Visual Hammer


Laura Ries - 2012
    Marketing plans, marketing slogans, marketing messages are all word-oriented with visuals used mostly for “decoration” purposes.Visual Hammer is the first book to document the superiority of a visual approach to marketing. Some examples: The Marlboro cowboy, the Coca-Cola contour bottle, the Corona lime and many, many others.But here’s the twist. A visual hammer is not enough. What a brand also needs is a verbal nail. “Masculinity” in the case of the Marlboro cowboy. “The real thing” in the case of Coke’s contour bottle, “Mexican beer” in the case of the Corona lime.It’s the two working together, a verbal nail and a visual hammer, that can create a powerful brand.Consider what the pink ribbon has done for Nancy Brinker. In 1982, Ms. Brinker started a foundation to fight breast cancer in memory of her sister, Susan G. Komen. Since then, the foundation has raised nearly $2 billion and is the world’s-largest non-profit source of money to combat breast cancer.Then there’s Aflac, the company that brought us the duck. In 2000, the first year the duck was advertised, sales went up 29%. The second year, 28%. The third year, 18%.Before the duck, Aflac had a name recognition of 12%. Today, it’s 94%. (The duck is the hammer and the “quack” is the verbal nail. It’s the integration of the two that makes the brand memorable.)Color often plays a role in creating memorable visual hammers. Tiffany’s blue box, the Masters green jacket, Nexium’s purple pill, Christian Louboutin’s red soles.So can the product itself. The watchband of a Rolex, the grille of a Rolls-Royce, the Absolut bottle, the Stella Artois glass, the polo player on a Ralph Lauren shirt.Symbols can act as hammers to visualize “invisible” products. Travelers’ red umbrella, Wells Fargo’s stagecoach, Geico’s gecko.Company founders can also act as hammers. Colonel Sanders, Papa John, Frank Perdue, Orville Redenbacher, Paul Newman.In spite of these and many other examples, why do so many marketing people work exclusively with words when the real power is with visuals? Well, words are important, too. The objective of a marketing program is to "own a word in the mind.” Therefore it’s important to find the right word as well as the right visual.The interplay between pictures and words is like a hammer and a nail. If the objective is to nail two pieces of wood together, why fool around with a hammer? Why not just put the wood together with a nail?That's the problem of marketing. Your most useful tool is a visual hammer, but the nail comes first. Unless you pick the right nail, all the creative hammers in the world are not going to help very much.Visual Hammer is a book that will help you nail your brand into consumers’ minds.

Information Visualization: Perception for Design


Colin Ware - 2000
    Ware's updated review of empirical research and interface design examples will do much to accelerate innovation and adoption of information visualization." —Ben Shneiderman, University of Maryland"Colin Ware is the perfect person to write this book, with a long history of prominent contributions to the visual interaction with machines and to information visualization directly. It goes a long way towards joining science to the practical design of information visualization systems." —from the foreword by Stuart Card, PARCMost designers know that yellow text presented against a blue background reads clearly and easily, but how many can explain why, and what really are the best ways to help others and ourselves clearly see key patterns in a bunch of data? When we use software, access a web site, or view graphics, our understanding is greatly enhanced or impeded by the way information is presented. By explaining in detail how we think visually, this book provides guidance on how to construct effective interactive information displays.This book combines a strictly scientific approach to human perception with a practical concern for the rules governing the effective visual presentation of information. Surveying the research of leading psychologists and neurophysiologists, author Colin Ware isolates key principles at work in vision and perception, and from them derives specific and effective visualization techniques suitable for a wide range of scenarios. Information Visualization offers practical guidelines that can be applied by anyone, and covers all facets of visual perception: color, organization, space perception, motion, and texture.* Major revision of this classic work, with a new chapter on visual thinking, new sections on face perception and flow visualization, an appendix on how to evaluate visualizations,and a greatly expanded chapter on color and color sequences. *New to this edition is the full-color treatment throughout, to better display over 400 illustrations.*From a leading researcher in the field of human perception who has brought together, in a single resource, all current scientific insight into the question of data visualization.

