Book Description

True competitive advantage comes not from new products, strategy, or process, but from human talent--from ordinary people achieving extraordinary results. Focusing on one of today's most popular techniques for developing leaders, improving workplace performance, and facilitating change, ADAPTIVE COACHING offers a first-of-its-kind, research-based approach to creating individualized, tailor-made learning opportunities that will close the gap between what companies and clients expect from coaching and the results it delivers.

Rich in detail from the authors' work with more than 2,000 clients in Fortune 500 companies, ADAPTIVE COACHING offers a unique client-centered focus and solid research into how people prefer to be coached. Combining 30 years of experience as coaches and educators teaching others the art of coaching, Bacon and Spear deliver the tools and techniques coaches need to identify clients' real needs, negotiate expectations, understand and adapt to different coaching style preferences, manage the dialogue, and help clients change.

The authors identify eight distinct coaching styles--teacher, parent, manager, philosopher, facilitator, counselor, colleague, and mentor. They also include numerous examples of coaching dialogue and explore in detail the special challenges of coaching across cultures and generations, and of coaching women, minorities, and C-level executives. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Research-Based Approach Raises Coaching to a New Level
Over the past decade, the concept of coaching in the business world has become so ingrained that it's part of the landscape. A wide range of conversations, methods of feedback delivery, and relationships have been accepted as coaching in a rather loose collection of techniques...and results. As we move into an increasingly challenging period for employers, leaders must become substantially more effective at this process we describe as coaching. A whole new generation of leaders must be taught, coached, and brought to a higher level of performance.

Bacon and Spears, experienced in coaching more than 2,000 individual clients in Fortune 500 companies, share their knowledge and experience. Their researched-based approach emphasizes the skills needed by coaches and that coaching styles must be adapted to what the client needs. The eight styles they identify are directive (teacher, parent, manager, philosopher) and non-directive (facilitator, counselor, colleague, mentor). This model alone will expand, deepen, and enrich the work done by the vast majority of coaches in the corporate world.

The book offers even more, delivering checklists, assessment tools, tips and tools, and a wealth of sample coach-client dialogues. Recognizing the special opportunities the future will hold, the authors include insights into coaching across cultures, across generations, as well as coaching women, minorities, and C-level executives.

An epilogue with even more perspectives adds value to this volume, as do the reference section and comprehensive index. This is not a book for readers who simply want to gain a few insights into improving their coaching effectiveness. You'll learn, but you'll be overwhelmed. Adaptive Coaching is like a college textbook on the topic. It's a heavy, deep, and thorough treatment with relatively small type. The $39.95 price suggests that this is more than the average airplane reading management book...and it is. If you're serious about the critical and fine art of coaching in the complicated corporate environment, you'll gain considerable knowledge, insight, and growth from this book.

Side note: I am the author of Impending Crisis: Too Many Jobs, Too Few People. As a workforce futurist, I see what's coming... including a dangerous dearth of leadership. Application of the principles in this book will help today's leaders strengthen each other and the next generation of leaders. ... Read more

Book Description

Foreword by Capodagli and Lynn Jackson, coauthors of The Disney Way.

All businesses have customers, but how many of them deliver unforgettably good customer service? Secret Service reveals the hidden systems of thefew exceptional companies that do: what actions they take behind the scenes to consistently surpass customer expectations. These organizations reap thebenefits of greater customer loyalty, exponentially expanded referral networks, lower employee turnover, and stronger bottom-line results.

By quantifying and examining each phase of the "Customer Experience Cycle," Secret Service reveals clever, practical ideas that can betransformed into repeatable best practices in any organization and at every level. Packed with examples applicable to a wide range of industries, this bookprovides practical, realistic ways to:

* Turn customer complaints into positive experiences * Use marketing to go deeper with existing customers * Increase customer and employee retention, and turn bland customer service into truly memorable customer experiences ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Secret Service
I have been involved in the Beauty Industry as a Cosmetologist, Salon Owner, and Cosmetology Instructor for the past 25 years. I expected this book to involve just our field. To my surprise, DiJulius, takes examples of GREAT customer service from his Salons, and includes examples of businesses across the country, and on the Net.
The attention to details involving Client and Employee situations can be reworked to fit any business. From Salon Owners, Doctors, Auto Dealers, to Electricians and Department Stores, every business can benefit from his ideas. I enjoy how he gives credit to the people and their ideas. If you can apply just a few ideas from his book, you WILL see a difference in how clients, employees and coworkers treat you. I have!

Brilliant!
Every business deals with a customer, therefore every business provides a form of customer service--how good is yours? No matter what level you're on, reading this book will certainly improve it! DiJulius has incredble insight into connecting different industries to benefit not only each other, but their customers as well. These ideas, while incredibly brilliant, are easy to understand and implement. I have found the information to be so profound that I've actually revamped our company's orientation for new employees based on it!

A Success-Through-Service Book of the First Order
Secret Service is one of the few business books (that is not a narrative case study) that is actually enjoyable to read. John Dijulius, owner of John Robert's Hair Studio & Spa, comments on how his business and many others see customer service not as a necessary evil but as integral to (if not entirely) their product.

While the hair and spa industry is primarily a service industry, Dijulius goes far beyond, dealing with how retail and even distribution companies can better serve their customers and the rewards that those who do will reap. His examples include some of the more obvious ones practitioners as Southwest Airlines and Nordstrom's as well as a number of lesser-known businesses from a variety of industries. In many cases, he highlights businesses that he has had personal experience with, thus illustrating how a satisfied customer can be much more profitable than any marketing that you can buy.

Dijulius also highlights the economics of increasing the value of (and to) your existing customers by reminding them when they may need a product or service and making sure that they are happy after the purchase. He highlights a variety of systems that he and others use to do this such as follow-up thank you cards, newsletters and personalized notes on invoices.

He also reminds us that employee satisfaction is just as important as customer satisfaction (and in fact, directly leads to customer satisfaction). He highlights systems that his spa has used to retain their best employees and avoid the expense of training, while ensuring consistent service quality for their customers.

This is a how to serve your customer better and grow your business book of the first order. More importantly, it is concise, personable, and remarkably enjoyable to read. This is a must read for anyone working at or managing a business that wants more customers.

