Sales Books

I picked up this book to assist me with a work-related project on marketing, something about which I know nothing. Having read the book, I now feel confident that I can handle the assigned task. Andresen covers all the basics and writes in a very accessible way. You can see her applying her own teaching as she writes. She connected with me via very powerful stories about succesful marketing efforts, gave me a sense that I will get a reward (professionaly and intellectually) from applying her principles, and has inspired me to take action - apply the principles to other segments of my work, not just the present task. Anyone in the non-profit sector or government who needs to influence customers should read this book. I know of many instances in the past were projects were started and everyone thought they would succeed because of the good intentions behind them. Not so. As Andresen shows, you need to market you projects to targeted audiences and do so using their values, not yours. This may be a hard pill to swallow for idealisitc individuals, but a nececssary one if you want to acheive your goals.

If I were to recommend only one book on marketing for nonprofit organizations, this would be it. After reading this book by Katya Andresen, you will think differently about how to engage your target audience. Everyone doesn't think like you (or me) and Katya does a great job describing how to get the attention and actions of others.

We all have causes. These are the good things in life that make us human and happy. Most times, we want to do the right thing for the right reason. Often this involves spending our time and talent - not to mention hard earned money - for our cause. Robin Hood Marketing presents a keen look at the moments where we make the decision that a cause is just and that it deserves our attention. What I really enjoy about the book is the lessons it teaches in sharing our passions. The most important lesson I took from the book? It is the power of telling a story. The author grabs the reader from the very first chapter. Second most important? Its not about the cause itself...its about the people who find it valuable. In other words, its not about "me"...its about "you".

The author has done a great job in distilling the marketing principles of the for-profit sector and applying them to the non-profit world. This is not a light over easy marketing for dummies book but is written by someone with real expertise and experience. That said, it is a not complex read and provides clear principles, compelling examples and great side-interviews with other non-profit marketers.
It is focused more often than not on social cause-related marketing which not all non-profits are involved to the depth described in this book. However the principles and practices described are applicable to all non-profit environments. An excellent read and a valuable resource.

The practical advice in this book, told so elegantly and supported with fascinating case studies and interviews, makes it a "must have" for every non-profit marketer. It's one of those books you highlight, turn down pages to come back to, and put front and center on your bookshelf. One of the takeaways that has helped me see a new way to connect with our non-profit's audiences: "the goal is to show targets new ways to get what they already want or value." In other words, make it easy to see how our cause connects with what they already value, not necessarily educate them all about our mission.

This book will provide multiple and in-depth frameworks for thinking about and managing services and services marketing. Adding to the frameworks are real-world examples from leading edge companies. The authors' depth of knowledge shines through in fitting these examples within the frames giving the reader insight as to how to apply each to their own particular scenario.

A very informative book, however it is easy to see that it was written by professors. The book does make basic business subjects more complex than needed.

With its comprehensive content, the book gives a fantastic overview of the important issues in services marketing today. There are many interesting and practical examples demonstrating the learning points. Well-balanced perspective. Besides giving readers the foundations of concepts and tools to use as services marketing managers, it also gives readers interesting tips on how to get around or leverage on current services strategies used by companies as customers.

As Services industries continue to become a larger and larger share of our global economy, the importance of Services Marketing can only grow. Wirtz and Lovelock have written an excellent book for understanding Services Marketing and backing it up with numerous excellent real world case examples. I have been in the Services industry for 21 years, but still learned a tremendous amount from the book and cases. The book makes it easy to grasp the key concepts and has a logical, smooth flow. If after reading this book and exploring the accompanying cases, you still don't have a thorough knowledge of Services Marketing, it is YOUR fault! I highly recommend this book and think it should be part of every MBA program.

This is such a well-written and well-organized book that you can simply read from cover-to-cover or jump into your interested chapters right away.

Not only does the authors present you with their in-depth coverage of the various services related topics, supplementary materials (papers, cases) from other excellent sources/authors make this an absolute encyclopedia of services marketing and a coherent contemporary literature for both novices and seasoned practitioners.

