Customer Reviews:
The very best pricing manual.......2007-09-23
I bought a second copy of this book after loaning it to too many people to know who had had it last.
The book is not light reading, is highly technical and has more than a little math to comprehend. But, it is worth it.
The strategic thinking is very focused.
If you are stuck on how to price your product or how to combat price competition, read this book.
Looking for guidance/framework on how to price our products ..........2007-03-08
We have the challenge of taking new products and services to the marketplace and really were looking form some guidance on a place to start. The area we are working in is really developing a new market as well. So we were wondering "What Price do we place on these product and services?"
We could not afford the experts on pricing (aka Strategic Pricing Group now part of The Monitor Group). And were looking for a place to start. All research including reviews from Amazon pointed us to start with this book. To myself and our endeavor, it the first 3 weeks of owning the book, I have read several chapters multiple times and the foundation framework on pricing is shares has already proven to be worth many times the price of the book.
On top of it, it is easy to read. Thanks to the people who took the time to make this book.
Great Book.......2007-02-18
This book is a great guide to the topic of pricing. I'm an MBA student and I believe students as well as professionals can benefit from reading this book. It contains structures and frameworks to work out a tailored pricing strategy and they all make sense. Lots of good examples from business practice illustrate the application of the theories.
The book is relatively quantitative for a marketing book, which I find great because there is no argumentation based on psychology and belief, but on quantifiable parameters - one can see the consulting practice of the authors.
What the book pretty much lacks is a citing of new academic research studies of the topics discussed. There are extensive references, however.
All in all a great book to newcomers in pricing as well as experienced pricers.
Excellant........2007-02-11
This is one of the best books in pricing. My Pricing professor recommended that I buy this and said that marketing managers regularly refer to this book in practice. This is a great buy.
The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing: A Guide to Growing More Profitably (4th Edition) .......2007-02-06
Worth buying it. Good and useful material.
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
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Binding: Hardcover
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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.
Book Description
This innovative approach -- blending practicality and creativity -- is now in full-color!
From translating the vision of a CEO and conducting research, through designing a sustainable identity program and building online branding tools,
Designing Brand Identity helps companies create stronger brands by offering real substance. With an easy-to-follow style, step-by-step considerations, and a proven, universal five-phase process for creating and implementing effective brand identity, the book offers the tools you need, whether a brand manager, marketer, or designer, when creating or managing a brand. This edition includes a wealth of full-color examples and updated case studies for world-class brands such as BP, Unilever, Citi, Tazo Tea, and Mini Cooper.
Alina Wheeler (Philadelphia, PA) applies her strategic imagination to help build brands, create new identities, and design brand-identity programs for Fortune 100 companies, entrepreneurial ventures, foundations, and cities.
Customer Reviews:
Should be a standard in schools........2007-09-23
This book should have be required reading for any graphic designs school. Being a graphic designer myself, I must say that this book is a valueable tool to sellings and building strong brands. It would have been great to have in school.
Truly a great read!.......2007-08-27
I am in the brand-redesign phase with a local brand/identity designer and purchased your book for additional guidance. It is a truly a great read!
Great Client Education book.......2007-08-02
This has wonderfully designed graphics and charts explaining the identity design process. This is a really good client education book, explaining the design process, why they need design, what identity design consists of, etcetera. I was looking for a book like this to explain to clients why they need identity design, what good it does, what it consists of and why their company cannot do without it any longer.
I also think it would be a good book to use to explain to family members, friends and neighbors "what you do." It would be a good book for someone who wants to start their own graphic design business, who is considering graphic design as their field of study, or who wants to convince others that graphic design is important. I recommend it highly for MARKETING professionals and those in ADVERTISING.
You big, giant companies that have lots of mulah can give this away as a gift to your clients, or use this as a book to set on a coffee table in the waiting room or something. But I am going to use it to explain to clients why identity design is important.
This book is not good for teaching graphic designers about creating brand identity. It is stuff we graphic designers were practically born knowing. But if you are a graphic designer who wants brand identity jobs, get it! It will help you turn your potential clients into clients.
