Book Description
The tools needed to create and manage a thriving interior design practice
This essential sourcebook provides all of the information needed to establish and manage a productive, profitable interior design firm. Filled with savvy business and career advice, Professional Practice for Interior Designers, Third Edition delivers updated and expanded coverage of the full range of legal, financial, management, marketing, administrative, and ethical issues faced by sole practitioners, firm principals, and managers.
This comprehensive reference lays out clear, practical guidelines on how to structure a contract and prevent legal problems; work with other designers, allied professionals, clients, and vendors; and calculate fees that are both fair and profitable. Recommended reading for NCIDQ candidates, it offers easy-to-follow tips and instruction on how to:
- Write and implement a successful business plan
- Choose the right form of business to fit specific needs
- Institute strategic planning
- Develop effective promotional tools
- Manage finances and set up a computerized accounting system
- Manage employees and team members
Establishing a comprehensive foundation for effective business practice, Professional Practice for Interior Designers, Third Edition is the one-stop resource that no interior designer can afford to be without.
Customer Reviews:
Bada Bing!.......2007-10-19
It was fast
It was what I ordered
Im happy, they're happy
Win Win!
Read before you practice.......2005-09-23
I have practiced interior design for over 20 years and still found this book to be invaluable. The information about legal ramifications and insurance coverage was enlightening but also sobering. It's a must read for any design firm principal or freelance designer.
Get It!.......2004-07-03
This book reads like a friend whispering all the good advice and secrets of the interior design business in your ear. I wish my Professional Practices class had used this text. It's a lot of information but Christine Piotrowski truly takes you by the hand and lets you know what you need to prepare for in a budding interior design business as well as how the interior design business is done in general. I will be referencing this book again and again. A huge thank you and bravo to Christine Piotrowski
Must Have!.......2002-12-16
This book was used for both Business Practice For Interior Design & Sales and Marketing. I had no need to consult any other source. "This is a great book" THANKS..
Fantastic!.......2002-10-28
Outstanding, fabulous, fabulous book. Extremely helpful to me in starting my own firm. Well written. Well organized. Invaluable.
Book Description
Your customers are going to give you three seconds to make the sale.
Do you know what to say in those three seconds?
The marketing methods of the past are losing effectiveness as consumers are getting smarter and smarter and have less and less time. What is needed is a new way of doing business-a method that is simultaneously socially responsible and far more effective than "old" marketing. This new way is The Irresistible Offer.
"The Irresistible Offer is the missing link in many marketing books."
—Joe Sugarman, Chairman, BluBlocker Corporation
"The Irresistible Offer reveals secret after proven secret guaranteed to pump fresh power into your sales process."
—John Du Cane, CEO, Dragon Door Publications, Inc.
"As the world's fastest reader (Guinness Book certified) I've read just about every business and marketing book in existence. The Irresistible Offer by Mark Joyner is, by far, the easiest and most powerful. If you want to make a profitable business (any business small or large), The Irresistible Offer should be your starting point."
—Howard Berg, "The World's Fastest Reader"
"I've read every book on marketing printed in the last 150 years. This is the first breakthrough in over fifty years."
—Dr. Joe Vitale, author of The Attractor Factor
"If I had to choose one modern marketing genius to learn from, it would be Mark Joyner. The Irresistible Offer belongs in the hands of everyone wanting to wildly succeed in business."
—Randy Gilbert, a.k.a. "Dr. Proactive" host of The Inside Success Show
Download Description
Your customers are going to give you three seconds to make the sale. Do you know what to say in those three seconds? The marketing methods of the past are losing effectiveness as consumers are getting smarter and smarter and have less and less time. What is needed is a new way of doing business-a method that is simultaneously socially responsible and far more effective than ""old"" marketing. This new way is The Irresistible Offer. ""The Irresistible Offer is the missing link in many marketing books."" Joe Sugarman, Chairman, BluBlocker Corporation ""The Irresistible Offer reveals secret after proven secret guaranteed to pump fresh power into your sales process."" John Du Cane, CEO, Dragon Door Publications, Inc. ""As the world's fastest reader (Guinness Book certified) I've read just about every business and marketing book in existence. The Irresistible Offer by Mark Joyner is, by far, the easiest and most powerful. If you want to make a profitable business (any business small or large), The Irresistible Offer should be your starting point.""Howard Berg, ""The World's Fastest Reader"" ""I've read every book on marketing printed in the last 150 years. This is the first breakthrough in over fifty years."" Dr. Joe Vitale, author of The Attractor Factor ""If I had to choose one modern marketing genius to learn from, it would be Mark Joyner. The Irresistible Offer belongs in the hands of everyone wanting to wildly succeed in business."" Randy Gilbert, a.k.a. ""Dr. Proactive"" host of The Inside Success Show
Customer Reviews:
MJ the master of the sale . . . but he's much more than that .......2007-10-11
Mark Joyner, whether teaching you how to market via word of mouth, how to improve your personal performance via simpleology courses, or just giving you general insight into life, is successful for one reason: honesty. His honesty and integrity allows him to see that which others who try to manipulate and control miss. And isn't that the secret to success? How many people ever desire to come back to a business, company, even person or individual who is phony? One who attempts to draw you in with deception and then does the bait and switch. Warren Buffett--he of multi-billions, the great investor--said that a major factor in choosing companies to invest in is based on whether or not you like the company enough (read people) to work there. Well, Mark Joyner is one of those people many enjoy working with. Because of his honest, straight forward approach.
