Advertising Books

In one form or another, every one of us is selling--ideas, services, products, maybe a combination of those three. If you want to read a book that presents, in simple language, the contemporary approach to selling, then I recommend CLOSE MORE SALES. The author: Mike Stewart, an international speaker, professional sales trainer and consultant, based in Atlanta.

Far from being an armchair advisor, Mike Stewart spent many years learning salesmanship as a professional sales person. Additionally, he works with a variety of clients, training their sales professionals.

In the preface, he laments that "Almost never are effective selling skills being taught." With this book, he addresses that problem. The book has the approval of the American Management Association, his publisher. I recommend that you get a copy. . .and close more sales.

The best books are the ones that get right to the point and show you step by step what works. This book delivers. I got so many insightful new ideas that I bought copies for everyone in my sales office. At our sales meetings we discussed a different chapter each week. I like Mike Stewart's candor, too. He tells it like it really is.

This book is a must read for any sales professional that wants to close more sales and grow their business.

Mike is a seasoned sales veteran that shares his keen insights with you in this book.

You have two choices. Take years and years to learn what Mike can teach you on your own or buy the book and learn it now!

My recommendation; BUY THE BOOK!

Whether you're new in sales or a seasoned veteran, this book is a treasure. The publisher had to use smaller print just to fit it all in! It's amazing how much information is here-the traditional stuff that you find in most sales books, plus a lot more. And it's all focused on helping you make the sale; the title of Part VII is You Must Close the Sale in Order to Go to the Bank. The message can't be any more clear!

Let's start at the beginning. There are three sections at the start of the book that caught my attention right away. You know there's something special going on when you see sections titled "Why You Need This Book," "Why You Will Love This Book," and "Why an Intelligent, Sophisticated Person Like You Will Appreciate a Simple Book Like This." Simple book? In the fundamental principles that are presented, yes. In the depth and strength of the material, I wouldn't call this book simple. Sales professionals will spend extra time with each section to draw out all the value for themselves. It's just that kind of a book . . . the kind of tool that can be used for reference as well as straight-on learning.

Stewart starts his substance with Position Yourself for Success presented in six chapters. The last chapter of the section is focused on closing. Part II: Develop Rapport and Build Relationships of Trust and Confidence: four chapters ending with emphasis on closing more sales. Continue through sections on pre-call planning, prospect involvement, discovery, presentations, and handling objections. Want more? A good resource section and an index complement the powerful content.

If you want to close sales, not just make sales calls, make friends with this book. Renowned sales trainer Mike Stewart has stuffed all of his seminar material into 250 pages for you to absorb and apply for higher achievement.

Copywriting giants deserve equally large books to showcase them, so this Copy Book is the perfect literary wax museum to learn more about some of the advertising industry's greats. In it, you can almost, just almost, get into the minds of legends like Neil French, David Abbott and many others, and possibly get a glimpse into how their minds work and what makes them tick. Besides their professional advice, you might get some inspiration from the award-winning advertisement classics (check out the infamous Volk Wagon and Stella Atois ads) that accompany each of these wordsmiths. (The price is) worth every cent of it.

Sitting on my shelf are, oh, about 30 books on advertising. Maybe more. Ironically, "The Copy Book" isn't one of them -- it's too damn large! So it lays kinda slouched against the wall. But not for long, 'cos that baby tends to spend an obscene amount of time in my hands. And yes, as some other reviewer points out, Neil French is in sparkling form -- what's new? --, dispensing advice you wouldn't read about (Australian expression) -- except here. Abbott ... amazing. Steve Henry. Jim Durfee. Richard Foster (great essay!) They're all here and more. A must-read several times over. Ads are a little dated, but so what? The advice is priceless.

I read a copy of this book that belongs to my CD and quite frankly,I was awestruck. Been looking for my own ever since. You'll find all the writers you admire in there. Neil French in his element, David Abbott,name them, all the superstars telling you how they do it. And how not to do it. An unputdownable read for all in this noble profession, very inspiring.

Tired of advertising books that are big on art, but short on copy - full of page-shots where the body copy's been reduced or screened beyond legibility?

