Book picks similar to
The Wizard of Ads by Roy H. Williams
marketing
business
copywriting
advertising
The Science of Selling: Proven Strategies to Make Your Pitch, Influence Decisions, and Close the Deal
David Hoffeld - 2016
Unlike other sales books, which primarily rely on anecdotal evidence and unproven advice, Hoffeld's evidence-based approach connects the dots between science and situations salespeople and business leaders face every day to help you consistently succeed, including proven ways to:- Engage buyers' emotions to increase their receptiveness to you and your ideas - Ask questions that line up with how the brain discloses information - Lock in the incremental commitments that lead to a sale - Create positive influence and reduce the sway of competitors - Discover the underlying causes of objections and neutralize them - Guide buyers through the necessary mental steps to make purchasing decisionsPacked with advice and anecdotes, The Science of Selling is an essential resource for anyone looking to succeed in today's cutthroat selling environment, advance their business goals, or boost their ability to influence others.**Named one of The 20 Most Highly-Rated Sales Books of All Time by HubSpot
Accidental Genius: Using Writing to Generate Your Best Ideas, Insight, and Content
Mark Levy - 2000
That’s because inside each of us is an internal editor whose job is to forever polish our thoughts, so we sound smart and in control, and so that we fit into society. But what happens when we encounter problems where such conventional thinking fails us? How to get unstuck? For Mark Levy, the answer is freewriting, a technique he’s used for years to solve all types of business problems, and generate ideas for books, articles and blog posts. Freewriting is deceptively simple: Start writing as fast as you can, for as long as you can, about a subject you care deeply about, while ignoring the standard rules of grammar and spelling. Your internal editor won’t be able to keep up with your output, and will be temporarily shunted into the background. You’ll now be able to think more honestly and resourcefully than before, and will generate breakthrough ideas and solutions that you couldn’t have created any other way. Levy shares six freewriting secrets designed to knock out your editor and let your genius run free. He also includes fifteen problem-solving and creativity-stimulating principles you can use if you need more firepower—seven of which are new to this edition—and stories of problems he and others have solved through freewriting. Also new to this edition: an extensive section on how to refine your freewriting into something you can share with the world. Although Levy originally taught freewriting as a private brainstorming technique, over the years he and his clients have found that, with some tweaking, it’s a great way to generate content for books, articles, and other thought leadership pieces.
The Art of People: 11 Simple People Skills That Will Get You Everything You Want
Dave Kerpen - 2016
But in reality, argues New York Times bestselling author Dave Kerpen, it’s actually those with the best people skills who win the day. Those who build the right relationships. Those who truly understand and connect with their colleagues, their customers, their partners. Those who can teach, lead, and inspire. In a world where we are constantly connected, and social media has become the primary way we communicate, the key to getting ahead is being the person others like, respect, and trust. Because no matter who you are or what profession you're in, success is contingent less on what you can do for yourself, but on what other people are willing to do for you. Here, through 53 bite-sized, easy-to-execute, and often counterintuitive tips, you’ll learn to master the 11 People Skills that will get you more of what you want at work, at home, and in life. For example, you’ll learn: · The single most important question you can ever ask to win attention in a meeting · The one simple key to networking that nobody talks about · How to remain top of mind for thousands of people, everyday · Why it usually pays to be the one to give the bad news · How to blow off the right people · And why, when in doubt, buy him a Bonsai A book best described as “How to Win Friends and Influence People for today’s world,” The Art of People shows how to charm and win over anyone to be more successful at work and outside of it.