This is THE book for this very under-written and immensely critical topic of services marketing and an essential reading for the 60-80% of the workforce who are involved in the ever growing services sector.

Ms. Costello provided me with the information, confidence and ease to realize how important MY product is to the world. I am not selling, I'm providing a service as does Ms. Costello. In learning how to provide goods and services for others, my confidence grew as did my sales. This book is written in a charming, informative and easy to follow way. I am thankful for all this valuable information!

This book is a distillation of years of selling success! It is clear and easy to read. It inspires me to look at selling in a new and fresh way. Ms. Costello is a master in saving the soul of selling and helping the seller's in the margin! Bravo! I can now proceed with ease!

Carol Costello has written a helpful how-to book for anyone with an idea, a project, a product, or a service they hope to share. Some readers will already know Costello from her popular Soul of Selling seminars. For them this book will be a chance to review, renew, and expand on what they learned. For other readers this will be an eye-opening guidebook to selling with ease and integrity. In either case, a highly recommended book.

The principles Carol Costello lays out in The Soul of Selling shifted my vantage point about selling, freeing me to become very effective. Her approach helped me realize how important it truly is to let the world (well, my world) know about what I believe will enhance their lives. That is the inspriation. Equally important, she gives practical and doable systematic steps to implement. If you do what she says, you will be successful, and have fun in the process. Whether you are fundraising for your child's school, a professsional salesperson, or a small business owner, this book will help you clarify and achieve your goals.

Enough waiting around massaging all excuses for not offering the sale...The Soul of Selling provides step by step process notes for just doing it with ease and joy. Yes you can! You'll learn what you're ready to learn and it can be sweet in the process. I recommend it.

I believe that all of Og Mandino's books are excellent. Something in each one to touch, teach, learn. Wonderful writer. great story teller. Inspirational & motivational. Highly recommend all of his books.

This is another Og heart warming book. His books should be in everyones personal library.

This book is a typical Og Mandino book. It is a real page turner. It is very difficult to put it down. You just want to keep reading to find out what happens next.

If you have not read any Og Mandino books before, then I suggest you start with The Greatest Salesman in the World. I personally like that best of all I have read.

After you have read a few of his books, you come to expect the unusual twist that all his books contain. Even though you have a good idea of what is coming, it is still spellbinding.

The book is well written and draws you into the book. The story is great but the lessons for living wrapped within the story are even more important.

You will be moved, inspired and enlightened. You can always count on Mandino to deliver a great story with some real lessons for better living.

I have read everyone of Og Mandinos Books and all I can say is that he writes with brilliance, clarity, enthusiasm, and spirit. You can never go wrong with any of his books. He points out the path to success and motivates the spirit within to achieve all that we as human beings are capable. He helped me to tap into my innate genuis and create a life of prosperity and creativity. If you havent raed his books, start now and your journey of the spirit will begin. He was a born writer and even after his passing continues to have a great influence on many people old and young. He truly lived a purposeful and divine life. Go buy all his books and enjoy the growth and enlightenment. After that Buy my Book " Your daily Walk with the Great Minds of the Past and Present". Enjoy and rememeber you are capable of great things in your life.

I love Og Mandino and this is typical Og style. Good feel good book, predictable.

There is no other way to describe this book. It will leave you wanting more. From the very first chapter you get a sense of Ms. Turner's creative genius. As a Senior Executive I can tell you I have used some of these idea's myself. Don't re-create the world, use what has already been successful. I recomend this book to anyone who wants to Wow their customers and thier employees.

I was initially intrigued to read Tattoo by Rebecca Turner for its cover. As I turned the pages of this well written book, I was pleasantly surprised of an old idea but new way of looking at customer service. I quickly began to think of ways on how to implement some of Tattoo's ideas.

Similar to how Tattoo tells of providing great customer service that they not only tell their friends, but they insist that they try your product or patronize your establishment; I immediately demanded my friends and colleagues to read Tattoo...

It has been over a year since I first picked up Tattoo, and I have found myself on numerous occasions' re-reading some of the highlights and notes that I left on the note pages provided.