The Irresistible Offer is certainly that: honest. Even though it has its flaws--excessive examples, repetition, and at times, opaque theory--it is a book that truly displays the genius and great insight of its author. And you've got to believe (all you The Secret people) that if you seek the truth, the truth will seek you. Herein lies Joyner's gift.
I once read a sales letter of Joyner's that hit to the core, issues I had been having in acquiring all-things-marketing to get my business going. He mentioned how marketers are charging hundreds of dollars for a "box full of 'secrets' that is nothing more than some low-quality audio recordings and poorly edited transcripts?" And how important it is that "A transformation of spirit without a direction and a clear plan might bring you happiness for a while, but if that happiness is not reinforced by real change in the real world, it is always short lived"? Personally, I have chosen to avoid many schemes, internet marketers, and plans or bonus-encrusted list blasts because "quality and value is more important to" me, as Joyner states.
The book certainly has its more general philosophies, but it also gets into enough specifics on Word of Mouth and how to use it in your business to give the reader his money's worth . . . and then some. Great ROI, wouldn't you say Mark? Get it. It's worth every penny.
3 seconds or less..........2007-08-15
Well, I'm not one to believe hype and I still don't think it can be done in 3 seconds or less, but I am amazed at the tricks that I did pick up. Worth more than a 3 second perusal.
An excellent addition to any marketer's library.......2007-06-28
I am a professional PR and marketing man. I constantly strive to hone my skills by reading trade articles and books about the subject. If you hope to become adroit at marketing, you must do the same.
The Irresistible Offer is an excellent book that teaches the nuts and bolts of putting together a product and brand message. It explains how you can refine your product's message into a 3-second touchstone that conveys the features and benefits of your product to prospective customers at a glance.
The psychology and theory behind this book is excellent. I would recommend it as an addition to any marketer's library.
-Craig Nybo, author of Total Human: The Complete Strength Training System
Every Marketing Professional Should Own This Book.......2007-06-27
This book is a must read if you are in marketing or advertising. This book not only explains how to create an irresistible offer, but it also shows you how to use intensifyers to get customers to take action. Overall, one of the most useful marketing books I have ever read.
This book is an "Irresistible Offer".......2007-06-21
The title itself is an excellent example of "the irresistible offer." The "3 seconds or less" refers to the amount of time you have with a prospect to get and capture their attention. However, the way the title of the book is written, you could interpret it to mean it will only take you 3 seconds or less to learn how to sell your product. Now that's great copywriting! And for anyone who wants to succeed in business, this book is a great reference. Buy it. Read it. Apply the lessons. And succeed. Even after nearly 30 years in advertising, I learned from this book.
Customer Reviews:
Don't believe the other reviews.......2007-10-16
This book consists primarily of motivational ideas that are much better presented elsewhere. If you want sales motivation--success check out Brian Tracy. The sales ideas are weak and not original. For good sales information see Spin Selling, Question Based Selling, or Brian Tracy on Selling. If you've never read a book on sales or success you might like this one, but having read piles of books on sales and related subjects I say this is one of the worst. There are no original thoughts here!
A really easy read.......2007-10-06
As a salesman once upon a time myself i know how little time 'good' salespeople get to read books, digest the information, work out how and when to use a technique and adapt their presentations when they have worked a full day and are expected to go out the next.
If i have just discribed YOU and you are pounding the highways then this is the book for you.