Advertising: Concept and Copy
George Felton - 1993
It covers the entire conceptual process, from developing smart strategy to executing it with strong ads—from what to say to how to say it. Part 1, Strategies, operates on the premise that the idea beneath an ad’s surface determines its success. This first section shows how to research products, understand consumer behavior, analyze audiences, and navigate marketplace realities, then how to write creative briefs that focus this strategic analysis into specific advertising objectives. Part 2, Executions, explains how to put strategy into play. It discusses the tools at a copywriter’s command—creating a distinctive brand voice, telling stories, using language powerfully and originally—as well as the wide variety of media and advertising genres that carry and help shape messages. But great executions are elusive. So Part 3, the Toolbox, gives advice about how to think creatively, then presents an array of problem-solving tools, a series of techniques that advertisers have used repeatedly to produce exceptional work. In brief, this book shows how to find strong selling ideas and how to express them in fresh, memorable, persuasive ways. The new edition features greatly expanded discussions of guerrilla advertising, interactive advertising, brand voice, storytelling, and the use of social media. Hundreds of ads in full color, both in the book and on an accompanying Web site, demonstrate the best in television, radio, print, and interactive advertising. Advertising: Concept and Copy is the most comprehensive text in its field, combining substantial discussion of both strategy and technique with an emphasis on the craft of writing not found elsewhere. It is truly a writer’s copywriting text.
How to Style Your Brand: Everything You Need to Know to Create a Distinctive Brand Identity
Fiona Humberstone - 2015
But for many entrepreneurs, creating an effective brand can be a challenge. Whether you're a start-up on a lemonade budget, or a seasoned entrepreneur planning on working with a professional, an understanding of the process is essential. In this comprehensive workbook, Fiona Humberstone will walk you through the process of styling your brand. From finding your focus, creating an inspirational vision and unlocking the power of colour psychology; Fiona will help you understand the design details that will make your business irresistible. How to Style Your Brand will ensure you get your branding right, first time. In How to Style Your Brand, Fiona shares with you the secrets behind using colour to create an emotive connection; how to use pattern and illustrations to add character and personality and how to carefully select typefaces that add a distinctive and intentional edge to your designs. We'll examine how to pull all of these elements together to create a remarkable and cohesive design that you can be proud of. I'll encourage you to think big about your business so that you develop the focus and vision to brief a designer with confidence, or feel able to create your own identity. Once you understand the principles behind styling a brand, there is no reason why you can t create something extraordinary for your business. Drawing on her experience from developing hundreds of brand identities for companies worldwide, Fiona's tried and tested framework will give you the clarity, confidence and creative know-how to create a brand identity that wins you work. Packed with more than 60 inspirational examples of some of the best brand identities for small businesses worldwide, How to Style Your Brand is more than a business book.
The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures
Dan Roam - 2008
Three dots to represent Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. Three arrows to show direct flights. Problem solved, and the picture made it easy to sell Southwest Airlines to investors and customers. Used properly, a simple drawing on a humble napkin is more powerful than Excel or PowerPoint. It can help crystallize ideas, think outside the box, and communicate in a way that people simply “get”. In this book Dan Roam argues that everyone is born with a talent for visual thinking, even those who swear they can’t draw. Drawing on twenty years of visual problem solving combined with the recent discoveries of vision science, this book shows anyone how to clarify a problem or sell an idea by visually breaking it down using a simple set of visual thinking tools – tools that take advantage of everyone’s innate ability to look, see, imagine, and show. THE BACK OF THE NAPKIN proves that thinking with pictures can help anyone discover and develop new ideas, solve problems in unexpected ways, and dramatically improve their ability to share their insights. This book will help readers literally see the world in a new way.
