Invisible is definitely worth a look.

Download Description
You can't touch, hear, or see your company's most important products. . . . So how do you sell, develop, make them grow? That's the problem with services.

This "phenomenal" book, as one reviewer called it, answers that question with insights on how markets work and how prospects think. A treasury of hundreds of quick, practical, and easy-to-read strategies, Selling the Invisible will open your eyes to new ideas in this crucial branch of marketing, including:
*Why focus groups, value-price positioning, discount pricing, and being the best usually fail
*The vital role of vividness, focus, "anchors," and stereotypes
*The importance of Halo, Cocktail Party, and Lake Wobegon effects
*Marketing lessons from black holes, grocery lists, the Hearsay Rule, and the fame of the Matterhorn
*Dozens of proven yet consistently overlooked ideas for research, presentations, publicity, advertising, and client retention . . . and much more.

Based on the author's twenty-five years of experience with thousands of business professionals, this book delivers its wisdom with unforgettable and often surprising examples--from Federal Express, Citicorp, and a growing Greek travel agency to an ingenious baby-sitter, Fran Lebowitz, and the colors of oranges and lemons.

The first guide of its kind and a book already causing a sensation in the business community, Selling the Invisible will help anyone marketing a service, a product, or a career. Read it, and you almost certainly will understand why two advance readers call it the best book on business ever written.

The Key: The Missing Secret for Attracting Anything You Want

2008-08-10T04:47:00.000-07:00

Product Description
The secret key to unlocking our full potential-from Joe Vitale, high-profile contributor to The Secret

The Key reveals the ultimate secret of attracting wealth, health, success, happiness, or anything else that we want from life. From author and self-help guru Joe Vitale, The Key builds on his bestselling book The Attractor Factor, and goes beyond the mega-hit book and movie The Secret, which features Vitale.

The Key shows how a person must first rid themselves of unconscious self-limiting beliefs if they want to reach their full potential and attain the things they say they want from life. Inside every person are "counter-intentions" that actually attract the things they don't want and prevent them from getting those things they do. The Key reveals ten proven ways to remedy the situation and end self-sabotage forever. For anyone who knows they can achieve more but doesn't know why it isn't working for them, The Key reveals the psychological and unconscious limitations that are holding them back. Like all of Joe Vitale's other bestselling books, The Key offers real, practical wisdom for anyone who wants to get more out of life.

Joe Vitale (Wimberley, TX) is President of Hypnotic Marketing, Inc., a marketing consulting firm. He has been called the "The Buddha of the Internet" for his combination of spirituality and marketing acumen. His professional clients include the Red Cross, PBS, Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, and many other small and large businesses. His other books include The Attractor Factor (0-470-00980-2), There's a Customer Born Every Minute (0-471-78462-1) and Life's Missing Instruction Manual (0-471-76849-9), all from Wiley.

From the Inside Flap

Are you struggling with your job, health, finances, or personal relationships? Is there something you desperately want but can't seem to attain, no matter how hard you try? Are you frustrated that you can't seem to achieve your dreams? If you're tired of struggling and want the true secret of unlimited success, The Key will open a new world of possibilities for you.

The Key reveals the missing secret for attracting wealth, health, success, happiness, and anything else that you want from life. From author and self-help guru Joe Vitale, this deeply enlightening life guide builds on his bestselling book, The Attractor Factor, and goes beyond the mega-hit movie and book, The Secret, to reveal a powerful and effective way to get more from every aspect of your life.

If you know you can achieve more but can't seem to make it happen, The Key reveals the psychological and unconscious limitations that are holding you back. Inside every person are subconscious "counter-intentions" that can sabotage you and prevent you from getting what you truly want. The Key reveals ten proven ways to remedy this situation, aligning your conscious and subconscious beliefs and ending self-sabotage forever.

Vitale takes complex issues of psychology and makes them easy to understand and apply to your life. Combining real, practical life wisdom with the spiritual insight to truly understand yourself, Vitale gives you ten tools guaranteed to open new opportunities and possibilities in your life. Use these amazing strategies to unlock the secret doors in yourself and marvelous, magical things will happen in every aspect of your life. The Key to success lies inside this book—and inside yourself.

This is the missing secret to unlocking your full potential and attracting anything you want in life. Turn The Key—and take the first step to freedom and fulfillment.