I was reading a comment left buy Dave Lakhani who put it so very well that i'd do worse than to repeat it. "You can pick this book up and open it at any page". This is exaclty my experience of the book which is why all salespeople looking to learn easy step by step new techniques should buy this book and have it next to them in the car to read a page or two before sitting an appointment.
Gary May
Author: SELLING: Powerful New Strategies for Sales Success
www.garymay.net
Keep Asking the Question.......2007-08-21
As always a Fan I have follow Jeffery Gitomer's advice for years and have done well out of it. Does repeat a bit but, then we all need to be reminded of why we are in sales and how to make the most out of it. Alway value first, ask questions the answers are here.Read This!
Darren Teale Perth Western Autralia www.darrenteale.com.au
Perfect for the Sales Rookie.......2007-08-03
Anyone just entering the field of sales will benefit from the practical advice in this book. Forget about the thousands of textbook style sales books and pickm this one up.
This is NOT your average how-to guide! .......2007-06-11
"Every major sales answer you need to know is in this book." -From the Book.
Take a look inside this book and you'll see that this is no ordinary how-to guide. This guy is brilliant in that he has went off the beaten path of how a book is supposed to look. The book is approximately 5x8 in size, and is covered in red fabric and comes with a handy built in bookmark. I love the use of color throughout the book. The author has chosen to color important words and phrases throughout, to make them stand out in your mind, and there are some tasteful illustrations that enhance the messages conveyed.
I know so many sales people who don't like to read. If that's you, well, then you'll LOVE this book because not only is it an easy book to read and understand, but the style is totally fun. You may even forget you're reading and all the while you'll come away with a new perspective on selling!
I was hooked and knew I had to have this book from the beginning. I love the unconventional style of the book. Now, besides the great job he did on the look of the book, there is some extremely good information contained within these red walls. 99.5 real world answers are contained within 6.5 chapters. Loads of great advice on things like setting goals and How to do your best every day, prospecting, and even how to write a thank you note.
This book has more than earned it's spot on my bookshelf!
Amazon.com
Sometime during the last 30 years, the service economy emerged as the dominant engine of economic activity. At first, critics who were uncomfortable with the intangible nature of services bemoaned the decline of the goods-based economy, which, thanks to many factors, had increasingly become commoditized. Successful companies, such as Nordstrom, Starbucks, Saturn, and IBM, discovered that the best way to differentiate one product from another--clothes, food, cars, computers--was to add service.
But, according to Joseph Pine and James Gilmore, the bar of economic offerings is being raised again. In The Experience Economy, the authors argue that the service economy is about to be superseded with something that critics will find even more ephemeral (and controversial) than services ever were: experiences. In part because of technology and the increasing expectations of consumers, services today are starting to look like commodities. The authors write that "Those businesses that relegate themselves to the diminishing world of goods and services will be rendered irrelevant. To avoid this fate, you must learn to stage a rich, compelling experience."
Many will find the idea of staging experiences as a requirement for business survival far-fetched. However, the authors make a compelling case, and consider successful companies that are already packaging their offerings as experiences, from Disney to AOL. Far-reaching and thought-provoking, The Experience Economy is for marketing professionals and anyone looking to gain a fresh perspective on what business landscape might look like in the years to come. Recommended. --Harry C. Edwards
Book Description
You are what you charge for. And if you're competing solely on the basis of price, then you've been commoditized, offering little or no true differentiation. What would your customers really value? Better yet, for what would they pay a premium? Experiences. The curtain is about to rise, say Pine & Gilmore, on the Experience Economy, a new economic era in which every business is a stage, and companies must design memorable events for which they charge admission. With
The Experience Economy, Pine & Gilmore explore how successful companies-using goods as props and services as the stage-create experiences that engage customers in an inherently personal way. Why does a cup of coffee cost more at a trendy cafe than it does at the corner diner or when brewed at home? It's the value that the experience holds for the individual that determines the worth of the offering and the work of the business. From online communities to airport parking, the authors draw from a rich and varied mix of examples that showcase businesses in the midst of creating engaging experiences for both consumers and corporate customers.
The Experience Economy marks the debut of an insightful, highly original, and yet eminently practical approach for companies to script and stage compelling experiences. In doing so, all workers become actors, intentionally creating specific effects for their customers. And it's the experiences they stage that create memorable-and lasting-impressions that ultimately create transformations within individuals. Make no mistake, say Pine & Gilmore: goods and services are no longer enough. Experiences are the foundation for future economic growth, and
The Experience Economy is the playbook from which managers can begin to direct new performances.
