Book Description

You don't have to have the biggest name or the most dazzling graphics to lure customers to your Web site. These days, all you really need is prominent search-engine placement. This book shows you how to get it! With searching one of the most popular Internet activities, a top spot on a major search engine virtually ensures a high volume of visitors--though converting them to buyers is another story. In these pages, top Internet marketer and strategist Catherine Seda tackles both parts of that equation. First, she outlines the strategy involved in buying the specific keyword positions that will lead users directly to the page you want. Then, she describes how you can turn poor-performing ad copy into targeted sales-getters, and how you can evaluate and correct low visitor-to-buyer conversions. Beginning marketers will find the info they need to implement a Web strategy quickly, while advanced marketers will find all kinds of tips for analyzing and improving current results.

Reviews (8)

Catherine Covers It All!
This book does it. Whether it is me needing a refresher or if I am trying to make marketing partners "get it", Catherine covers it all. I can hand this book to a marketing director or VP and they can read it and understand what I have preached for some time. Catherine's incredible knowledge of the industry not only brings it home, it brings it to their level of understanding.

Beyond Expectation
Catherine explains beyond my expectation when reading upon her book on the search advertising.
And what I do not hope, it explains in a-step-by-step tutorials. Yes I give her my thumb for her book.

During my giving training and consultation to my clients in the world of SE, sometimes I refer it as well.

Not only that, I also grow my business in Jakarta, and on national basis in Indonesia, using "search campaign" and sponsorship program to attract my clients either in this industry or other industry I have such as www.presentationsupport.com.

Yes search engines create other way and yet cost effective promotion with quick ROI.

Magnificent companion to "Search Engine Visibility"
Catherine Seda's excellent book "Search Engine Advertising" is the perfect complement to Shari Thurow's "Search Engine Visibility" from which includes an excerpt toward the end. Where Thurow's book, the best one in terms of accomplishing high rankins in 'organic' (read unpaid) search results, Seda's book brings along the whole other side of the equation: that of paid options to accomplish high rankings. In doing so, one of her key points is that Search Engine Advertising doesn't end when the customer arrives at your site (visits), but it really is about conversions (getting the customer to make a purchase, subscribe or whatever your web site's purpose is when s/he arrives to it).

The book is very well structured around six parts:
i) Planning: the key (yet sometimes overlooked) part of the process, to ensure you know who you are targetting and how, before jumping into the paid options.
ii) Paid Placement Programs: she presents the differences (pros and cons) of the most important fixed placement and pay-for-placement programs available.
iii) Paid Inclusion Programs: directories are presented here in all their splendor, along with what you can do to enhance your possibilities before submitting your site, and how to manage a large number of simultaneous submissions. Web site optimization is touched upon briefly at this point, but in no way substituting Thurow's book on the topic: you simply have to have both, if you're serious about Online Marketing at all.

iv) Specialized Search Engines: comparison shopping engines, vertical market search engines and international search engines are discussed in some detail, to get you started with them.
v) Tracking ROI: normally just as overlooked as the planning stage, the tracking of the results of paid advertising campaigns are discussed in extensive detail to ensure that you are able to steer the boat in the right direction if your ROI data shows that you're putting money on the wrong key terms, your copy is not doing what it should to engage customers, or your landing pages are not taking customers where you want them to go once they get to your site.
vi) Protecting profits: topics such as click fraud, trademark infringement and affilate networks are discussed, as things to keep an eye on.

All in all, this is not a book you'd want to sit down and read in one afternoon (nor would you be able to). This is a hands-on book to work through and use as a reference as you're getting your feet wet with this whole other animal that is paid advertising on the Web. It has done a ton for me in the two months I've been applying the concepts contained in it, since it summarizes very well all the options available to you, their pros/cons and how to best take advantage of them, considering your size and budget. I highly recommend it without reserves for eMarketers that have not had too much exposure to paid options, as well as those who have some experience in the area, since it provides a wealth of tips and insights that most people in the field can benefit from.

Disclosure: I received a copy for review from the publisher.

Best Intro To SE Advertising
If you want more traffic read this book. I read it over once, started up some SEA campaigns, and now will re-read it again carefully to see how I can get the most out of those campaigns.

I am a full time SEO, an employee with a multi-national company. I teach SEO at the local college and am the author of a small SEO workbook (seoworkbook.com). I also sell books, eBooks and my own music CD's via the internet, do consulting for small businesses like Bed & Breakfasts and am a broadcaster on an Internet radio station. As you can imagine I spend a lot of time in the search engine world. Until now I have focused on organic search which simply means creating web pages and sites the way search engines are going to find most attractive i.e. keyword rich content, SE friendly design, and optimized tags for engines that use them. Shari Thurow's book, "Search Engine Visibility", also published by New Riders, is the best resource regarding this approach that I have seen.

I read Catherine's book first of all because she has credentials, she has worked in a variety of positions in the SE advertising industry. Then flipping through the table of contents I knew from my own experience that she was covering the basics (and I a big believer in basics) and that she knew who the important players were. I liked what I read because she wrote in an easily understandable, conversational style which I appreciated and enjoyed.

She covered everything thoroughly, beginning with background chapters when necessary. There were a few times when the detail level got a little deep for me but that is because I, like Catherine, am essentially a marketing guy, I appreciate strategy, tactics and logistics but feel more comfortable in the strategy end of the pool.

