Book Description

Like other aspects of business, good advertising is the result of hard work and careful planning.Creating good advertising is an enormous challenge. Imaginative and refreshingly honest, Advertising 3e continues the tradition of providing readers with a solid understanding of advertising strategy. The table of contents is designed to follow the same process that advertising agencies follow. ... Read more

Book Description

Step-by-step guide to creating compelling, memorable presentations

A chart that once took ten hours to prepare can now be produced by anyone with ten minutes and a computer keyboard. What hasn't changed, however, are the basics behind creating a powerful visual - what to say, why to say it, and how to say it for the most impact. In Say It With Charts, Fourth Edition --the latest, cutting-edge edition of his best-selling presentation guide -- Gene Zelazny reveals time-tested tips for preparing effective presentations. Then, this presentation guru shows you how to combine those tips with today's hottest technologies for sharper, stronger visuals. Look to this comprehensive presentation encyclopedia for information on:

* How to prepare different types of charts -- pie, bar, column, line, or dot -- and when to use each
* Lettering size, color choice, appropriate chart types, and more
* Techniques for producing dramatic eVisuals using animation, scanned images, sound, video, and links to pertinent websites ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Good Little Book With Many Useful Ideas.
If you're interested in getting ideas on how to present ideas graphically, this is a good little book. As many other reviewers have pointed out, several of the articles were prepared by graphic designers (some by hand in fact) and not computer graphics packages. If you're looking for suggestions on how to present ideas graphically, this is perfectly fine,... even useful. However, if you're looking for information on how to prepare graphics using Excel, you're out of luck (however, there are dozens of other books that can help you). That's just not what this books is about. Instead, the book gives you several suggestions for expressing the relationship between various activities (flow charts, diagrams, etc) illustrating performance timelines (bar graphs, area graphs, etc), and other information. However, where this book really shines, is in showing you how to incorporate various illustrations into your graphics to make them truly unique and informative. The benefit of this book is in teaching you how to conceptialize and develop unique graphics -- not in telling you how to produce generic off-the-shelf graphics. I'd recommend this book, along with "Information Graphics" by Harris and "Digital Diagrams" by Bounford, to anyone interested in learning more about charts. Overall Grade: B+/A-

Great ideas
This book is a good arsenal to every executive who need to communicate in the form of charts. It opens up the minds to possibilities beyond cut and paste from Excel.

However I do agree with one of the reviewer that most of the charts in the books are drawn by graphic designers. This mean that although we can learn the most appropriate chart to use from the book, the is no way of making those charts with our basic computer software.

The message in the book is clear; great charts are more of science than arts.

helpful - nothing more need be said
Full disclosure - I used to work at IBM and as an entry level consultant with an MBA there the first thing you are is the .ppt whipping post. That being said, the IBM training program covers many of the concepts from this book. Why?? Simple, they work. Is it the be all and end all? No. The only thing that can help you assemble good content is practice, practice, practice - with a healthy dose of constructive criticism from someone that knows what they are talking about. I just got through a days worth of presentations last Friday to one of the most senior technology people at a major government agency. All I can say is that I really, really, really wish that the people presenting before and after me had taken 5 mintues to review this book before getting in front of that crowd - it would have prevented some spectacular flamouts.

Dissapointing
They have better charts in Excel templates.

Good for reference
I have to agree with one reviewer that the presentation of the information throughout some of "Say it with Charts" was a little childish. However, I found the reference pages to be quite valuable for helping you think outside the box of the types of charts and graphics that you put together to represent the message. ... Read more

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 ... Read more

Reviews (19)

The Greatest Business Book Ever Written
What Clients Love is a timeless book that enlightens the reader through short lessons, personal and professional. Not only do the teachings apply to business, they can be carried over into your life outside of work as well. Businesses are built and strengthened through partnerships and good relations, so are close families and friends. This book works to bridge the gaps that most companies will overlook (such as boring job titles that send the wrong message) and Beckwith does it in a clear and concise manner. Buy this book! I wish I had more time to extoll the book, but I don't. Whether you are in a Fortune 500 company or a hermit with no interest in the outside world, you need this 278 page gospel! Also, if you get a chance to meet Harry Beckwith, ask him about his wonderful son Harry IV.

Worth ten time the selling price!!!!
This book is short, sweet, to the point, and reads like a daily devotional book. I plan on using at for discussion groups at work to get non-marketers to understand how to make customers happy. The book is written in a clear, concise, but extraordinarily interesting manner than lends itself to discussion and implementation. Each section contains at least one example of each point - and this is stuff you are going to remember. Many books in this market are pure fluff - you can't remember a darn thing they said two hours after you put the book down. Not so with "What Clients Love."

Highly recommend for those whose business depends on developing business and keeping customers happy. Whether selling hardcore tangible products or professional services, this book should be on your required reading list. Truly transformational.

Not Useful
After reading 10 pages I quickly learned that this book is useless in helping me and my company develop customer service.

In one example, Beckwith insults the reader's intelligence by suggesting that you answer "Swamped!" when someone approaches you and askes how you are if you suspect that they are going to ask you to do a task that you don't want to do.

Don't waste your money on this book.

Another Excellent Book by Mr. Beckwith.
This is another incredible contribution to the literature on marketing of service-oriented companies. Beckwith provides anecdotal accounts of what marketing techniques work; for instance, he talks about how he has helped to name certain companies that are descriptive, are memorable, and are not full of cliches. His account of Nike's rise to fame through the use of celebrity characters is also an intriguing account of the need for someone we can trust to help share our services. Beckwith's main point is that services are not like products. With services, we have to develop trust and believe in the person. Beckwith provides the techniques--such as providing some slightly negative, but truthful, information about yourself that will help to gather integrity. People like someone who has integrity and is believable.

Another very important principle of Beckwith's is that when you are selling a service, you are really building a relationship with your clients. If you appear to be focused on money or work in a truly impersonal basis, the clients will notice. There is a lot of psychology in this book. Almost every page is about "feelings" of one sort or another, which is necessary because people do not follow rigid rules of conduct. Instead, people often make decissions on irrational feelings, which, if one reads Harry Beckwith's book, they will be ready. And they will deliver exceptional services.