From the Back Cover

Praise for Joe Vitale and The Key

"For those of us who loved The Attractor Factor and The Secret, Joe has done it again. The Key is the how-to book that makes the 'law of attraction' come alive!"
—Jessica Biel, actor and philanthropist

"Joe Vitale's energy and enthusiasm for life jumps off every page of his new book, The Key. He leaves no stone unturned in explaining exactly how to attract everything you want in your life. The words 'I love you' have taken on a whole new meaning. Bravo!"
—Cathy Lee Crosby, actress and author of Let the Magic Begin

"Joe Vitale reveals the hidden 'obstacles' behind most failed attempts at manifestation and attraction. If you have been unable to manifest or attract what you truly desire, the missing secret he outlines in this book will open the door for you. Knowing and applying this key in your life will more than pay for the cost of this book! Read it and reap the benefits!"
—Dr. Robert Anthony, author of Beyond Positive Thinking www.drrobertanthony.com

"This is one of the most powerful resources I have ever read! The Key is completely life-transforming, brilliantly simple, and can unlock the door to everything you desire. This book ranks up there with the classics."
—Peggy McColl, author of Your Destiny Switch www.destinyswitch.com

"The Key has been a secret for far too long. Joe Vitale shows us how to easily and precisely unlock the conscious and unconscious impediments to our success and clear the way to unlimited self-improvement. This is a must-read for all!"
—Dr. R. F. Barrett, wellness advisor and author of Dare to Break Through the Pain www.2healnow.com

"In his typically engaging storytelling style, Joe Vitale addresses the toughest questions and objections related to manifesting your desires. Further, he provides a remarkable collection of tools to help you eliminate even the most stubborn blocks and limiting beliefs, thus clearing the way for any and all possibilities. An absolute must-read for anyone serious about living their life by design."
—Bob Doyle, creator and facilitator of the Wealth Beyond Reason program www.wealthbeyondreason.com

About the Author

Joe Vitale is President of Hypnotic Marketing, Inc., an Internet marketing consulting firm, and one of the stars of the hit movie, The Secret. He has been called "The Buddha of the Internet" for his combination of spirituality and marketing acumen. His other books include The Attractor Factor, Zero Limits, and Life's Missing Instruction Manual, all from Wiley. For more information on Joe Vitale, visit www.MrFire.com.

ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income

2008-08-04T04:40:00.000-07:00

Review
"Both authors are successful and profitable probloggers and here they reveal at last some of their secrets." (The Bookseller, Friday 14th March 2008)

Product Description
Blogging has become a popular and fascinating pastime for many, but more and more bloggers are finding it can also be an excellent source of direct or indirect income. Although the barriers to starting a blog are low, without expert guidance it is easy to get frustrated when success doesn’t match expectations. Written by the creator of the world’s #1 resource for making money with blogs, ProBlogger takes the reader from absolute beginner to earning money from or as a result of blogging. Through step by step practical lessons the reader will choose a blog topic, analyze the market, set up a blog, promote it and earn revenue.

Unlike other books that are big on potential and theory, ProBlogger provides results based on the authors own experience of what really works through practical, tried and tested advice. Inside readers will learn:

* How Bloggers Make Money
* Direct Income Earning vs. Indirect Income Earning methods
* Why Niches are Important
* Using 20 critical blogging tools
* 20 Ingredients for a successful blog post
* Optimizing advertising
* Which advertising platforms work best
* Expert analysis of Technocrat’s Top Blogs – why they work

and so much more.

Landing Page Optimization: The Definitive Guide to Testing and Tuning for Conversions

2008-08-04T04:24:00.000-07:00

Product Description
When Guerrilla Marketing was first published in 1983, Jay Levinson revolutionized marketing strategies for the small-business owner with his take-no-prisoners approach to finding clients. Based on hundreds of solid ideas that really work, Levinson's philosophy has given birth to a new way of learning about market share and how to gain it. In this completely updated and expanded fourth edition, Levinson offers a new arsenal of weaponry for small-business success including

* strategies for marketing on the Internet (explaining when and precisely how to use it)

* tips for using new technology, such as podcasting and automated marketing

* programs for targeting prospects and cultivating repeat and referral business

* management lessons in the age of telecommuting and freelance employees

Guerrilla Marketing is the entrepreneur's marketing bible -- and the book every small-business owner should have on his or her shelf.

About the Author
Jay Conrad Levinson is the author of more than a dozen books in the Guerrilla Marketing series. A former vice president and creative director at J. Walter Thompson Advertising and Leo Burnett Advertising, he is the chairman of Guerrilla Marketing International, a consulting firm serving large and small businesses worldwide.