Like Shari's book, this is definitely another winner from New Riders. I see that New Riders is a division of Peach Pit Press who do the Visual Quick Start books. I have long told my students that the VQS books are the best computer books for beginners on the market - bar none. The quality of all these books is no surprise as I see Pearson Education is the corporation behind them all. I work for an eLearning company so I am familiar with Pearson; they are one of the worlds largest and most respected publishers of text books.

Catherine helps make the industry jargon like "trusted feed", "fixed placement", etc. understandable, and explains how to monitor and track your campaigns and how to manage your conversion rate and return on investment. Her sections regarding landing pages, page design, and site architecture are easy to understand and immediately useful. Very importantly to us entrepreneurs, she also discusses how to deal with potential "click-fraud" and other business issues.

For a person who is venturing forth into the SE advertising world for the first time I can highly recommend this book. I would suggest that you read and do everything in Shari's book first however. Then do the same with Catherine's. Here is a key point: Even if you are ranking well with organic search the advertising option gives you the added benefit of your site being passed on to many other search engines of all kinds because of the business relationships large advertising companies like Overture and Google have with partners and affiliates.

I would say Shari's book represents step one of your search engine marketing plan, and Catherine's represents step two. Hopefully New Riders will soon come out with some form of step three - "How To Convert Visitors To Buyers". As I mentioned above, I currently teach SEO at the local college: because of Catherine's book, and the impressive results I have immediately achieved using her methods, I intend on adding another course on SE advertising later this year. There will also be a proposal on my bosses desk next week recommending SEA campaigns for all our primary products. For large or small companies, even my little B&B clients, advertising on the web is clearly an effective and affordable option. For serious entrepreneurs, the web has matured as a sales and marketing channel to the point where it is a required one.

Good Overview of Search Engine Marketing
Full Disclosure: One the editors sent me this book for review.

Although never flirting with greatness, the content soared above average. The editing style, however, clipped my rising expectations. Like a chicken scratching in the dirt, new ideas would be tossed into the middle of an existing chain of thought. Occasionally ideas would end as fledglings, never fully explored or even transitioned.

That said, I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a solid introduction to marketing a webiste or product on the internet. I learned how keyword analysis works, how to create a marketing campaign, how to monitor a campaign, and how to get more money from a campaign.

Although no topic was covered in depth, the resource section at the end of the book points the reader to industry recognized sources. The book even includes advertising credit with Overture and FindWhat, a great way to get your feet wet.

If you do not mind some leaps, and a little silliness, this book may be a four on your list. The choppy style was too much for me. ... Read more

Book Description

This volume takes a broader approach than Advertising or Promotions surveys and gives readers an integrated learning experience by incorporating Internet exercises and a Building an IMC Campaign project, with free Advertising Plan Pro software in every copy. The volume addresses integrated marketing communications, corporate image and brand management, consumer buyer behavior, business-to-business buyer behavior, promotions opportunity analysis, advertising management, advertising design, both theoretical and executional frameworks, IMC promotional tools and integration tools. For marketing professionals and ad agency account executives.

Book Description

Now in a completely revamped second edition, the authors of Customer Behavior have adapted the content, length, and end-of-chapter materials in the text, producing a new text that is tailored specifically to upper level 4-year programs, or to graduate level programs.Its managerial approach focuses not only on the household consumer but also on the business customer market.This text goes beyond the conventional subject matter of consumer behavior textbooks, focusing not only on the role of customers as buyers, but also on their roles as users and payers. ... Read more

Book Description

Help your employees to excel in dealing with the public with this stimulating, fun-filled collection of customer service training games.Designed not only to teach important skills but also to spark enthusiasm and a high level of involvement in the participants, these games utilize entertaining and instructive techniques such asrole-playing, charades, brainstorming, and debate. As a result of these exercises, employees will learn how to create a rapport with the customer, how to focus on the unique needs of individual customers, how to maintain a positive attitude, and more. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Excellent Reference
Looking for ways to spice up a Customer Service Training Workshop and still get the message across? This book can help. I was able to have my CSR's rolling in the aisles with some of these Training Games. Yet in debriefing, the message was passed across. Whether you are seeking to train the CSR's voice or Telephone Manners you'll find a Training Game to do it.

A perfect help to train customer focus
This book contains many easy-to-deliver games that really help a trainer to keep customer service (and sales) reps focussed on those things that really matter in the various phases of customer contact. Me as a fact-oriented consultant have no problem using the exercises and they help me to initiate discussion without having to "feed" the theory to the participants first. My personal favourite is the Tennis Shoe Alien game which is real fun and gives a different view of things we consider so "easy" and "basic" that we do not pay much attention to them anymore.

Must have for trainer!
This book is absolutely wonderful. It has so many fresh, fun ideas to add impact and value to a training session. I am going to get a lot of use out of it.

Customer service is for everyone!
How can you inspire and rejuvenate your workforce? For supervisors who need to motivate their teams to provide excellent customer service, or for trainers in the workplace, this under-$20 book will be welcome.

As a career counselor, I deal with people who are burned out and depressed by their work situations. By feeding clients manageable exercises that they can take back to work, I can see creativity born of empowerment that can make a difference. Even if/when they decide to change jobs, accomplishment in customer service are those which the new employer will want to hear about.

Addressing the dynamics of employees dealing with both internal and external customers, there are many ten-minute exercises, appropriate for new employee orientation, warm-ups for staff meetings, or launches for all-day training times.

Carlaw and Deming have done a fine job of providing practical hints and easy-to-reproduce hand-outs without overloading the reader with theory.