The Copy Book, by Alastair Crompton ("The Art of Copywriting") is different. In it, 32 top advertising writers share their views on how they write, and what makes a great ad.

It's full of good advice, and full of very good - and awarded - ads. Some of them are even long-copy!

This is beginning to sound like an ad. I'm not getting paid, so I'll stop.

Vaughn Davis
Auckland, New Zealand

I work for a book summary company. One of the books selected for summary is this book.

This book by former creative director of the renowned ad firm, Saatchi & Saatchi, lays out 10 lessons to follow in order to promote any brand. Although the author himself acknowledges that creativity knows no rules, the 10 lessons are offered as basic framework for structuring advertising creativity. But what is more interesting than these 10 rules are the many perceptive insights that he offers by delineating on the advertising campaigns undertaken by Saatchi & Saatchi, enumerating the process involved in creativity and the behind-the-scene actions pertaining to each project. He regales us with asides, the many advertising wars over products and clients, examples of shocking ads that redefined advertising creativity and several great quotations from literary and artistic innovators and thinkers, all of which provide us with an engaging repast. In fact, it is these captivating interludes that make the book really valuable than the lessons that he offers. By giving interesting case studies, he unveils the grueling creative process involved in each advertising process and brand making. More than anything the book helps us to adopt a new creative approach to advertising. You don't really have to belong to the advertising world, or even be in sales or marketing, just anybody reading this book is sure to find in it a delightful book worth possessing.

"Creative Leaps" is a smart and compelling book not only for someone interested in the advertising industry, but for anyone interested in the creative process in general. Michael Newman breaks down and demystifies creativity, making it an accessible tool for anyone-not just the creative director of one of the leading advertising agencies in the world. Through step by step lessons, and even suggestions on how to foster the creative process in the office, Newman engages the reader from the first page.

The ten lessons stated in the title seem like a neat and tidy number that understates the magnitude of the advice that Newman relates to the reader. He includes teachings not only from his own personal experiences, but through a multitude of quotations and anecdotes from famous great thinkers of the world as well. It also doesn't hurt that Newman spearheaded and masterminded some of the greatest advertisements that the industry has known, and gives the reader a chance to see how great ads like this come about. Through photographs and case studies the reader gains a private look into what may have seemed like the impossible. Newman's lessons, which are present on every page, ground the innovation and creativity that went on behind the scenes at Saatchi & Saatchi. Teachings in simplicity, the power of feelings, the power of visuals, and the power of just one word are all aspects of the creative process that the reader can take away from this book.

Most importantly, Newman teaches those in the media world how to stand out in a completely cluttered and saturated environment. His lessons do not just teach and deconstruct creativity, they provide a framework for the process that leads to advertisements that do not merely add to the noise, but break through it. His step by step analysis of the Toyota HiLux "Bugger" Ad relays how to be original and unique in an industry that is constantly outdoing itself. Newman convinces the reader that he is in the know merely through his style of writing, which is witty, succinct, and intelligent. Furthermore, he makes a point in the introduction of the book that his teachings are to be built upon, standing by the quote he uses at one point in the book that, "None of us is as smart as all of us." Essentially, this is a must read, because Newman sells his teachings as well as he sells his ads.

This may be one of the best books about creativity, brands and advertising ever written. Author Michael Newman's long, successful tenure with Saatchi and Saatchi, one of the most innovative ad firms in the world, is itself impressive. He knows how to get attention in a market where attention is a scarce resource. His so-called "ten lessons in effective advertising," really ten ideas about creativity, are unnecessary devices, probably a framework forced on a good book by an unimaginative editor. Read this book instead for the chrestomathy of quotations from literary and artistic innovators and thinkers. Read it for the asides, the tangents, the advertising war stories and the rambles. Read it for the shocking ads that push past the bounds of what anyone would consider acceptable. We recommend you read it for pleasure and for all these reasons; you'll get a lot more than ten lessons.

That's the message I delightfully took away from this absolutely wonderful, well written and very unique book. But alas, there is so much more.

As a proud member of the advertising club, I have long believed in stirring the pot and not looking like everyone else. But I've never read a book that presented it so eloquently as Creative Leaps by Michael Newman.