-- Michael Gordon

Reset
This book is the "reset" button that needed to to be said. People may argue that this book is common sense but in the decade of unrealistic expectations and unprecedented white collar low's getting back to the basics is very timely. For beginner's this book is a gold mine for superstars, this book is a reminder of all the things that we sometimes forget as success blinds us. Quit judging and start reading. The entertainment value alone will ensure that you are glad that you did. ... Read more

Book Description

Basic Marketing is the market leading principles text domestically.Basic Marketing offers a very thorough integration of the latest marketing themes, topics, and examples woven throughout the body of the text.This integration of themes, topics, and examples is carefully blended with the text’s traditional strengths of clear, accessible communication, a focus on management decision-making in marketing, and completely integrated coverage of special topics such as technology, ethics, international perspectives, relationship marketing, and services. This is the first book to develop and present the 4 P’s framework when describing the components of the marketing mix (Product, Price, Place, Promotion).Where most principles of marketing texts have separate supplement authors, Bill Perreault is the creator of every item in the package.This unique involvement ensures quality, accuracy, and reliability.ity. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

BE CAREFUL WHEN ORDERING THIS BOOK
There are various editions of this book being listed under the same ISBN.Make sure to contact the seller of the book if you buy it used to make sure the ISBN of their copy is the same as the one you are looking for!I had to order this book 2 times to get the right book!Sellers should list the ISBN of the BOOK (not the CD or whatever is included) so that buyers of this text know which one they are getting!

Good marketing book
This book was very easy to follow.

Horrible to read
This book is horrid to read, the chapters drag on and there simply too much information crammed into one chapter. Its hard to differentiate the points in the chapters, and many of the important points are not emphasized.

well duh
You know this book could have been nothing more than a glossary of definitions, a few summarys and outlines of the 4 this or 8 thats and it would have been much more interesting.The material in here is so basic and simple that I do the reading and don't feel that I have actually learned anything that wasn't fairly obvious to begin with.The examples are relevent if you happen to be a really slow learner and need 3 page explainations of 2 sentence definitions.

Comprehensive Book for Principles of Marketing Course
This is a fairly comprehensive fundamentals of marketing book.It is laid out well.It begins with an elementary explanation of the marketing discipline and its relationship to society.This is followed by anexplanation of the ingredients in marketing strategy planning.Followingthis section, the author addresses the external factors that affectmarketing decisions.This is followed by a discussion of demographic andbehavioral deminisons of the customer.Then, the author catergoriesdifferent type of customers.The next chapter presents an elementaryreview of marketing research.The most of the remainder of the textfocuses on the 4 Ps--Product, Place, Promotion, and Price.This isprobably the strongest part of the text.Throughout the text the authorincorporates global and ethical issues that relate to the subject matter ofeach chapter.This is an excellent text for a principles or fundamentalsof marketing course. ... Read more

Book Description

The bible of the field. Easy-to-read and user-friendly, this book provides examples and applications that illustrate the major decisions hospitality marketing managers face in their efforts to balance objectives and resources against needs and opportunities in today's global marketplace. Real-world in focus, it reflects the authors' rich combination of both academic and international consulting experience in the hospitality and travel industries. An abundance of real-world examples and cases and experiential and internet exercises give readers extraordinary insight into marketing situations actually encountered on the job.Service Characteristics of Hospitality and Tourism Marketing. The Role of Marketing in Strategic Planning. The Marketing Environment.Marketing Information Systems And Marketing Research. Consumer Markets and Consumer Buying Behavior. Organizational Buyer Behavior of Group Market. Market Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning. Designing and Managing Products. Internal Marketing. Building Customer Satisfaction through Quality. Pricing Products: Pricing Considerations, Approaches, and Strategy. Distribution Channels. Promoting Products: Communication and Promotion Policy. Promoting Products: Public Relations and Sales Promotion. Electronic Marketing: Internet Marketing, Database Marketing and Direct Marketing. Professional Sales. Destination Marketing.For Marketing Managers in any aspect of the hospitality and tourism industry. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

wow!
The layout and format of this book was very easy to follow!

Great for Marketing Beginners
Kotler's Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism helps marketing beginners and people that are getting into the hospitality business. It demonstrates basic knowledge that can be applied to the business, great tool for working!

Excellent for students worldwide
As a lecturer in South Africa I found the inclusion of so many examples from MacDonalds and other international franchises useful to explain the examples to the class. As usual anything the Kotler writes is easy to put across to my students entering the hospitality industry. Well done!

Like any other book from Kotler; outstanding and clear!
Many of you who have already read more from Kotler, will understand what I mean. Kotler is giving in his edition for hospitality Marketing very clear and realitic points of view, usefull for both starting and advanced marketing managers. A must to read, for all those who want to stay ahead of their competition! ... Read more

Book Description

This classic book introduces advertising as both an art and science while providing readers with a broad discussion of advertising issues and functions. Covering the entire field of advertising with special emphasis in IMC and new technologies, the book places advertising within a contemporary, integrated marketing framework to demonstrate how advertising must be coordinated with all other aspects of marketing communications.Chapter topics look at the background of today's advertising; roles of advertising; target marketing; the advertiser's marketing/advertising operation; basic media strategy; using television, radio, newspapers, and magazines; out-of-home advertising; direct-response and internet advertising; sales promotion; research in advertising; creating the copy; the total concept: words & visuals; print production; the television commercial; the radio commercial; trademarks and packaging; the complete campaign; retail advertising; international advertising; legal and other restraints on advertising; and economics and social effects of advertising.For individuals interested in the fields of advertising, communications, journalism, and marketing. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

All-in one, explains the whole enchilada. Great for students
Kleppner is the one name I think when I'm in a doubt regarding any stage of the advertising procedure. The book is not extremely intensive, but explains in a precise way each stage. It might be too USA oriented, but works fine for international students. Surely a must in every student'slibrary.