The Pumpkin Plan: A Simple Strategy to Grow a Remarkable Business in Any Field
Mike Michalowicz - 2012
Under such pressure to stay alive—let alone grow—it’s easy for entrepreneurs to get caught up in a never-ending cycle of “sell it—do it, sell it—do it” that leaves them exhausted, frustrated, and unable to get ahead no matter how hard they try.This is the exact situation Mike Michalowicz found himself in when he was trying to grow his first company. Although it was making steady money, there was never very much left over and he was chasing customers left and right, putting in twenty-eight-hour days, eight days a week. The punishing grind never let up. His company was alive but stunted, and he was barely breathing. That’s when he discovered an unlikely source of inspiration—pumpkin farmers.After reading an article about a local farmer who had dedicated his life to growing giant pumpkins, Michalowicz realized the same process could apply to growing a business. He tested the Pumpkin Plan on his own company and transformed it into a remarkable, multimillion-dollar industry leader. First he did it for himself. Then for others. And now you. So what is the Pumpkin Plan?Plant the right seeds: Don’t waste time doing a bunch of different things just to please your customers. Instead, identify the thing you do better than anyone else and focus all of your attention, money, and time on figuring out how to grow your company doing it. Weed out the losers: In a pumpkin patch small, rotten pumpkins stunt the growth of the robust, healthy ones. The same is true of customers. Figure out which customers add the most value and provide the best opportunities for sustained growth. Then ditch the worst of the worst. Nurture the winners: Once you figure out who your best customers are, blow their minds with care. Discover their unfulfilled needs, innovate to make their wishes come true, and overdeliver on every single promise.Full of stories of other successful entrepreneurs, The Pumpkin Plan guides you through unconventional strategies to help you build a truly profitable blue-ribbon company that is the best in its field.
Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Field Guide for Leaders, Managers, and Facilitators
Patrick Lencioni - 2002
In Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Lencioni offers more specific, practical guidance for overcoming the Five Dysfunctions--using tools, exercises, assessments, and real-world examples. He examines questions that all teams must ask themselves: Are we really a team? How are we currently performing? Are we prepared to invest the time and energy required to be a great team? Written concisely and to the point, this guide gives leaders, line managers, and consultants alike the tools they need to get their teams up and running quickly and effectively.
Let the Story Do the Work: The Art of Storytelling for Business Success
Esther K. Choy - 2017
Let the Story Do the Work shows how the art of storytelling is key for any business to achieve success.For most, there’s nothing easy about crafting a memorable story, let alone linking it to professional goals. However, material for stories and anecdotes that can be used for your professional success already surround you. To get people interested in and convinced by what you are saying, you need to tell an interesting story.As the Founder and Chief Story Facilitator at Leadership Story Lab, a company that helps executives unlock the persuasive power of storytelling, Esther Choy teaches you how to mine your experience for simple narratives that will achieve your goals.In Let the Story Do the Work, you can learn to:Capture attentionEngage your audienceChange mindsInspire actionPitch persuasivelyWhen you find the perfect hook, structure your story according to its strengths, and deliver it at the right time in the right way, you’ll see firsthand how easy it is to turn everyday communications into opportunities to connect, gain buy-in, and build lasting relationships.
The Art of Writing Advertising: Conversations with Masters of the Craft: David Ogilvy, William Bernbach, Leo Burnett, Rosser Reeves,
Denis Higgins - 1968
"What makes a great advertisement?" Nearly four decades ago, an unmatched group of five advertising pioneers first answered that question in "The Art of Writing Advertising." Their entertaining and historically compelling answers will provide advertising professionals with valuable techniques for applying breakthrough creativity and innovation in the workplace.
The Art of Persuasion: Winning Without Intimidation
Bob Burg - 1998
You would love to have that ability, right? After studying some of the most successful men and women in modern history, author Bob Burg noticed how many common characteristics these people have—and shares them all with you. One trait that stands above all the rest is their ability to win people over to their way of thinking—they were all persuasive. Each of these life winners had a burning desire, coupled with great creativity, and a total, unshakable belief in their mission or cause. The Winning principles you will learn include:Making People Feel ImportantEverything is NegotiableDealing with Difficult PeoplePersuasion in ActionWhat Sets You Apart from the RestNuggets of WisdomPresented in everyday, clear, and often humorous language, The Art of Persuasion leaves an impression on you that will last a lifetime—filled with one success after another!
