The full title of this book by Dan Kennedy is
No B.S. Direct Marketing: The Ultimate. No Holds Barred. Kick Butt. Take No Prisoners Direct Marketing for Non-direct Marketing Businesses
In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave it Three Stars.
Here is my review.
Too little Dan Kennedy and too many pitches by his devoted followers
I wanted to like this book based on the title and my high regard for Dan Kennedy. I had expectations of adding it to my list of books I like my clients to read.
Too many businesses make basic marketing mistakes because “advertising media” salespeople and graphic designers like pretty marketing.
To them it doesn’t matter if it works – that is it makes more sales and profit – provided it looks good and is seen to help build the right image for the company.
I expected this book to help break the image myth and to focus attention on the money issue. It doesn’t do it enough. There are ten “No BS” rules which are useful but that is one chapter.
There is the usual stuff about market – message – media match which is the essence of effective marketing but it is not covered as well as in The Ultimate Marketing Plan also by Dan Kennedy.
That takes you to page 39. Then you run into the stuff from Dan Kennedy students and clients who have become the gurus in their own niche areas using direct marketing.
In theory there is nothing wrong with the case studies but too often they are pitches for their own businesses. Some are much better than others in that they stir the emotions and you can imagine how you would respond if you were in the niche. Others are blatant promotions which don’t hit home. Most of the chapters of No BS Direct Marketing end with samples of the campaigns but you need a magnifying glass to be able to read them.
I like the idea of showing how traditional businesses like dentists, chiropractors, mortgage brokers and retail can be transformed through the effective use of direct marketing but better quality control and editing was needed.
I’m grading it as a 3 star book. I am disappointed. There is some merit in reading it but I can’t recommend it to anyone, unless you are an extreme Dan Kennedy addict, because there are much better direct marketing books around.
If you’re a small business owner, you need to understand direct response marketing and effective copywriting.
I recommend The Brain Audit: Why Customers Buy (And Why They Don’t),The 24 Hour Marketing Miracle: The FIRST Marketing Book EVER to Be Backed Up By a 500% Money Back Guarantee (Value Mechanics) and two from the better known marketing legends, Jay Abraham with Getting Everything You Can Out of All You’ve Got: 21 Ways You Can Out-Think, Out-Perform, and Out-Earn the Competition and Dan Kennedy’s The Ultimate Marketing Plan: Target Your Audience! Get Out Your Message! Build Your Brand!.
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