Guerrilla Marketing, 4th edition: Easy and Inexpensive Strategies for Making Big Profits from Your SmallBusiness

2008-08-04T04:23:00.000-07:00

Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are

2008-08-04T04:22:00.000-07:00

Time, June 2 2008
"A compelling blend of cultural anthropology and business journalism."

Product Description
“Fascinating … A compelling blend of cultural anthropology and business journalism.” — Andrea Sachs, Time Magazine

“An often startling tour of new cultural terrain.” — Laura Miller, Salon

“Marked by meticulous research and careful conclusions, this superbly readable book confirms New York Times journalist Walker as an expert on consumerism. … [A] thoughtful and unhurried investigation into consumerism that pushes the analysis to the maximum…” — Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)

Brands are dead. Advertising no longer works. Weaned on TiVo, the Internet, and other emerging technologies, the short-attention-span generation has become immune to marketing. Consumers are “in control.” Or so we’re told.
In Buying In, New York Times Magazine “Consumed” columnist Rob Walker argues that this accepted wisdom misses a much more important and lasting cultural shift. As technology has created avenues for advertising anywhere and everywhere, people are embracing brands more than ever before–creating brands of their own and participating in marketing campaigns for their favorite brands in unprecedented ways. Increasingly, motivated consumers are pitching in to spread the gospel virally, whether by creating Internet video ads for Converse All Stars or becoming word-of-mouth “agents” touting products to friends and family on behalf of huge corporations. In the process, they–we–have begun to funnel cultural, political, and community activities through connections with brands.

Walker explores this changing cultural landscape–including a practice he calls “murketing,” blending the terms murky and marketing–by introducing us to the creative marketers, entrepreneurs, artists, and community organizers who have found a way to thrive within it. Using profiles of brands old and new, including Timberland, American Apparel, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Red Bull, iPod, and Livestrong, Walker demonstrates the ways in which buyers adopt products, not just as consumer choices, but as conscious expressions of their identities.

Part marketing primer, part work of cultural anthropology, Buying In reveals why now, more than ever, we are what we buy–and vice versa.

Praise for Buying In
“Walker … makes a startling claim: Far from being immune to advertising, as many people think, American consumers are increasingly active participants in the marketing process. … [He] leads readers through a series of lucid case studies to demonstrate that, in many cases, consumers actively participate in infusing a brand with meaning. … Convincing.” — Jay Dixit, The Washington Post

“Walker lays out his theory in well-written, entertaining detail.” — Seth Stevenson, Slate

“Buying In delves into the attitudes of the global consumer in the age of plenty, and, well, we aren’t too pretty. Walker carries the reader on a frenetically paced tour of senseless consumption spanning from Viking ranges to custom high-tops.” — Robert Blinn, Core77

“Rob Walker is one smart shopper.” — Jen Trolio, ReadyMade

“The most trenchant psychoanalyst of our consumer selves is Rob Walker. This is a fresh and fascinating exploration of the places where material culture and identity intersect.”
–Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food

“This book has vast social implications, far beyond the fields of marketing and branding. It obliterates our old paradigm of companies (the bad guys) corrupting our children (the innocents) via commercials. In this new world, media-literate young people freely and willingly co-opt the brands, and most companies are clueless bystanders desperate to keep up. I really don't know if this is good news or bad news, but I can say, with certainty, that this book is a must-read.”
–Po Bronson, author of What Should I Do with My Life?

“Rob Walker is a gift. He shows that in our shattered, scattered world, powerful brands are existential, insinuating themselves into the human questions ‘What am I about?’ and ‘How do I connect?’ His insight that brand influence is becoming both more pervasive and more hidden–that we are not so self-defined as we like to think–should make us disturbed, and vigilant.”
–Jim Collins, author of Good to Great

“Rob Walker is a terrific writer who understands both human nature and the business world. His book is highly entertaining, but it’s also a deeply thoughtful look at the ways in which marketing meets the modern psyche.”
–Bethany McLean, editor at large, Fortune, and co-author of The Smartest Guys in the Room

“Are we living in an era of YouTube-empowered, brand-rejecting consumers? Rob Walker has the surprising answers, and you won’t want to miss this joyride through the front lines of consumer culture. A marketing must-read.”
–Chip Heath and Dan Heath, authors of Made to Stick

“Rob Walker brilliantly deconstructs the religion of consumption. Love his column, couldn’t put his book down.”
–Paco Underhill, author of Why We Buy

Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive

2008-08-04T04:21:00.000-07:00

From Publishers Weekly
Goldstein, Martin and Cialdini meld social psychology, pop culture and field research to demonstrate how the subtle addition, subtraction or substitution of a word, phrase, symbol or gesture can significantly influence consumer behavior. Interspersing references to Britney Spears, the Smurfs and Sex and the City with more academic concepts such as loss aversion and the scarcity principle, the authors illustrate the simple and surprising approaches that can hone a company's marketing strategies. Witty chapters detail the allure of the yellow Post-it, the tip-garnering capabilities of an after-dinner mint, how highlighting a product's weaknesses can increase its appeal, the powerful role of third-party testimonials, how doctors can convince patients to adopt healthier choices by prominently displaying academic credentials in their offices, and how mirroring another person's gestures can elicit a more generous response by strengthening a perceived bond. While written primarily for a marketing audience, this amusing book has equal value and appeal for executives, salespeople—even parents trying to persuade their kids to do homework. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"This easy-to-read summary of the social-psychological research on persuasion really does tell people how to get to 'yes.' Since we are all selling something, including ourselves, all the time, everyone can, and will be, reading this amazing book."-- Jeffrey Pfeffer, professor, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and author of What Were They Thinking? Unconventional Wisdom About Management

"Yes! is the single best introduction to and distillation of research and wisdom on how to change people's minds, including your own."-- Warren Bennis, Distinguished Professor of Business, University of Southern California, author of On Becoming a Leader and coauthor of Judgment: How Winning Leaders Make Great Calls

"Yes! is the Freakonomics of social psychology. This book changed my way of looking at the world. This thinking is the real deal. Don't miss out!"-- Daniel Finkelstein, Comment Editor, The Times (London)

"If you had a team of bright guys looking for research that you can actually use to improve your effectiveness, and they wrote it up for you with wit and style, putting it in nifty little reports of three to five pages, would that be useful? YES! This book is the trifecta: first-rate research, lively writing, and practical advice. Read it, enjoy it, use it."-- Dale Dauten, nationally syndicated King Features columnist and author of The Gifted Boss

"Meld[s] social psychology, pop culture and field research to demonstrate how the subtle addition, subtraction or substitution of a word, phrase, symbol or gesture can significantly influence consumer behavior....illustrate[s] the simple and surprising approaches that can hone a company's marketing strategies." -- Publishers Weekly

Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior

2008-08-04T04:20:00.000-07:00

From Publishers Weekly
Recently we have seen plenty of irrational behavior, whether in politics or the world of finance. What makes people act irrationally? In a timely but thin collection of anecdotes and empirical research, the Brafman brothers—Ari (The Starfish and the Spire), a business expert, and Rom, a psychologist—look at sway, the submerged mental drives that undermine rational action, from the desire to avoid loss to a failure to consider all the evidence or to perceive a person or situation beyond the initial impression and the reluctance to alter a plan that isn't working. To drive home their points, the authors use contemporary examples, such as the pivotal decisions of presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and George W. Bush, coach Steve Spurrier and his Gators football team, and a sudden apparent epidemic of bipolar disorder in children (which may be due more to flawed thinking by doctors making the diagnoses). The stories are revealing, but focused on a few common causes of irrational behavior, the book doesn't delve deeply into the psychological demons that can devastate a person's life and those around him. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Praise for SWAY*

"A breathtaking book that will challenge your every thought, Sway hovers above the intersection of Blink and Freakonomics."--Tom Rath, coauthor of the New York Times #1 bestseller How Full Is Your Bucket?

“Now we know why no one ever coined the phrase ‘rational exuberance.’ Behind the surprising ways we all make choices, the Brafmans find biology, humanity, and the wisdom of our collective experience. As a longtime student of how financial decisions are made, I found their insights utterly fascinating. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop—and I suspect the Brafmans could tell you exactly why!”
--Sallie Krawcheck, CEO, Citi Global Wealth Management

"Count me swayed--but in this instance by the pull of entirely rational forces. Ori and Rom Brafman have done a terrific job of illuminating deep-seated tendencies that skew our behavior in ways that can range from silly to deadly. We'd be fools not to learn what they have to teach us."--Robert B. Cialdini, author of New York Times bestseller Influence

“Brilliant.”
—Klaus Schwab, chairman of the World Economic Forum

"A page-turner of an investigation into how our minds work . . . and trick us. Think you behave rationally? Read this book first."--Timothy Ferriss, author of the New York Times #1 bestseller The 4-Hour Workweek

"Sway helped me recognize an aspect of irrational behavior in my experimental work in physics. Sometimes I have jumped into some research that didn't feel quite right . . . but some irrational lure, such as the hope of quick success, pulled me in."--Martin L. Perl, 1995 Nobel Laureate in Physics

*DISCLAIMER: If you decide to buy this book because of these endorsements, you just got swayed. One of the psychological forces you’ll read about in Sway is our tendency to place a higher value on opinions from people in positions of prominence, power, or authority.