TOUCHED, MOVED AND INSPIRED INTO ACTION!!!
BEFORE READING "SECRET SERVICE", I ONLY THOUGHT WHAT I WANTED FOR MYSELF, BASED ON LIMITED EXPERIENCE IN THE SKINCARE BUSINESS, WAS BEYOND REACH. I AM AN ESTHETICIAN WHO WORKED BRIEFLY IN THE FIELD. I ENDED MY CAREER BY GOING BACK SCHOOL FOR A BACHLORS IN PSYCHOLOGY. HOWEVER, I NEVER LOST MY LOVE AND DESIRE FOR THE TRADE. I HAVE JUST RECENTLY GRADUATED WITH MY BACHLORS DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY. MY DREAM HAS BEEN TO BLEND MY PSYCHOLOGY BACKGROUND WITH MY ESTHETIC DEGREE. I HAVE INVISIONED CHANGING THE SALON WORLD "AS I KNEW IT" INTO AN EXPERIENCE THAT ACTUALLY REFLECTS WHO WE REALLY ARE, "TRANSFORMATIONISTS". I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THE ESTHETIC WORK I PERFOMED ON AN INDIVIDUAL GOES FURTHER THAN "SKIN DEEP". I WORK FROM A STAND OF RESPONSIBILITY TO EMBRASE THAT SOMETHING MY CLIENT IS MISSING. NOT JUST CREATING A NEW LOOK OR A BETTER COMPLECTION, I AM CREATING, PSYCHOLOGICALLY, A PUBLIC PERCEPTION IN WHICH MY CLIENT WILL BE VIEWED. THIS IS WHY I LOVE TO DO WHAT I DO AND AM PASSIONATE ABOUT IT! READING THIS BOOK TOOK ME OUT OF THE PLACE OF WHAT I FELT TO BE IMPOSSIBE (MY LIMITED EXPERIENCE) TO A PLACE WHERE ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. THE REAL LIFE AND TANGIBLE RESULTS PRESENTED IN THIS BOOK HAVE TAKEN FROM COMPLEXITY TO SIMPLICITY. I WAS SO EMPOWERED BY THE KNOWLEDE PRESENTED IN THIS BOOK THAT I CREATED A POSITION FOR MYSELF WITHIN A SALON, WHICH WAS NOT EVEN HIRING. THIS HAPPENDED SOLEY BASED ON WHAT I HAD LEARNED AND BELIVED COULD HAPPEN BY READING "SECRET SERVICE". AT THE RISK OF MY INTEGRITY, I CAN SAY TO YOU... THIS HAS ABSOLUTLY CHANGED "WHO I AM" AND "WHAT I BELIEVE I CAN ACCOMPLISH". IF YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT "TRY IT OUT"! I CLOSE WITH MY THANKS TO JOHN DEJULIAS FOR BEING BIG ENOUGH TO BE SMALL ENOUGH TO SHARE HIS TECHNOLOGY!...

Thanks for sharing your secrets!
This is a great book on two levels. First, it has information that works. The concepts are tested and proven. Second, it is easy to understand. John Dijulius shows us how to put it to use in our business. The examples are clear and even fun to read. I can't imagine any person or business not getting great ideas that they can put to use right away. ... Read more

Book Description

Surefire, down-and-dirty guerrilla marketing tactics for businesses of all sizes

Lottery ticket giveaways, discounts for customers who rip competitors' ads out of the yellow pages, paying people to picket your store with signs proclaiming your low prices and great service . . . These are just three of the hundreds of cheap, surefire marketing tactics contained in 401 Killer Marketing Tactics to Increase Sales, Maximize Profits, and Stomp Your Competition. Expert Tom Feltenstein arms you with a veritable encyclopedia of tested-in-the-trenches marketing and promotional solutions.

This fully revised and updated edition of Feltenstein's acclaimed guide features:

• Real-world examples from dozens of Feltenstein clients, including Disney, Ben and Jerry's, Texaco, Coca-Cola, Hyatt, and more
• An encyclopedia format designed for ready reference
• A different idea on each page--and how to make it happen

Book Description

Since publishing the first edition of this classic that has sold over 250,000 copies, the challenges of keeping customers-or creating customer loyalty-has become even more urgent. Ultimately, every successful enterprise must attract, serve, and win the loyalty of customers by providing worthwhile products and delivering excellent service. Turned-off customers produce devastating ripple effects that quickly drag companies into a morass of mediocrity, while organizations that creatively apply a constant flow of small, customer-centered innovations see consistent and persistent strengthening of their customer base. This book will get all managers and employees thinking about the little things that can make all the difference. If everyone in an organization improves awareness of the simple yet powerful ideas in this volume, the company can and will see dramatic improvements in service and customer loyalty. The impact on the bottom line will be dramatic. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Based on real-life hard-nosed business experience? Nah!
I don't usually go out of my way to rip business books (preferring instead to simply disrecommend them to everyone I know) but as a struggling business owner who used to be a customer service professional, I would hate to let this book go unremarked-upon. It reads as if it were written by a cranky consumer who wants to get even with every retail business who done him wrong. If you believe that The Customer Is Always Right is the unofficial Eleventh Commandment, you may like this book. But I have a few nits to pick.

First. I don't doubt that many of the "50 Powerful Ideas" would do much to enhance your company's image in the eyes of your customers. The question is: At what cost?

At no point in this book is cost EVER addressed. It simply doesn't seem to have entered the author's mind. Sure, in an ideal world where the small business owner doesn't have to keep a tight rein on expenses, keeping customers would be simple. Just give them Free Stuff, as Dr. Timm recommends.

Second. Anyone who has ever worked retail, either in a supervisory or front-line position, knows that there are customers who cannot be satisfied, do not have a legitimate complaint and are hoping you will give them Free Stuff to make them go away. They don't seem to exist in Dr. Timm's universe, however. I found this omission to be very puzzling.

Third. Dr. Timm quotes "generally accepted facts" about customer service in the preface. I guess that's to avoid having to give references to actual studies. I would counter Dr. Timm's generally accepted facts by pointing out that 86% of all statistics are made up.

To sum up, if you want to take advice from a Ph.D. who has written nearly 40 books and countless articles on customer service and communication, this may be the book for you. If you want hard-headed practical advice from people who've been in the trenches, you'd be better off contacting your local SCORE chapter.

Great!
I'm the author of "Thinkertoys (A Handbook of Business Creativity), and "Cracking Creativity (The Secrets of Creative Genius) and, generally, read most businesss books that hit the market. This is a terrific book. Buy it and learn.

GREAT RESOURCE
I have read this book and studied under Dr. Timm. His matter-of-fact writing style helps to communicate his ideas in a simple, understandable, and effective manner. This book is a great addition to any customer service library ... Read more

Book Description

Imagine that you lived in a city made of steel and woke up one morning to discover the entire city had been turned to glass. Everything that had been opaque would be transparent, everything sturdy would be fragile. One false move, even the slightest slip and--boom!--everything around you could shatter.