Newman tells it like it is about clients who butt in and create more problems than they help solve. Ditto for others who involve themselves in the creative process. He shows by demonstration how to create ads that work, that stand out and that sell like hell.

I also admit that, even with some thirty years of solid experience under my belt, I got some new (to me) and very helpful ideas. This book was worth twice what I paid for it.

I highly recommend this book to anyone in advertising, especially copywriters and creative directors. But also to anyone who might hire an ad agency or copywriter. It will help them to understand the creative process and to appreciate it more; to allow their creatives more freedom and to get the hell out of the way.

In fact, this book is totally different from any book about advertising or copywriting I've ever read and I totally love it. It will stay in my personal library. (No, I won't be selling it on Amazon like I do most of my books.) It will get read again and again and used as a reference for years to come.

Highly recommended.

Susanna K. Hutcheson
Owner & Creative Director
Powerwriting.com LLC

I have had much success with this book. My professor is the editor of a widely read prestigious magazine, and she truly believes in this text. Our class has welcomed many guest speakers in the fields of Advertising, PR, and Design who all reviewed this text and found its contents to support what they practice in their professional work.
It does have some content that is slightly outdated, but with such rapid upgrades in software, this is expected. This will be one book from college I will not likely sell back!

I am a first year advertising student at Georgian College, Canada and we used this book for our copywriting class. Our teacher reccomended we keep it for future reference and that is what I will definetly do. This book was very easy to read and informative.

I found this book to be creative interesting to the reader. Compared to ither books in the same field it's almost the best

NOT A REVIEW. The 7th edition of this book is out (August 2000)

Of all the direct marketing books out there, Lois Geller's books reign supreme. An award winning professor at New York University, she has once again tapped her expertise for a fabulous how to get started in direct marketing book. This book, her latest since Response!, is an easy to read "cookbook" of everything you need to market your product(s) from A to Z. If ever you thought about getting in the direct marketing of your products or services this is the book for you. Along with Response! The Complete Guide to Profitable Direct Marketing ANYONE from a CEO, recent college grad or stay at home parent can develop a thriving business just from reading these two essential books.

Our business is home baked products. We started with a local bakery and now we've gone national. This book helped us make a lot of "dough" as we've expanded into the catalog business -- this year grossing over 1 million dollars!

Even though I have an MBA in marketing, I still learned something new from this book! It's a fast-reading book with useful tips, exercises and interactive tools that can be very useful for someone who has their own business. The only flaw with this book is that it does not include a direct e-mail section. Other than that, I highly recommend it. Especially for this price, you can't go wrong!

As a freelancer, I always thought direct marketing was for "the big guys." But after I read this book, I realized there were many ways I could use it to market myself. The book is very user-friendly and includes plenty of examples that make putting Ms. Geller's suggestion into use quick and easy.

Mr. Nash, I love this book. I say "love" instead of "loved" because it's not a book you read once. It has become a valuable resource for our company. Thank you.

When I first ordered Direct Marketing it sat untouched on my desk for several weeks. At two inches thick (I measured it), I was dreading another boring tome that took a thousand words to say what could have been covered in ten. When I finally cracked the cover, I was pleasantly surprised.

Not only is Direct Marketing devoid of fluff, every word is packed with the insight of a gentleman who has obviously earned his knowledge from the school of hard knocks. As I continued to read the fourth edition of Direct Marketing I found that it is more than a book on direct mail, it's an essential read on marketing in general:

* Nash makes it easy to understand the importance and mechanics of marketing measurement and metrics.

* While emphasizing the accountability and predictability of direct marketing, Nash does not discount general marketing knowledge.

* Nash makes planning practical and concise. The chapter on marketing plans is the best coverage of the topic that I've seen.

* The Internet and other interactive vehicles are fully embraced.

In short, if you're a marketing professional, buy this book.

Mr. Nash, I love this book. I say "love" instead of "loved" because it's not a book you read once. It has become a valuable resource for our company. Thank you.