The big book of customer service training games
This book will add an element of fun and education about customer service to any meeting. The games that the book can be applied to any service industry no matter how big or small. As customer service is an emphasis in my organization, this book provided me with a tool to reinforce every aspect of customer service to the people who are directly providing it. The book is simple to follow and allows for quick and easy activities. The objectives are clear and the activities are fun. I have put together 13 quick games that will be done at staff meetings and can be used with all departments. The big book of customer service training games is not just for new employees but can be revitalizing to all employees (no matter how long they have worked for you!). ... Read more

Book Description

"The Closers," the keystone of Ben Gay III's world-famous series of books, cassette programs, newsletters and seminars is the most powerful book on selling ever written. With over 2,000,000 copies sold since it was first published in 1980, it explains selling the way it really is, not the way some salespeople wish it was. If you have only one book on selling in your personal library, make sure it's this "sales closers bible"! ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Must-read material for all Sales Professionals
I have read this book about 5 times since purchasing it 2 years ago. Each time I read it, my sales increase by about 40%! I am now the sales manager of a large Internet Backbone Provider and I have floated this book around my sales force as required reading. Each one of my reps who reads it, orders one for themself. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about selling and about increasing thier income

Packed with solid ideas.
I was forced to make a career change due to downsizing and soon discovered that sales was the only career choice available with no degree required. I needed to learn how to sell, what to say, how to say it, and the "nuts and bolts" of how to turn every sales situation to my favor. I don't care what you are selling, you can easily adapt any example in this book to your product. The chapter with examples using the worlds best closes is worth the price of the book alone. This stuff is not pie in the sky BS it works. I wish I had read this book a few years ago as I would have been able to close more than I ever dreamed of. This is a must read for anyone new or old to the sales profession. I can't praise this book enough.

unbelieveble!!!!
I SALE TIME-SHARE AND I USED TO MAKE $ 4000 A MONTH AVERAGE SELLING $ 60000 A MONTH AVERAGE!
I BOUGHT THIS BOOK, I FOLLOWED IT WITH A SWISS ACCURACY AND I NOW,AFTER 3 MONTH, IM A TOP SELLER SINCE 2 MONTHS SELLING NOT LESS THAN $ 300.000 A MONTH! HOW MUCH DO I EARN? $ 20.000 A MONTH AVERAGE!! SO SHOULD YOU BUY THIS BOOK? MMMMM.....NO DONT!!
LET ME BE THE BEST!!!

Buy it or Die
I used to sell this book. I sold my entire enventory of this book years ago when Ben Gay had a shop selling books and vitamins in California. Not only did I sell the book using the closes in the book I also sold my rag eared sample copies for full price. Before I would walk into a busines I would read one of the closes and use that close to sell. It took a while to get into the swing of the sale but the more I used it the better I got. At one car dealership I sold 4 copies at $20 each and the owner later told me that his salesmen thought that I "walked on water". The simple soft sale may work for some of you but the samples in this book are slam dunks. From hard close to harder closes these examples are just what you need to get the "OK" on the bottom line... As an example One will get you the signature or a black eye and nothing in between.. ReRead the title to this review.. It is honest and it works.

Only for those who want to close more sales
I initially was turned off by this book because it appears to be too much "old school." Having now read the book and used many of the techniques, have noticed an increase in actual sales. If you can't close, all you have done is had a conversation.

While some of the objections covered are not new, the manner in which Pickens responds is somewhat new and different. But that should come as no surprise since the author is a true master closer with decades of real world experience. Not someone hiding behind a managers oak desk.

"The Closers" is 10 chapters and 278 pages of powerful information. It includes the 20 greatest closes and 15 buyer objections and forty-five red hot closer responses.

Something that stood out for me occurred in the chapter on how a closer thinks. The author states that if you take out the letter "c" out of closer it spells loser. The "c" stands for confidence, compassion, control and courage. Strong point!

The warning on the front of the book may be a little misleading. I believe that anyone and everyone who wants to be a sales professional must read this book. However, if your goal is to stay at the novice level forever, then this book is not for you.

The closers is a must read for all sales professionals and I highly recopmmend it. ... Read more

Book Description

Pricing, 3/e, synthesizes economic and marketing principles with accounting and financial information to provide a basis for analyzing pricing alternatives within legal and corporate constraints. This revision of this classic text brings readers an understandable writing style, a more complete discussion of the quantitative issues, and a greater number of clear-cut examples. The material on the economics of pricing now reflects recent research in pricing by applied economists and marketing researchers trained in economics. ... Read more

Book Description

Paco Underhill, author of Why We Buy, wrote the foreword to Retail Success! Here's how he describes the book.

If you look at the graduates of the five leading business schools in the U.S. over the past fifty years and look at the first job graduates took with their new MBA in hand, only a tiny percentage went to retail companies.

Retail for the last millennia has been something people discovered they had in their blood. Whether brilliant merchant or plodding vendor, retail demanded a special commitment. At any level the only thing guaranteed was hard work.

The point of entry, if it wasn't through family, was often by accident. A part-time job that turned full-time. Discovering a flair or talent for something that precipitated the need to trade. For many senior executives the retail job offer came as a sideways career move. For many small merchants the step into the retail abyss came from the desire to work for themselves. However, running a store or a chain of stores is harder than it looks from the outside. Giving good store means understanding layout and merchandising. It means being able to lead and inspire employees. It means delivering on your promise to the customer consistently day after day.

Being a good merchant has never been easy. The great merchants of the twentieth century learned the details of their craft the hard way--by doing it. They succeed by guts, instinct, and ability to stay focused. If they were lucky, they had a mentor. Someone who brought insight out of chaos. Someone who was willing to teach and help revisit the fundamentals. Someone who could look and listen. For every merchant or aspiring merchant who has missed having that personal mentor, there is George Whalin.