The Bible of Branding!.......2007-07-30
I boght this book hoping it would be useful for me in creating a brand for my new company, I must say the book has been a fantastic tool for this purpose!
The book is full of practical examples and shows you in a step by step process how to create and build a brand. If you a building a company and/or launching a product branding will be the key to success. this book is a great tool!
It's just fine.......2007-07-16
Another compendium of conventional marketing advice and wisdom. Better- written than some, more thorough than others. A good beginner's text.
Book Description
One of the world’s leading SAP Sales & Distribution consultants delivers the first comprehensive and practical guide to implementing this new module in the R/3 system. Inside this book you’ll get complete information on the ins and outs of the software, including basic functions, sales document flow, invoicing, and how the S&D module interfaces with other modules. Sales processes and delivery systems are crucial functions in today’s businesses and no other Sales & Distribution guide can bring you the same focused, reliable advice that’s found inside this first-rate user’s guidebook.
Customer Reviews:
Very good product.......2007-09-27
This book is very good to get understanding of SAP SD structure. Book arrived before it was scheduled to arrive. So I am really happy with in time delivery and quality of the product.
Implementing SAP R/3 Sales and Distribution.......2007-06-26
Excellent read for beginners and high end users. Not enough detail for consultants responsible for configuation.
Very useful book.......2007-01-12
I found hard to find a good book on SAP R3 Sales and Distribution area. I am very satisfied with the contents of this book ; despite this, I would have liked to get also the prospective of the end user as I this book does not cover some -maybe too detailed- aspects of the day to day support work. I guess this was not part of the scope of the book
Very well written - Very informative if you are new to SD.......2007-01-07
I have used this book over and over as a reference and it is pretty well written and covers all the major topics. You should use this in conjunction with SAP help. This book will give you basic introduction to all topics under SD and it does a pretty decent job of teaching you SD config in SAP. I am an SD functional lead and I recommend this book to all my new team members..
Excellent book -- Abap to SD Journey.......2007-01-05
This is excellent book and i am very impressed with it's contents, language and quality.
Well i am have been working with SAP for last 8 years as a Abap/EDI/ALE resource and decided to take make a shift to functioal side.
Started with reading SAP implementation guide and SAP library, also found couple of intresting sites. But the best thing which happened to me was purchasing this book.
This book is very well organised and contains all the basic functionality in SD module with some real time examples. It explains both the SD business process flow and more importantly the configuration.
I would highly recommend this book.
Book Description
Whether youre a first-time real estate investor or a seasoned professional, The Complete Guide to Buying and Selling Apartment Buildings helps you map out your future, find apartment buildings at a fair price, finance purchases, and manage your properties. Now revised and expanded, this Second Edition includes tax planning advice, case studies of real acquisitions, and appendixes that add detail to the big picture. Plus, it includes a handy glossary of all the terms investors need to know, helpful sample forms that make paperwork quick and easy, and updated real estate forecasts. With this comprehensive guide at hand youll find profits easy to come by.
Download Description
Whether you¿re a first-time real estate investor or a seasoned professional, The Complete Guide to Buying and Selling Apartment Buildings helps you map out your future, find apartment buildings at a fair price, finance purchases, and manage your properties. Now revised and expanded, this Second Edition includes tax planning advice, case studies of real acquisitions, and appendixes that add detail to the big picture. Plus, it includes a handy glossary of all the terms investors need to know, helpful sample forms that make paperwork quick and easy, and updated real estate forecasts. With this comprehensive guide at hand you¿ll find profits easy to come by.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Introductory Investment Real Estate Overview.......2007-05-16
I've read several realestate investment books and this is the most comprehensive. It covers all aspects of finding, negotiating, financing and managing apartment building investments. Additional reading and investigation will still be required; however this is a great place to begin.
Great Read, Extremely Valuable........2007-04-22
With all the hype out there in the real estate investing space, it's refreshing to read a book that is honest, intellectual, and driven by a solid foundation in financial analysis.
Steve Berges does an outstanding job of walking the reader through general concepts, straight-forward examples, and detailed case studies. The financial analysis might be a little overwhelming to someone who is being introduced to so many financial concepts for the first time. If you don't have an understanding of finance, I'd recommend hitting Google or a Finance textbook to help get through the financial sections.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and thought it was packed full of valuable tips and information. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in adding apartment buildings to their real estate repertoire.