Good Is the New Cool: Market Like You Give a Damn


Afdhel Aziz - 2016
    Media-savvy millennials, and their younger Gen Z counterparts, no longer trust advertising, and they demand increased social responsibility from their brands—while still insisting on cutting-edge products with on-trend design. As always, brands need to be cool—but now they need to be good, too. It’s a tall order, and with new technology empowering consumers to bypass advertisements altogether, it won’t be long before the old, advertising-based marketing model goes the way of the major label. If only there was a new model, one that allowed companies to address environmental, civic, and economic issues in a way that grew their brand and business, while giving back to society, and re-branding branding as a powerful force for good. Enter Good is The New Cool, a bold new manifesto from marketing experts Afdhel Aziz and Bobby Jones. In provocative, whip-smart, and streetwise style, they take aim at conventional marketing, posing the questions few have had the vision and courage to ask: If the system is broken, how can we fix it? Rather than sinking money into advertising, why not create a new model, in which great marketing optimizes life? With seven revolutionary new principles—from “Treat People as Citizens, Not Consumers,” to “Lead with the Cool”—and insights and interviews from a new generation of marketers, social entrepreneurs, and leaders of such brands as Zappos, Citibank, The Honest Company, as well as the culture creators working with artists like Lady Gaga, Pharrell, and Justin Bieber, this rule-breaking book is the new business model for the twenty-first century, and a call to action for anyone committed to building a better tomorrow. This visionary book won’t just change your business—it will change the world.

Blog to Win Business: How to Enchant Readers and Woo Customers


Henneke Duistermaat - 2014
    Keep this ammo on your bookshelf if ever you find yourself in a lurch." ~ Sean Work, Director of Inbound Marketing, KISSmetrics "You could easily find 1,000 books and courses about blogging like a pro, but you won’t find a more useful and engaging one. Henneke’s book will answer every question you have, give you countless shortcuts, and light a fire under your butt to start cranking out hot blog posts. It’ll also make you hungry." ~ Barry Feldman, Feldman Creative "Henneke's book might be the most useful guide on business blogging ever written. I highly recommend it to anyone who’s blogging to promote their company." ~ Jon Morrow, CEO and Founder of Boost Blog Traffic LLC Would you like to win customers with your blog? Are your blog posts not as good as you’d like them to be? Or are you unsure what to blog about? Blog to Win Business teaches you how to write blog posts your customers love to read and share. This practical book takes you through the various elements of blog writing – from developing a unique voice to generating ideas and composing compelling headlines. This book doesn’t just explain how to write a blog, it also helps you decide what to write and how to position your blog as a must-read resource in your industry. It has been described as probably the most useful guide to business blogging. Your guide to writing a company blog This guide explains in simple steps how to write blog posts that engage readers and woo clients: Write lip-smackingly good headlines that entice people to read your posts Position your blog as a voice of authority Generate an endless stream of ideas for blog posts your customers crave to read Make your blog more engaging by describing your ideal reader Develop a unique voice to stand out in a sea of me-too blogs Captivate your readers with your blog opening Inspire your readers with your final paragraph Create a natural flow to hypnotize your readers Seduce Google to send you relevant traffic This guide is easy to read and fun. It includes straightforward advice on how to practice and improve your blog writing. Would you like to gain more readers and turn them into customers? Blog to Win Business also includes: The 5 mistakes you must avoid when defining your blog purpose How to get unstuck when your fountain of inspiration runs dry A complete editing checklist to make your blog posts more conversational The 4 rules for writing delicious sentences The 3-step formula for writing irresistible headlines This is NOT a stuffy, lengthy text book. All information is straightforward and written in plain English. Who this book is for Are you a freelancer or small business owner looking to promote your company with a blog? This book contains practical, down-to-earth advice that you can actually use.

The Little Book of Gold: Fundraising for Small (and Very Small) Nonprofits


Erik Hanberg - 2011
    Avoid common pitfalls and get tips on proven methods that work.This short guide helps new Executive Directors, active board chairs, and other key staff in charge of fundraising to learn the basics of professional and sustainable fundraising. Geared specifically for non-profits with small and very small budgets (a few hundred thousand dollars a year down to the smallest budgets).Revised and expanded in 2011!"It was a perfect primer for me as I prepare for a new role in my agency." -- Anne Maack, Child Start, Wichita, Kansas"A valuable contribution to our colleagues in the nonprofit world--especially those of us in smaller organizations that do not have dedicated fund development staff."-- Jose Martinez, Executive Director, Food Bank of Yolo County, Yolo County, California