Unlike Columbia Business School professors, George never uses a twenty-five cent word when a nickel word would do just fine. There are no flow charts or fancy three-dimensional diagrams. George dispenses plain and straightforward good advice. From small comic book store owners to the CEO of giant retail chains, George has been a mentor, coach, and cheerleader. In person, George inspires calm and confidence. He's old enough and gray enough to inspire trust and yet he has an easy laugh and melodious voice that is a pleasure to listen to. In this new book, that sonorous and easy tone comes right through the printed words on the page.

If you are in retail, time never comes to you in big chunks. You get breaks, some when you are bone weary, others when you just need to hide for a few minutes. Believe me, George understands. To be honest, you don't have to read this book cover to cover. You don't have to start at the beginning. You can flip and surf, dip and sip. But if you have anything to do with retail, I do recommend that you get to know George and this book is a great place to start. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Should have read this a long time ago!
This was great. Good advice. Sensible. Logical. Would have avoided so many costly mistakes if I'd had this book when I first got into retail.

Attended Mr. Whalin's seminar and then reread his book!
I read this book when it first came out and really got a lot of ideas from it. Every now and again, I would go back and look something up or reread a chapter. Last week, after attending a seminar given by Mr. Whalin, I decided to read the whole book again. I can't say enough--I keep finding more good stuff that inspires me. And if you ever get a chance to go to one of the author's seminars, do it!

I bought this book for all my managers
After reading this book, I bought a copy for all my managers. We discuss various points in our monthly meetings. As an example, there's Chapter 13: Great Store Managers Make Great Stores. It tells what the best managers do and how they manage their stores. We use it as a guide for improvement and self evaluation.

Many of my managers also use the book to help with their sales associates. There are several chapters on sales, salesmanship, and even selling from a customers point of view. The fact that this book isn't as "technical" as other retail business books I've read is a great plus. I think it's the reason my managers have been so willing to embrace the concepts and pass them along to their employees.

I highly recommend this book.

Anybody who didn't like this book didn't read it!
If you are in the retail business and want to get good ideas, read this book...period!

I ordered this book, and returned it.
A lot of buzz words, no compelling arguments, facts or supporting data. This book is published with big font in double spaces, so not much information - like an article. ... Read more

Book Description

MARKETING: THE CORE, 1/e by Kerin, Hartley, and Rudelius continues the tradition of cutting-edge content and student-friendliness set by Marketing 7/e, but in a shorter, more concise package. The Core distills Marketing’s 22 chapters down to 18, leaving instructors just the content they need to cover the essentials of marketing in a single semester/quarter. Instructors using The Core also benefit from a full-sized supplements package that surpasses anything offered by the competition, while students will appreciate the easy-to-read paperback format that’s equally kind to both the eyes and the pocketbook. The Core is more than just a “baby Kerin”; it combines great writing, currency, and supplements into the ideal package for budget-conscious students and time-conscious professors. ... Read more

Book Description

The First Systematic Strategy for Building Iconic Brands

Coca-Cola. Harley-Davidson. Nike. Budweiser. Valued by customers more for what they symbolize than for what they do, products like these are more than brands-they are cultural icons. How do managers create brands that resonate so powerfully with consumers?

Based on extensive historical analyses of some of America's most successful iconic brands, including ESPN, Mountain Dew, Volkswagen, Budweiser, and Harley-Davidson, this book presents the first systematic model to explain how brands become icons. Douglas B. Holt shows how iconic brands create "identity myths" that, through powerful symbolism, soothe collective anxieties resulting from acute social change.

Holt warns that icons can't be built through conventional branding strategies, which focus on benefits, brand personalities, and emotional relationships. Instead, he calls for a deeper cultural perspective on traditional marketing themes like targeting, positioning, brand equity, and brand loyalty-and outlines a distinctive set of "cultural branding" principles that will radically alter how companies approach everything from marketing strategy, to market research, to hiring and training managers.

Until now, Holt shows, even the most successful iconic brands have emerged more by intuition and serendipity than by design. With How Brands Become Icons, managers can leverage the principles behind some of the most successful brands of the last half-century to build their own iconic brands.

... Read more

Book Description

Providing a thorough overview of the issues high-tech marketers must address, this book provides a balance between conceptual discussions and examples; small and big business; products and services; and consumer and business-to-business marketing contexts.This book offers a cutting-edge treatment of research and practice related to the marketing of technology and innovations, supported with a plethora of examples and applications. A resource for managers in high-tech firms, training programs in high-tech firms, and technology incubators. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Very interesting book
It has a very good approach about how to plan a marketing strategy in high tech enviroments.

Well balanced book
What impressed me the most about this book is the right balance of theoretical discussions and practical examples. The idea of including "views from the trenches" is just way too good. This book helped me conceptualize all the experiences that I have gathered in the past five years in the high-tech industry. This is an excellent read for people who are exclusively focused on marketing (product marketing / product management, etc) or for people who are in other functions, but want to understand the basics of high-tech marketing

The best text on the marketing of high technology
Mohr's text is a good overview of industry practice, mixed with theory on marketing and the diffusion of innovations. This text is a huge step forward for the discipline. As I see the field of electronic marketing evolving, I think we will see material about the Internet moving into mainstream marketing courses. What will remain in the specialized electronic marketing course is the intersection of marketing with the cutting edge of technology. Mohr's text makes me feel much better prepared for this evolution. ... Read more

Book Description

As the cost of doing business increases, call centers and help desks are frequently moving overseas. How can your center remain competitive? Is pooling the best way to slash your wait times? James Abbott concisely answers these questions as he leads you through the world of process-centered customer service. Strategic and tactical terms, how to choose metrics to measure, and the miracle of Queuing Science are covered thoroughly, using easy-to-grasp anecdotes to explain the key technical topics. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Wakeup Call
"Abbott's book is a much-needed wakeup call. In order to compete, managers must use scientific methods, not gut feelings or hocus pocus. This book is back to basics--what needs to be monitored, why you need to monitor it, and who should make which decisions."