If you don't yet know how you want to invest............2007-04-11
...this is an excellent read. I had never given apartments a thought until reading Steve Berges. Now they are in the mix. The charts in Chapter 8 are a bit tedious, especially to a beginner, but by the time you get to the end of the book, you will know if buying and selling (or keeping) apartments is for you. Pay attention to what Berges says about the value play (Chapter4).
Well written guide.......2006-08-20
This book is a concise well written guide to the core issues of buying, owning and selling multifamily buildings. It was extremely valuable in evaluating our first purchase of a multi-family structure.
4.5 stars for another good book by Steve Berges.......2006-08-17
As a real estate investor and author myself, I read a lot of real estate books. Many, if not most, are written by folks who do not invest in real estate themselves; they only write about it. Berges is not one of them. He knows his stuff and it's clear that he practices what he preaches. I have read three of his books and, I must say, he's one of my favorite real estate authors. You can trust what he says. Experienced investors may want a bit more detail from Steve, but what he does say is accurate and safe. This is a good book on buying apartments. In fact, in my own book, "Investing in Duplexes, Triplexes & Quads," I list the best books I've read on different areas of real estate. This book is the ONLY book I recommend on investing in commercial multifamily (ie, apartments of 5 units and up) properties.
Having given those accolades, here are a few of my constructive criticisms:
1. On pages 37 and 38, Steve gives nice charts illustrating the long-term financial benefits of investing in multifamily properties. On page 39, however, there is an error in referring to the big numbers shown. The reference is made to Investor A's "equity" of $2.1 million and Investor B's (the multifamily property investor) equity of $92 million. I just don't think Steve caught this, but those numbers don't refer to the investor's equity, but to the fair market value of his collective assets (his properties). The investor's equity might be in the range of 20% of that. I do like the charts, however, and I used a similar analysis in my recent book. One other note on the charts - they presume selling and buying exactly at the end of one year - a difficult task as Steve would surely admit. On average, I think 18 months to two years is a better time frame for flipping apartments.
2. Refinancing - Steve didn't give a chart showing the long-range effect of the "buy, hold and refy" strategy (using proceeds to buy again, but retaining the first property). In addition, Steve only mentioned the general banking guideline that you can only pull out cash up to 80% of the new appraised value (i.e., the bank has an LTV of 80%). However, you can get around this. I've done it. It requires a second lender giving a second mortgage, with a CLTV (combined loan to value) of up to 90%. As such, you can pull out much more cash.
3. GRM - gross rent multiplier. In his financial analysis section, Steve doesn't give much detail or provide real life examples on this crucial analysis factor. Granted, the cap rate is the analysis primarily used for commercial real estate, while the GRM is the one used for residential multifamily (2-4 units) real estate. Since many owners and selling brokers will "fudge" on expenses, a cap rate can be very hard to verify. The GRM, however, is fairly simple - just look at the lease agreements.
4. Lack of coverage on residential multifamily apartments. In fact, this is why I wrote my book on this topic. If Steve had covered it here, I would not have written mine. I like Steve's writing style and he knows his stuff. But for investing in small multifamily properties (certainly on residential, but probably up to about 10 units), we really have to cover valuation and selection of properties using the GRM. That and I felt like the "buy, hold, and refy" strategy needed much more coverage.
But for investing in commercial multifamily properties, I recommend this book as the only good one on the market.
Larry Loftis
Author: Investing in Duplexes, Triplexes and Quads: The Fastest and Safest Way to Real Estate Wealth
Amazon.com
In What Clients Love, marketing maven Harry Beckwith offers valuable lessons about capturing and keeping clients. (As Beckwith puts it, "Competence gets firms into the game that relationships win.") Using snappy examples from Absolut Vodka, Kinko's, Starbucks, and Ian Schrager's boutique hotels, he organizes his advice by describing four significant social trends that shape client needs and loyalty. Beckwith's strategies for coping with information overload focus on getting to the point--using a shorter sell and fewer superlatives. He makes a clever and convincing case for giving both testimonials and blurbs the death penalty. He details the decline of client trust with a plan to eliminate cold calls, dress for success, and a spot-on critique of PowerPoint ("Lincoln had no slides at Gettysburg.") Other chapters explore the limits of the Internet and offer nongimmicky ideas about creating a brand, including 20 questions for choosing a name for your business.