Nowhere does this frightening image seem more real than in the realm of business-to-business commerce, where the Internet is recasting and remodeling nearly every existing relationship.

Although consumer marketers may have been first to launch Web-based, customer-centric initiatives, it is the business-to-business companies that have the most to gain.

They also have the most to lose by doggedly sticking with out-dated traditional market penetration strategies. In One to One B2B, marketing gurus Don Peppers and Martha Rogers argue persuasively that in the broad arena of business-to-business commerce, organizations will rise or fall on the basis of their abilities to cultivate one-to-one relationships with their customers.

In a series of richly detailed case studies, the authors paint vivid portraits of B2B organizations wrestling with front-burner issues such as channel complexity, customer valuation, account development, sales force automation, knowledge-based selling, and new modes of compensation.

And they squarely tackle the question of how much technology is too much, arguing that one shouldn't ask "How can you use technology to automate a relationship?" but ,rather, "How can you use technology to strengthen a relationship and make it more valuable over time?"

In One to One B2B, readers will discover the critical role a "learning relationship" plays in developing new and existing customers to their fullest potential, as well as strategies designed specifically to unlock higher levels of profitability, ensure client loyalty, and fight margin erosion in the face of intense global competition.

The result is an indispensable handbook on how to create and develop business-to-business sales and marketing techniques successfully in the bump and grind of the real world.
... Read more

Reviews (6)

Will Be A Classic
Over the years, the Peppers and Rogers duo have made an outstanding contribution to the field of marketing and the process of developing relationships with customers. "One to One B2B" is yet another installment. This well-written book builds on their earlier works and does a great deal to define in a tangible fashion the new "customer relationship mentality" that is so essential for all organizations to consider in today's real economy. This book is thought-provoking and stimulating. It is evident that the authors who have pioneered the bulk of the original thinking underlying customer relationship management want to share their compelling philosophy. They are very convincing in citing numerous advantages that accrue to those who embrace their way of operating a business. And, this book seems to be committed to showing a straightforward, direct blueprint for implementation. The initial chapters of the book provide an updated version of the principles and philsophy found in their earlier works. These early chapters constitute a worthwhile review, but the also offer some different slants that are extremely valuable supplements. The later chapters are integral to the book's mission. The authors offer very detailed coverage of companies and organizations that have adopted the "one to one" way of doing business. The book provides detailed description in a case study format illustrating the steps of implementation and explaining the benefits associated with each implementation phase. In keeping with their well-established literary character, in the final section of their book Peppers and Rogers have an eye to the future they share with the reader. For example, they don't shy away from offering advice to Dell on future direction in light of the challenges posed by the current environment. And, they take time to weigh the eventual impact of a B2B world that is rapidly extending its scope, offering conjecture from their very informed perspectives. As an academician who has spent significant time studying the CRM movement and consulting with companies that embrace the same, this book definitely offers value and is a must read for anyone that is committed to preserving lasting customer relationships.

So Obvious and Yet So Under-Appreciated
Those who have already read any of Peppers and Rogers' previous books (The One to One Future, Enterprise One to One, The One to One Fieldbook with Bob Dorf, and The One to One Manager) no doubt share my high regard for their uniquely creative as well as highly analytical thinking about CRM within the global marketplace. They continue to draw upon an abundance of real-world experience. This book may well be their most important thus far. In it, they suggest and then explain a number of strategies to create and then sustain solid relationships with B2B customers. Even if your organization is not currently involved in such relationships, these same strategies can also be of substantial value. Once again, the authors' essential idea (hardly original, they realize) is that businesses as well as most other human communities (e.g. a political constituency, a religious following, a military force) share at least this in common: Each is built one believer at a time to serve mutual self-interests. In this sense, the term "B2B" is a misnomer because people do business with other people. (Rest assured, I fully understand the differences between and among B2B, B2C, and B2B2C.) Even when purchases are completed electronically, they are initiated and fulfilled by people. Goods are manufactured by people. Services are provided by people. And so forth.

Over the years, when customers have been asked to cross-rank attributes of greatest importance to them, "Feeling Appreciated" and "Convenience" or "Ease of Doing Business" are either #1 or #2. (Remarkably, "Price" is usually ranked between 9th and 14th in order of importance.) It is also worth noting that, as Peppers and Rogers carefully explain in this book, as new efficiencies are created by breakthrough technologies, the quality of one-to-one human interaction becomes even more important. They include five case studies, including one which examines the policies and procedures of Dell Computer. Somehow, they gained access to information which is probably otherwise unavailable, except to those involved in the Dell organization. Each of the case studies reads as if it were a one-act play. However different their "characters" and "plot" may be, all five companies are literally customer-driven. Their ultimate objective is not to achieve "customer satisfaction"; rather, as Jeffrey Gitomer and others have insisted, their ultimate objective is sustainable "customer loyalty" (indeed "customer passion"). Peppers and Rogers provide a cohesive, comprehensive, and cost-effective system to achieve that objective. They would be the first to recommend that each reader make appropriate modifications of that system to accommodate the specific CRM needs, interests, and resources of her or his own organization.

Earlier, I suggested that this may well be the most important book Peppers and Rogers have written thus far. The system they provide in it is worthless, however, unless and until an organization involved in B2B is wholly committed (top to bottom) to doing everything possible to make each customer feel appreciated. One of the best strategies to accomplish that is to make doing business with it as convenient (as "easy") as possible.

Here's another key point. Based on my own extensive experience working closely with all manner of organizations, I have become convinced that organizations cannot be "customer-driven" unless they are first "employee/associate-driven." Those who feel mistreated cannot be expected to treat others well. Therefore, effective CRM depends almost entirely on the quality of relationships within a given organization...and each of them is also, inevitably, one-to-one.

Excellent
After reading many books about CRM/Marketing One-One, my opinion is this book has to be read as soon as possible. You might have read others like me but this one is a plus. Buy it, read it, apply it, let it pass 6 months, then read it again. Finally, post here how much it helped you. It includes pratical stuff (case studies) of leading companies (Dell, Convergys, etc). This book has to be seen as a complement to others previously written by same authors.

Great Survival Handbook for CRM
Peppers & Rogers are definitely the heavyweight champions of customer-centric marketing. This new book continues their odyssey from theory to practice. Each of the case studies are like mini-novels, complete with plot twists and cliff-hangers. For a business book, this is exceptionally well written and very accessible. It's a good read, for newcomers and experienced one-to-one marketers.