Kleppner's Advertising Procedure
Kleppner's Advertising Procedur ... Read more

Book Description

Not since McLuhan's THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE has a book compressed so many ideas into so few pages. Using the visual language of the boardroom, Neumeier presents the first unified theory of branding -- a set of five disciplines to help companies bridge the gap between brand strategy and brand execution. Those with a grasp of branding will be inspired by what they find here, and those who would like to understand it better will suddenly "get it." This deceptively simple book offers everyone in the company access to "the most powerful business tool since the spreadsheet."

"Finally, a book that cuts to the heart of what brand is all about -- connecting the rational and the emotional, the theoretical and the practical, the logical and the magical to create a sustainable competitive advantage. Everyone in the company should read this book, not just the three people with 'brand' in their titles." --Susan Rockrise, Worldwide Creative Director, Intel

"A pleasure to read.THE BRAND GAP consistently provides deep, practical insights in a light, visual way. Discover the power of imagery and the role of research in building a heavy-duty brand -- without the heavy-duty reading." --David Aaker, Author of "Brand Leadership" and "Building Strong Brands"

"Neumeier stands out among brand-savvy professionals. His experience as a designer, writer, and strategist lends realism to his five disciplines of brand-building. Anyone who needs a deeper understanding of the creation, management, and evolution of brands should grab this book with both hands and start reading." --Patrick Fricke, Manager of Print and New Media Design, Kodak

"This is not just another book on brand. This is the only book you'll need to read in business, engineering, and design school." --Clement Mok, Design enterprenuer/President of AIGA

"THE BRAND GAP is an original. It describes the full range of creative interdependencies that need to be managed in concert, but in a language so plain, crisp, and simple that you suddenly 'see' the concept of brand--and can act boldly on it." --Peter Van Naarden, Director of Global Brand for Hewlett-Packard Co.

"THE BRAND GAP couldn't be more timely. Just when we're at our most skeptical about corporate motives, along comes a book that shows how to evaluate and develop a brand in a straightforward and honest manner." --David Stuart, Brand Designer and Co-Founder of The Partners, London

"This is an important work, with just the right level of accessibility. Despite our overexposure to brand theory these days, THE BRAND GAP is the first book that seems fresh and relevant." --Richard Grefe, Executive Director, The American Institute of Graphic Arts

"A well-managed brand is the lifeblood of any successful company--and Neumeier shows us exactly how to do it. Read this book before your competitors do!" --Tom Kelley, General Manager of Ideo/Author of "The Art of Innovation"

Reviews (21)

Brand Gap - A most readable short course
I am completely enamoured with the style and content of Neumeier's new book and am recommending it to all of my clients! Having worked in the flavor and fragrance industry for my entire career I find this to be the perfect vehicle to explain one of the most powerful aspects of flavor and fragrance application in consumer products, packaging, and advertising - multi-dimensional and multi-sensory brand building! Neumeier's treatise is just too short not be read and enjoyed and applied to modern consumer product development and management! Trout and Ries; and now Neumeier to add meaning to it all! YEE haw!

I'll join the club! Wonderful 5-star book!
I came upon The Brand Gap in a hurry through Atlanta Hartsfield on the way to catch a plane to Houston.

I read the entire book on that flight. Virtually every point and approach are applicable to my company (a leading publisher). Most of them will wind up in how we go about branding from now on.

Not since Theodore Levitt's Marketing Imagination turned my head completely around (1983) about what marketing is and does, have I encountered such a clear exposition of what is happening and what to do about it.

Killer book
A good book is one that not only provides an interesting read, but gets you off the dime to DO something. Our company is large (40,000 employees)and we had ahuge gap between business and brand. After reading this book, my team and I re-org'd our company around the "superteam" model of brand building. Now we have cross-deparmental collaboration, plus a stable of small, best of breed external firms to give us some creative horsepower. The left brain's finally connected to the right brain, to quote Neumeier's phrase. We use the book to introduce new hires to the brand concept, then follow up with training on our own brand. This is the book that got us going. I recommend it to anyone who wants to incite change in their organization.

Beyond Trout and Ries
The Brand Gap picks up where Trout and Ries leave off. It gets into areas that traditional marketing and positioning books fear to tread, namely the role of aesthetics in building brands. As a 30-year veteran of Madison Avenue, I've learned the hard way that it doesn't matter how great your strategy is---it's execution PLUS strategy that moves products. Neumeier is one of the first to recognize this simple but elusive truth. It's enough to give one hope for the future of the marketing business. For that matter, for the future of business. Period.

The Brand Gap
For anyone in the business of branding, marketing or advertising, don't waste your money on this one. The book is nothing more than fluff, with no substance or insight. A definite zero. ... Read more

Book Description

``Solution Selling is the most comprehensive sales and sales management process available today. Mike Bosworth has the best understanding of sales process in corporate America.''Jeffrey M. Fisher, Vice President, Symix Computer Systems. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

This book is Your Advantage over other sales executives.
I have been in sales for over 15 years. This book explains in detail what goes on during a sale and offers profound insight to the art of selling complex products. It is true that selling is just a simple name for the complex mental wars that happens between the buyer and the seller. This book helps one strategize his selling and predict customer behaviors. It also helps any sales person to be less emotional because he or she knows what stage is the customer in and can anticipate customer reactions. Great book, must read!

Better Sales Practices
Bosworth sells us all on solution selling. He teaches us how to sell everything from shoes to software. IBM recommends this book as the definitive guide to their sales strategy. Bosworth provides numerous examples, case studies, and most importantly he explains and analyzes each of them. But perhaps the best example of solution selling is the book itself -- it solution-sells the concept of solution selling, from catching our attention, demonstrating that a problem exists, asking us questions, and finally prescribing a solution: solution selling. A must read for anyone in sales or business in general

Good book
I liked SPIN SELLING better as they both covered the same ground with similar approach, but SPIN SELLING seemed better researched and had 4 steps where this had 9. Spin Selling was a better read too.

