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The Great Formula by Mark Joyner

The full title of this book by Mark Joyner is

The Great Formula: for Creating Maximum Profit with Minimal Effort

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave it Three Stars.

Here is my review.

A business philosophy for success in 14 words.

If you make business hard for yourself with one time sales to customers before you move on to the next then this book should be a revelation. It is much easier to sell to existing customers again and again than to keep finding new customers.

The author has a gift for taking complex ideas which may seem too formidable to do, stripping them down to the essentials and helping you to take action. [continue reading…]

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In my review of

The Guerilla Marketing Handbook

by Jay Conrad Levinson & Seth Godin posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave it Three Stars.

Here is my review.

A very good book on marketing tactics but badly out of date since it was written in 1994

This is a very practical marketing book packed with good advice on using marketing tools and tactics. It is a nice companion book to the main Guerilla Marketing book.

It can be used as a stand-alone marketing book to help you to implement popular marketing techniques but I think you’ll get more benefit from understanding the Guerrilla Marketing thinking. [continue reading…]

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Hypnotic Writing by Joe Vitale

The full title of the book by Joe Vitale is

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

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave it 2 Stars.

Here is my review.

I was very disappointed but I still bought Hypnotic Writing 2.0

I was intrigued by the book title and the author has created a great brand using the word hypnotic. Who doesn’t want their marketing and copywriting to put prospective customers in a buying trance?

When I read the book I was very disappointed. It is written with a knowing style. “I’m going to make you do something…see I told you I was going to make you.” [continue reading…]

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The Hidden Profit Center by Helen Wilkie

The full title of this book by Helen Wilkie is

The Hidden Profit Center: A Tale of Profits Lost and Found Through Communication

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave it 3 Stars.

Here is my review.

A book to agitate but not solve your communication issues.

This book tells the story of Richard, the CEO of a business with a strong history but poor current performance and his revelations through meeting Annie, a very special cleaner who is able to transport Richard back in time together with a rabbit to ring up the money. [continue reading…]

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Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin

The full title of this book by Seth Godin is

Meatball Sundae: How new marketing is transforming the business world (and how to thrive in it)

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave this book Two Stars.

Here is my review.

Combining good things can create something horrible – this was long-winded with little substance

I was very disappointed is this book.

There’s no doubt about it, Seth Godin is a leading thinker on marketing but I found this book long-winded and with little substance. Irritatingly this is a book I’d flicked through in a book store and bought. I think I must have read the few good bits. It rarely kept my attention and I think it’s made up of blog posts which, while connected, don’t seem to run into each other very well. [continue reading…]

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The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

The full title of this book by Malcolm Gladwell is

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

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book Three Stars.

Here is my review.

An extremely padded version of how ideas can build slowly and suddenly take-off

I started this book several times but it seems a conundrum about why a book about viral ideas wasn’t able to hold my attention when everyone else was rushing to read it.

The main idea is that ideas, trends and social behaviours can cross a threshold. Before the threshold, growth is slow but after the threshold – or tipping point – growth becomes exponential. [continue reading…]

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Gung Ho! by Kenneth Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles

The full title of this book by Kenneth Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles is

Gung Ho!: How To Motivate People In Any Organization

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book Three Stars. This means Worthwhile.

Here is my book review.

American Indian based fable on how to get employees working better but it lacks substance

This book promises to teach you how to motivate people in any organisation so you can increase productivity, profits and your own prosperity.

It tells the story of how Peggy Sinclair and Andy Longclaw (an American Indian), that is a new plant manager and the manager of one department regarded as troublesome saved the plant from threatened closure by making the work force Gung Ho!

It is written as a true story but I have my doubts and there is a sentimentality in the book that I found hard to take. It starts with the deathbed scene as Peggy promises to share the secrets with the world after Andy dies.

The book presents the three secrets to turning a business Gung Ho and while it is a short book, it still seemed padded out to me and could have been told more precisely.