The Speed of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything
Stephen M.R. Covey - 2006
Covey's eldest son comes a revolutionary new path towards productivity and satisfaction. Trust, says Stephen M.R. Covey, is the very basis of the new global economy, and he shows how trustand the speed at which it is established with clients, employees and constituents is the essential ingredient for any highperformance, successful organization. For business leaders and public figures in any arena, The Speed of Trust offers an unprecedented and eminently practical look at exactly how trust functions in our every transaction and relationshipfrom the most personal to the broadest, most indirect interactionand how to establish trust immediately so that you and your organization can forego the timekilling, bureaucratic checkandbalance processes so often deployed in lieu of actual trust.
Do the Work
Steven Pressfield - 2011
Do the WorkOur enemy is not lack of preparation; it's not the difficulty of the project, or the state of the marketplace or the emptiness of our bank account.The enemy is resistance.The enemy is our chattering brain, which, if we give it so much as a nanosecond, will start producing excuses, alibis, transparent self-justifications and a million reasons why he can't/shouldn't/won't do what we know we need to do.Start before you're ready.
Mass Persuasion Method : Activate the 8 Psychological Switches That Make People Open Their Hearts, Minds and Wallets for You (Without Knowing Why They are Doing It)
Bushra Azhar - 2017
To become a persuasion powerhouse, start by imagining the human brain as an electrical circuit with 8 psychological switches that all need to be turned on for an effortless YES. 90% of purchasing decisions in the buyer’s mind are the result of someone sparking that circuit into action. The result? People stop scrolling and start drooling because you have tapped into their deepest, darkest desires. Consumers scramble for their credit cards because you have managed to position your products, your ideas and YOURSELF as irresistible. People take to their social media soapboxes on your behalf, telling the world how much they love you. And the best part about this excuse-disarming, desire-cultivating, wallet-opening thing called persuasion is that you don’t have to be a natural at persuasion, to persuade! Here are the eight persuasion switches in Mass Persuasion Method that once activated turn you into a master persuader: PERSUASION SWITCH #1 THE PRESTIGE SWITCH PERSUASION SWITCH #2 THE BELIEVABILITY SWITCH PERSUASION SWITCH #3 THE PARITY SWITCH PERSUASION SWITCH #4 THE CURIOSITY SWITCH PERSUASION SWITCH #5 THE URGENCY SWITCH PERSUASION SWITCH #6 THE DESIRABILITY SWITCH PERSUASION SWITCH #7 THE EDUTAINMENT SWITCH PERSUASION SWITCH #8 THE RELATABILITY SWITCH This book will not only show you the science and psychology behind each switch but will also give you specific, hands-on tactics that you can use on your websites, your social media & your client communications to to hook, pull, draw, magnetize and altogether mesmerize your customers and potential customers into buying from you, above everyone else in your industry...and not just once, but over and over again.
Rainmaking Conversations: Influence, Persuade, and Sell in Any Situation
Mike Schultz - 2011
Every conversation you have is an opportunity to find new prospects, win new customers, and increase sales. Rainmaking Conversations provides a proven system for leading masterful conversations that fill the pipeline, secure new deals, and maximize the potential of your account. Rainmaking Conversations offers a research-based, field-tested, and practical selling approach that will help you master the art of the sales conversation. This proven system revolves around the acronym RAIN, which stands for Rapport, Aspirations and Afflictions, Impact, and New Reality. You'll learn how to ask your prospects and clients the right questions, and help them set the agenda for success.Armed with the knowledge of the markets you serve, the common needs of prospects, and how your products and services can help, you can become a trusted advisor to your clients during and after the sale. With the RAIN system, you'll be able to:Build rapport and trust from the first contact Create conversations with prospects, referral sources, and clients using the telephone, email, and mail Uncover the real need behind client challenges Make the case for improved business impact and return on investment (ROI) for your prospects Understand and communicate your value proposition Apply the 16 principles of influence in sales Overcome and prevent all types of objections, including money Craft profitable solutions and close the deal The world-class RAIN SellingSM methodology has helped tens of thousands of people lead powerful sales conversations and achieve breakthrough sales performance. Start bridging the gap between hello and profitable relationships today.