Beckwith's advice is fresh, funny, and strategic. He is a master of anecdote and metaphor whose examples range from television's Sex and the City to nihilistic philosopher Nietzsche. Yet the book's clarity is sometimes undermined by its too clever formatting. It's best to enjoy its wisdom one chapter at a time, over coffee. Consider it the caffeine in your cup. --Barbara Mackoff
Book Description
In What Clients Love, marketing maven Harry Beckwith offers valuable lessons about capturing and keeping clients. (As Beckwith puts it, "Competence gets firms into the game that relationships win.") Using snappy examples from Absolut Vodka, Kinko's, Starbucks, and Ian Schrager's boutique hotels, he organizes his advice by describing four significant social trends that shape client needs and loyalty. Beckwith's strategies for coping with information overload focus on getting to the point--using a shorter sell and fewer superlatives. He makes a clever and convincing case for giving both testimonials and blurbs the death penalty. He details the decline of client trust with a plan to eliminate cold calls, dress for success, and a spot-on critique of PowerPoint ("Lincoln had no slides at Gettysburg.") Other chapters explore the limits of the Internet and offer nongimmicky ideas about creating a brand, including 20 questions for choosing a name for your business. Beckwith's advice is fresh, funny, and strategic. He is a master of anecdote and metaphor whose examples range from television's Sex and the City to nihilistic philosopher Nietzsche. Yet the book's clarity is sometimes undermined by its too clever formatting. It's best to enjoy its wisdom one chapter at a time, over coffee. Consider it the caffeine in your cup. --Barbara Mackoff
Download Description
In WHAT CLIENTS LOVE, Harry Beckwith once again discusses effective business tactics with the practical, down-to-earth style that has made him a bestselling author and trusted marketing expert.Beckwith explains the sheer simplicity of a marketing plan-how to find your company's position, how to define a brand, and how to manage that brand so it has its full and overwhelming impact. With sections such as "Thinking and Planning," "Communicating," and "Serving the Client," Beckwith shows how effective marketers need to be brief, succinct and "cut to the close." WHAT CLIENTS LOVE also reveals the very nature of a service-and why the phrase "pushing the product" itself begins to suggest why this more aggressive approach fails, since you cannot ""push" a relationship, as people know from their failed attempts to do so in non-business relationships.
Customer Reviews:
Insightful.......2007-06-04
This is the most insightful and analytical book about business I have ever read. You don't need to be an MBA to understand and benefit from the well-thought-out and plainly presented message. Anyone who sells goods or services to the public will benefit greatly from this cogent take on the nuts and bolts behind pleasing clients.
A real joy on multiple levels.......2007-04-26
I first read this book shortly after it was published. I just finished my third reading. Each time it gets better.
The book follows the typical Beckwith format. Short, one or two page lessons. You can jump in anywhere in the book ... read for very short periods of time or read for long pleasurable periods. It is well written and contains some of the most succinct lessons on branding, marketing, selling, client attraction and retention that you will find anywhere.
It is not a book to be read once and put on the shelf. You will gain the most value if you revisit it periodically. The lessons are so short and to the point, there is no way you could retain all the information in one reading. You need repeated exposure to the information in this book.
Some of the more valuable lessons are:
A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention. The more there is to hear, the less we listen.
We are drowning in information and screaming for knowledge.
Growing complexity makes us covet the simple.
Say little - a simple point penetrates.
Clarity is expertise.
We are generally more persuaded by the reasons we discover ourselves than those given to us.
Four rules for choosing clients.
Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, it will be. Bad clients don't produce minimal results, they produce losses. If a prospect is more interested in cost, you will never be happy and always be vulnerable. You cannot cut a bad deal with a good person or a good deal with a bad person.