Peppers' & Rogers' stories are fresh and unique. Even the chapter about Dell reveals aspects of that company that are rarely discussed with outsiders. It's amazing that they were able to get such detail from companies that are usually tight-lipped about their CRM strategies. Worthwhile reading for managers who need to go beyond CRM hype and learn from the real, and sometimes painful, experiences of others. This book is well-researched and crisply written.

CRM gurus take new approach to B-2-B relationships
Don Peppers and Martha Rogers continue to prove their exceptional understanding of the possibilities of CRM. Their latest book does an excellent job of illustrating the practical execution of theoretical concepts in customer relations. The case studies are vivid descriptions of real-life situations, and are as exciting as they are informative. In general, the writing is a cut above that of a typical business book, which makes absorbing the information that much easier. A vital guide for those trying to understand CRM, or those who want to do it better. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Excellence in customer service is the hallmark of success in service industries and among manufacturers of products that require reliable service. But what exactly is excellent service? It is the ability to deliver what you promise, say the authors, but first you must determine what you can promise. Building on seven years of research on service quality, they construct a model that, by balancing a customer's perceptions of the value of a particular service with the customer's need for that service, provides brilliant theoretical insight into customer expectations and service delivery.

For example, Florida Power & Light has developed a sophisticated, computer-based lightening tracking system to anticipate where weather-related service interruptions might occur and strategically position crews at these locations to quicken recovery response time. Offering a service that customers expect to be available at all times and that they will miss only when the lights go out, FPL focuses its energies on matching customer perceptions with potential need. Deluxe Corporation, America's highly successful check printer, regularly exceeds its customers' expectations by shipping nearly 95% of all orders by the day after the orders were received. Deluxe even put U.S. Postal Service stations inside its plants to speed up delivery time.

Customer expectations change over time. To anticipate these changes, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company regularly monitors the expectations and perceptions of their customers, using focus group interviews and the authors' 22-item generic SERVQUAL questionnaire, which is customized by adding questions covering specific aspects of service they wish to track.

The authors' groundbreaking model, which tracks the five attributes of quality service -- reliability, empathy, assurance, responsiveness, and tangibles -- goes right to the heart of the tendency to overpromise. By comparing customer perceptions with expectations, the model provides marketing managers with a two-part measure of perceived quality that, for the first time, enables them to segment a market into groups with different service expectations. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Timeless!
The authors present the SERVQUAL model as a framework for understanding and measuring service quality and also offer practical advice on how to improve service quality.

Aside from the SERVQUAL model, readers craving practical business information will find Chapters 4 to 7, which communicate a four-part prescriptive model on how to improve service quality, most useful. In plain language and with many illustrative examples, the authors argue that customer service leaders must (1) know exactly what customers expect, (2) set proper service quality standards, (3) support employees in delivering quality service, and (4) never over-promise. Chapter 6 is excellent for drawing the critical link between human resources and customer service.

Delivering Quality Service remains relevant even though it was published before anyone talked about Customer Relationship Management. The language is slightly dated but the concepts are timeless. In addition, by not focussing on customer management technology (a rarity in works published today) the authors put a proper emphasis on strategy.

Excellent read, although a little too broad
A great book on SERVQUAL, nice layout of themes, plus a handy SERVQUAL test list to practice on your customers. Not just an academic book, but very down to earth. The only problem is that SERVQUAL is too broad to be applied in any service, you should take it with a grain of salt, but all-in-all, this book serve enough to be used as a basis for benchmarking service quality. Recommended not just for students, but to business practitioners too.

A fundamental on service quality modelling
Although somewhat outdated in 1999, this is still a fundamental work on SERVQUAL, a measurement tool for service quality. Criticized and praised all over the world, this book provides the old model of the SERVQUAL tool. Very useful is the GAP analysis for hurdles on the way to excellent service quality and the chapters on how to get started. The authors draw on extensive research and promise no rose garden but hard work to get among the excellent businesses. The book is useful to understand and interpret the SERVQUAL tool. Limitations or expansions are suggested and allow to customize the tool for personal use. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Customer Service 101 clearly hits the target.
Customer Service 101: Basic Lessons to Be Your Best by Renee Evenson is a must-have for all areas of customer service.

Evenson gives clear and basic rules for outstanding customer service. It starts with the realization that no business could exist without its customers. Then, subject by subject, she gives easy pointers on how every person in contact with a customer, both in person and on the phone, can give outstanding and sincere service.

This book is a must for anyone in the field--both new at the game as well as those in it for many years. The small investment should produce great rewards. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

At last ... a reference source for CRM I can really use
This is the third book on CRM I've read over the last year and it's certainly been the most useful.

The structure is a little different from other books I've seen on the subject. I guess you could read it end-to-end, but I've found it most useful just reading the section introductions and then dipping into the individual chapters as required. Being honest, I haven't even read all of the content. It's very comprehensive and some of the material just isn't relevant to my work. But the fact I can get to the parts that are relevant, quickly and easily, is what makes this stand out.

Coming from a business background, I also like level it's pitched at. Despite being pretty detailed at times the text is peppered with client examples to show the ideas are still grounded in reality.

So if you are looking for a broad reference source for CRM that puts the emphasis on business as much as CRM then this is certainly worth considering.

An Information Packed Resource on Advanced CRM
If you are looking for an information packed resource on advanced CRM ideas and strategies, then I would strongly recommend this book. I own a dozen texts on this subject and this book is one of the best at presenting the key concepts that define state-of-the-art CRM.

I found the chapters on transforming marketing paticularrly interesting. Together, they provided a comprehensive picture of the current challenges in marketing and then discussed the new capabilities marketers should embrace to transform their organizations.

In addition to the wealth of ideas, the book was also filled with industry examples that really helped to bring the topics to life for me. I definitely give this book an enthusiastic two thumbs up.

Not bad, but buyer beware!
This is not a bad book and contains some helpful insights in CRM. The chapters on Partner Relationship Management and CRM in Government are particularly good.

However, the title (a shameless ripoff of The CRM Handbook--couldn't the guys at McGraw Hill be a BIT more creative?)doesn't make it obvious that the writers are all Accenture consultants. This book definitely has an Accenture spin (results of Accenture surveys, examples using Accenture partner companies), rendering it a bit more narrowly-focused that it might have been by a more "objective" authorship. And, as is usually the case with a book where each chapter has a different author, the tone of the text varies widely. This is a good book for your CRM library, but be sure and co-mingle it with other CRM perspective so your view isn't tainted.