Download Description
Future economic growth lies in the value of experiences and transformations--good and services are no longer enough. We are on the threshold, say authors Pine and Gilmore, of the Experience Economy, a new economic era in which all businesses must orchestrate memorable events for their customers. The Experience Economy offers a creative, highly original, and yet eminently practical strategy for companies to script and stage the experiences that will transform the value of what they produce. From America Online to Walt Disney, the authors draw from a rich and varied mix of examples that showcase businesses in the midst of creating personal experiences for both consumers and businesses. The authors urge managers to look beyond traditional pricing factors like time and cost, and consider charging for the value of the transformation that an experience offers. Goods and services, say Pine and Gilmore, are no longer enough. Experiences and transformations are the basis for future economic growth, and The Experience Economy is the script from which managers can begin to direct their own transformations.
Customer Reviews:
Secret behind business success.......2007-10-24
A Harvard educated friend of mine told me about this book which created some interest, until I found out the most successful companies in the country were using this technique to rapidly expand their profitability. Then I couldn't wait to order it and find out for myself how these concepts applied to small business.
I wasn't disappointed and have recommended the book for years because even though it's a radical concept, it works. If you have ever wondered if price is the most important element in finding business success, this book will convince you otherwise. It's not about money- it's about the customers experience and when you know how to master this technique you will win customers for life along with word of mouth marketing that will be invaluable for your long term business success.
excellent service.......2007-09-09
This was fast and accurate, and the quality was just what was advertised. Thank you!
too much 'flowers' in conveying the message.......2007-06-20
When I bought this book, I hoped Mr Pine will more describe about the ultimate power of new era, the experience economy, and how that change should be adapted quickly for many variety industries settings to get survive. Meaning, I expect to find a practical guidance to overcome the battle.
I found many ideas poured into this book mostly already existed in some other books (not written by Joseph Pine, for sure), for instance putting the experience as value added in consumer goods to increase consumers' emotional benefits. In doing so, the manufacturer can have premium price to outdo the competition. I've heard of it as many as the idea of how to serve consumers in a new different way by using internet as interactive tool to preserve their satisfactions and to use it as new channel of distribution. I really hope he came up with new striking and distinctive ideas, not those hackneyed ones.
I somewhat think this book a little bit hard to understand. Mr Pine used and picked up some unusual vocabularies to convey his message. I always fall asleep everytime reading it. Surprising that it takes me a week to consume 2-3 pages whilst I spend a week to finish Harry Potter - Goblet of Fire in English version.
However, I thank to Joseph for inspiring me some new vocabs.
Top Notch.......2007-06-01
Rarely do we get a truly new model to work with. This book provides a genuine breakthrough in how our life experience can be designed.
Used for Designers.......2007-03-30
I am a college instructor in Web and Interactive design and development. I have used this book and the audio version as the cornerstone of my opening lectures each semester. All the concepts and tenents put forward apply to user Interface design that I use this book as part of my UX-User Experience driven courses. Understanding how we got here and having an idea of where we are going allows tommorrow's designers to create "experiences" today.
This should be on every design students required reading list....
Book Description
Use a 5-Step Process to Transform Your Business--and Your Life! If you've ever yearned for a business that would energize rather than drain you, if you've ever known and admired someone who made financial services look easy and fun, then you're ready to learn a new way to market. A way that doesn't require so much of your time and energy. A way that requires less effort. Effort-Less Marketing is based on author Steve Moeller's extensive research and refinement of the best strategies to build a financial advisory practice, as well as key marketing principles that work just as well for financial advisors as they do for such customer-savvy giants as Saturn and Nike. You'll toss aside conventional, exhausting sales techniques for a newer, easier way. With these 5 steps, you'll take the guesswork out of reaching the wealthiest and most enjoyable clients, make referral-gathering a no-brainer, and completely revitalize your business.
Customer Reviews:
best book I have read in a long while.......2007-07-18
As a Financial Advisor who has been in the business 5 years, this book has to be one of the best books on building your business I have ever read. It has new and innovative ideas. This book has a least one idea for everyone, I don't care how long you have been in the business.
Outstanding Marketing Strategy Roadmap!.......2007-03-08
After six years in the investment advisory business with a major firm, I became so frustrated with trying to implement the outdated marketing practices that the major firms still promote, I actually left the business and moved into private banking. My absence was three years. Recently, however, I have re-joined the business and co-incidentally found Steve's excellent book at the same time.