Wonderful! Straight to the point. Packed with facts, not fluff. No pipe-dreams. Money making, practical, and thought provoking. There is so much information and advice here, it could have easily been three or four books. Well worth the full price -- a bargain on amazon. Buy it!

This book is a fascinating collection of antique advertisements for entertainment acts ranging from the whimsical to the bizarre. The broadsides themselves are surprisingly readable and Jay's commentary illuminates the subject matter in a way that sheds light on multiple facets of the social context the broadsides existed within. It's an art book, an intriguing work of history, a compendium of the bizarre, a chronicle of advertising techniques, and a unique stage door view on just exactly what humans will define as "entertaining".

Ricky Jay is a national treasure. He's the head curator of a continuing collection of the curious, marginal, sometimes macabre but always compelling congregation of entertainers who have slipped through the trapdoor of time's stage. His newest masterpiece, Extraordinary Exhibitions, is a catalogue of broadsides heralding some of the strangest performers that ever graced an auditorium or a sidewalk. You'll meet Pietro Stadelmann, a seventeenth century armless dulcimer player. As well as the nameless 27 year-old Angolan "Famous African Hermaphrodite". And a South American trio whose huge excrescences extruding from their chins gave them their stage moniker "The Monstrous Craws". You can sit at the feet of Joice Heth, the 161 year-old former nursemaid of Little Georgie Washington, the marvelous showman P. T. Barnum's first client. There's singing mice, educated fleas and a Rabbi whose demonstrations of his prodigious memory were endorsed by the Pope himself. To paraphrase the immortal Charles Fort, you'll see a procession of the damned of showbiz. And thanks to the wonderful Mr. Jay, they'll walk (and bark, tumble, juggle, catch bullets, arm wrestle, rope dance and eat stones) again.

If you ever have a chance for a collector to show his collection, you run the risk of being terribly bored. Unless you yourself collect stamps, coins, thimbles, Hummel figurines, or Corvettes, you are unlikely to sympathize with the delight the collector takes in his hoard. Ricky Jay is a fascinating man; he is a master magician, a historian of show business (especially of novelty acts), and an actor in David Mamet's movies. He collects something few others do: showbills for the jugglers, magicians, animal acts, ventriloquists, and other eccentric and novelty performances through almost four centuries. Don't worry, it is far from boring. Around eighty of his specimens are on display in a large format book, _Extraordinary Exhibitions: The Wonderful Remains of an Enormous Head, the Whimsiphusicon & Death to the Savage Unitarians_ (Quantuck Lane Press). The broadsides are funny and beautiful, and Jay's learned and enthusiastic commentary about each one is on the page facing each specimen. It is all thoroughly entertaining, and like any show advertising, the posters make you wonder if the acts are really as described. There is so much verbal and graphic hyperbole on display here that a bit of incredulity is only sensible, but still: who, if confronted by an announcement for Signor Cappelli and his Learned Cats, with assurances that after he introduces his cats to the audience, they will "beat a drum, turn a spit, grind knives, strike upon an anvil, roast coffee, ring bells, set a piece of Machinery in motion to grind rice in the Italian manner with many other astonishing exercises", who, I say, would let incredulity overcome a wish to get a peek at the show?

Let me just take the three displays mentioned in the subtitle. "Wonderful Remains of an Enormous Head" were on display in London around 1840, and it was, if the description is to be believed, truly enormous, eighteen by seven feet, and weighing 1,700 pounds. What the head was, we do not know; one observer said it was likely that of a whale, and another said it was an obviously gigantic bird, fish, or lizard. The Whimsiphusicon had one of those fanciful names showmen of the 19th century enjoyed. It is advertised on a playbill for the ventriloquist Christopher Lee Sugg in 1816. Jay says, "Sugg, like a number of early magicians, was a proponent of theatrical neologism used to entice, or more likely confuse, the public." Indeed, Sugg explained on the playbill that the device was also dubbed "The Wandering Melodistical" and was a "Pill to Banish Melancholy," but it is safe to say he didn't give any secrets away until the performance. "Death to the Savage Unitarians" is on an Argentinean bill from 1842, and does not refer to the members of the religious sect, but to the country's Unitarian political group who favored a liberal rule of law and a strong central Argentinean government. They opposed the dictator Juan Manuel Rosas, and probably the phrase was included by the publicist who had drawn up the bill to ensure it would not offend the dictator. It caps an ad for "Robert and His Wife" who did magic and juggling, including "the new trick of the ceramic plates that will very much please the spectators" and "the lovely balancing act of the two dogs dressed as a Marquesa and a Marquis."