Looking forward for Turner's next book.

Tattoo is a quick weekend read and well worth your time. Turner takes us on a deep dive into what inspires a customer/client to recommend your product/service.

Prior to reading this book I had not considered writing a formal customer service policy or a credo that formalizes how I feel about my clients but I now see that these things matter. They matter because how you treat your clients matters every bit as much as the product/service you offer.

Finally, if you are a quote junkie like me you'll REALLY enjoy this book - she has found some ringers that will make your heart soar, for example: "Try not to become a person of success but rather a person of value." Albert Einstein. Awesome!

If you're looking for a book that simplifies the mystique of branding and how to use it to achieve success, read Tattoo. Turner explores success stories from the likes of Starbucks to local retailers and how they achieve loyalty for their customer dollars. Easy to ready and chock full of useful information. You'll want to keep it handy!

As an advocate for customer service and author, I have found Rebecca's insights to be right on the money!

Her thoughts especially those involving the imporance of having a "story" for companies, make the difference between success and failure.

Great work and must read!

This was a required book for my client relationships course and I found it well-written and very applicable to anyone dealing with customers on a daily basis.

Building a technology-based service business is certainly no walk in the park but Mooney and Bergheim help make that walk a little less treacherous. Follow the ten demandments of the demanding customer and you will be rewarded by those customers.

Don't be so sure your company - or ever yourself - is all that consumer friendly because after taking Kelly Mooney's self-assessments at the end of each chapter, you might be depressed. While its a cliche, it is true: the rules of engagement have changed. Today's exceptional, differentiated products and services are tomorrow's expectation and demands in the age of the well-informed, technology-empowered consumer. While not a book about the internet, Kelly Mooney's book here illustrates how the internet has armed today's consumer with more information, options and price comparisons - all at the speed of light. This is just one factor that has led to the consumer calling the shots more and more and who now just does not have needs, but true DEMANDS. And the businesses that understand this and empower their customers with the information, privacy and control they now demand will emerge the most successful. Those who do not will fall by the wayside.

Lots of marketing books are from the reference point of a business or brand forward: how to get more sales and increase brand awareness of your product. But, Kelly Mooney shows the view only from the stressed-out, untrusting and impatient consumer's vantage point. And we all are consumers who can relate to good and bad experiences. And guess what? Today's demanding consumers don't like, appreciate or trust all you have to say or offer them if they are not asking to hear it. They are suspicious of your uninvited emails or requests for personal information (a big point of discussion in this book). They want straight talk ... they hate all that fine print ("Lose it" is the recommendation) ... they want it all fast (or forget it) .... they want to consistently experience your brand the same way regardless of channel ... they want to be rewarded for their loyalty ... and they want complete control of their information and want to remain as anonymous as possible (so forget information requests that do not offer them something in return).

Each chapter is dedicated to one of the ten "demandments" - complete with a self-evaluation at the end of each chapter. As Mooney colorfully illustrates in her many examples, today's consumer wants - umm, demands that your business:
- Earn their TRUST
- INSPIRE them by your company or product
- Make things EASY
- Put them IN CHARGE of the process
- GUIDE them as they ask
- BE AVAILABLE 24/7
- REWARD their loyalty
- EXCEED their expectations
- RESPECT them as in any relationship

This is an engaging, easy-to-read book that is not a textbook monologue nor an analytical Harvard Business Review article, but really a 'street-smart' approach to serving your customers according to the "new demands on the street." It is chocked with many simple but insightful examples (termed "the voice of the consumer") that keep the flow lively and drive home the basic (but often difficult-to-master) principles. Sometimes Mooney is a bit repetitive, but some probably need that to get the points. Many companies don't realize they probably give a certain amount of "lip service" to the idea that "the customer comes first" or "without the customer, our purpose for existing ceases to exist" (haven't we all felt this way as consumers ourselves after a frustrating interaction?). But, after reading this humble, but enlightening little book, they probably will see how much room there is to improve and truly serve today's demanding consumer. So, overall, this book is a fresh, pretty different and important view point worth the time to read. Certainly the price should not deter anyone from getting it.