Must reading for anybody who deals with customers and brands
Finally, a 'handbook' that deserves this title! This is one of the few books out there that actually does not solely/mainly talk about technologies, software, etc. Let me back up a little. I was looking for a comprehensive book on the topic of customer relationship management (CRM), because I repeatedly came across these concepts in my current role. I was impressed by Sir Richard Branson's quote on the back cover - - I admire what he has done to the Virgin brand - - so I bought it. It was well worth it! This book is written by practitioners, people who know what it takes to "provide a seamless customer experience", how to attract, develop and retain customers. The books' chapters cover everything from setting the strategy to data analysis; from channel management to the future of marketing. And, best of all, this is complemented by in-depth case studies in various industries. I now use this book whenever the topic of CRM comes up at work. It's a great reference to look up the latest thinking - - and to find out about what to avoid doing. I think this book is a must for every Executive dealing with "customers", and it will serve students majoring in marketing/business studies equally well. Overall, a great book! Well-written, excellent content, and you can always come back to the individual chapters for a step-by-step guide to key elements of CRM. ... Read more

Book Description

A valuable tool for any health care leader dedicated to improving the quality of care and enhancing patient satisfaction. Combining theory and discussion with a practical `action plan' format, Sherman challenges the reader to think about solutions, not just ideas.
--Irwin Press, president, Press, Ganey Associates, Inc.

Whether you're a CEO, a caregiver, or simply someone who cares about the results of service initiatives, you'll find plenty of great ideas in this book.
--Mark C. Clement, president and CEO, Holy Cross Hospital, Winner, 1994 AHA Great Comebacks Award, 1996 International Enterprise Award for Customer Satisfaction, 1998 Global Best Practices Award for Customer Service

Total Customer Satisfaction reports on the breakthrough methods used by awarding winning hospitals and health care organizations to achieve top-rated national status in customer satisfaction. Learn from top experts in the field of how to create and implement total customer satisfaction tactical plan that will boost customer satisfaction ratings in your health care organization.

... Read more

Reviews (1)

An Excellent Book!
An Excellent Book For All The Managers In Every Organisation....... A Must Read ... Read more

Book Description

With this book, managers have a rigorous new approach to building firm value. The authors offer a comprehensive system for putting customer relationships at the center of the business and give managers the tools for implementing customer-based strategies to improve profitability and growth. Fresh, practical examples illustrate how companies-including ScrubaDub car wash, Inc. magazine, and Staples office supplies-have inventively used information and knowledge management technologies to connect with their customers in new ways. Customer Connections reveals how these firms have managed to offer products and services that match the needs of their most valuable customers. It introduces a "value compass" that enables executives to target the four sources of customer value: right customer portfolio (choosing the customers you want), range of value proposition (selecting what you want to offer them), roles in relationship (deciding what type of relationship you want with them), and rewards sharing (creating mutual value). To improve its position along of these dimensions, a firm must master the three essentials of a customer connected strategy. Wayland and Cole teach managers to ask-and act on-the right questions about generating and managing customer knowledge. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Lots of Caveats...
This book attempts to persuade the reader that businesses are best managed by customer portfolio management, a method consisting of three general parts: (a) mathematical modelling and computation of "customer value" (b) segmenting customers in "value groups" (c) optimize revenue by focusing on the "value groups" offering highest revenues

The authors' calculation of value does not include the indirect results of the customer's patronage. Will their buying habits influence others, such as their children, to remain loyal to the brand? Will their recommendations influence others to buy? This whole chain of reasoning appears absent from the text -- a puzzling omission since the importance of referrals as a positive influence in affecting sales has been known for eons.

Similarly, the authors are strangely absent with regards to providng value and quality across all products and services, not just those offering the most attractive "customer value". It should be remembered that today's carpenter, may be tomorrow's subcontractor and then may be a future home builder. By selecting and focusing only on select groups, the company's performance may be viewed by such a customer as inconsistent or spotty. Indeed, such a customer may very well ask themselves, "Will I be in the next group slighted because I'm viewed as 'low value'?" (NOTE: This is not to say that differing services can be provided to different types, levels or classes of customers. On the contrary, to fail to offer this would be foolish. Companies can, however, offer customers the *choice*, and not pre-ordain their fates, esp. when such a fate is dictated by such an abstraction.)

Relying on a highy volatile measure such as "customer value" is inherently very, very risky and one wonders if the recurrent churning of those calculations would, in fact, yield meaningful results in a fast-paced business environment.

Where are your company in the ¡§customer relationship¡¨?
I found that this book is useful as it introduced a useful tool for customer relationship. The author introduced a great customer relationship model, ¡§The Value Compass¡¨.

I think that it is important for the company to understand that ¡§reduce cost¡¨ is not the most important element to achieve success. Instead, company should put effort on creating value in order to achieve goal. And we have already known that the cost of retaining customer is much lower than the cost of acquiring new customers. So, why look for new customers, when you can improve the ones you¡¦ve already got?

Customer satisfaction is one of the elements of retaining customers. And customer satisfaction can be done by ¡§creating value¡¨. This book introduced you with ¡§The Value Compass¡¨ which provided you a great tool to create value and thus build up long-term customer relationship.

With the help of ¡§The Value Compass¡¨, company can position itself among different dimensions of relationship value. After know ¡§where you are¡¨, company should decide ¡§where are you going to be¡¨, according to ¡§The Value Compass¡¨. Then the company can achieve the target position by prepare customer connection strategy, which has discussed by this book.

So, if you are in the management level of your company, if you want your company to create value to the customers in order to build long-term customers relationship, you may read this book to achieve your goal more efficiently and effectively.

Not bad!
Customer connection
After reading this book, you will know what is the customer relationship model, that is the value compass and foundation of customer connection strategy.
I do agree that the author did present the book in an academic way which is quite bored. For the value compass, it is a complicated model and it is not easy to be understood. However, I remember that the author did distinguish the difference among the product manager, process manager and the network manager, this part is quite good and clear.
Also the author did explain the customer equity by using the equation, it¡¦s quite good and impressed.
Generally, I think you can learn something from this book, for example, we know that we need to create long term relationship with our customers and the critical success factor for running a business is to create value to the customers but not to reduce cost for the business.

Adding Economic Value through Customer Relationships
I like books that combine qualitative and quantitative techniques to describe what must be done. Customer Connections takes on the challenge of providing that perspective.

The book's basic point is that logical thinking can be applied to developing better economic results through analyzing and pursuing the potential of different ways to have relationships with various customers. For example, some customers buy more, more often, and of higher margin products or services. Find ways to attract more of their business and your enterprise is going to be more profitable and valuable. An example of Scrub-a-Dub the car wash company explores this idea.

You are encouraged to think through this opportunity by analyzing your mix of customers, the ways that you can add value for these customers, the risk involved in acquiring them, and ways of sharing risks and rewards with customers and suppliers. Then, you create a solution that combines all four elements to produce more economic value (discounted cash flow) for your company.