However, it is entirely possible that had I read this before reading Spin Selling, I would have gained more from this, and hence liked it more.

bit disappointed
I gave this book one star only to indicate that it was not for me, it may well be for people in other fields of selling. I actually work in the timeshare-business and since timeshare is also a "big ticket"-item I thought this could be the right book for me. First of all, let me state that I have read many books on sales and this is by far the most boring one that I have read so far. "Scripts", descriptions of specific sales-calls and so on, I personally don't like that AT ALL. If you find yourself in pretty much the same situation on every call you may find this book could be too versatile for you, it just covers too many different scenarios in order for me to find how it could benefit me. If you wanna find out about how to do a proper intent-statement on the phone etc. or sell stuff to companies, then maybe you should go for it, but a tough, not very inspiring read. And every book on sales should be inspiring. Selling is a creative process, this book is only technical. I really wanted to like it. I just couldn't.

The book to read and the book to keep!
Once you have read it, you would want to share it with others. This is how good Michael Bosworth's book "Solution Selling" is. From clarifying the difference between Features, Advantages and Benefits (which a lot of sales people still mixed up), to complex solution selling process, the book has given losts of good illustration with practical examples. Especially in "3 levels of buyers needs", "10 faces of buyer pain", "Price Negotiation" etc.

The book uses the buyers' prespective to help readers to understand what the buyers think at each stage in their decision process which is a good way to demonstrate his theory behind.

Solution selling is a long and complex process, with the approach and process Bosworth described, it helps a lot in defining the actions and precautions we need to take in day to day solution selling process.

If I can only pick one of the chapters in the book, I must recommend you to read, at least, how Bosworth uses the "9-block vision processing model" to see solution selling in the buyer's viewpoint, steps by steps showing what a solution sales/consultant should react in response to different level of the buyer's pain.

If I have knew/bought this book earlier, I might not need to spend my last few years going through the hard way. It is definitely a book to read and the book to keep ... ... Read more

Book Description

Offering a sound theoretical base supported by relevant and current examples, this practical, detailed, and well-documented guide takes readers through all phases of developing and conducting international marketing research - from analyzing the nature and scope of the research, to the preliminary stages, gathering data, designing the questionnaires, sampling, analyzing the data, and more - plus includes numerous country-specific examples and provides valuable training in using the Internet for research purposes.Presents broad and comprehensive coverage of the most current information on research methodologies available. Contains examples and references from ongoing international marketing research projects, and offers country-specific information to aid researchers in conducting studies in an international market. Shows how to use the internet as an effective resource. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Decent overview of international marketing research
I used this book in a class I took on International Marketing Research. It offered a decent overview of international marketing research concepts, but also was fairly dry in parts. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the only book available today that provides a very readable, step-by-step guide for managing an incoming call center. The book combines theory with practical advice and is filled with over 100 charts and graphs, several case studies and an extensive glossary and index. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Book for all business people
This book is for everyone in the business world, not only for call center managers. All organizations of all sizes are closing the gap between businesses and customers. And the main customer contact point, call center, is coming into a spotlight as the centerpiece of businesses. This book introduces readers to call center management practices, the good and the bad. It also point out the factors that are changing call centers, their functions and people who work in them. Its insight into some of the technology changes help readers grasp their importance in the context of everyday operation. Fast reading.

An excellent overview in Call Center Management
I love this book, it provides an excellent overview on a myriad of call center topics, including staffing, forecasting, metric assessment and performance review. It definitely proved to validate some of the observations and concerns that I had regarding my own call center.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a reference on call center management, or any person new to the field of call center management. The book is very well formatted to be used as a stand alone reference or a cover to cover read, each chapter is very thorough in explanation without going into excruciating detail or debate.

This book will help you do your job better!

Wow! So This is How Call Centers Work!
I've generally been an IT Director and Project Manager, so I read this book to get a better idea of my customers' needs. I was pretty excited to discover that there's at least one good summary of what call centers do and how they do it. For my own sake--and perhaps yours--here's my summary of Brad and Julia's summary:

1. Incoming call center management is the art of having the right number of skilled people and supporting resources in place at the right times to handle an accurately forecasted workload, at service level and with quality.

2. Though average call load may be predictable, calls arrive randomly--which means that they often bunch up.

3. A service level is defined as "X percent of calls answered in Y seconds", not as "X percent answered" or "Average Speed of Answer". (The ASA is skewed by the bad times when calls bunch up.) Abandonment rates matter, too, but fixing abandonment problems usually means fixing service levels.

4. Service level and quality don't conflict. If you try to fix service level with poor quality, it comes back to bite you with more calls and demoralized reps.

5. A good forecasted call load--including talk time, after-call work, and volume--is critical for budgeting people and circuits. Often, a good forecast should predict load by the half hour, using previous data, knowledge of upcoming plans, and good judgment.

6. To determine staffing needs, use a variation of the Erlang C formula. Its input is the number of reps, number of callers forecasted, and the time to serve each caller; its output is a prediction of waiting time. (Even better, add an input for response time, and you'll get the percentage who'll wait longer than that!) If agents have different skills, you'll need forecasts and calculations for each set of agents.

7. More staff, less waiting, fewer phone lines for people on hold. Less staff, more waiting, more phone lines. Formulas exist for phone lines, too.

8. Not everyone scheduled is always working on customer service. Schedule accordingly. Be clever about work schedules to get the right number working at the right time. Service level results tell you whether you got it right.

9. If you have too few reps on duty, queues get long (service level goes down), more circuits are needed, and customers get frustrated, sometimes abandoning the call. If you have too many reps on duty, you spend too much paying for them to wait.

10. Give senior managers good reports, but make sure they understand the points above.

11. Monitor the number of calls in the queue and the longest current wait. Service level and other metrics tell more about the past than the present. Be ready with plans for unexpected load (reassigning, rerouting, delay announcements, busy signals).

12. There are lots of tools and graphs to measure aspects of quality. Use them to identify root causes, not beat your employees. Reps should adhere to schedules, and do good work. Use monitoring capabilities to coach. Measuring based on "calls per hour" is unreliable, and invites cheating.

13. Customers are getting more demanding, automated systems are taking the easy calls, so reps have to be better trained and more skilled.