As my company begins 2003, #1 on the radar is our customer experience. So I was delighted with The Ten Demandments and have already begun thinking about how to incorporate several of the "demandments" into our own strategy. Easy to read, fast paced and insightful! Highly recommend.

This is the first book I've read on the topic of customer experience and loyalty that truly inspired ME! This is a lively and engaging book with a great point of view. It's written from the customer's perspective- a very interesting and refreshing twist on an important topic.

But why aren't companies doing a better job of providing the exceptional experiences the author talks about in her book? It was certainly an eye opener for me! Glad I found it when I did.

In my business as a book editor and consultant, I am always looking for good resources for clients. I have been able to find some good books on book marketing--and others on writing a good sales letter or press release. But until I read Karen's Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal, I knew of no book that gave in-depth help on design and writing. I am very impressed with the quantity and quality of Karen's information. I especially like the easy to use format. Her book is a great example of the quality of work Karen produces in her business as a graphics professional.

Barbara Munson
Munson Communications Editorial and Ghostwriting Services
www.munsoncommunications.com

As partners of clients who help make their businesses more successful, virtual assistants often have to oversee the creation of marketing material. While one option is to hire a graphics firm to do it all while the business owner remains hands-off, most small business owners can't afford this luxury.

Enter Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! by Karen Saunders. Filled with beautiful images, information-packed articles, and helpful tools, Turn Eye Appeal Into Buy Appeal is a must-have for any business owner who even thinks of creating (or getting someone else to create for her) logos, business cards, newsletters, brochures, and websites.

Turn Eye Appeal Into Buy Appeal overcomes all manner of design and print roadblocks with answers to such questions as

"What colors should I use to add 'zing' to my design?"
"Where should I start in designing my logo?"
"What will make people read my marketing piece?"
"What paper should I use for my printed marketing piece?"
"What should I say about my company?"

One of a business owner's goals is to increase his revenue. One of the best ways to increase revenue is to attract consumers through powerful flyers, business cards, brochures, and logos. Turn Eye Appeal Into Buy Appeal will help business owners be able to produce appealing marketing material that really sells.

Dawn Goldberg, CMVA, COO of AssistU. Since 1997, AssistU has been training, certifying, and referring the best virtual assistants in the world.

Karen's years of experience is brilliantly conveyed in her book "Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal." Saunders, the designer of many award winning books, gives credibility to the easy to read and implement information. It's a great resource book for anyone wishing to create any type of written material - whatever form it may take.

Barbara J. Butler - Aurora, CO
Destination Wedding Minister - Author - Speaker

I wished I had purchased this book before publishing my first book, but there will definitely be a revision after reviewing this material.

Being exposed to many business people, authors and graphic designers over the last year, I find that Karen Saunders is the "real deal" when it comes to giving relevant information that you can use.

Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal has helped and is helping me to develop my brand. Let us face it-everyone desires to turn his or her product into a sale at every glance.

Everyone wants their idea or product to speak without speaking and that is precisely what you will get when you put the principles of this book to work.

There are many out there promising to help you when it comes to developing a plan and putting it to action, but Karen Saunders delivers in Turning Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal.

My name is Walter Taylor, Jr., Minister and Author of Touchdown Love and I approve this review.

I purchased Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal by Karen Saunders last year and have found it to be an invaluable resource for designing marketing materials including counter displays, book description sheets, our own website, etc. My book is now our distributors best selling book on recreational boating, and I believe the marketing materials derived from Karen's book contributed significantly to this success.

My copy has all kinds of Post-It notes marking pages of particular interest, and lots of Hi-Liter marks, so you can tell I use it a lot. It's not just about graphics-it covers such things as writing good marketing copy, typography, digital imagery, and printing, and that's not all. Even if you hire out your graphics and marketing materials work, this will help you understand and evaluate the contractor's work. I can absolutely recommend this book to anyone who needs to develop marketing programs and materials.