Million Dollar Coach: The 9 Strategies That Drive A 7-Figure Coaching Business


Taki Moore - 2016
    Increase the income you earn, work when and how you want, watch your clients get incredible results...... and become empowered to live a life of massive personal freedom. Million Dollar Coach is designed to shift these issues you may be experiencing such as: • Too many coaches hit an income ceiling, and never make the kind of money (or the kind of impact) that they are capable of. They get stuck at one of the 3 plateaus: Survival, Stability or even Success • Most coaches blame themselves, and try to work on their MINDSET — But nothing changes because it’s not your mindset that’s the problem. It’s the MODEL that needs to change. • The model that you bought into when you started your coaching business is completely unscalable (Manual prospecting to get a few leads, followed by one-to-one selling and dealing with objections, excuses and stalls... and time-for-money coaching so there’s never any time for you). • For the last 5 years, the author has been working with a select group of coaches, taking them from Stability to Success and Scale. Taki Moore has a very new approach and he shares the very best of what is working for them to become a Million Dollar Coach. This book is essential reading for coaches of all types and experience-levels and is of particular value for anyone looking to start a coaching business to short cut growing pains and quickly rise to become a Million Dollar Coach.

Earned Value Project Management


Quentin W. Fleming - 1996
    In its most simple form, earned value equates to fundamental project management. This is not a new book, but rather it is an updated book. Authors Quentin Fleming and Joel Koppelman have made some important additions. In many cases, there will be no changes to a given section. But in other sections, the authors have made substantial revisions to what they had described in the first edition. Fleming and Koppelman’s goal remains the same with this update: describe earned value project management in its most fundamental form, for application to all projects, of any size or complexity. Writing in an easy-to-read, friendly, and humorous style characteristic of the best teachers, Fleming and Koppelman have identified the minimum requirements that they feel are necessary to use earned value as a simple tool for project managers. They have also witnessed the use of simple earned value on software projects, and find it particularly exciting. Realistically, a Cost Performance Index (CPI) is the same whether the project is a multibillion-dollar high-technology project, or a simple one hundred thousand-dollar software project. A CPI is a CPI … period. It is a solid metric that reflects the health of the project. In every chapter, Fleming and Koppelman stick with using simple stories to define their central concept. Their project examples range from peeling potatoes to building a house. Examples are in round numbers, and most formulas get no more complicated than one number divided by another. Earned Value Project Management—Second Edition may be the best-written, most easily understood project management book on the market today. Project managers will welcome this fresh translation of jargon into ordinary English. The authors have mastered a unique "early-warning" signal of impending cost problems in time for the project manager to react.

How to Lead in Product Management: Practices to Align Stakeholders, Guide Development Teams, and Create Value Together


Roman Pichler - 2020
    Benefitting from Roman Pichler’s extensive experience, you’ll learn how to align stakeholders and guide development teams even in challenging circumstances, avoid common leadership mistakes, and grow as a leader. Written in an engaging and easily accessible style, "How to Lead in Product Management" offers a wealth of practical tips and strategies. Through helpful examples, the book illustrates how you can directly apply the techniques to your work. Coverage includes: • Choosing the right leadership style • Cultivating empathy, building trust, and influencing others • Increasing your authority and empowering others • Directing stakeholders and development teams through common goals • Making decisions that people will support and follow through • Successfully resolving disputes and conflicts even with senior stakeholders • Listening deeply to discover and address hidden needs and interests • Practising mindfulness and embracing a growth mindset to develop as a leader Praise for How to "Lead in Product Management": “Roman has done it again, delivering a practical book for the product management community that appeals to both heart and mind. 'How to Lead in Product Management' is packed with concise, direct, and practical advice that addresses the deeper, personal aspects of the product leadership. Roman’s book shares wisdom on topics including goals, healthy interactions with stakeholders, handling conflict, effective conversations, decision-making, having a growth mindset, and self-care. It is a must read for both new and experienced product people.” Ellen Gottesdiener, Product Coach at EBG Consulting “Being a great product manager is tough. It requires domain knowledge, industry knowledge, technical skills, but also the skills to lead and inspire a team. Roman Pichler’s 'How to Lead in Product Management' is the best book I’ve read for equipping product managers to lead their teams.” Mike Cohn, Author of "Succeeding with Agile", "Agile Estimating and Planning", and "User Stories Applied" “This is the book that has been missing for product people. Roman has created another masterpiece, a fast read with lots of value. It’s a must read for every aspiring product manager.“ Magnus Billgren, CEO of Tolpagorni Product Management “'How Lead in Product Management' is for everyone who manages a product or drives important business decisions. Roman lays out the key challenges of product leadership and shows us ways of thoughtfully working with team members, stakeholders, partners, and the inevitable conflicts.” Rich Mironov, CEO of Mironov Consulting and "Smokejumper" Head of Product