14. Create a good environment that uses technology well.

The book was written in 1997, and I don't know whether it's been updated. The authors have some commentary about email-based, web-based, and CTI-based systems, but the next edition might want to say more about the similarities and differences between those and the traditional call center.

Overall, I'm happy to understand more about the math and science behind this discipline. As another reviewer commented, it's clear that IT Help Desks have something to learn from the Call Center experience.

Call Center Management ~On Fast Forward
We were in the process of re-organizing our call center and based on the excellent reviews that I read, I choose this book. Well, the reviews were right. This book is excellent. It is very well written and explains all aspects of organizing and analyzing a Call Center. We have ordered a total of 6 copies and they are being utilized by the V.P. of Operations, Operations Manager, IT dept, and the Customer Service Dept.

Comprehensive handbook for management
The perfect book for the people that are managing the call centers. Especially when call center is just a part of your responsibility and you need a comprehensive and ehhaustive in-depth description of call center activities. Great book. Good for both excecutives to understand what the call center managers are doing (even in terms of languages they speak, very usefull, if you are not able to undestand sometimes the cc managers you need the book) and call centers managers in order to understand how to present their work to the executives. ... Read more

Book Description

Do you dream of opening up your own retail business, but don’t know how to get started? In Retail Business Kit For Dummies, retail marketing guru Rick Segel gives you the expert advice you need to get your business on its feet, with unbeatable advice on branding, marketing, and merchandising. You’ll figure out how to start and run your business, including day-to-day operations and procedures as well as all the little details retail professional handle on a daily basis.

If you’ve ever wanted to make your living interacting with customers and being your own boss, this book offers all the inside advice you need to get going. In fact, this book is perfect for anyone:

• Who wants to be her own boss
• Considering a career in retailing
• Who loves working with people
• Thinking about opening their own business
• Who loves to sell

Retail Business Kit For Dummies covers all the nuts and bolts of setting up shop — finding the perfect location, choosing and purchasing merchandise, and hiring employees. You’ll also discover how to write a business plan and deal with paperwork like taxes, permits, registrations, and other requirements. There’s also great advice on the art of selling and the fundamentals of promotion and advertising. You’ll also benefit from such practical advice like the ten keys to retailing success and ten ways to impress customers. And there’s much more:

• Branding your business
• Identifying and targeting your ideal customer
• Developing a marketing plan
• Pricing your merchandise
• Fulfilling legal and financial responsibilities
• Getting the word out
• Choosing the right media to advertise in
• Setting up and running a sale
• Fundamentals of accounting and financial statements

The book also includes a helpful CD-ROM packed with sample financial reports, customizable legal and business forms, checklists, and tools for building your own coupons, gift certificates, and much more. Whether you’re thinking about starting a business or need help running the business you already own, Retail Business Kit For Dummies is the fun and easy guide to big profits. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great for basics, too general for experienced marketers
I should preface this review by saying that I am probably not the typical reader the author had in mind when writing this book. As a marketing consultant, I was recently was engaged to develop retail feasibility study and project plan for an Internet retailer planning their first bricks and mortar store. Although I have retail marketing experience, I bought this book to make sure that I had all bases covered and to get some fresh ideas on visual merchandising, retail POS systems and operations for small retailers.

This book is a great tool for a would-be entrepreneur thinking about starting their first retail business. It covers all the basics needed to plan, set up and manage a retail business, from writing the business plan to making the business a reality. The author makes good use of case studies which illustrate some of the retail successes and failures that he has observed. Another feature I found particularly useful are the tips on all aspects of retailing that could take years of trial and error to learn on your own. Last but not least the CD contains a wealth of useful forms and checklists.

Some areas that I would like to see developed in future editions are:

• Visual merchandising and store layout - more on principles and examples of floor plans
• Software suggestions - small business retail POS systems, planogram and merchandising design software
• Sample budgets and project plans
• Links to online sources of information - where to find designers, software, sales staff etc

To summarize, an excellent book on retail basics and if Rick Segel writes an "Advanced Retailing for Dummies" book, I will be the first customer.

Great book for retailing entrepreneurs!
I'm a CPA in Redmond, WA with a heavy retail clientale. (I'm also the author of QuickBooks for Dummies and Quicken for Dummies.)

This is a great book for people looking to start successful retail stops. Tons of great ideas. It's also a great book for established retailers looking to improve their profitability.

My one gripe with the book is that the tax advice and information is wrong. But your accountant or attorney can and should provide that information to you.

...P>Steve

Learning to serve customers the RIGHT way
The most interesting parts of this book were the ones about customer service. Generally I HATE shopping, because salespeople are either all over you the minute you walk in the door, or else they ignore you. (I bet everyone has experienced the
you're-inconveniencing-me-while-I-gab-with-my-friend-on-the-phone syndrome!) It makes you want to buy everything from the Internet-hey....

Sorry I'm being so negative, I just feel that too many stores have forgotten that they exist TO SERVE THE CUSTOMER! Okay, I've vented and I feel better now! My point is that Retail Business Kit For Dummies HASN'T forgotten that. The author (Rick Segel) is adamant that retailers should wow their customers and be appreciative of them. I especially like the chapter on soft suggestive selling-no, it has nothing to do with sex, it's all about offering hassle-free, non-pushy service.

In closing, I think every store owner and manager should read this book. It would make the retail world a much more pleasant place for customers-which would, in turn, make the stores more profitable. Obviously, that's the bottom line.

Everything You Need to Know About Retail Businesses
Hi, Amazon.com shoppers. I would like to say a few words about Retail Business Kit For Dummies. I work in the retail industry, and I was drawn to this book because I heard Rick Segel speak several years ago. He was so funny and inspirational, and I really enjoyed his presentation, unlike some speeches I've heard that put me to sleep. So, I was curious about this book. Let me say that I was not disappointed. I felt that Rick's personality really came across, which made the material very fun to read. (IMHO, it doesn't matter how valuable the information is if it's written in a dry and boring style.) I think the little anecdotes and true stories that he scatters throughout are a great way to illustrate the points he makes. For example, I really liked a story he told about a jewelry store owner who sent out a very elaborate (read, expensive!) invitation to a private sale to his best 78 customers. Almost 50 of them came to the event and spent money, results that totally blew away the response he had gotten to the thousands of cheap postcards he sent out in past promotions. The moral? It pays to focus on your very best customers, even if you have to spend a little more.
Basically, I learned a lot of tips and tricks of the trade that I can share with my colleagues. What a great book! To anyone who's reading this review, check it out! It gives you a ton of great insights you'll appreciate.
Thanks for listening (well, reading!) and have a great day!