To understand metrics, read this book first!
Very good approach to metrics and how to apply metrics to call center operations in order to understand and support the goals of the call center. Mr. Abbott uses easy to understand language and examples rather than technical language and equasions and this makes it very easy to understand the principals and see the big picture. Every manager should be required to read this as thier first book on metrics. ... Read more

Book Description

A six-step plan for driving a wedge between the competition and the customer
For sales people, convincing a potential customer to choose them over the competition is no easy task, and especially when the competition already has the account. Finally, How to Get Your Competition Fired shows readers a proven system for breaking the relationship between the competition and the customer. Randy Schwantz's method, The Wedge(r), includes a six-step plan that drives a "wedge" between the competition and the customer. He shows how to reveal the competition's shortcomings without seeming to, letting prospects decide independently to dump their current provider, exclude other competitors and, finally, switch to the salesperson's product or service. Offering real tactics, not just theory, this is the only sales strategy that really works to break the relationship between customers and the competition and bring in more business, faster than ever.
Randy Schwantz (Dallas, TX) is a leading authority and expert on the sales process. A highly successful sales professional, he is a nationally respected sales trainer, author, sales coach, consultant, and public speaker. Randy is President and CEO of The Wedge Group, whose clients include Fortune 500 companies as well as small businesses. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A MUST READ for Financial Advisors
This is, by far, the most powerful book I've ever read on marketing - as it relates to my profession as a financial planner.However, I would think this book would easily translate for anyone in the service industry.

How to Get Your Competition Fired realizes and addresses a problem most books on marketing don't.That is the fact that in most cases; your prospect is already dealing with your competition.Many of the books on marketing I've read through the years neglect this one detail; but it's an important detail.

In my profession, almost all of my clients were dealing with another financial planner before working with me.After readign Randy's book, I've found it much easier to cast myself in a more favorable light, show prospects how I deliver better service with greater value, and then - most importantly - how to prepare them to leave their present advisor.

Many of you in the servie industry probably have run into the situation where you find a prospect who you can help.Your competition has not been providing very good service.The prospect tells you they are ready to come on board.Then, the next call you get is to tell you that they are staying with your competition.

If many of your prospective clients are currently dealing with your competition, you can't afford to miss reading this book! ... Read more

Book Description

Incorporating the latest industry thinking and developments, this exploration of brands, brand equity, and strategic brand management combines a comprehensive theoretical foundation with numerous techniques and practical insights for making better day-to-day and long-term brand decisions—and thus improving the long-term profitability of specific brand strategies. Finely focused on "how-to" and "why" throughout, it provides specific tactical guidelines for planning, building, measuring, and managing brand equity. It includes numerous examples on virtually every topic and over 75 Branding Briefs that identify successful and unsuccessful brands and explain why they have been so. Case studies will familiarize readers with the real-life stories of Levi's Dockers, Intel Corporation, Nivea, Nike, and Starbucks. For industry professionals from brand managers to chief marketing officers. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

The best book on branding!
I think that Keller's Strategic Brand Management is the best book on branding available. Instead of simply listing success stories or compiling lists of do's and don'ts, this book offers a comprehensive framework for understanding why brands matter, how to measure their equity and how to build strong brands.

What I especially liked about this book is that it is structured around a powerful framework called customer-based brand equity which basically says that brand equity lies in the mind of the consumer and that brands are powerful only to the extent that they serve some function for the consumer (like signalling product quality or simplifying choice). There are then great examples of how marketers can build brand awareness and favorable associations to create brand equity.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to anybody working in marketing or simply interested in brands.

Excellent. The bible of branding.
This book is the best compilation of strategic thinking regarding brand management. I have attented many lectures on the topic and this book says it all. This is very detailed, very intense but yet very exciting for any marketers involved with brand management.

The One Source
If you only buy one Branding book this is the bible. Wow, the price on the second edition has gone way up.

Well Updated with Lot of Cases and Interesting Stuff

This book is great! I read the 1st edition, but that was a bit too academic. This time academic too, but less technical.

Cases on a number of world-class brands are already worth the dollars. That include Amazon.com, Nike, Virgin, Microsoft, IBM, and plenty of them.

This book is even more comprehensive than Branding Gurus David Aaker's Branding books. But I must admit that this book touches upon too little on e-branding, and its impact on online "brand consumption". Besides, Keller's branding paradigm needs to be updated. He got to invent his own new theory rather than drawing too much upon others' branding theories which makes this book both the Branding Bible (like Kotler's Marketing textbook for MBAs), and a thick book report.

On the whole, this book is great, it won't waste your hard-earned dollars, and Keller's diligent researcher attitude must be honoured and respected, by all means.

Great work, Keller, keep it up!