A Year with Peter Drucker: 52 Weeks of Coaching for Leadership Effectiveness


Joseph A. Maciariello - 2014
    Maciariello.A Year with Peter Drucker distills the essence of Peter Drucker's personal mentorship program into an easy-to-follow 52-week course, exploring the themes Drucker felt were most important to leadership development, including:Leaders Must Set Sights on the Important and not the Urgent—a key differentiator between a subordinate and a chief. Management is a Human Activity—Process must serve people, in and out of the organization. The Roadmap to Personal Effectiveness—the importance of mission and doing the Right Things not just Getting Things Done. The critical importance of leadership succession especially at top ranks of the organization.Each weekly management meditation includes a lesson and a message or anecdote taken from Drucker's extensive body of work, as well as suggestions for further reading, reflective questions, and quick, easy prompts to help readers incorporate the knowledge they've learned into their daily work.A lifetime of wisdom brilliantly honed into a single essential volume by Drucker's collaborator Joseph A. Maciariello, A Year with Peter Drucker gives both lifelong Drucker fans and young executives now discovering his brilliance an invaluable opportunity to learn directly from the late master.

Coyote Breed


Alan David - 2016
    Praise for Alan David 'A classic of the genre.' – Tom Kasey, bestselling author of Trade Off.Alan David is a prolific writer of over 500 novels in a wide range of genres, from classic westerns, to historical thrillers. His other western novels include Fight or Die, Gun Hell, Gun Wages, Wildmen and Draw or Die. Pioneering Press is an imprint of Endeavour Press, the UK’s leading independent digital publisher. We publish new and classic westerns by authors from the US and the UK. Sign up to our newsletterFollow us on Twitter: @PioneeringPress

Accelerated Learning: How To Learn Any Skill Or Subject, Double Your Reading Speed And Develop Laser Sharpe Memory - INSTANTLY - OUT-THINK ANYONE


James Horton - 2017
    man or woman... no matter how poor your education may be today!It makes no difference how badly you did in school as a child... how difficult it is for you to concentrate today... how poor your memory may be... how much a prisoner you are of crippling mental habits... how impossible it may seem to you today that YOU could read an entire book in as little as half an hour -That YOU could flash through business and financial problems that leave your friends stopped cold - that YOU could hold an entire roomful of people ABSOLUTELY SPELLBOUND BY THE POWER OF YOUR IMAGINATION, YOUR UNDERSTANDING, YOUR ABILITY TO TRANSMIT THE SPOKEN WORD! What's The Secret? It's As Simple As This - I believe that you can perform every one of these accomplishments - and more - far easier and faster than you've ever dreamed - because of this one simple fact: I believe that your mind is working today at only HALF of its true power - simply because no one has ever shown you the right way to make every book, every article, every subject you ever wish to learn HALF TEACH ITSELF! What are some benefits you can expect when you follow this program Effortlessly remember important dates, appointments, meetings and schedules weeks, months or even years ahead without missing a single one! Make other people "Hang On Your Every Word!" Develop a perfect, computer-like memory in just 5 minutes a day! Quickly and easily double or even triple your reading speed Breeze through any test or exam Develop unbreakable concentration and focus Never experience social awkwardness or anxiety again Skyrocket Your Vocabulary - In Minutes! What will you learn? Discover advanced techniques from psychology to become a master at any skill or subject Simple methods that allow you to nail down tough information or complex concepts quickly and easily What you can do to eliminate procrastination, minimize distractions, avoid interruptions, keep your mind focused and concentrate longer, even during challenging or stressful situations Step-by-step easy-to-understand methods for turning even the worst memory into a powerful one. How to use what you learn to become SUCCESSFUL in your business and enjoy all of the benefits How you can dazzle your friends and fellow workers with your ability to absorb facts like a sponge And much, much more Final Words: This is NOT a textbook! NOT a study manual

Introducing Windows Server 2012


Mitch Tulloch - 2012
    This practical introduction illuminates new features and capabilities, with scenarios demonstrating how the platform can meet the needs of your business.Based on beta software, this book provides the early, high-level information you need to begin preparing now for deployment and management. Topics include:Virtualization and cloud solutions Availability Provisioning and storage management Security and scalability Infrastructure options Server administration

I Will Teach You Excel: Master Excel, surpass your co-workers, and impress your boss!