This book is priceless!
I loved this book! Actually, I've read several of the Dummies books and liked them all; they really do put complex information in "plain English." Retail Business Kit For Dummies is no exception. After reading it I feel that I could run right out and open up a successful store! I'm not ready to quit my day job just yet. But someday . . . ! ... Read more

Book Description

This marketing classic has been expanded to include new commentary, new illustrations, and a bonus book: The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding

Smart and accessible, The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding is the definitive text on branding, pairing anecdotes about some of the best brands in the world, like Rolex, Volvo, and Heineken, with the signature savvy of marketing gurus Al and Laura Ries. Combining The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding and The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding, this book proclaims that the only way to stand out in today's marketplace is to build your product or service into a brand -- and provides the step-by-step instructions you need to do so.

The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding also tackles one of the most challenging marketing problems today: branding on the Web. The Rieses divulge the controversial and counterintuitive strategies and secrets that both small and large companies have used to establish internet brands. The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding is the essential primer on building a category-dominating, world-class brand.

Reviews (46)

To focus and place a word in the prospect mind!
I have read a few books written by Ries and there are two ideas that are emphasized again and again, that is, to focus and to place a word in the prospect mind. This book is no exception. The laws of branding built in this book are based on these two concepts.

"Marketing is building a brand in the mind of the prospect". I totally agree. People are exposed to an over-communicated environment, to place a word in the prospect mind can surely lead your company to success. In fact, in customers' mind, there is no difference between your products and your competitors'. Only by building a brand can you differentiate your company from its competitors.

I also agree that brand building is not just for marketing department but for the entire company, as a brand is not only composed of its name but also of its product, service, environment, communication and behavior of the company. Everything a company does is related to brand building. Therefore, apart from the name that includes the logotypes and the color, this book also provides us with a lot of ways to do with the brand. For examples, to focus in its scope, to achieve it with publicity and maintain it with advertising, to promote the category rather than the brand, to distinguish it from the company, to avoid using subbranding etc.

This book is clear in the format and the content, illustrated by plenty of examples of what not to do and lessons on how to brand in the customer's mind! I can get a lot of insights from it.

This book is worth reading! I highly recommend you to read it!

Then 1 Immutable Law of Al Ries
Focus. Don't do a line extension to save your life.

OK, this book is great and should be read by anyone involved in marketing (I mean come on, who doesn't have the 3 hours it takes to read this book). Unfortunately one serious drawback is that he uses plenty of examples to support his claims. Huh? Why is that a negative? Here's why: because it gets the reader to think of plenty of counter-examples that contradict his points. As another reviewer suggested the claim of "immutable" laws of marketing is a bit bold, but what the book does provide is food for thought in a highly readable context.

You gotta give the guy credit though. He takes a stand. And there's a lot to be said for taking a viewpoint and standing by it in today's middle of the road world.

If you don't feel up to reading "Focus," "Positioning," or some of the other texts by Al Ries, this one provides a lot of the insights in bite size pieces.

Despite the knocks against it listed above there are a few points worth acknowledging: 1. Al Ries is a legend in marketing. 2. It's a good, fun read with many useful examples worth keeping in mind when developing marketing strategies. 3. By reading it for yourself you can develop examples to refute a lot fo the laws and move along the path towards critically evaluating branding strategies.

Give credit where credit is due
Nearly everything in this book is copied verbatim from the marketing classic "Positioning, the battle for you mind" by Jack Trout; Give credit where it's actually due.

"Yeah, right," I said
I do a little consulting in marketing & branding. I've got five other books on branding sitting on the shelf, & I've plowed through four.

I wouldn't say those other books were a waste of time, but I'm confident that this one has more immediately useful information than all of them taken together. And I'm stunned that it as easy read, not only informative but *fun*.

This edition is the one you want, as it combines the 22 laws with the other 11 that pertain very specifically to the Internet. By the time you get through the first few, you will find yourself looking at every brand -- on television, in the stores, on your own shelves -- in a whole new light. One of the prime models, coincidentally enough, is Amazon.com itself. The authors' comments on this very site will probably open your eyes to how remarkable the Bezos legacy has been.

I've barely finished, yet this book has already helped steer me better as to some website questions I had been studying. It's already paid for itself ten times over, & I am certain that the benefits have only begun. The simple, clear differentiation between a company name & a brand name has, by itself, been a unique lesson, & I've taken to heart the stern warnings (& wonderfully absurd object lessons) against line extensions & brand dilution.

Don't let the somewhat bizarre cover put you off (as it did me). This is one of the few books that I intend to re-read on a regular basis, & I will read more Reis titles in the near future.

YOU'LL BE "INVOLVED" WITH THIS LITTLE RIES CAMEO
I write reviews on Amazon rather avidly. When I started reading this particular book, I knew it would be a good number to review. So I started marking everything in the book that I disagreed with or that I felt was worth commenting on.

That the Ries duo relies on sweeping statements (e.g., "Quality of a product doesn't matter. It's all about brands.") hardly made my intentions any easier. Needless to say, my copy of 22 Immutable Laws of Branding is riddled with lots of ink and copious sidenotes. There is a lot I said "Really?" to while reading.

But maybe that's the thing I adore about Ries Inc. Their books are anything but boring manuals on a topical issue so relevant to almost anyone in business. I was "involved" with this book like I have seldom been with a work of non-fiction. I adored and went all retrospective with the "Law of the Name" and the "Law of Globalism". The writing is trippy, semi-provocative and hence absolutely delectable in a piece of work such as this!