Throughout the book, Beckwith cites many books that are well worth reading. At the end of the book is a great appendix that in itself is worth the price of the book.
Well worth reading.
Extremely helpful.......2007-01-18
I'm new to sales, so I'm no expert; but this book seemed perfect. I've listened to it twice and intend to do so a few more times. It's all about putting yourself in your client's place and acting with passion based on belief and purpose. There are also lots of good practical suggestions from how to dress to naming your business.
Well Worth the Money.......2006-12-04
As with most of my reviews, I try to balance the content being provided with the money being invested. This book is a good investment. Lot's of great ideas on how to deal with your customers. Includes good ideas on structuring and operating your business so people will want to be your customers. It also scrutinizes and criticizes many cherished concepts about marketing and tells why these concepts are no longer working. If you are a business owner, manager, or employee, you need to read this book.
Every sales person should read this book.......2006-08-15
Another great book by Harry Beckwith. Three of my favorite pages: "What the best salespeople sell (in order)" and "What ordinary sales people sell (in order)" and "Why hard selling has gotten harder." This is an easy-to-read book with short chapters. A great writing style.
Ann Barr, author of How to Win the Sale and Keep the Customer
Product Description
This book has everything you need to start your own home-based online bookstore and more. It covers: where to buy the books worth reselling, the various available online marketplaces and the advantages/disadvantages of each, how to price and grade your books, how to safely store your books with ease of locating them in mind, how to plan your business, the legal structures of online bookselling businesses, in-state retail sales tax and Schedule C tax issues, how to pack your books to minimize "escapees," thrid-party wireless lookup service, inventory management software providers, re-pricing tools, online postage services, websites & advertising, shipping methods & trade-offs, how much to pay for books, shipping material suppliers, an exhaustive list of wholesale & remainder book distributors, and much more. The author has included graphs to demonstrate how long you might expect to wait to sell a book with a given Amazon sales rank, histograms of profit distributions you might expect, tables of Roman Numerals, photographs of packing procedures & bookseller terminology, etc. With this book as your guide you are well on your way to being a successful online bookseller. Printed in Times New Roman 9 pt font.
Customer Reviews:
A Solid Investment.......2007-10-17
I bought this book at the same time I bought two other books on on-line bookselling. I read this book right through, refer to it often, and recommend it to others. I never could finish the other books; they just never inspired me. In addition to the book, you get a CD which contains a series of spreadsheet workbooks with which you can do all the book-keeping for your new business. They alone are very strong value added and are worth the price of the book many times over.
But that's not all. The author has also created a private on-line bookseller's bulletin board which is accessible to those who buy his book. Over the past year that bulletin board has evolved into an important community of booksellers who share useful information with one another. My business has been transformed by the conversations conducted on that bulletin board. Just today another board member wrote the following testimonial:
"by far the best value (of an unsung variety) is when buying the book it comes with access to this fantastic board and the very kind participants who give generously of their knowledge and experience. I believe yours is the only book that offers this......"
If you consider your purchase price of this book an investment in your business, you will need a CPA to help you calculate your return.
pretty decent.......2007-10-01
this is the 1st book on the subject i've read, and there are some good points and tips...frankly, i think too much space was devoted to packing issues, and the pricing given for various supplies and services is certainly out of date, making one feel as if they're "late to the game", even though they just received the book...i'd suggest an update...
As real as it gets.......2007-09-21
Sometimes a book is more important than entertainment or mental stimulation. This is one of those books that can actually change your life. It is very readable and the information is dynamite.
Somewhat to my (delighted) surprize everything the author says panned out exactly as he said it would. Michael Mould is a no nonsense engineer who got into on-line bookselling years ago. He shares knowledge and experience in down to earth prose that helps the serious newbie make real money...for real.
Selling on Amazon is fun if you get a good grip on what the business is about before you launch. The book and CD provide that, but important details are explained too. The practical tips are abundant and useful. I made multiple times the cost of the book the first week selling on Amazon before I knew what hit me. This is truly a business you can start for little money. With hard work and a service attitude there is outstanding opportunity.
