April 20th, 2008
By: Shama Hyder
Aside from marketing, all business owners need one thing: motivation. This round of book reviews covers books that I have personally found inspirational and motivating. They aren’t mainstream but fall under the category of hidden gems.
Inner Guidance and the Four Spiritual Gifts- Howard Wimer proposes that we all have some inherent spiritual gifts that serve as the foundation of our being. He also shows how to use your personal gifts to become better communicators. Great read!
The Power of Inner Guidance- Quick read with a powerful message. It takes you back to the basics of sound decision making: balance, acceptance, and inner strength. Dr. Pam Garcy has packed quite a punch in this book.
The Giving Zone- There are a lot of books out there on the power of giving, but every once in a while I will stumble upon an author who seems to be living his work. This book by Bruce Painter is a great example of that.
Talking with Giants- Scott Schilling interviews some big hitters (Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, T. Harv Eker) on what drives them. Though some questions are fairly straightforward, some you will want to earmark for future reference.
Got any hidden gems of your own? Share below!
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April 1st, 2008
By: Shama Hyder
As many of you regular readers know, I am a book-a-holic. I read voraciously and every once in a while I spot a real gem worth sharing with you guys! One of these books is Rain Making by Ford Harding. The tagline reads: Attract New Clients No Matter What Your Field. A big promise but the book delivers.
It teaches everything from how to work with media as an expert to do the dreaded….cold call successfully. This 2nd edition builds on his 1st successful edition released in 1994.
Here is a chapter list:
- Writing and Publishing Your article
- Finding a Podium
- Marketing by Mail
- Organizing Seminars and Conferences
- Getting Publicity
- A Few words on the Web
- Eliminating the Dread of Cold-Calling
- Networking: The alternative to Cold Calling
- Special Rules for Special Networks: Trade associations, Formal Networking Groups and Internal Newtorks
- Increasing Network Quality
- How Markets Structure Networks
- From Networks to Leads
- Building Client Relationships that Last
- The Sales Meeting: The First Five Minutes
- The Sales Meeting: Questioning and Listening
- The Sales meeting: Offering Your Solution
- The Sales meeting; Formal Presentations
- The Sales meeting: Handling questions and Concerns
- Team Selling
- Shortening the Sales Cycle
- Writing a proposal
- Quoting a Fee
- Turning Down Small Work
- When You Lose a Sale
- The Logic of a Sales Strategy
- Simple Strategies that can Help You Now
- Self-Marketing: Experts Make Themselves
- Market-Based Strategies
- Conclusion: Becoming a Rainmaker
Yes, you should order it now. Go here. If you have already read it, please share your thoughts below.
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December 27th, 2007
By: Shama Hyder
Not sure how to start your social media marketing campaign for 2008?
Ever wondered how to approach bloggers to pitch your product?
Want to know how to launch a successful viral video?
Then, check out this book- Getting to First Base-A Social Media Marketing Playbook. After The Launch is in no way affiliated with this book or its authors. They just sent me a copy to review, and I absolutely LOVED it. It is not quite the playbook. You won’t find 1-2-3 steps, but you will find lots of great examples and tons of information.
If you are a beginner or have dabbled in social media marketing, this book will open lots of doors for you. If you live and breathe social media marketing, you will still walk away with one or two insights that have you thinking it was well worth the price-$29.
I love how Darren and Julie (the authors) have laid our their own plans, mistakes, and triumphs for all to read. In an industry where people often like to hide their strategies, these guys are really walking their talk. I also enjoyed their witty and humorous style of writing. Let’s just say at the end of the book, I wanted to give these guys a hug. How often does that happen?
A great read for anyone interested in the future of viral and social media marketing.
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