Brand building is important
The author gives out three main ways to build brand equity, and describes a new way of thinking about integrated marketing. Also, we can know whether than brand building is good or not. The branding strategy should be adjusted with change in place. ... Read more

Book Description

Following the tradition of Keegan's acclaimed Global Marketing Management, this groundbreaking full-color book offers a concise introduction to the field that is presented in a lively reader-friendly style. The authors integrate relevant real-world cases, vignettes, and boxed features with a clear, engaging narrative to effectively communicate the excitement, challenge and discipline of global marketing.Coverage features an enhanced presentation of global trade; expanded and improved social/cultural coverage; the most recent research; the impact of Information Technology; an expanded section on global retailing; finance coverage in a valuable chapter appendix; a consolidated treatment of market entry strategies; specialized discussions of global communication decisions; quotes from today's professionals; enhanced Internet integration throughout the book; concise, issue-oriented and timely cases; and a vivid, full-color design.For those interested in international marketing and the global business environment. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Global enrichment for marketing education
In the age of globalization it could be a great advantage to get some global skills. For this purpose this book combines the three main elements of the global business: an environmental approach (economic env. with aspects of national economics, geographical orientation, polit. and legal env.), management (strategies, competitive advantage, organization, etc.) and marketing (research, segmentation, mix, etc.)

"Global Marketing" may be useful for students or graduates, especially with some background of the above mentioned subjects, to get basic skills in global business (foreign exchange, WTO, European Union, American communication styles, music in India, Bud versus Bud, Benneton's global advertising...).

This is topical, definitely highly readable and competently written with interesting cases. ... Read more

Book Description

Churchill, Ford, and Walker’s Sales Force Management, 7/e, now authored by Johnston and Marshall, is a research/ theory based text that cites the theoretical foundations of sales management and blends this with current industry examples and applications.This book will appeal to a variety of teaching approaches-to those instructors who primarily emphasize the lecture-discussion approach or to those who prefer case-oriented instruction. No matter what approach is used, the research/theory combination, coupled with the solid sales management foundation, and the addition of the text themes of Innovation, Leadership, and Technology combine to make this text a leader in the sales management market.t. ... Read more

Book Description

The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy takes the reader on a fascinating, around-the-world journey to reveal the economic and political lessons from the life story of a simple t-shirt. Over five years, business professor Pietra Rivoli traveled from a Texas cotton field to a Chinese factory to a used clothing market in Africa, to investigate compelling questions about the politics, economics, ethics, and history of modern business and globalization. Using the story of the t-shirt to illustrate the major issues of the globalization debate, this uniquely entertaining business book offers a surprising, enlightening, and balanced look at one of the major topics of our time. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Thoroughly enjoyable and unique
A unique and well-written book of international economics for anyone. No hard edges or hard opinions cloud this book's ingenious premise. From someone who has read many books on business and econ, this one is not only feel good but brilliant. Enjoy!

great book on globalization
An entertaining and insightful read on how the global economy really works for people. the author tackles the serious issues about globalization by exploring the life of her t-shirt, but she also is a great writer who can take the complex and make it both understanding and entertaining. bravo!

A Historical Tour of Industry Issues
I'm from the apparel industry - not fiber, yarn, textile or retail which in the US are separate industries - but apparel, the cutting and sewing and shipping of clothing. Ironically, a week before reading this book, I was given a passionate and amazing talk by an executive from one of the non-apparel companies profiled in this book. When he was done, I told him his business plan, which he detailed, could not have been written by an academic or a consultant, but only by a warrior in the supply chain. Well, this book could not have been written by a warrior, but only by an academic. In its description of the travels of a shirt, it bears close resemblance to a similar story written several years back in the NYTimes magazine. Having said that, this book rocks. Its great. Its a tutorial of how the apparel industry chases the low cost needle from country to country. And it is extremely current. I learned a lot about cotton, yarn, textiles, trade, lobbying, England - but nothing new about apparel, per se. So to me, everyone will learn something new from this book. It is unfortunate the author did not interview Kevin Burke of the American Apparel and Footwear Association. She seems to imply that the AAMA just disappeared. It did not. Kevin is a key player in the "Alphabet Army" the author describes as centered in Washington. Still, as I read the book, I learned the history of one of the members of our organization (www.aapnetwork.net), a highly successful cotton organization called PCCA. And I saw many names of people I knew first hand. There is so much history to the apparel supply chain I simply did not know - and now I understand it much better. As for my own bias of the divergent sides one takes on trade, I found myself leaning side to side like an old hill billy watching wrestling on TV as I squirmed in response to one sides rhetoric and the others B.S. Its well written. I like to think I'm a good industry writer, but I could not have done what Dr. Rivoli has achieved. Its a great yarn, maybe a little too heavy on the sweatshop, dogma and labor aspects of the issue, but then again, its written by an academic. I'm still waiting after 15 years of touring apparel factories all around the world to find an actual sweatshop. The only one I've ever seen was on a PBS documentary shot in New York of a horrifying factory there. Apparel chases the low cost needle. As Wal-Mart told me personally last decade, "when a US apparel contractor can make a dozen golf shirts at the same quality and price as we're getting from Cambodia, we'll buy them". Apparel chases the low cost needle. China is the world's apparel plant floor. Wal-Mart is the world's retail floor. Reality rules, and it is so inevitable it hurts. Are there any questions?

Rags become Riches.
An entertaining read on global economics -- instructive economic history that delves into economic theories. The author shares her insights as cotton is cultivated in Texas, woven in China, sold in Florida, and eventually winds up in vendors' stalls in Tanzania, with numerous other stops in between.The T-shirt's journey demonstrates a need for full or better access to markets as the moving force of capitalism, and encourages further discussion on the political methods used (or to be used) to achieve that access. ... Read more

Book Description

Discover how wealth is actually created, the psychology of personal success, how to think and live as an entrepreneur, and how to succeed in network marketing. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Dare to Dream, Work to Win
I've just recently gotten into the networking business and found this book to be very helpfull! I have increased my sales and more! I would recommend this to anyone getting started in networking. The book was in great shape when I recieved it and the service from amazon is awesome!