What Steve outlines in the first few chapters of this book are so true. The industry is still plugging things like mail drops and cold calling as a way to build a new business. We all know that today's sophisticated client has no interest in these types of tactics. As I launch my new business, I am using Steve's book as the definitive roadmap to help me grow my business over time. This book provides the much needed and missing training on marketing that advisors dearly need. In this day and age, with managed assets programs etc., managing the money is the easy part. Effective business development strategies are what set the successful apart from the unsuccessful. And this book is the definitive guide. I can't wait for Steve's next book. He is truly plugged in to what matters. He'll be my sole business coach going forward. Thank You Steve.
This is the best!!!!.......2006-12-21
I have only been using the process for a couple of weeks, but the results are incredible. I have come to realize that most advisors including myself are left brained, we're great at explaining products and talking the market lingo. But in reality we are scaring our prospects and clients. Steve's book gets you to think right brained, that is what will conect you to your clients and prospects forever.
I took a client to NY yesterday to meet a hedge fund manager, on the train ride home instead of raving about my view of the manager I used Steve's interview process. I thought I had all of the clients money, but at the end of the interview the client suggested he move another $2mm in assets to me. And above that the client indicated he would never be able to leave me as his advisor. I then suggested that since he had such a great confidence in me we should bring my offering to his friends, family and business contacts. He thought that was great and we are setting up our first meeting with an attorney with more than a $10mm net worth.
I had already finished preparing my 2007 goals. I'm going to go back and adjust my net new assets up by another $20mm and production by $150m. After 21 years in the business I thought I had seen it all, but now I'm more excited than at any other point in my career.
Steve, thanks you.
George
Steve Moeller has opened a window for me........2006-12-15
I have been in this business going on ten years now and have realized a good deal of success. Twice during this time, I had partnered with men who came through the traditional wire house ranks and followed the long standing rules of engagement for our industry.
I recently made the decision to leave my partnership and forge out on my own. I remember telling my wife that I just felt that something significant was lacking in this conventional approach and I wanted a change. So I brought this challenge to my good friend and mentor, who in turn, introduced me to Steve Moeller. Following a short conversation, I ordered this book and spent the next several days pouring through it.
I was truly astonished by what I was reading. It not only confirmed all of my concerns and frustrations with this business, but also clearly and effectively outlined the strategies and tools that I needed to build the financial advisory business of my dreams.
I know this may sound a bit extreme, but without a doubt there are only a few people in my life who have had a bigger impact on my happiness and success.
Informative, Motivational, and Practical.......2006-12-14
A nice surprise about Steve Moeller's book was that the title is entirely accurate; the plethora of information and strategy in this guide is so great that if you follow the instructions and advice he offers, marketing really does become effortless.
Certainly, if you're considering this book you're likely a professional in the investments industry who's read more than a few books on this topic. I'm also no stranger to books in this arena but Moeller's clearly stood out simply based on the amount of detail contained herein. For example, other books will expound upon the importance of referrals and their necessity for a successful practice. You knew that. I knew that. Steve Moeller knows that. "Effortless Marketing" differs in that it's a step-by-step, ready-to-implement-now guide that tells you how to GET referrals (among many other things). And for those who think they already know how to go about getting referrals (as I did), I was surprised to find the book offered completely new strategies for obtaining these valuable contacts... and even referral sources whom I never thought would work on top of that. It's wonderfully insightful and informative, even for the FA who's a know-it-all.
Referrals are just one area the book covers of course. In fact, it's just 1 "step" out of 20 but you can glean what an impact it made. Perhaps the best thing about Moeller's book is that it forces you to get your marketing strategy in order -- not merely your materials, but rather the entire package. It makes you consider whom pitching to would be most beneficial (and profitable) to, while enabling you to position yourself to do this with a high success rate. He makes you examine yourself and pratice, consider your weaknesses, and then advises how to turn them around and make them strengths.
After reading this, you'll find it is not merely a good advice guide, nor even a single-time "must read." I found the information, strategy, and tips to be too numerous and valuable for that. Rather, it's something that, after the initial reading and implementing, should be referenced regularly and attentively if you're to be obtain the best use from it.
Average customer rating:
- If you sell a non-tangible product or service, buy this book
- Short and Easy to Read
- Not your typical book on selling.
- Can't go wrong reading this one!