(But you should still buy the book.)

"If you think you know how you think, you'd better think again! Take this insightful, delightful trip to the sweet spot where economics, psychology, and sociology converge, and you'll discover how our all-too-human minds actually work."--Alan M. Webber, founding editor of Fast Company magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

2008-08-04T04:19:00.000-07:00

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Unabashedly inspired by Malcolm Gladwell's bestselling The Tipping Point, the brothers Heath—Chip a professor at Stanford's business school, Dan a teacher and textbook publisher—offer an entertaining, practical guide to effective communication. Drawing extensively on psychosocial studies on memory, emotion and motivation, their study is couched in terms of "stickiness"—that is, the art of making ideas unforgettable. They start by relating the gruesome urban legend about a man who succumbs to a barroom flirtation only to wake up in a tub of ice, victim of an organ-harvesting ring. What makes such stories memorable and ensures their spread around the globe? The authors credit six key principles: simplicity, unexpectedness, concreteness, credibility, emotions and stories. (The initial letters spell out "success"—well, almost.) They illustrate these principles with a host of stories, some familiar (Kennedy's stirring call to "land a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth" within a decade) and others very funny (Nora Ephron's anecdote of how her high school journalism teacher used a simple, embarrassing trick to teach her how not to "bury the lead"). Throughout the book, sidebars show how bland messages can be made intriguing. Fun to read and solidly researched, this book deserves a wide readership. (Jan. 16)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
Adult/High School—While at first glance this volume might resemble the latest in a series of trendy business advice books, ultimately it is about storytelling, and it is a how-to for crafting a compelling narrative. Employing a lighthearted tone, the Heaths apply those selfsame techniques to create an enjoyable read. They analyze such narratives as urban legends and advertisements to discover what makes them memorable. The authors provide a simple mnemonic to remember their stickiness formula, and the basic principles may be applied in any situation where persuasiveness is an asset. The book is a fast read peppered with exercises to test the techniques proposed. Some examples act as pop quizzes and engage readers in moments of self-reflection. The book draws on examples from teachers, scientists, and soldiers who have been successful at crafting memorable ideas, from the well-known blue eye/brown eye exercise conducted by an Iowa elementary school teacher as an experiential lesson in prejudice following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., to conversations among Xerox repairmen. Readers who enjoyed Malcolm Gladwell's Blink (2005) and The Tipping Point (2000, both Little, Brown) will appreciate this clever take on contemporary culture.—Heidi Dolamore, San Mateo County Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

2008-08-04T04:18:00.000-07:00

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
"The best way to understand the dramatic transformation of unknown books into bestsellers, or the rise of teenage smoking, or the phenomena of word of mouth or any number of the other mysterious changes that mark everyday life," writes Malcolm Gladwell, "is to think of them as epidemics. Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do." Although anyone familiar with the theory of memetics will recognize this concept, Gladwell's The Tipping Point has quite a few interesting twists on the subject.

For example, Paul Revere was able to galvanize the forces of resistance so effectively in part because he was what Gladwell calls a "Connector": he knew just about everybody, particularly the revolutionary leaders in each of the towns that he rode through. But Revere "wasn't just the man with the biggest Rolodex in colonial Boston," he was also a "Maven" who gathered extensive information about the British. He knew what was going on and he knew exactly whom to tell. The phenomenon continues to this day--think of how often you've received information in an e-mail message that had been forwarded at least half a dozen times before reaching you.