Wish I have heard of this book long ago! But glad I found it
Great amazing book about the in and out of Networking Marketing!
IT is NOT PYRAMID SCAMS.. but it is a legit business opporunity and this book help you determine which company is legit and not legit...

u do not get rich overnight.. you have to work hard and as a result of hard work you get compenseate CEO's salary...that is a fact... sure beats slaving away for a paycheck to paycheck lifestyle.. I feel that the present economy, high unemployment's rates and corporate's scandals left a bad taste in everyone. So go into business for yourself and as an IBO.. the sky is the limit and you can only go as far you can go!

Anyway - this book is awesome! Very informative and honest and direct!

For those looking into a Direct Sales opportunity.. pls call Donna Harris @ 404 510 7972 and she will get back to you. A small investment is require for nothing is free in life!

Thanks!

Great book about the "Ins and Outs" of Networking
This is, hands down, one of the best books I have read on Network Marketing. If you have never encountered MLM or perhaps have had a "bad" experience in MLM or have some preconceived negative notion about MLM, then read this book and it will help clear up the "bad" and confusion.

Dr. Barrett had spent years researching the different MLM systems and the people who work them (both successful and those who have been unsuccessful) and compiled his final research in this book.

Dr. Barrett describes how those who have been successful in MLM gained that success, what they did "right" to be successful and describes it in great detail in part one. In part two, he moves into the psychology of failure, doubt, etc. and how to overcome some of these "obstacles" in order to be successful in MLM. Finally, in part three, Dr. Barrett discusses the various approaches used to help others be successful - good leadership skills. Teach, lead and coach is the right track and Barrett details this. Putting others first is the principle behind Dr. Barrett's leadership method.

This is a great book for those who are considering a Network Business. In fact, this is a great book for those who are considering any type of business because what is taught in these pages is practiced by every major chain corporation in the world.

Dare to dream, work to win
Anyone considering network marketing as a career needs to read this book. It is insightful and gives specific steps to a plan to be successful. Definitely one of the most useful books I have read on the subject.

This book tackles the issues of why most people quit MLM!
I literally couldn't put this book down. Dr. Barrett tells readers frankly why most people quit MLM. Whenever I feel down, I go to a highlighted place in my book and read it and I am completely boosted! I help my team members do the same. Because of this book, I don't doubt my success ... I KNOW I will be successful in MLM. As Dr. Barrett says, it's simple (not easy, but simple) to become successful beyond your wildest dreams. ... Read more

Book Description

"Scoring Points" is the dramatic, previously untold story of how Tesco used Clubcard -- its loyalty scheme -- to reinvent itself and its relationship with its customers, in the words of the people who were there. Between 1995 and the present day, Britain’s second largest grocer not only came to dominate supermarket selling in Britain, but created one of Europe’s fastest growing financial service companies, launched the world’s largest internet grocery business, and created a global retail giant selling everything from travel insurance to televisions. How? By getting to know its customers better.

Clive Humby and Terry Hunt have helped to mastermind this spectacular transformation. With Tim Phillips, one of the UK’s top business journalists, they now tell the inside story. This is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at what customer loyalty means, how it works -- how it will change the way companies sell...and the way we shop. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Best of its kind
This is a well written book with a nice chronological writing style which makes it feel like an adventure . The author manages to avoid speaking marketing jargonese and skimp on technical specifics of how the program was implemented providing ample details of the infrastructural , logistic and IT challenges faced by the loyalty program. Also interesting is the focus on explaining the rationale of every decision Tesco has made and a unbiased assesment of whether it went right or wrong. There is also detailed description of Tesco's ever evolving segmentation strategy.

Also its amazing how Tesco links its Direct Marketing, Internet
Marketing (esp the My Favorites), and tradional store marketing to the card database and also follows the "keep-it-simple-stupid" philosophy. One of the con's of this book it that it often contains quotes from people which do not convey anything and that it really does not cover the loyalty program outside of UK.

Overall this a must read if you really want an insight into how loyalty cards can be much much more than a piece of plastic both to the retailer and the shopper.

The future of marketing
Excellent book
As a Marketing Graduate student we have had to read countless books into what the future holds, what the trends are, and how to become more successful in making relevant and valuable propositions for our clients. After a while you see how some books and ideas just run into each other with out making new contributions to the field

Scoring Points helps break that mold.

Clive Humby tells the story of how Tesco has managed to become one of the most successful retailers in the world, and not just talking about the high level conceptual thinking that marketers dream about, but actually performing and executing on those high end ideas.

key points; get to know your customers, Essential customer genius, great insights and one to one marketing on steroids. ... Read more

Book Description

In this completely revised and updated edition of the customer service classic (more than 600,000 copies sold), Carl Sewell enhances his time-tested advice with fresh ideas and new examples and explains how the groundbreaking “Ten Commandments of Customer Service” apply to today’s world.

Drawing on his incredible success in transforming his Dallas Cadillac dealership into the second largest in America, Carl Sewell revealed the secret of getting customers to return again and again in the original Customers for Life. A lively, down-to-earth narrative, it set the standard for customer service excellence and became a perennial bestseller. Building on that solid foundation, this expanded edition features five completely new chapters, as well as significant additions to the original material, based on the lessons Sewell has learned over the last ten years.

