Small Business Advice

My Favorite Books

I just got back from speaking to the most wonderful group of franchise owners (thanks ChemDry!!!) and they reminded me that I need to put together my list of favorite marketing/business books. Here is my top picks with links if you want to learn more.

Purple Cow - Seth Godin - the bible of differentiating yourself. Seth rocks!

Purple Cow

Permission Marketing - Seth Godin - this will totally change the way you think about marketing.

Permission Marketing

Positioning - Al Ries and Jack Trout - a classic from two major names in advertising.

Positioning

Guerrilla Marketing - Jay Conrad Levinson - Jay is a master of great marketing ideas.

Guerrilla Marketing

Creating Customer Evangelists - Ben McConnell - a very good book on tapping into your customer database for new sales.

Creating Customer Evangelists

Influence - Robert Cialdini - the best book I’ve read on how to get people to do what you want them to do.

Influence

A Whole New Mind - Daniel Pink - not a traditional marketing book but it will make you think about people in a whole new way.

A Whole New Mind

The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell - a wonderful look at social epidemics and how to get ahead of the curve with your ideas.

The Tipping Point

Blink - Malcolm Gladwell - his second book is a great explanation of how people make split-second decisions.

Blink

Good to Great - Jim Collins - the definitive book on what makes a company outpace its competitors and become great.

Good To Great

Made to Stick - Jim Collins - another great book by Collins on what makes some ideas last while others die.

Made To Stick

Blue Ocean Strategy - Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne - a good look at why owning a niche is better than competing with others

Blue Ocean Strategy

Waiting for Your Cat to Bark - Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg - the best book out there on getting visitors to your site to convert and buy.

Waiting For Your Cat To Bark

The World Is Flat - Thomas Friedman - a wonderful follow up to the “Lexus and the Olive Tree”, explaining just how globalization impacts every single person.

The World Is Flat

Let me know what books you'd recommend.

Lessons from Apple

By now you’ve probably seen the articles about Apple dropping the price of their popular iPhone by one-third just two months after launching it. There are some very interesting lessons to be learned from this little stunt…

First, you have to give Apple credit for creating very, very brand loyal customers. The majority of the early iPhone buyers who paid $599 for their new toys, weren’t upset by Apple’s price drop.

They understood that they were paying a premium to be one of the first to have the latest and greatest from their beloved Apple. Most of them said, knowing what they know now, they’d still buy the first day at the highest price.

Do your clients have that kind of loyalty to you?

Second, Apple learned a little lesson is asking their customers questions before making big changes to a product line. The day Steve Jobs announced the price cut, his email box and the Apple forums were flooded with angry consumers who demanded some sort of payback for their early buying.

Had Apple surveyed its core audience before making the price adjustment they might have saved themselves some headaches and a lot of hate mail.

How often do you ask your best customers what they would like you to do when you’re getting ready to make big changes in your company?

Third, Apple did the right thing in the end – they asked forgiveness and moved on. Just a few days after announcing the price cut, Apple backtracked and offered early buyers a $100 credit in their stores. What a smart move! Not only did they say a quiet mea culpa and placate their customers, by giving a store credit instead of a refund, they encouraged customers to come visit them again and possibly buy more.

Brilliant.

The last time you angered a customer, how did you respond? Did you create deeper loyalty after the mess-up?

 

Love them or hate them, Apple does an awful lot of things right. They are innovative and not afraid to make bold moves, even at the risk of major failure (does anyone remember the Apple Newton?). They have one of the best known brands in the world and they make money hand over fist.

Keep an eye on the news and figure out how you might learn from this sales and marketing leader.

Bringing Home Hardware

Thanks to everyone who sent "good luck" notes to me last week. They must have worked!

I shot 92 and 93 in the two-day EWGA national tournament this past weekend, which was good enough to earn me Third Place Low Net and a lovely crystal plate.

I have to say, my game wasn't in top form at all but the mental work I'd been doing really made the difference. I was only driving about 150 yards and, on this long, long course, that wasn't nearly enough to get me a decent score. Combined with my inability for 15 holes to hit a decent 5-wood, it made for a very trying tournament.

However, all the Sedona Method work I've been doing paid off big time. I actually took the book with me and read it on the plane and each morning before playing. I practiced releasing my emotions and just being in the moment when I was putting. After that, I visualized the ball going straight down the middle into the back of the cup.

As a result, I sank twelve putts over eight feet in the final round and it saved my score.

I was thinking about how this relates to business and it occurred to me that this is actually what I typically do with appointments. I don't prepare many notes, presentations or written material for my prospect meetings but I always prepare mentally. I visualize a successful outcome for each encounter and it almost always happens as I envisioned it.

Give it a go and see what you think. I think you'll find that you always get what you expect to get.

Oh, and before I forget, a BIG thanks to all my new friends from EWGA around the country - Marian, Rusty, Jane, Denise, Janice, Sue, Colleen, Pat and Wendy. You all made my week!

Wish Me Luck!

I'm off today to Nashville, TN to play in the National Tournament for the Executive Women's Golf Association.

I qualified at the regional round a few weeks ago and earned a berth in the first flight (handicaps 10-20). This is my very first national tournament as well as my first two-day tournament.

I'll admit I'm a little nervous but I've been working with the Sedona Method and have enjoyed quite a bit of success with the mental side of my game. It's a good things since I haven't been actually playing much lately!

Anyway, I'd love to hear your thoughts and words of wisdom, or even just words of encouragement if you have them!

Here's to bringing home the trophy!

Business Research Tool

I just learned about an interesting business research tool called Goliath. The folks who run it gave me a free 7-day trial I'd like to share with you.

Give it a go and see what you think. And then let me know your experience!

Free 7-day Trial