Gladwell develops these and other concepts (such as the "stickiness" of ideas or the effect of population size on information dispersal) through simple, clear explanations and entertainingly illustrative anecdotes, such as comparing the pedagogical methods of Sesame Street and Blue's Clues, or explaining why it would be even easier to play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon with the actor Rod Steiger. Although some readers may find the transitional passages between chapters hold their hands a little too tightly, and Gladwell's closing invocation of the possibilities of social engineering sketchy, even chilling, The Tipping Point is one of the most effective books on science for a general audience in ages. It seems inevitable that "tipping point," like "future shock" or "chaos theory," will soon become one of those ideas that everybody knows--or at least knows by name. --Ron Hogan --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly
The premise of this facile piece of pop sociology has built-in appeal: little changes can have big effects; when small numbers of people start behaving differently, that behavior can ripple outward until a critical mass or "tipping point" is reached, changing the world. Gladwell's thesis that ideas, products, messages and behaviors "spread just like viruses do" remains a metaphor as he follows the growth of "word-of-mouth epidemics" triggered with the help of three pivotal types. These are Connectors, sociable personalities who bring people together; Mavens, who like to pass along knowledge; and Salesmen, adept at persuading the unenlightened. (Paul Revere, for example, was a Maven and a Connector). Gladwell's applications of his "tipping point" concept to current phenomena--such as the drop in violent crime in New York, the rebirth of Hush Puppies suede shoes as a suburban mall favorite, teenage suicide patterns and the efficiency of small work units--may arouse controversy. For example, many parents may be alarmed at his advice on drugs: since teenagers' experimentation with drugs, including cocaine, seldom leads to hardcore use, he contends, "We have to stop fighting this kind of experimentation. We have to accept it and even embrace it." While it offers a smorgasbord of intriguing snippets summarizing research on topics such as conversational patterns, infants' crib talk, judging other people's character, cheating habits in schoolchildren, memory sharing among families or couples, and the dehumanizing effects of prisons, this volume betrays its roots as a series of articles for the New Yorker, where Gladwell is a staff writer: his trendy material feels bloated and insubstantial in book form. Agent, Tina Bennett of Janklow & Nesbit. Major ad/promo. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

The Guru Guide to Marketing: A Concise Guide to the Best Ideas from Today's Top Marketers by Joseph H. Boyett

2008-08-04T04:17:00.000-07:00

Product Description

* Discusses the newest marketing concepts.
* The Guru name is synonymous with expert, candid advice.
* The Guru format provides an easy reference to a wide range of ideas and practices.
Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #1185225 in Books
* Published on: 2002-11-15
* Number of items: 1
* Binding: Hardcover
* 252 pages

Editorial Reviews

Book Info
Compiles the best thinking on modern marketing from the most noted names in the field to help your business and your products stand out from the pack. Offers cutting-edge advice that is objective, thought-provoking and always practical.

From the Inside Flap
Marketing just isn't what it used to be. New technology and business practices as well as more informed and savvy consumers have made the business of marketing more complicated than ever before. Marketers know they must develop new ways to tap consumers and new ways to differentiate their products.

If you want to learn about the latest trends in marketing, then you can read the hundreds of books and thousands of articles published each year on the subject. Or you could turn to a trusted single resource for informed guidance from the top thinkers in the field. For the very best advice from the biggest names in the business, turn to The Guru Guide™ to Marketing.

A valuable source of inspiration and cutting-edge ideas, The Guru Guide™ to Marketing offers unparalleled access to the hottest trends in the field. Based on top Fortune 500 consultants Joseph and Jimmie Boyett's exhaustive research, it distills the wisdom of the world's top marketers into straightforward, bite-sized lessons about everything from branding to buzz.

In The Guru Guide™ to Marketing, you'll learn the secrets of brand management from legends Philip Kotler, Bernd Schmitt, and Jack Trout. You'll understand the new one-to-one consumer relationship with help from Don Peppers and Martha Rogers. You'll hear from Frederick Newell on customer relationship management, Kevin Clancy and Peter Krieg on customer retention programs, and Malcolm Gladwell on creating buzz.

Organized by broad themes that encompass every aspect of modern marketing, top thinkers like Seth Godin, Ian Gordon, and Sam Hill shed needed light on topics like the role of mass marketing in a fragmented consumer society, how to market to a global audience, and the new brand management. Fresh marketing concepts like permission marketing, relationship marketing, and experiential marketing are explored in detail.

Informed and opinionated, The Guru Guide™ to Marketing shows you where the experts agree and disagree and offers the Boyetts' own unique take on what the masters of marketing have to say. Loaded with insights from the industry's leading thinkers, it's a clear, concise, and informative digest of the best thinking about marketing today and for the future.

Back Cover Copy
How can I differentiate my products from the competition?
Do customer retention and loyalty programs really work?
How do I increase a customer's lifetime value to my company?
How can I build a strong brand and manage it wisely?