Do I recommend it? Wholeheartedly. A wonderfully satisfying read. Just keep your discerning senses about you and think twice before wrapping your (brand management) career around all the advice this book proffers.

Noteworthy: The whole book is also available in a PDF version, if you are not particularly averse to on-screen reading. ... Read more

Book Description

For advanced undergraduate and MBA courses in Supply Chain Management. This book brings together the strategic role of the supply chain, key strategic drivers of supply chain performance, and the tools and techniques for supply chain analysis. Every chapter gives suggestions that managers can use in practice and all methodologies are illustrated with an application in Excel.Fully updated material keeps the book on the forefront of supply chain management.Distribution networks (Chapter 4); Sourcing (Chapter 13), discusses different sourcing activities including supplier assessment, supplier contracts, design collaboration, and procurement; Price and revenue management (Chapter 15); Early coverage of designing the supply chain network—after developing a strategic framework, readers can discuss supply chain network design in Chapters 5 and 6 and then move on to demand, supply, inventory, and transportation planning; Information Technology in the Supply Chain (Chapter 17).For business professionals managing the supply chain. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good reference material for practitioners
I found this book to be a great source of reference for managers. It is not really a good teaching source, as I thought it already starts with a fair amount of assumed previous knowledge and jargon.

The sections that are most well developed are the ones on inventory management and transportation logistics, where I found examples that were directly applicable to situations I encountered in a retail environment. The portion on forecasting was not as useful, and the part on e-business seemed somewhat contrived. Overall, this is the best reference I have found that does not require a heavy amount of mathematical familiarity.

Excellent book overall but...
I refered and used this book in 2 grad level courses. The first was a business school course on SCM (with an above average quantitative focus for a B-school course) and again for a fully quatitative SC Engineering course. While I was initially very impressed with the book, using this over 2 semesters has raised a few gripes.

For the qualitative issues on SCM {make no mistake, these 'fluff' aspects are very important} there is no other equal. Chopra and Meindl do an outstanding and comprehensive job. They also bring out the importance of using scientific, quantitative techniques for SCM. This however is where my gripes start.

Having brought out the importance of quantitative tools for use in SCM, they do only a moderate job on explaining these tools. For example, the chapter on forecasting (only the most simple and commonly used models are explained) is unnnecessarily complex and confusing. The topics covered are adequete but need revision. Treatment of inventory management also could be more detailed and better explained.

This is an excellent book but for more comprehensive learning (if you want an understanding of the quantitative aspects too), I think this book needs supplementing (say with course notes) or another book like "Modeling the Supply Chain" by Shapiro.

Peter Meindl - The Godfather of modern supply chain mgt
Written by one of the leading minds in the field, Peter Meindl of I2 technologies has a lot to teach. This is an excellent text and as a fellow Dallas/Ft. Worth resident, I would enjoy meeting him. If you are an MBA student with a concentration in Operations Management, this text should be required.

Meindl, a management team member of I2, has helped develop I2 into the undisputed champion in enterprise software. While SAP may have the market share with their archaic DOS based application, I2 has windows functionality and everything that matters. They have raised the bar with their supply chain knowledge, leading solutions, and collaborative knowledge in supply chain strategy. This text will give you a big step forward in becoming a Supply Chain leader.

CLEAR AND CONCISE TEXT WITH GOOD CASES
Although this book is written more for MBA students, the flow and texture of this book should be well-received by those who are not at post-graduate level. For practising managers, like me, I find a great deal of my knowledge gap is filled when reading this book. As the first reviewer mentioned, this book complements a rudimentary text and a more detailed one available in the market, perhaps I may add that it also compliments well with a latest supply chain textbook "Modeling The Supply Chain" which also pairs well with Chopra and Meindl's book because the former offers quite a good spectrum of case studies that supports the text. Some of the numerical exercises seem to come from live cases, too, which led me to appreciate that exercises built in this text are not neccessarily academic ones. I strongly recommend this to international practitioners and students alike since the cases that flow along with the textbook are of international genre.

Tactical approach for Supply Chain
While Handfield and Nichols book may be over-introductory, the better analytical book must be "Designing and Managing the Supply Chain" by Simchi-Levi (1999). Some researchers want more mathematics might jump to "Logic of Logistics" by Simchi-Levi directly. To fill the gap of those 3 books (Handfield vs. Simchi-Levi (SCM) vs. Simchi-Levi (Logic of Logistics), Chopra and Meindl compile almost every issues in Supply Chain Management (SCM) that you can find in publications in this single book. This book is the best compromise between tactics and strategics. Cases and analysis are presented with respect to the topic of each chapter. Only high school mathematics are more than enough to understand the analytical tools they proposed. Readers may opt for this book either the first book in SCM or supplementary book for your further research/study. Chopra and Medindl book is a good support to your "Design and Managing SCM" by Simchi-Levi and I think it can be substituted if you need only one book. Good for both practitioners and educators. ... Read more

Book Description

The book that launched over 3,000,000 careers worldwide! No longer a well-kept secret, Tom’s mega-hit book is placed within arm’s reach on every top producer’s desk. It’s considered the world’s best reference guide and has been used for more than 17 years in every sales profession. Even if you’ve been selling for years, you’ll find page after page of valuable information guaranteed to help you serve more clients while boosting your bank account.

Millions agree, this is the guide to base your career on! It’s hard-hitting, down-to-earth and entertaining....you’ll read it again and again as you map out your own road to success.

Tips and techniques show you how easy it is to:

Earn a six figure income

Create a sales climate where nearly everyone will say YES!