What A Time Saver !!!.......2007-04-07
Congradulations to Michael Mould for compiling an all you need to know volume to get you started in the business of online bookselling.Easy to read, complete and well organized.This book has saved me both time and money in the transition from a "Bricks & Mortar" book retailer operating 6 stores to an entirely online entity by avoiding many common pitfalls and consolidating necessary industry information. A "must read" for anyone in the same circumstances!
Excellent.......2007-04-06
The books previous high reviews were the reason I purchased this book instead of the others offered. And the book lived up to the reviews.
Written in a friendly neighbor sort of style it is chock full of what seems to be most useable information about an exciting opportunity for todays small business owner.
I would recommend this book over the others on the strength of the information given alone. And the spreadsheets on CD are an extra value worth the higher cost of this book.
Read it and learn.
Book Description
The ideal companion to the author's bestselling The Product Manager's Handbook, The Product Manager's Field Guide expands upon the overview and the responsibilities of product managers and delves into specific skills, abilities, and competencies to help them improve their performance. It provides readers with tools and exercises for functions such as marketing, planning, forecasting, and new product development and offers step-by-step instructions for activities designed to monitor and assess product-planning efforts.
Customer Reviews:
Best for beginners in Product Management.......2007-05-19
This is a very good book if you are new to product management or are making a career switch from a non-managerial career to product management. If you have managed one or two product life cyles in the past, you are less likely to benefit from it.
A significant portion of this book is devoted to general management, but in the product management context. Nonetheless, the book is very well organized and systematic. It develops concepts in detail and offers a wealth of information, that you would otherwise have to pay a lot more to collect from other sources. I would highly recommend it to all beginners in this discipline. Experienced individuals may use it as an occassional reference.
Beginners Guide to Product Management.......2005-08-02
This and the handbook are very similar, you need only one. This is a difficult topic to cover when you are not sure of the depth of background of the reader. Does the reader have knowledge of marketing or not. To this point it appears in many places the book assumes you do not, so any general marketing text could be a better source.
Book Description
Written by an expert with 20 years of experience in commercial site evaluation, The Site Book is a practical book that takes a logical and process-oriented approach to site evaluation. Built around dozens of real-life examples of sites that work, sites that don't - and all the reasons why - this book explores the dynamic and sometimes complex relationship between site features and other factors that will ultimately determine the success of any restaurant or retail location. The Site Book features:
In depth discussion of the major areas affecting a site evaluation including customer sources, usage patterns, demographic reports, day parts, linkages, drop-in features, physical surroundings, image, trade area, growth strategies, competition, and cannibalism.
A step-by-step guide through the site evaluation process using a unique site evaluation worksheet.
Strategies for measuring and weighting the relative importance of each site feature and calculating a final site score.
Practical tips for specific concepts and varying market conditions - such as opening a first destination in a new market, adding a second store, or backfilling in a saturated market.
Strategies for site selection in competitive markets where the best locations are in short supply.
Customer Reviews:
Should be titled Site Book For Retail.......2007-03-11
This is a good, pratical book- although it only focuses on retail development. No mention of office, multifamily, industrial, etc. Still worth it though.
Great Resource.......2007-01-19
This book is a great resource for even the most seasoned real estate professionals. It is refreshing to see a scientific approach to site selection that successfully integrates the art of real estate qualitative analysis.
easy to understand and easy to apply.......2005-07-29
This book analyzes the the factors that go into choosing a good site for a commercial venture.
This alone would have been enough to earn 5 stars. The book goes on to present a system for rating potential sites that uses the factors explained in previous chapters. You can customize the process by changing the importance each factor carries.
A software package is offered for sale that provides templates and performs calculations. However, if you are handy with Excel, you should be able to recreate the template/calculations within a few hours.
This excellent book promises to be a guide to choosing commercial real estate. It delivers, in spades, on that promise.
It's a Roadmap for Site Selection!.......2003-04-04
This book was referred to me by a co-worker (who happened to be an expert in real estate). Thanks!! I only wish I'd stumbled upon it years earlier.
After struggling with a homegrown spreadsheet modeling approach in my first retail business, this book brought together all the missing pieces in a way that made perfect sense. It gave me a framework to account for the qualitative site feature data that is so important, yet so difficult to deal with. It became my roadmap for site selection.