Tom McEwen, author of Boater's Pocket Reference

Let's face it. Most sales people we come in contact with drone on about what they think is gonna make you buy. Wahburn and Wallace have revealed profound conclusions of what customers want to hear, based on hundreds of research questionaires conducted with customers of highly successful companies. I've been in sales for 17 years and I gave up on reading sales books because they were not helpful. This one is different. It immediately helped me improve my presentation that I've been giving for the last 11 years. I thought it was as good as it was gonna get. Wrong. I'm making more money and saying what customers want to hear. Even better, more customers are saying what I want to hear. Buy the book. You won't regret it.

I have heard of different personality types for years, how to pick them out and what to do after you know their type, but it was always so complicated. The authors make it VERY easy to pick out the personality type, then they tell you what to do with the information. They give excellent examples from their own work with clients over the years.

This is not one of those books that is just an advertisement for their consulting or their seminars. Each of the three personality types is clearly described. A simple trick is given to remember how to pick each personality type. Then many real life examples of how to sell to that presonality type. All the authors have left for you is to modify the examples to the products you are selling, modify the presentation you already use so that it targets the three personality types in 4 or 5 areas and you will be selling in a way your client likes to buy.

What if you are doing group sales with a mixture of personality types in the same room? It is covered in this book.

This book is too good and too cheap not to get and read. The contents are too easy to not put into practice.

I am a CPA and Harvard MBA and have sold sophisticated tax shelters on a commission basis for years. This is one of the finest books on salesmanship I have ever read.

It is grounded in excellent theory, yet it presents the information in a simple manner that is easy to understand AND easy to implement.

The book focuses on two areas:

1) Know where your customer is in the buying cycle. a)Is he committed to do something yet, or not. b)Is this a repeat of a prior purchase or not? c)Is he evaluating alternatives? d)From whom will he buy the product or service selected? e)Is the price right?

2) Different personality types buy in different manners. The book describes three types. a)Commander (take-charge, action-oriented leaders) b)Thinker (logical, analyze details, and like knowing the answers), and c) Visualizer (practical, intuitive, see things as they are).

A buyer is interested in certain information at each STAGE in the buying cycle. Additionally, each personality prefers to receive their information in a different manner. By recognizing the buying stage and the personality of the buyer you are trying to persuade, you can choose the most compelling arguments to make every time. This will avoid 90% of the turn-downs other salespeople get when trying to close a sale.

I have read other books classifying personalities into 9 or 16 types. Other authors define 8 or 11 stages of a sale. By using 5 stages in their DREAM sales cycle, and 3 personality types, I think Washburn and Wallace have done salespeople a GREAT service. These categories are well defined, easy to identify, and easily utilized to increase sales with their strategies.

Readers looking for more advanced strategies in these areas can try Kerry Johnson's "Sales Magic" and "Selling the Way Your Customer Buys" by Marvin Sadovsky and Jon Caswell. However, I feel Washburn & Wallace's "Why People Don't Buy Things" has the ideal mix of quality content which works, is easily digested, and implementable. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Great book on why we sometimes let the big one slip away. Full of ideas and case studies to help anyone selling anything to better position their product/services and ultimately sell more.

I refer to this book on a regular basis to train my sales force. It reinforces what we have been working on for several years AND the results are there. Great job Harry and Kim.

Wonderful Ways to Love a Child
I wish I had this book when my children were growing up. I bought this for my daughter when she had her first daughter. It is a great reference manual with good suggestions for any parent on ways to guide your child as he or she grows up to be a well-balance, loving, child, - adult, and at the same time develop a close relationship with them.

Ms Ford. will stress the same point over and over again from very different angles. If you want your raise your kid as a responsible, caring, inquiring, loving and lovable adult, you shall not use fear, cohersion and guilt as the tools of your education. Chances are that you will fail in a big way.

Rembember that children are independt beings who need your support and guidance, not your control. Be open to what they came to teach you and both will benefit in ways which no words can precisely define, since they will take you to the world of the spirit.

The author makes sure that every parent who reads this book mustr a clear understanding that feeling love is not enough you MUST express it.