To find the answers to these and scores of other questions, turn to the experts at the pinnacle of the profession-the gurus of marketing. They see tomorrow's trends today, understand the new informed consumer, and are shaping the future of marketing. Now you can tap into their years of experience, gain insight from their wisdom, and learn from the mistakes they made on the way to the top. Read what they have to say about branding, buzz, product placement, and more. The Guru Guide™ to Marketing compiles the best thinking on modern marketing from the most noted names in the field to help your business and your products stand out from the pack. Like the other Guru Guides™ before it, this book offers cutting-edge advice that is objective, thought-provoking, and always practical.

Some of the Gurus you'll meet:

David Aaker, author of Building Strong Brands
Adam Curry and Jay Curry, coauthors of The Customer Marketing Method
David F. D'Alessandro and Michele Owens, coauthors of Brand Warfare
Laura Day, author of Practical Intuition for Success
Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point
Seth Godin, coauthor of Permission Marketing
Ian Gordon, author of Relationship Marketing
Sam Hill, coauthor of The Infinite Asset and author of 60 Trends in 60 Minutes
Philip Kotler, author of Kotler on Marketing and Marketing Insights from A to Z
Regis McKenna, author of Real-Time Marketing
Mary Modahl, author of Now or Never
Don Peppers and Martha Rogers, coauthors of The One to One Future
Faith Popcorn, author of EVEolution
Bernd Schmitt and Alex Simonson, coauthors of Marketing Aesthetics
Carl Sewell, Paul Brown, and Tom Peters, coauthors of Customers for Life
Patricia Seybold, author of The Customer Revolution
Judy Strauss, coauthor of Marketing on the Internet
Jack Trout, author of Differentiate or Die
Sergio Zyman, author of The End of Advertising as We Know It

Vault Career Guide to Advertising by Ira Berkowitz

2008-08-04T04:15:00.000-07:00

Product Description

This guide offers a look at professional careers in advertising, at the industry's history and trends, and advice on marketing oneself to potential employers.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #382211 in Books
Published on: 2004-04-25
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
128 pages

Advertising and the Mind of the Consumer: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why by Max Sutherland

2008-08-04T04:14:00.000-07:00

Product Description

Contrary to popular belief, most ads are not designed to make consumers want to run out and buy the product. Using examples from popular international campaigns, this book provides insight into the minds of both creators and consumers of advertising. It demonstrates why one brand is more likely to come to mind than another, dispels the myths behind subliminal advertising, reveals the tricks successful advertisers use, and clarifies how and why some messages work and some misfire. Meant as a tool for both advertising personnel and consumers who are concerned with the messages they constantly see, the information presented here explains the tactics that are used to make ads more memorable and exposes what advertisers are really trying to achieve.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #65392 in Books
Published on: 2000-10-01
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
352 pages
Editorial Reviews

Journal of Brand Management
A rich source of information and expert comment...the scope and power of advertising is rescued from the exaggerated claims...

Choice Magazine
...makes for enjoyable as well as enlightening reading...can serve as an introduction to advertising for general readers.

Book Info
(Allen & Unwin) Reveals the secrets of successful campaigns over a wide range of media, including advertising on the Internet. Takes the reader to the mind of the consumer to explain how advertising messages work, or misfire, and why. Previous edition: c1993. Softcover. DLC: Advertising--Psychological aspects.
Customer Reviews

The advertising behind the advertising
If I had to choose one book as a survival book in the adfield, this would definitely be my weapon of choice.
It has down to earth and truthful advertising insights about how things work or don't in the advertising universe.

It really, really is a must have for all us who deal from the agency side or the marketing side of the ad business.
Better if any agency and client read this before to fully understand one another, in working better off as one team aiming to one vision.

This book details and focus everything from the psychological point of view.
This one is definitely a keeper!

The best book on the psychology behind advertising by far
I was introduced to this book several years ago when I was in the ad agency industry.
Since then, my issue has been read and re-read, referenced countless times.
My copy mysteriously disappeared (hey who could blame them??) so have just rebought the newest version of this book.
The book is brilliant because it gets behind the psychology of the buyer, allowing you to really and simply understand the thought process behind the buying decision.
Others who have touched on the subject of the psychology of reasons why we buy have made the content too heavy, too theoretical and let's face it - Boring with a capital "B" ... but not these authors.
It has great examples of ad campaigns throughout the book.
Personally this book has helped me design and write more responsive advertising campaigns as the many learnings from this book have stayed.
This is a must-read for anyone in an ad agency, students of marketing and advertising, and anyone in the marketing industry.
Buy this book, you won't regret it.