The three secrets can be found in nature – hence the American Indian in the story:

1 – The Spirit of the Squirrel – basically the idea that people work best when they know they are doing worthwhile work.
2 – The Way of the Beaver – give your employees control over how they achieve the goals
3 – The Gift of the Goose – cheer each other on as work improves and the business becomes more successful.

As normal with the Ken Blanchard / One Minute Manager books, it is easy to read (once you can stomach the sentimentality) and while the main messages are not brought out in the text so you can quickly scan for them, there is a two page summary of each way to Gung Ho at the end of the book.

I am a Ken Blanchard fan of the “common-sense lessons” told in a simple story form but I was disappointed by this book. The basic ideas of are sound and the link to nature has interest to me but I found myself thinking “is that it?” when I’d finished.

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The Sandler Rules by David Mattson

The full title of this book by David Mattson is

The Sandler Rules: 49 Timeless Selling Principles and How to Apply Them

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave it 3 Stars.

Here is my review.

Starts strongly with counter-intuitive sales ideas but fades away and the layout is irritating

This book based on the Sandler Sales System created by David Sandler back in the late sixties and seventies and presents “49 timeless selling principles and how to apply them.”

It is written by David Mattson, CEO and partner at Sandler Systems, Inc. and if you are not familiar with the Sandler name, it has become one of the best established sales training franchises throughout the world.

The Sandler Selling System ® is different from many selling approaches since it de-emphasises the closing stage and puts the emphasis on qualifying (giving the buyer permission to say NO early in the process) and on digging deep into the pain of the problem the prospective customer wishes to solve.

I know some people feel the approach is disguised manipulation but that charge can be levied at a lot of sales and marketing techniques since they all want the buyer’s money.

I bought “The Sandler Rules” because of the great reviews on Amazon.com but having read the book, I fear that it is another example of vested interests giving a biased impression of the book.

Part of my problem is that I think you need to understand the Sandler Selling System® to appreciate the book but it is not described here. While I have some issues with it, I recommend that you read David Sandler’s book “You Can’t Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar” first if you are new to the Sandler ideas

Each rule has a two or three page explanation together with a chance to test your understanding (with the answers irritatingly written in very small print against a shaded background and upside down). There is also a brief guide to the behaviour you need WHICH IS WRITTEN IN CAPITAL LETTERS AND THEREFORE DIFFICULT TO READ.

It makes some good points and after the first 10 to 15 rules, I was expecting a review rating of 4.5 stars, then it dropped to 4 stars and finally to 3.5 stars so I have the impression that it starts strongly and finishes weakly. The cynic in me says that’s OK because it is well known that most business books that are bought and started are never finished.

I was disappointed but I like a lot of the Sandler System. One such idea is the fall back. Traditional sales approaches teach you how to keep battering down any objections the customer dares to come up with but the problem is that you can meet force with force. The stronger you resist your buyer’s resistance, the more they will resist. The Sandler system challenges the buyer to keep you in the game and as a counter-intuitive approach, I think it’s very insightful.

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The full title of this book by Anthony Hernandez & Jay Conrad Levinson is

Guerrilla Marketing Success Secrets: 52 Weeks of Marketing & Management Wisdom

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave it Three Stars.

Here is my review.

A series of short articles about all kinds of management topics

This is an unusual management book. It is based on a series of articles written by Anthony Hernandez and is designed to be read one article per week over a year.

Each article covers about one and a half to two and a half pages and is written as a stand-alone thought piece. [continue reading…]

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Niche Marketing for Coaches by Hannah McNamara

In my review of

Niche Marketing for Coaches by Hannah McNamara

posted at Amazon.co.uk, I gave it 3 Stars.

Here is my review.

More about marketing than selecting a niche

In my experience coaches are nice people. They are attracted to start a coaching business because they want to help people and make a genuine difference.

They also see it as a way to make a nice living – and of course, the best known coaches make an absolute fortune (e.g. Tony Robbins). [continue reading…]

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