The logical model outlined in this book comes to life through Fenker's humorous examples of tips & traps.
If your business depends on good sites, you must read this book!
Great for everyone.......2002-04-27
This book is great for everyone from the beginner to the seasoned sales forecaster.
I browse it every now and again to remind myself that there are fundamentals to this business, and we know how costly veering from those can be.
It's a fast read, and I highly recommend it to those doing site selection.
Book Description
Every year, thousands of Americans make the leap to an exciting, rewarding new career in real estate. If real estate is your dream career, passing the real estate license exam is the first step to success. With real estate basics and unbeatable study tips, Real Estate License Exams For Dummies will help you pass the test with flying colors — and get your new career off to a great start.
If you want to get the best possible score on the exam, you need the kind of practical test preparation guidance you’ll find here — all at a much cheaper price than you’d pay for a test preparation seminar or class. Real Estate License Exams For Dummies covers all the basics on:
- How — and what — to study
- Knowing what to expect on test day
- Developing the math skills you’ll need
- Understanding your state’s license laws and procedures
- Different exam formats
In addition to helping you get a great score on the test and get licensed, this handy guide also covers the basics of the real estate business itself — from legal issues to taxes to contracts. For anyone preparing for the license exam, or just thinking about taking it, this unbeatable study guide answers all your most vital questions on:
- Careers and job opportunities in real estate
- How commissions and other forms of payment work
- Working independently or for an agency
- Federal fair housing laws you should know
- Land and ownership rights
- Owning through partnerships, cooperatives, and corporations
- Deeds, mortgages, and closings
- Types of real estate contracts and agreements
- Environmental regulations
- Valuation and property appraisal
- Financing and taxes
- Using real estate as an investment vehicle
Plus, two practice exams with answers and explanations let you test your knowledge before you take the exam, so you’ll know if you’re ready or not. Real Estate License Exams For Dummies is a helpful, straightforward resource that puts future real estate professionals on track for success.
Download Description
Every year, thousands of Americans make the leap to an exciting, rewarding new career in real estate. If real estate is your dream career, passing the real estate license exam is the first step to success. With real estate basics and unbeatable study tips, Real Estate License Exams For Dummies will help you pass the test with flying colors and get your new career off to a great start.
Customer Reviews:
Good.......2007-09-13
I purchased this for my dad & it is great b/c is helps him learn at a slower rate.
Very Pleased with Purchase........2007-08-08
I was very pleased with the the ordering and delivery of Real Estate License for Dummies.
Solid reference........2007-07-28
If you're studying for a Real Estate Salesperson exam, this book will definitely help get you ready. While I also purchased another test prep book that focused specifically on my state (Texas), this book was equally and sometimes more valuable. Some of the explanations provided just the "tweak" that helped in comprehension. OBTW - I passed both the national and state by a large margin. :-)
Great book to familiarize yourself with the Real Estate Exam.......2007-07-27
Because I am a novice in the real estate arena, and know that I want to become a well rounded agent eventually. I found this book very informative in my preparation for the exam.
GOOD BOOK.......2007-01-11
IT JUST HAS A BIT OF A PROBLEM WHEN YOU TRY TO HIGHLIGHT A PARAGRAPH, SO WHAT A DID, I USE COLOR PENCILS TO HIGHLIGHT IT, IT SEEMS TO BE THAT THE PAPER ABSORBES THE HIGHLITHT.
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- The Successful Sales Manager's Guide to Business-to-Business Telephone Sales
- The Woods
- The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
- Time Management from the Inside Out, second edition: The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule--and Your Life
- Total E-mail Marketing, Second Edition: Maximizing your results from integrated e-marketing (Emarketing Essentials)
- Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords (Ultimate Guide to Google Adwords)
- Understanding PKI: Concepts, Standards, and Deployment Considerations, Second Edition
- Warehouse Distribution and Operations Handbook (McGraw-Hill Handbooks)
- Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny
- WORDS THAT WORK: IT'S NOT WHAT YOU SAY, IT'S WHAT PEOPLE HEAR
Books Index
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