To do this, you are going to need to know more about your customers than many companies know today, keep them better informed about what you are doing, and use technology to strengthen your connections in economically beneficial ways. So, there's a basic knowledge management issue to be resolved.

Like many consultants, the authors propose a complicated model that requires lots of data-gathering, analysis, building of new data bases, and improved IT systems. Ultimately, the benefits can only be estimated in advance. A set of interviews with 200 Fortune 1000 executives suggests that knowing more about customers is associated with higher growth.

In the last four years I have done a lot of research into ways that companies have changed their business models to be more successful. In that research, I was struck that the kinds of thinking described in this book were hardly ever used. So although there are lots of examples in the book of applying these concepts, I really wonder if the process to be followed is the one described here. Ultimately, the book's process reminded me of the kind of mechanical "left-brained" planning that failed for so many companies in doing their strategic thinking. The methods I have seen used were based much more on inexpensive experiments, gut feel, and rapidly rolling out the successes. The approach here is more of the opposite. Find something that should be great. Make a big bet on it. Keep your fingers crossed that your one expensive experiment will work.

The value thinking in the book is also very primitive, basically only describing the expected discounted cash flow. Every enterprise has many different economic values at a given time (depending on its value form), and expected discounted cash flow is only one. You could have removed all of the "value" references and equations in this book and not lost very much.

Ultimately, I was concerned about the book's basic concept -- that you should be customer-based in your thinking rather than customer-driven or customer-led. Being customer-based in doing value calculations can be very misleading. Few market innovations have followed from understanding customer profitability better. You still have to understand customers better . . . as they see and feel themselves.

Create more beneficial results for all those you meet!

Hmmmm... I don't know about this one.
The book was part of the compulsary literature used for a relationship marketing course at my university, so I had to read it, but if I had the choice, I probably wouldn't have read it. The book provides some useful insights, but I believe the first two chapters cover the whole book. The rest consists of numerous boring case examples, which don't clarify that much. And I didn't like the authors' use of mathematics, or is that just me? I think the field of relationship marketing could be presented in a more interesting way than that. In their words, for me as a customer, the costs were higher than the value I got back for it in the end (but I don't know my mark for the exam yet :). I don't think they'll keep me as their customer. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

the ultimite power book in sales and marketing.
This is the fantastic book you have to read if you wont to be a career wise in marketing. in this book you will learn alot of things that you could not find in one book, you will learn how to - find customer, dress for success, dealing with obcetives more and more when you will buy the book. sayed omar The American University of Cairo. Egypt

This is what we need today in Business the 5 Ps
This book is realy what we need in Business today, how to understanding customer needs and tell us the 4 Ps that any marketing must be dealing with besides the Customers that most marketer think that the customer is out of the 4 Ps because the all 4 Ps surrounding it, but when you read this book you will see the 5 Ps or 6 Ps must be focusing in one P ( peoale) who is the king " customer is the king', so have fun. sayed Omar AUC.Egypt. somar@aucegypt.edu

Packed with useful information
This book is well written, laid out nicely and packed with information about successful sales based on understanding customer needs, building trust and delivering solutions. Every chapter has good background information, useful lists and "to dos" and examples. Great for the salesperson, sales manager or marketing professional. There are lots of immediate takeaways in this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Few books have influenced an entire industry as much as "The Customer Relationship Survival Guide." Survival Guide has pushed the practice of CRM toward business strategy and culture change – and away from process- and technology-based CRM projects that meet predictable fates. Many companies already owe their CRM success to lessons learned from this book. Many more will before Survival Guide is finished doing its work. And yet more will find in this book the reasons why their CRM implementations failed - and how to rescue them.

But there’s more to the Customer Relationship Management Survival Guide than expert advice. Through his many speaking engagements, magazine columns and other writings, author Dick Lee has distinguished himself as both a wry humorist and a business visionary. Lee’s irreverent commentary and keen business insights make reading Survival Guide an entertaining and valuable experience – for anyone in business today. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Where the CRM rubber hits the road
I know from sad experience that there are lots of books out there on customer relationship management. I can't name three that are genuinely helpful in daily work -- ever hear anyone say "I know this'll work, I got it from Peppers and Rogers" during an implementation? -- but one would be this survival guide.

It lives up to its subtitle, "Everything you need to know, before you need to know it." Lee doesn't waste a lot of time on theory, he takes the approach that if you don't know by now the importance of being customer-centric then you'll be working for someone else pretty soon anyway. There was a crying need for a book in this space, one wonders that it took anyone so long to write it.

He writes for decision-making business people who have a company to run, but who've been confused with CRM misinformation from overzealous and unscrupulous vendors and consultants. He shows you that you just might have more than you think in the way of solid CRM building blocks already on your computer in Outlook and Office, no vendor or consultant's going to tell you that. Plus I think he has the importance of technology pegged (fairly low), I can't count the number of CRM projects that have tanked because people bought a bunch of stuff, took it out of the boxes and said "Okay, what now?" I'd hate to see what Lee says about those people when he's not in mixed company.

One warning: Lee says that the time's passed for polite books about this or that aspect of CRM, that it's "time to get in people's faces about this stuff," and show what it's going to mean in real life business. If that's not what you're up for then avoid this book.

a mix of gems and lumps of coal
Dick Lee obviously has a good understanding of CRM. He understands CRM is not about software, it's about combining customer centricity, process re-engineering, linking information across the enterprise, all of which is ENABLED by software. A lot of reviewers here have said good things about this book, so I won't add to them. I'm going to explain what's bad about this book.

In summary: It's a good CRM-101 primer, but ignore his technology recommendations, they're rather naive.

I don't think anyone in IT is the target audience of Dick's book, because he's very patronizing towards the role of IT. This attitude is tremendously damaging to any large-scale CRM initiative, because it lulls business people into a false sense of security.

Granted that many IT groups have tried to do the "Software=CRM" strategy, or "Software first" approach, and failed miserably. Many CRM strategies didn't first win the hearts & minds of sales, marketing and CEO -- and then gotten into the technology game. This is all a sad reflection of technology myopia. BUT -- this doesn't imply that IT is useless, and all this data and application integration stuff is easy as pie.

One of the greatest problems with CRM is to get your IT systems house in order, as most IT systems are a mess. This means forming an enterprise integration strategy, improving your data quality, and providing facilities for unified analysis, reporting, and operational touchpoints. All of this needs to be done in incremental and iterative steps if you're ever going to get to the "actionable information"/"closed loop" dream of CRM. CRM is a long journey for many organizaitonal AND technological reasons.