Sewell focuses on the expectations and demands of contemporary consumers and employees, showing that businesses can remain committed to quality service in the fast-paced new millennium by sticking to his time-proven approach: Figure out what customers want and make sure they get it. His “Ten Commandants” provide the essential guidelines, including:

• Underpromise, overdeliver: Never disappoint your customers by charging them more than they planned. Always beat your
estimate or throw in an extra service free of charge

• No complaints? Something’s wrong: If you never ask your customers what else they want, how are you going to give it to them?

• Measure everything: Telling your employees to do their best won’t work if you don’t know how they can improve

• Borrow, borrow, borrow: Sewell, for example, learned about hospitality from Japanese culture, cleanliness from Disney, and
politeness from his mother. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Customer for Life
Summary:

We live in a customer economy. Customers control the way of doing business. It is necessary for the company to put customer¡¦s need at the core. This book provides many practical tactics to turn what customer needs into actions.

Structurally, this book can be divided into three aspects: customer, employees and physical environment. And in each aspect, author will introduce some interesting tactics. For customer aspect, Carl suggests that company should ask customer their preference instead of just assuming what customer like. For employees aspect, Carl realizes that ¡§if you want your employees to be polite to your customer, you have to be polite to your employees¡¨. For physical environment aspect, Carl thinks that ¡§every impression is important¡¨, therefore all physical environment even a restroom should be treated well.

Comment:

Advantages:

Although minor, still need to care

For a student, this book really gives us many practical way of doing business as well as the proper manner when dealing with customers.
One of the insight that this book bring to me is ¡§although minor, still need to care¡¨. Customer will not very appreciate if company does all thing right, since customer think it is company¡¦s responsibility to do so. Also, customer will dissatisfy if company does not do well in a minor aspect such as toilet because customer will afraid how a company treat customer good if they cannot treat toilet well. Overall speaking, this book can give reader understand this concept.

Linkage between customer, employees and physical environment

After reading the whole book, I understand more about the relationship of customer, employees and physical environment. Employees and physical environment are two vital elements which are influence customers directly. Therefore, if company want to retain and satisfy customers, it is critical for them to put effort the aspects of employees and physical environment.

Disadvantage:

Some ideas may not be applied in other industries

Since the author run the business of car dealers, the content inevitable focus on car dealer. This may reduce the attractiveness of this book since some of the tactics cannot apply to other industry.

Customer for Life means business for life
If you want to keep your customers and bring in new ones this is the book for you. Carl not only knows that customers are the life blood of a business but how the employees are a key to it. If you want your dealership (or any business) running at top speed, this is the book to read. I highly recommend it to my dealership clients.

A must read if you want to get better!
I manage a car dealership, and our management team is going to have every employee in the dealership read the book and report on what they learned. It will change their thinking, just like it changed our thinking. It will change yours too. We MUST look at every transaction as a piece to a bigger picture puzzle, and this book reminds us of the the "how's" and "why's."

PS. Even if you are not in the "car business", this book will change the way you think about interacting with people. Simply put, it makes you want to give 110% in everything you do.

Customers for Life
If you just take a portion of what Carl Sewell has done to build his business and implement it into your business, you will see amazing positive results! This book is required reading for my employees!

Customer for life
Summary:

We live in a customer economy. Customers control the way of doing business. It is necessary for the company to put customer¡¦s need at the core. This book provides many practical tactics to turn what customer needs into actions.

Structurally, this book can be divided into three aspects: customer, employees and physical environment. And in each aspect, author will introduce some interesting tactics. For customer aspect, Carl suggests that company should ask customer their preference instead of just assuming what customer like. For employees aspect, Carl realizes that ¡§if you want your employees to be polite to your customer, you have to be polite to your employees¡¨. For physical environment aspect, Carl thinks that ¡§every impression is important¡¨, therefore all physical environment even a restroom should be treated well.

Comment:

Advantages:

Although minor, still need to care

For a student, this book really gives us many practical way of doing business as well as the proper manner when dealing with customers.
One of the insight that this book bring to me is ¡§although minor, still need to care¡¨. Customer will not very appreciate if company does all thing right, since customer think it is company¡¦s responsibility to do so. Also, customer will dissatisfy if company does not do well in a minor aspect such as toilet because customer will afraid how a company treat customer good if they cannot treat toilet well. Overall speaking, this book can give reader understand this concept.

Linkage between customer, employees and physical environment

After reading the whole book, I understand more about the relationship of customer, employees and physical environment. Employees and physical environment are two vital elements which are influence customers directly. Therefore, if company want to retain and satisfy customers, it is critical for them to put effort the aspects of employees and physical environment.

Disadvantage:

Some ideas may not be applied in other industries

Since the author run the business of car dealers, the content inevitable focus on car dealer. This may reduce the attractiveness of this book since some of the tactics cannot apply to other industry. ... Read more

Book Description

The most widely read and utilized book ever on new home sales.Now in its fifth printing, this is a multi-dimensional systems approach for sales professionals.It details the skills that are required to master the new home sales process. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Just another sales book.
The book is well written and easy to follow, but it is relatively generic. I believe it to be a little over priced for its content.

Not Great!
This book is extremely basic and can be read in about an hour. Hardly worth the price for a 139 page paper back.

This book is success insurance for New Home Sales!
This book is an essential for any person in the New Home Sales market. No matter if you are new to the business or a decade- plus verteran, this practical and direct approach to new home sales (when followed to the "T") will guarantee extraordinary results! ... Read more