Dazzle your prospects from the first handshake

Change negatives into positives

Sink your teeth into success ... Read more

Reviews (44)

This is a must-read book for all sales professionals.
How to Master the Art of Selling is a book that must be read by anyone planning on entering the sales profession, and everyone currently in sales. No matter how good a salesperson you believe yourself to be, your sales skills can be sharpened by the information contained within the pages of this book. Tom Hopkins has been a master salesperson for many years. He has taken the time to compile all of his proven sales techniques and list them in an easy to follow format. Since I read this book, my sales have increased dramatically. Even though I have read this book from cover to cover many times, something new is gained every time I read it. You don't have to be in sales to benefit from the knowledge that is in this book. What you are selling does not necessarily have to be a product. It could be a point of view or an idea. How would you like to be able to talk someone into or out of something? You will be able to, if you follow the guidelines that are in this book. You will have a better understanding as to what people think about when they make decisions. Mr. Hopkins calls the people who have mastered the techniques in this book "champions". He says, "you know the champions when they walk through the door." If you want to be a champion,

A Good Read!
Copious strategies for becoming a salesmanship champion fill the pages of Tom Hopkins' book. This is a handbook for those who are eager to become sales masters, but are asking themselves, "What do I do next?" "How do I deal with a procrastinating client?" or "How can I effectively present my product?" Hopkins conveys instructions and suggestions through a variety of sales conversations. The author, a master salesman, is obviously enthusiastic about helping others succeed in sales. His strategies, which are based on seminars he teaches, include steps for organizing and writing a successful sales presentation. He also provides strategies for closing sales. The information could be more compact and less repetitive, but it is logical and sometimes even funny. We from getAbstract recommend this book to people involved in all levels and aspects of sales.

Has been the "base" of my sales success for over 20 years!
I am a VERY successful media salesperson and was introduced to this TAPE SERIES right out of college. I had NO clue of how to sell and this tape series gave me the solid foundation upon which to build. After a few years I read "How To Win Friends And Influence People" and after I put both of these works together, it was MAGIC! I am the most successful salesperson in my industry and I constantly have clients "BEGGING" to give me all of their money. The interesting thing is that money is not the reason that I am in sales. However, I have more money than I could possibly spend! And, when I asked a close associate why she thought all of this was happening, she and I sat down and figured it out. The answer was that the principles of both of these works have become such a part of me that I hadn't realized how Effective, Unique and Valuable they were. At one point I said to her, "Doesn't everybody treat their clients this way" and she said- THAT'S IT! You really DON'T get it! That's why you're SO GOOD! It's not an act. You're sincere and the fact that you actually care about them really comes through and sets you apart so much!
Enough said.

A classic - The masterpiece in professional selling
How To Master The Art of Selling is actally much more than just a classic and even more than a masterpiece. It is the bible of selling.Tom Hopkins took what he learned from J. Douglas Edwards, refined it and shows you literally how to master the art of selling.Before reading this great book by Hopkins, I was just an average salesman trudglying around. The methods and technqiques described b Hopkins herein transformed me.How To Master The Art of Selling changed forever my ability to sell and also my belief in the profesion of selling.

Classic
I notice a lot of negative reviews by people who aren't worthy to shine Tom's shoes. This book made the careers of many sales professionals, and deserves to be treated with respect. I went through several copies in the early 80's, replete with underlining. Of course there has been progress in selling since them! Does that mean that we need to diss those who have contributed to the advancement of this profession?

As far as substance, Tom explains each of the stages of salesmanship in simple, but not simplistic, terms. It is as good an introduction to the field as any you are likely to find. It is up there with Zig's best. And, I might add, Zig and Tom would pay homage to Frank Bettger, Elmer Wheeler and other pioneers who blazed the trail. ... Read more

Book Description

This book contains all the tactics you need to get appointments with impossible-to-reach top decision-makers. They in fact are the Very Important Top Officers (VITOs), the people with the ultimate veto power who hold the key to bigger commission checks, every sales award you could possibly win, and VITO to VITO referrals that you can take to the bank!

You'll quickly learn how to:
Get into new accounts at the top
Keep out of time-consuming log-jams-and into VITO's office
Promote loyalty at the top with existing customers and capture add-on business
Increase the size of every sale

Selling To VITO offers innovative new ideas and street-smart tactics for reaching the very top person in any organization. It's based on the seminars that have helped thousands of sales professionals from top corporations like Canon, 3M, Hewlett-Packard, and MCI bust quotas and increase commissions. It can help you, too, by getting you to the right person so you can do what you do best: SELL!

Anthony Parinello is without question the country's foremost expert on getting appointments with, and selling to, top decision makers. This book is the product of his twenty-three years of award-winning sales performance. ... Read more

Reviews (40)

One of the Most Important Books to be Written on Selling
I picked up Tony's book 6 years ago ... it's made me a TON of money. To be sure, it delivers on its promise to help you get in front of VITOs ... but I've adapted his approaches to be used as a silver bullet throughout organizations ... and throughout sales cycles.

It's NOT for the squeamish. And the earlier reviewer is absolutely correct in that you need to (as best you can) determine what kind of ROI your past customers have gotten from your solution.

However, I can tell you from experience, that a quantified ROI figure is NOT always necessary to get VITO's attention. My company produces company meetings -- such services have a more QUALITATIVE ROI. However, when I call up a VITO and tell him/her, "I just produced a national sales meeting for your biggest competitor -- and we had the entire place cheering and high fiving -- their CEO told me it was the most exciting meeting in the history of their company", THAT accomplishes the same thing.

Good selling, all ...

Outstanding approach tor low-volume, targeted marketing.
Selling To VITO is definately a must read for anyone who sells high-dollar products or services in low volume. It would be terribly hard, however, to make a good living using Parinello's process if you are required to close large numbers of sales to hit quota. (Because the work that goes into pulling this off is immense.)

The success of Parinello's process is rooted in four key features:

1. Social Proof: If other, well-known companies used you, then you must be great.
 
2. Authority: One of VITO's peers will supply testimonials of success on your behalf.
 
3. Process: Develop a linear process to ensure objectives are preplanned and met.
 
4. Consistency: Keep a consistent message that focuses on results and makes you stand out as unique among the many salespeople attempting to get in.

(For information on social proof and authority, see INFLUENCE, Science And Practice, by Robert B. Cialdini, Ph.D.)

I must admit that I was unable -- perhaps unwilling is more accurate -- to make the follow-up phone call and voice-mail processes work, because, while I'm passionate about what I sell, faking perkiness simply d