Sadly, Dick's approach seems to be to sprinkle a little magic, completely do a run-around the IT department, and all of these problems go away. Perhaps this worked with small businesses. It doesn't work with large businesses with a history of legacy systems.

If you don't have a long-term strategy of a unified enterprise information architecture, your black-boxing your back-office systems only postpones the inevitable service problems that WILL be experienced by your customers. CRM technology integration IS NOT for the faint of heart!

Here are some of those coal lumps from his book:

"For example, while technology limitations, such as the difficulty in getting different databases to communicate with each other, still hinder CRM's progression.... with the advent of Microsoft's SQL Server 7.0 database, a model of open architecture that's already the de facto standard for CRM databases and becoming widely used in the back office, these limitations are history, at least they will be soon."

So, if I install Microsoft SQL 7.0, all of my data integration problems go away. Right.

"And Windows 2000 may actually be more stable than many flexilbility challenged back-office systems. So there."

Somehow Dick feels that stability has something to do with flexibility. Or that operating systems have anything to do with back-office flexibility (which is a limit of the actual software that was written).

"Open architecture: You're [sic] safest bet is to stay with CRM software that observes tight Microsoft standards -- even if your back-office folks are running Oracle databases or heavy on UNIX or Linux at the points of integration with CRM... But if you hear mention of running CRM on other than a Microsoft SQL Server databaes -- run, don't walk, for a second opinion."

Supporting a single company's products implies "open architecture"? How's that for a revisionist definition?

And again with the SQL Server. I thought CRM wasn't about software? Does database platform really make that much of a difference? Shouldn't you leave that up to technology experts (which are alternately praised and scorned in this book)?

Dick has been a consultant to Microsoft in the past, so I can understand the loyalty, but he also obviously has no idea how naive these statements are. Microsoft is *just another vendor*. Why treat them preferentially?

I wish Dick Lee stuck to the business-end of CRM and left the technology stuff to people like Claudia Imoff (Building the Customer Centric Enterprise).

I found this book very helpful
As a CRM consultant in Latin America, I found this book very helpful to explain my customers what CRM is and what isn't. Perhaps one of the most valuable concepts that Dick Lee explains in his book is that CRM doesn't equal software. He also presents the reader with a step by step guide to implement a successful CRM initiative. In my opinion however, the most important concept that I got from this book was that CRM is about listening to the customer -genuinely - and transforming according to customer's needs and expectations. CRM is a way of life for organizations not a software, and that is neatly explained in Mr. Lee's book.

What CRM Is -- and Isn't. Practical Advice, Customer-focused
This book hammers home the point that having a customer-centric business stratgy is imperative for CRM. I've heard and read alot about just going out and buying a software package, following it's processes, and automating stuff. This book should disabuse you of that idea. Lee defines CRM and how to get there for a win-win solution for the company and the customer. Dick Lee takes the reader through six commonly misunderstood areas of CRM and provides practical advice for sucess. It makes sense and I've seen it work.

The book is written in a readable style (often irreverent and funny) that gets the salient points across. Company leaders and decision-makers should read this one before undertaking CRM -- or if you need to chart a correction course, it's insights will help.

Fun, but Marginally Helpful
Dick Lee brings a funny, irreverent style to explaining customer relationship management (CRM). He is candid about many of the reasons that some CRM projects have failed. And he gives some practical advice to those who may be just beginning a CRM project.

Unfortunately, he misses in a couple of important areas.

First of all, he shares many of his beefs with CRM failures, but doesn't go into nearly enough detail on how to avoid those problems. The book is called a "Survival Guide," but it is really more of a meandering definition of CRM and a superficial view of "how to" handle a few specific issues.

Secondly, he is clearly biased towards "operational CRM" - at one point going so far as to say that marketing automation is a "trojan horse" and that database marketing is "not even close" to CRM.

If you're just starting a CRM project for the first time - and your CRM project is mostly sales or service automation - then buy this book. If you're more advanced, or implementing back-office CRM (i.e. a data warehouse, marketing automation, data mining, or integrating across channels) then look for something else. Another good "basics of operational CRM" book is Michael Gentle's, "CRM Project Management Handbook." ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Legal Collections Made Easy
This book is a quick read, but if you've done collections before, then you won't find much help in it. The author is well-expereinced in legal collections. That's her expertise. A consumer and corporate small to medium balance collector won't find this book that useful. It gives a lot of legal tips and how to write promissory notes, but for the majority of us who don't have time for this, it doesnt' tell us anything we don't already know. She has a debtor excuse section, but she writes it more in theory than someone who has done it a lot. She also doesn't tell us anything new to use in our repetoire of overcoming, "check is in the mail." I wouldn't rate this a great book, I find Tim Paulsen & The Sher brothers' books better and more practical. I'd rate her book "fair."

Wonderful book!
What a tremendous book! Very inspirational and helpful with collections with tips and pointers and such positive energy in what is sometimes a negative field. Highly recommended to anyone in collections in ANY business! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The competition for customers today is fiercer than ever. With products and services only a mouse click away, customers have more choice than ever before, and the rules that govern customer loyalty have changed a great deal. While most CEOs will brag about how customer-centric their companies are, in reality many are at a loss for identifying and attracting a loyal and profitable customer base. In The One to One Fieldbook, authors Don Peppers, Martha Rogers, and Bob Dorf show how to implement a customer-relationship program based on one-to-one marketing, a notion they championed in their previous books,Enterprise One to One andOne to One Future.

One-to-one marketing, write the authors, is "based on the simple idea of treating different customers differently." The book begins by outlining four steps for implementing a one-to-one marketing program, then delves into a variety of subjects, from building the infrastructure necessary to supporting a one-to-one enterprise to evaluating and managing channel partners. This is a useful and practical how-to guide, full of checklists and ideas for getting any company on track with one-to-one marketing. --Harry C. Edwards ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Highly Recommended!
All too often, the customer gets lost within the intricacies of customer relationship management. Don Peppers and Martha Rogers bring the customer back into the equation in this fieldbook designed to help companies implement their one-to-one marketing strategies. The book addresses the very questions that bring companies to CRM in the first place: How do I know who my best customers are? How can I customize my service for my best customers? How do I get my customers to stay loyal? For its clearheaded answers to these difficult questions, we from getAbstract recommend this book to all readers

An outstanding effort by the premier thinkers in CRM
If you're looking for ways to start your 1 to 1 marketing or CRM program, this is where you should begin. This book is a practical guide on how to start and implement a 1 to 1 program.