Highly recommended
The most clearly illustrated book about the once mysterious mechanics behind advertising. I wish I would have read it ten years ago when I joined the ad. industry.

The Art of Advertising: CEOs from Mullen Advertising, Marc USA, Euro RSCG & More on Generating Creative Campaigns & Building Successful Brands

2008-08-04T04:13:00.000-07:00

Product Description

Inside the Minds: The Art of Advertising is the most authoritative book ever written on the essentials behind building successful brands and implementing creative communications solutions. This title features the founders, presidents and CEOs from some of the country's leading advertising agencies, who have each contributed chapters akin to objective, experience-related white papers or essays on the core issues surrounding success in such a competitive market. In an over-arching as wel as in-depth presentation of the fundamentals, authors articulate the unspoken rules and the important issues facing any agency now, and what will hold true into the future. From effective branding strategies to industry trends and challenges, this title pulls readers through all facets of advertising, from beginning to end. The different niches represented and the various perspectives presented enable readers to really get inside the great minds of advertising and glean practical advice, as the experts go back to basics in a must-read for anyone interested in this dynamic, unique industry.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #1336667 in Books
Published on: 2003-04-01
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
150 pages
Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher
This book is written by:

Joe Grimaldi, President & CEO, Mullen Advertising - Beyond Traditional Boundaries: Being Creative & Inventive

David Hadeler, President & CEO, MARC USA Dallas - Developing a Strategic Platform: You Just Can't Wing It

Stan Richards, Principal, The Richards Group - Assessing Good Creative: $10 of Value for Every Dollar Spent

Ron Berger, CEO, Euro RSCG MVBMS Partners - How Advertising Works: Common Sense & Clarity

Jordan Zimmerman, CEO & Chairman, Zimmerman & Partners Advertising - Brandtailing: Advertising at the Speed of Smart

Ernest W. Bromley, CEO & Chairman, Bromley Communications - Breakthrough Advertising: A Mix of Science & Art

G. Steven Dapper, Founder & Chariman, Hawkeye Worldwide Communications - A Few True Golden Rules: Keep Current, Be Curious, Never Stop Listening

Mike Toth, CEO & Chief Creative Director, Toth Brand Imaging - The Future of Advertising: Merging with Entertainment

Christopher Santry, President & CEO, Kupper Parker - Active Branding: Combining Branding & Direct Marketing

Paul S. Allen, CEO, Allen & Gerritsen - Company to Customer Relationship: The Business of Building Businesses

Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective (Irwin/Mcgraw-Hill Series in Marketing) By George E. Belch, Michael A. B

2008-08-04T04:09:00.000-07:00

Product Description

The field of advertising and promotion continues to dramatically change since the dominant days of high-powered Madison Avenue agencies. Marketers must look beyond the traditional media in order to achieve success. In order to best communicate with consumers, advertisers must utilize the myriad of media outlets-print, radio, cable, satellite TV, and now the Internet. Belch/Belch is the first book to reflect the shift from the conventional methods of advertising to the more widely recognized approach of implementing an integrated marketing communications strategy. Belch/Belch conveys throughout the text that one must recognize how a firm uses all of the promotional tools available to convey a unified message to the consumer. The integrated marketing communications perspective, or theme of the text, catapults the reader into the business practices of the 21st century.
Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #918386 in Books
* Published on: 1997-10-16
* Number of items: 1
* Binding: Hardcover
* 784 pages

Customer Reviews

Good intro to IMC5
I am reading this book for a Marketing class and I love it. I have used other books by the authors and they are very good. It's a good read and not to boring. You can tell the authors make an attempt to keep the material relevant.

From a Marketing Student3
One of my marketing classes is using this book. I have experienced so much PAIN reading this book that I have to give it a 3 star to release my frustration. The chapters are extremely long. The overall concept of the book is good. There are also interesting facts and exhibits, but sometimes the book keeps repeating itself. For example, in Chapter 16 Sales Promotion, the authors talk about consumer franchise-building promotions. The same concept appears later on in the chapter over and over as individual paragraphs. I understand that a lot of the marketing concepts are interrelated, but they can be expressed much more efficiently.

Extensive in theory but current and entertaining5
This book is theoretical and full of examples of applied theories of advertising. It is presently being used at an AACSB accredited University in the Marketing department and students do enjoy it because of its current content and entertaining format.