- Selling the Invisible: The Art of War
|
Selling the Invisible: A Field Guide to Modern Marketing
Harry Beckwith
Manufacturer: Business Plus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Economics
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
| Agricultural
| Commercial Policy
| Comparative
| Consolidation & Merger
| Cooperatives
| Debt & Deficits
| Development & Growth
| Econometrics
| Economic Conditions
| Economic History
| Economic Policy & Development
| Exports & Imports
| Free Enterprise
| Inflation
| International
| Labor & Industrial Relations
| Macroeconomics
| Microeconomics
| Money & Monetary Policy
| Natural Resources
| Privatization
| Public Finance
| Statistics
| Sustainable Development
| Theory
| Unemployment
| Urban & Regional
General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Management & Leadership
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
| Business Ethics
| Consolidation & Merger
| Decision-Making & Problem Solving
| Distribution & Warehouse Management
| Industrial
| Information Management
| Leadership
| Management
| Management Science
| Motivational
| Negotiating
| Operations Research
| Planning & Forecasting
| Pricing
| Production & Operations
| Project Management
| Quality Control
| Risk Assessment
| Statistics
| Strategy & Competition
| Systems & Planning
| Systems Analysis
| Teams
| Total Quality Management
| Training
Advertising
| Marketing & Sales
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Marketing
| Marketing & Sales
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sales & Selling
| Marketing & Sales
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
What Clients Love: A Field Guide to Growing Your Business
-
The Invisible Touch: The Four Keys to Modern Marketing
-
You, Inc.: The Art of Selling Yourself
-
How to Become a Rainmaker: The Rules for Getting and Keeping Customers and Clients
-
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing: Violate Them at Your Own Risk!
Accessories:
-
Business Plan Pro 4.0
ASIN: 0446520942 |
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.
Book 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.
Customer Reviews:
If you sell a non-tangible product or service, buy this book.......2007-08-06
It is much easier to sell a book than it is to sell life insurance. Why? Because the customer can hold and touch and see the book. You can't hold, touch or see insurance. (The policy is not the insurance.)
Beckwith understands selling intangibles better than anyone and he tells how in this book. It is in my top ten of business and marketing books for people who sell services. Even if you sell products, you will learn some valuable information. Well worth the money.
Short and Easy to Read.......2007-05-17
This book was suggested reading by our Marketing Department. As an Engineer, I decided to read it to find out more about marketing. The book was easy to read and understand. It summarized the basics of good client service. Most things were obvious, but probably not done nearly enough. For example, the book recommended thanking your clients as often as possible.
Not your typical book on selling........2007-03-07
This is one of the best books I have ever read on the subject of selling a service or services.
My company is a small-time operation. I own a computer service and repair business. Essentially, I am the company. That's why this book is perfect for me.
Beckwith's guide taught me what is most important about what I do and how to focus on that, and then sell it. It also showed me what customers look for, what they don't care about, and the benefits of knowing these things.
If I could go back in time and give myself a copy of this book when I was just starting out, my income would probably be double what it is today. Simply purchasing this book and making a few minor changes has already made a huge difference the bottom line.
Can't go wrong reading this one!.......2006-12-27
This is another one of those classics. The fundamental message is timeless, and while some of the companies mentioned have changed the lessons behind the stories are still relevant. The book is made up of a series of anecdotes that each delivers a punch, consisting of good solid advice. Harry was ahead of his time offering insights on the "new" world of service in 1997 when the book was published, and offering that even service companies have brand equity to care for. There are good essential marketing skills included here that many of us may have forgotten. I reread this book again recently and was reminded of a few things that are worth re-applying to my own marketing efforts and the work I do for clients. You can't help but become a better marketer after reading this.
Selling the Invisible: The Art of War.......2006-09-05
Harry Beckwith's Selling the Invisible reminds me of Sun Tzu's The Art of War in that it is not so much a manual on its subject as it is a primer on how to think about its subject. Knowing nothing of service marketing when I started to read it, I found many of its precepts counterintuitive (selling relationships?) but with the numerous examples aided by my own observation of the things Beckwith talks about, my eyes were opened in a way Sun Tzu's first readers must have been. Beckwith understands the core of service marketing is the service itself and focusing on the consumer's needs, not clever marketing designed to separate the customer from his cash or dazzle him with an empty sales pitch for unwanted products (take notice, Apple). This relationship to the customer and understanding his or her needs defines the successful business and indeed IS the successful business. Beckwith illustrates this with many practical strategies relevant to any service business.
Customer Reviews:
Helpful Book.......2007-06-27
Helps provide a clear model for analyzing companies and developing corporate strategies. In many ways, it is a more accessible take on Porter's Competitive Strategy.