Every chapter includes lists and meeting notes for what to do at every step in the process. I wish I had this book when I began developing relationship marketing programs. With this book you are not alone in developing a 1 to 1 program. In addition, the book has a very valuable accompanying web site where you can print off the check lists and other helpful interactive tools. Before you buy the book you may want to look through their web site at 1to1.com. There you'll find more information on 1 to 1 marketing and CRM than anywhere else on the web. Martha Rogers and Don Peppers have truely shown that they are the masters of CRM in this book and their other titles.

How to Treat Different Customers Differently
What a fantastic book for every marketing professional to read. The authors have invested a lot of time and effort to make this book very informative and practical. It deals with the real business world and not some theoritical formula that works only in closed conditions. There are many examples of successes as well as failures of companies that have switched over to the 1 to 1 Marketing concept.
The book consists of 15 chapters to help one build the system of 1to1 marketing. The main highlights for me in this book were the following:
1.) Learning to treat different customers differently, separating them into three catagories
Most valuable Customer (MVC)
Most Growth Customer (MGC)
Below Zero (BZ)
and concentrating most of your companies effort and budget on the MVC and MGC clients.
2.)Gathering detailed information about the most profitable clients and maintaing a data bank to help all areas and product line to interact with the client on a profitable basis.
3.)Generating feed-back and interacting with the client based on the feed-back. Junking the typical model of customer help lines that do more damage than good for a company.
4.) Getting high-level management participating and to be prepared for the costs incurred when implementing the 1to1 marketing concept for the company.
One of my own important experiences is that management conceives the idea without asking the advice and input from the sales force. This can be disastrous for the 1to1 Marketing concept. Everybody and I mean everybody has to informed of why they are preforming a certain task and what effect it has on the entire company. Tell your employess what you are doing from the beginning, if you wish to avoid the pitfalls of internal conflicts and bickering.
At the end of each chapter there is a summary and a check list of items that should be done in order to implement the points discussed in the respective chapter. Don't forget... all companies are different and one will have to figure out which strategy to pursue for his or her industry.
This excllent book will definitely help your profits SKYROCKET to the moon. Do it before your competitor does.

Good for the Mom and Pop outfit - not Fortune 500
The entire "one-to-one" concept is only feasible for small companies. Peppers and Rogers Group gives examples of "florists sending reminders of your mother's birthday" and "dry cleaners keeping your extra buttons" and so forth to retain customers (and eventually charge more for their services, becuase the customer is "locked in"), but these concepts don't translate to Fortune 500 companies. Ford Motor Company (one of PRG's clients) recently laid off 5,000 executives. You know their CRM campaign was out the door along with rented plants and weekly bagel breakfasts...see how many companies PRG gloated about in the past (Kozmo.com, mykidsbenefit, Mobshop, etc. etc.) are out of business. Plus PRG laid off a bunch of people of their own recently. Peppers and Rogers Group is definitely a fair weather friend to these large firms...

Practical handbook for managing customer relationships
The authors call it a "book of lists" and that is how I use it - a valuable series of checklists for managing customer relationships better. Chapter two is called "Quickstart" and it has some compelling questions, example: find the customers who have complained about your product or service, more than once in the last year and babysit their orders, call them and check up on your progress". Just imagine that you were that customer and how much you'd appreciate that approach. For another book with some good checklists try Seth Godin's "Permission marketing"

Chapters 4, 5 and 6 cover differentiating customers by value, interacting with them and customising. The "Rules of Engagement with Customers" on page 98 are interesting. These chapters stongly send you in the direction of different treatment for different customers. For another book with some new examples of best practice, take a look at Cram's "Customers that Count"

Finally I recommend the section in chapter 11 on targeting sales force compensation and commission to retention of valuable customers. This is good practice in putting company strategies into effect. If this is of interest, also look at Burnett's "Handbook of Key Customer Relationship managment" ... Read more

Book Description

To succeed, you MUST stand out from the crowd with a great Personal Brand!

Today’s cutthroat competition makes it essential to create a powerful brand that sets you apart from your competition. Inexpensive and powerful technologies enable virtually anyone to build a high-profile identity. Branding is the one sure-fire way to have customers come to you rather than having to chase after them. It is the path to a happier life, filled with more wealth and free time than you ever thought possible! In this book, Jason Hartman, "America’s foremost expert on Personal Branding", shows you, step by step, how to establish yourself as a sought-after brand name in your field. Long-term success in business comes with building long-term relationships. You can eliminate much of the uncertainty and wasted effort of selling by focusing instead on marketing. Build emotional bonds in your marketplace rather than constantly chasing leads and you’ll make more money and enjoy doing it!

Creating a powerful Personal Brand is a proven way to beat your competition and control your destiny. Jason Hartman will show you how to harness the power and potential of relationship marketing to become the brand of choice!

Within these pages you’ll learn how to:
• Create a powerful brand identity for you and your business.
• Use the media and avoid many common media mistakes.
• Dramatically expand your visibility and become a local celebrity.
• Use loyalty programs to create customers for life.
• Eliminate the stress and uncertainty of "roller coaster" income.
• Convert your customers to super-salespeople for your business.
• Become a more successful employee within your company.
• Achieve notoriety in your industry and community.
• Have more quality time for yourself and your family. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Powerful
Become The Brand of Choice: Make Your Name a Powerful Brand and Earn Millions offers the reader a variety of ways to improve your individual and professional life. This book is enjoyable to read, and offers clear examples of the principles taught. Within minutes, ways to improve your goal setting, relationships with people, and in general your life are apparent. I enjoyed how the author involves you in the book, and clearly expresses the concepts of his book.
The concepts expressed about marketing and maximizing those things that will improve your business are exceptionally good. You can clearly see from the explanations why one thing is effective and another ineffective. It also offers valuable information with how to be successful.
I highly recommend all readers to purchase today a copy of this book and start the journey towards a happier and more successful life.

¿Swiss Army Knife¿ for sales professionals!
As a seasoned sales professional, I've read many books, watched an endless assortment of videos, and attended far more seminars than I want to remember. All of the time I spent doing all of these exercises could have been better spent on mindless relaxation, had I found this book first! Much of what the writer outlines is certainly not new (and he readily admits that, right at the beginning), but his brilliance lies in the manner in which he collates the information with organized precision. The text is simple and easy to follow, making it easy to form a workable plan for personal success that will last in the minds of your clientele.

Most of us that are in the sales arena simply forget, if not ignore, the basic principles of our business. This book is built as an instruction manual, of sorts, providing both direct and indirect techniques, that, when used together, sets the reader/user apart from the competition by creating lasting recognition, or "branding" as Mr. H