The World's Best Book Summaries
Are you an educator when you engage in sales? When is having fewer customers a good thing? Paul Jarvis argues that it’s vital for a single-person company to foster strong connections with its customers. Since these companies aren’t receiving money from investors, they depend on customer relationships to sustain and grow their business. Here’s Jarvis’s advice on how to build strong customer relationships.
What’s the Ackerman Model for negotiating? Why is the Ackerman Model a good alternative to traditional negotiating? Created by ex-CIA operative Mike Ackerman, this model is based on the offer-counteroffer system. It uses a tapering system that brings the ultimate number (whether it’s the price you’ll be paying or the price you’ll be receiving) closer to your preference. Below, we’ll explore some of the key steps in the Ackerman Model.
Do you have a great idea for a business? Are you ready to get started except for that bit about knowing how to start? According to business consultant Paul Jarvis, starting and building a one-person company entails three steps. He says that you must build your skill set so that you’re prepared to run your own business, set up a strong financial and legal foundation, and develop strong customer relationships. Continue reading for details on how to start a one-person company.
Are you wasting resources trying to reach people who aren’t interested in what you have to sell? How is permission marketing different from traditional marketing? In This Is Marketing, entrepreneur and marketing expert Seth Godin challenges conventional marketing strategies. He argues that, in today’s media-saturated world, traditional marketing techniques are no longer effective. Read on to understand the definition of permission marketing and why Godin thinks it’s preferable to older methods.
What is it about Coca-Cola’s brand that makes it so effective? What should you consider when setting a price for your product or service? According to Seth Godin, branding and price are powerful tools. Used well, they can help you align your product’s story with the story that your audience tells. In This Is Marketing, he explains how to leverage branding and price effectively. Keep reading to understand how to use these important tools to your advantage.
Should you try to sell your product to everyone? What’s the best way to allocate your marketing budget? Seth Godin says that, to be effective at marketing, you must first understand what people need and then seek to fill that need. But, you can’t be all things to all people, so you must apply focus to your marketing efforts. You have to identify your core audience and serve them well. Read more to understand what Godin means by your “smallest viable market.”
What kind of pressure should you put on customers and potential customers? How can you get them to move toward your product and not away from it? In This Is Marketing, marketing expert Seth Godin contends that effective marketing is ultimately about changing people’s lives. But, to do that, you must do the basic work of convincing them to buy what you’re selling. Read more to learn how to motivate customers to take action with insights from Godin.
What should you do first—create a product or figure out how to sell it? Why do people buy products? Everyone has problems, needs, and desires. Entrepreneur and marketing expert Seth Godin says that effective business people know how to tap into those—creating products that solve customers’ problems and fill their wants and needs. Keep reading to learn why Godin promotes problem-solving marketing.
Who makes up your smallest viable market? What do they truly want and need? Should you adjust your product story over time? In This Is Marketing, Seth Godin says that old marketing techniques no longer work. He outlines his guiding principles of marketing in the modern age: create something of value, focus on your smallest viable market, match your story to the story your audience tells themselves, and leverage word of mouth. Continue reading to learn about each of these four basic principles of marketing.
Why is the importance of consumers for a business strategy? What influence do consumers have over a market? According to Competitive Strategy by Michael Porter, influential buyers can impact what businesses offer, their pricing strategies, as well as overall market demand for products and services. For example, in the smartphone market, buyers exert significant influence due to their ability to readily switch brands. Here are the multiple conditions that increase buyer influence over a market.