Many years ago when my children were in pre-school I bought your book.
When the kids were toddlers and I was tired and feeling swamped and

cranky, it helped remind me what was important and what was not. My
kids are in 8th, 6th and 4th grade now and life is busy and fun. I
pulled your book off of the shelf to find a quote for a friend and found
myself re-reading many of the stories. Your book centers me and sort of
re-sets my attitude toward parenting. Your stories are concise and
insightful; I appreciate your sense of family and fun. Just wanted to
say thanks for the times when your book has helped me.

Can you combine love and wisdom and deep insight while writing in a simple, inspiring style? Judy Ford has written "Wonderful Ways to Love a Child" in such a direct way that you feel warmed by her words at the same time you are inspired by them. I am so grateful that this book was written.

Jay Schlechter, PhD Author of Intimate Friends: An Antidote to Loneliness.

I wish I had read this 'gift' book before I spent so much money on all the other parenting books that I have bought. These little stories/anecdotes/lessons are very helpful reminders in aiding me to be a mindful, caring parent in this world full of distractions. I have just purchased this for all my mommy friends as a Mother's Day gift. I plan to keep this on my bedside table to read a new chapter everynight to remind me to provide loving, attentive companionship to my daughter. The stories are short and well written - even my husband with his very short attention span finds them wonderful.

I'm from Southeastern MA. I've actually met people who Mr. Tasca Sr worked for as a grease mechanic in his youth. And I've seen his church, St Rocco, in Johnston RI. Never met Mr. Tasca nor had the chance to buy from him, although his Ford/Lincoln dealership hours, and how you are threated hold true to the narrative. Folks who know him can vouch he's a stickler for getting things right.

I've practiced the concepts, as much as my employers afforded me to at various occasions . I will tell you some of his decisions are empowering, and do deliver satisfaction. His emphasis on efficiency has a lot to do with deliverying total satisfaction since you can only afford to provide satisfaction if you are efficiency oriented.

As an attestment to his sucess, his new store in Cranston, RI, and his Volvo store in Seekonk, MA are something worth looking into, in stark contrast with other failed Ford franchisees around the area ( I won't mention names in fairness to other franchisees ).

Tony

I am currently experiencing poor customer service from my local Ford dealership and from the parent company, Ford of Canada. I won't go into specifics but it involves a warranty claim that is dragging on for almost 4 months now. That said, I read Bob Tasca's book, and I only wish that the current bureaucracy at Ford be locked into a room, be forced to read this book, and then be forced to implement Mr Tasca's methods. The Ford Motor Company is losing a record amount of dollars and it's market share is plummeting, all because of lack of attention to customer service. Indeed, I would state they appear to hold their customers in contempt. "You Will Be Satisfied" is not a book about rocket science; rather, it is a book about common sense and a moral obligation to do the best one can for the customer. Mr Tasca values his customers and will go out of his way to earn their future business. Suffice to say, Ford in 2007 is seemingly doing all it can to alienate it's once loyal customers, and it deserves to be in the dire situation it is now in.

Most of the book is informative and understandable. However, I wish there was some more statistics and less "trust me" behind the buy versus lease question. Not all lease buyers can write off lease costs, for example.

This book opens our eyes. Sure, we feel that we know what we should be doing. Many times we are right in our hunches. Yet, we still do not always do what needs to be done. Instead, out of either laziness or taking the easy road, we fail because it is so easy to do so. Besides, the customer will always walk in the door. Right? As this book reminds us, the customer may never be back. It is in the insight of a professioanl like Tasca that we are reminded of wehat we may already know. Again, our implementation of these rules which he explains simply, we will achieve. Another book I encourage is "Cars and People: How to Put the Two Together."

After the owner of our store read the book all employees read it . Then the owner flew to meet Mr Tasca at his store ,he spent 3 days there, wa sgiven the tour of his store, he spent quite a bit of time meeting with Mr Tasca and his sons talking about his philosophy and way of doing business .What a place !! upon returning we have instatuted The same 7 day return policy that Mr Tasca has as well as putting 3month 3000 mile waranties on our cars.it took some faith in our selves and our business to go all the way but we have and we have not regreted it one bit,, Great Book