There are scores of other playbills for acts in this beautifully produced book that shows some astonishing curiosities, well annotated by the erudite collector himself. It is full of jolly whimsy, for every act depicted is shown at its best, even though it might be promising more than it could actually produce. There is a taint of regret, here, though, on every page. As the playbills frequently remind us, the like of these productions will never be seen again. Oh, how I would love to see Daniel Wildman, for instance, the first and foremost equestrian apiarist of two hundred years ago, who rode his horse standing up while five swarms of bees covered his face, swarms which would thereupon alight on specific locations the performer designated by his command.

This is a wonderful book by a truly genius author. Also, make sure you put Ricky Jay's other books on your list. He has a great mind and his books are phenomenal!
Harry Monti
Society of American Magicians
National President 1999-2000

Joy is a wonderful speaker (I heard her speak today) and has such a fantastic energy! This book is great with easy to accomplish "nuggets" which will only make your sales and interpersonal skills grow. Definately recommend! Joy IS the spark to get you going!

Very good book worth the time to rea

Don't just READ this book-LIVE it. And make sure everyone in your company that comes in contact with customers/clients has a copy. This book could very well serve as the sales training program for most organizations-that is how practical and valid it is.

If you want common sense, real world, sales/marketing advice, this book should be up front and center in your library.

I got the book because her seminar was so good. She has an enthusiastic style that comes through in her writing. Lots of great info in a handy format.

Fortune: The Art Of Covering Business is a compendium of cover art drawn from past issues of Fortune magazine in celebration of its 70th anniversary. These covers are reproduced in full color and span the magazine from 1930 to 1950. Informatively enhanced with a Foreword by John Huey and an Historical Essay by Daniel Okrent, Fortune: The Art Of Covering Business is a welcome celebration drawing from a spectrum of artistic talents who provided visual symbols of America's burgeoning industrial society on the cover of one of the nation's most influential and prestigious magazines.

Henry Luce, the cofounder of Time Magazine, decided to launch Fortune after the market crash in 1929. He priced it at a dollar a copy (about ten dollars in today's currency value), and set out to make it the best possible magazine.

In the publisher's eyes (as taken from an advertising brochure), American business "has importance -- even majesty -- so the magazine . . . will look and feel important -- even majestic." " . . . [E]very page will be a work of art." Luce went on to say, "[T]he new magazine will be as beautiful as exists in the United States. If possible, the undisputed most beautiful."

Early staff members often later became famous poets and authors (such as Archibald MacLeish and James Agee) who worked just enough to earn a living, and then went back to their poetry. Luce found it easier to teach poets about business than to teach those who knew about business how to write.

The essays contain many rewarding stories. One of the best is how Thomas Maitland Cleland designed the first cover by sketching it upside down on a tablecloth in a speakeasy for the editor, Parker Lloyd-Smith. The original tablecloth, complete with drawing, is still mountained in the Time-Life building.

Some of the famous cover artists included Diego Rivera and Fernande Leger. In those days, the cover was independent of the stories in the issue. The cover was simply to attract attention and to encourage thought. If you remember early Saturday Evening Post covers by Norman Rockwell, you will get the idea.

By 1948, the vision changed. Luce wanted Fortune professionalized. The new concept was for "a magazine with a mission . . . to assist in the successful development of American business enterprise at home and abroad." By 1950, the artful covers were gone.

Now I must admit here that I found the covers displayed to be primarily of interest as reflecting social attitudes toward business. So I found these images to be like Monet's Gare St. Lazare, except without the appeal of Monet's technique. Frankly, the art did not move me or appeal to me except for one Leger cover. Perhaps the art will speak more to you. I graded the book down one star accordingly.