Key concept, straightforward and short.......2007-06-24
Treacy and Wiersema make the case that the value of a product or service to a customer can be categorized in terms of efficiency (eg. low cost, on-time delivery), innovation (eg. latest technology or fashion) and/or customer intimacy (eg. customized solutions). They go on to argue that delivering each kind of value requires a different organization and culture, and hence the most successful companies are those whose business strategy is focused on delivering a particular kind of value to the customers that appreciate it the most, while remaining competitive in other areas. The analysis is accompanied by case studies of AT&T Universal Card, Intel and Airborne Express. The core idea of the book is valuable and 200 pages is plenty to explore it in detail.
Foundational Approach to Strategy.......2007-06-03
ALthough this book has been in print for over a decade, it is one I constantly come back to when helping clients organize their thinking about how they can compete.
I have been a Michael Porter fan for decades. However, when he describes competing by being a differentiated producer, it often left folks scratching their heads about what that meant. Treacy and Wiersema defing "customer intimacy" in a way that was effective in helping companies define how they could pursue differentiation. I have found that this particular strategy has applied all the way down to 1 to 1 marketing.
So the definitions and examples for three competitive strategies are clearly articulated, but also frameworks for implementing these strategies are provided as well.
All-in-all, a clear, compelling and implementable framework for competitive strategy.
This should be a text book.......2007-02-28
Best Marketing book I have ever read, I will keep this book forever. This is a must read for anyone in the marketing field. This book provides great examples along with real life examples.
Staying focused on core value proposition.......2007-02-26
The book reemphasizes the importance of product or service leadership, customer intimacy, and operational excellence. Organizations willing to be "anything for a buck" will find they loose touch with their customers quickly as they thinly apply talent and resources to serve everyone averagely.
Unity of purpose is also essential; a successful firm must act together to consistently and successfully compete. The book is good reading for managers and marketing professionals that need to review their business focus and the alignment of tasks, processes and competencies supporting that focus. The book offers materials to be used in team exercises.
Book Description
Communicating a fascination for the everyday activities of people, this leading book on consumer behavior examines how our world is influenced by the action of marketers, and considers how products, services, and consumption contribute to the broader social world we experience. Its incredibly interesting and dynamic content proves hip and engaging, while reflecting the latest research.
A four-part organization looks at consumers as individuals, consumers as decision makers, consumers and subcultures, and consumers and culture.
For brand managers, marketing research analysts, and account executives.
Book Description
With a strong empirical and market segmentation approach, this book focuses on how the Internet has changed the way people obtain information about potential purchases, giving readers the most up-to-date material on how technology is changing their lives as consumers. The Thirty-two mini-cases help readers learn by applying the theory, drawing on current business news to demonstrate specific consumer behavior concepts.
This edition now includes thirty-two Active Learning mini-cases. A clear consumer decision making model is set out in each chapter to facilitate learning–presented in the first chapter, this model serves as a structural framework for the concepts–the building blocks–examined in the following chapters. The book's final chapter ties all of these concepts together so readers see the interrelationships and relevance of individual concepts to consumer decision-making.
For those studying consumer behavior and/or marketing.
Book Description
"Account planning exists for the sole purpose of creating advertising that truly connects with consumers. While many in the industry are still dissecting consumer behavior, extrapolating demographic trends, developing complex behavioral models, and measuring Pavlovian salivary responses, Steel advocates an approach to consumer research that is based on simplicity, common sense, and creativity--an approach that gains access to consumers' hearts and minds, develops ongoing relationships with them, and, most important, embraces them as partners in the process of developing and advertising.
A witty, erudite raconteur and teacher, Steel describes how successful account planners work in partnership with clients, consumer, and agency creatives. He criticizes research practices that, far from creating relationships, drive a wedge between agencies and the people they aim to persuade; he suggests new ways of approaching research to cut through the BS and get people to show their true selves; and he shows how the right research, when translated into a motivating and inspiring brief, can be the catalyst for great creative ideas. He draws upon his own experiences and those of colleagues in the United States and abroad to illustrate those points, and includes examples of some of the most successful campaigns in recent years, including Polaroid, Norwegian Cruise Line, Porsche, Isuzu, "got milk?" and others.
The message of this book is that well-thought-out account planning results in better, more effective marketing and advertising for both agencies and clients. And also makes an evening in front of the television easier to bear for the population at large."
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book, concise and insightful........2007-02-15
Really, I suppose, the type of book a planner should write.
It is a great introduction to what a planner is and does. A good textbook for anyone involved in advertising or dealing with ad agencies. A brilliant "manual" for planners.