A value to me in this book was stopping to think about how much business has changed in the last 71 years, since Fortune was founded. That was "before Social Security, . . . the sitdown strikes of the thirties, . . . the creation of the SEC." " . . . [D]isclosure requirements for public companies were virtually nonexistent." As a result, companies didn't tell anybody anything. So it was a pretty bold idea to write about business. Contrast that with out information overload of data about every possible business and economic angle. What a difference!

How much time do you spend obtaining business information now? How can that be reduced while increasing your effectiveness? Perhaps, like the Fortune art, you can get an overview that will connect with what needs to be done . . . and found a great American business in the process like Fortune Magazine did.

When was the last time a bunch of 20-somethings started a new business that featured art and majesty, as Luce and his colleagues did? Aren't we overdue for some quality again?

Take in the big picture!

The history of business can be seen through the covers of Fortune magazine. One can see how business has changed from 1930 to 1950 month by month. The art work is excellent and is a historcial reference of economic and industrial changes in North America and the world. There is some interesting reading, as well.

Fortune magazine, for many years, had the luxury of using eye-catching graphics on its covers unrelated to the contents inside. This rather unusual arrangement was because most copies were on subscription to the folks who ran the nation's business and any newsstand sales were a bonus. The fact that it did not have to use its cover to compete with other magazines for sales allowed the various Art Editors to go for great illustrations from the leading graphic artists of the day.

All the covers from the first issue in February 1930 to December 1950 are shown in this lovely designed and printed book, either one to a page or four to a page (I felt the four to a page ones could have been a little bigger) and each year starts on a page with a few news items and some stats about business. The magazine's owner Henry Luce chose Tom Cleland to art edit the first issue and he came up with a rather ugly format for the covers, a double frame devise, the logo was in one and the illustration in another, I think this heavy framing design rather spoils the early covers and fortunately by 1942 it was dropped.

Daniel Okrent explains in his short introduction that cover artists were chosen for their creativity, some of the best graphic artists commissioned included Fred Ludekens, Erik Nitsche, A M Cassandre, Joseph Binder, George Gusti, John Atherton and Lester Beal. Although artists from the fine arts were also used, such as Ben Shahn, Fernand Leger, Charles Sheeler and Diego Rivera I don't think these covers work as well because their work is not suited to the constraints of commercial graphics.

By 1950 Fortune, now a very successful business monthly and making Henry Luce even richer, changed its editorial focus into a magazine that Luce said should "...assist in the successful development of American business enterprise at home and abroad." Covers now had to work harder as other business weeklies and monthlies all competed for the CEO's time and the luxury of a stunning cover image for its own sake had gone. This lovely book shows you the best of Fortune covers.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

This is an outstanding book consisting of 50 fascinating sales stories by 50 of the "World's Greatest Salespeople", with cogent comments from the author on the lessons that can be learned from each story.

These are generally short chapter,perhaps 4-6 pages each, making them ideal for a brief review or for a sales meeting. Topics cover every facet of selling, and drawn from a wide variety of fields--but with universal applicability. Excellent vacation book for a salesman. Not heavy reading, but definitely heavy return on investment. Good gift.

This book gets me going when I really couldn't give a rip. It has given me countless little ideas to use in my daily sales life. It sems to work well too. I'm now a top performing sales rep for one of the best sales forces in the world.

If you're in sales-your gonna love this book. Many of these stories are classic sales stories about achieving sales success. I believe the best way to learn how to do anything is find a role model. Find someone who has done it. That what this book does. It shows you many real life examples of what really works in the sales business. Read, enjoy and apply them into your situation. Highly recommended.

Zev Saftlas, Author of Motivation That Works: How to Get Motivated and Stay Motivated

One of Robert Shook's first bits of wisdom for salespeople is that enthusiasm is contagious. He proves this in his latest book, which crackles with his own palpable excitement for the topic of sales and the anecdotes that he's compiled to illustrate his points. He peppers his introductions with slang and cliches. Oddly, this is a plus, making the writing honest, human and real. The book is simply and concisely organized. Shook wants to entertain as well as inform his audience. We [...] recommend this book to those who are in sales, those who supervise salespeople, and those who love good business war stories.