The best planning book I've read to date.......2007-01-12
There is a huge shortage of good account planning books. This effort by Jon Steele makes up for it. He is a man passionate about advertising (that's evident throughout the book) and very good at it too.
Jon covers the theoretical and practical aspects of account planning thoroughly and provides insights and advice for planners at all levels, account management staff, creative staff and clients.
Reading this book will show you how to improve the quality of your advertising product. It has certainly helped me do that at the agency I work for in New Zealand. One of the best buys I've made on Amazon.
Perfect.......2006-11-15
Perfect! The book is absolutely AWESOME! A nice way of teaching a lesson about advertising!
Excellent Introduction But Too Consumer Focussed.......2005-01-07
Without a doubt, this is the difinitive book on the art of account planning. Having been an account planner myself, I can assure you that no other book comes close in terms of providing 1) an overview of the discipline 2) a realistic account of how planning functions in everday situations within the agency 3) is done in an extremely readable and clear format unlike many other advertising strategy/research books which are more strategic textbook. Steel's book reads like a biography which is a testiment to his skill as a writer and as a planner.
However, I do have a few issues with this book in that it places too much emphasis on the power of the consumer in the planning process. I have known many non-planners who have read this book and come away with the idea that everything the consumer says and does is the word of God and planning is nothing more than a glorified consumer tape recorder. This in turn makes the planner's job more difficult in some respects as they in turn must justify all of their work with,"the consumer said this." Often, agency personal new to planning desperately want to strictly classify this multi-faceted discipline and often put it in in a smaller box (consumer) than it is suited for (incidentally, this often says something about the quality or lack thereof of those who you are working with).
The reality (for me anyway) is that account planning encompases many different skills and functions of which listening and interpreting what the consumer says is just one. Consumers are only a rear view mirror in that they can tell you what happened in the past but cannot predict the future. They are also extremely literal and what they say is not always what they mean or feel which is why instinct (a dirty word in many advertising circles) is so essential. Many great brands and briefs utliize a strong point of view rather than direct and literal consumer insight which is counter to the case studies that Steel uses to explain the 'planning process.'
Overall, this is an excellent 'introduction' into account planning. In a sense, the dilema that this book creates though, is also why planning is such a wonderful discipline. A planner's job cannot be easily classified in a sentence because there are so many diverse skills required of a first-rate planner.
HighlyRecommended!.......2004-06-04
Successful ad campaigns are not linear developments where a business need meshes straightforwardly with an effective creative approach and actually produces successful tangible results. Instead, building memorable, provocative advertising campaigns is such a complex, political task, both rational and emotional, that a successful campaign is a wonder. Veteran advertising expert Jon Steel contends that building a good campaign is the common sense responsibility of the account planner - the new nexus of the consumer, agency creative staff, client and researchers. Steel shows the pitfalls of misguided research and creative arrogance as he explains that a good business-oriented account planner can help produce wonderfully effective, often simple, ad campaigns. His witty, erudite book concludes with its best case study: a look inside the successful "Got Milk" campaign for the California milk industry. We recommend this book to those who buy and sell advertising and to anyone working at an ad agency.
Books:
- Project Managing E-Learning (ASTD E-Learning Series)
- Relax Into Wealth: How to Get More by Doing Less
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money--That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
- Satisfaction Guaranteed
- Secret Service: Hidden Systems That Deliver Unforgettable Customer Service
- Service Support (It Infrastructure Library Series)
- Small Is the New Big: and 183 Other Riffs, Rants, and Remarkable Business Ideas
- Spanish FSI Basic Course Platiquemos Version Vol 1 (8 CD's and Book)
- SPIN Selling
- SPIN Selling
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Buckets of Money: How to Retire in Comfort and Safety
- The Birth Partner, Second Edition
- Hairspray: The Complete Book and Lyrics of the Hit Broadway Musical
- Interest Rate Models - Theory and Practice: With Smile, Inflation and Credit
- Network+ Guide to Networks, Fourth Edition
- The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers
- Paris
- Call Auction Trading: New Answers to Old Questions
- Legalized Casino Gaming in the United States: The Economic and Social Impact
- Heat and Mass Transfer in the Biosphere
The Codes Guidebook for Interiors
Interior Design Reference Manual: A Guide to the NCIDQ Exam
Estimating for Interior Designers
The Interior Designers Guide to Pricing Estimating and Budgeting
Business and Legal Forms for Interior Designers