Joel Villar - 2016
    Many of today’s jobs require that you be familiar with Microsoft Excel. How can you become proficient at Excel when companies aren’t willing to teach you this valuable skill? This leaves many people trying to learn as they go and never quite feeling 100% comfortable with the program. What’s worse, most people haven’t even scratched the surface of Excel’s potential, even if they’ve been using it for years. If you feel this way, you’re not alone. Think about this for a second; what will your career look like in a year if you don’t take action today and improve your Excel skills? How about five years from now? Unless you take matters into your own hands things may not look much different. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, people who show proficiency in Microsoft Excel and other common office applications earn, on average, 13% more than those who don’t. For most people this could mean tens of thousands of dollars over just a few years, and this doesn’t even factor in lost promotions and job offers. Can you afford to leave so much on the table as a result of maintaining the status quo? I’ve experienced this transformation in my career and can tell you first hand how it has helped me. When I was fresh out of college and working my first accounting job my manager asked me to complete a project that involved using VLOOKUPS. I enthusiastically obliged, walked back to my desk, and proceeded to panic. I tricked myself into thinking that I was an excel expert only because I knew a few formulas, my limited knowledge only scratched the surface. I turned to a college buddy for help; Google. I eventually managed to learn what I needed, after a lot of time and energy. I’ve climbed the ladder and worn many hats since then. I can’t say that the opportunities I’ve earned in my career are solely due to my increasing Excel proficiency. What I can definitely say is that Excel has earned me more opportunities to prove myself to management than waiting for opportunities to materialize on their own. That’s why I decided to write this book. My goal is to take you from Excel novice to master in the shortest time possible. I wrote my book specifically for the busy professional, in an easy to read manner that gets straight to the point and teaches the meat of Excel. I wrote this book for you. Don’t take my word for it: "I think the writing style is helpful for readers to engage. I like that as I read the book, I felt as if I was in front of someone who was actually teaching me. I also liked the fact that the book is written in a laid back manner. I mean Excel is difficult as it is, why would you want to make it worst by adding some weird terminology to the book? Its plain, simple and easy to follow." -Eliana Pereira, Accountant I have helped many people improve their careers through Excel and now it’s your turn. Here is what you get when you download my book: -18 chapters of the most useful Excel techniques that will immediately take your skills to the next level -Practical use cases plus downloadable workbooks so that you can take what you learn and feel, first hand, how to apply those skills to real world scenarios -A FREE copy of my latest book on Google Sheets so you can stay ahead of the curve You’re at the point of decision.

Global Brand Power


Barbara E. Kahn - 2013
    A brand must be elastic enough to allow for reasonable category and product-line extensions, flexible enough to change with dynamic market conditions, consistent enough so that consumers who travel physically or virtually won’t be confused, and focused enough to provide clear differentiation from the competition. Strong brands are more than globally recognizable; they are critical assets that can make a significant contribution to your company’s bottom line.In Global Brand Power, Kahn brings brand management into the 21st century, addressing how branding contributes to the purchase process and how to position a strong global brand, from identifying the appropriate competitive set, offering a sustainable differential advantage, and targeting the right strategic segment. This essential guide also covers how customer ownership of your brand affects marketing strategy, methods for assessing brand value, how to manage a brand for long-term profitability, effective brand communications and repositioning strategies, and how to manage a brand in a world of total transparency—where one slip-up can go around the world via social media instantaneously.Filled with stories about how Coca-Cola, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., Marriott, Apple, Starbucks, Campbell Soup Company, Southwest Airlines, and celebrities like Lady Gaga are leveraging their brands, Global Brand Power is the only book you will need to implement an effective brand strategy for your firm.

Havana Tips and Tricks: Interesting Facts and Tips On Havana And Cuba (With Trinidad Bonus Section)


Mario Rizzi - 2014
    The information presented in this guide was taken from the book Real Havana: Explore Cuba Like A Local And Save Money. This book is available at most online book retailers. It offers a complete description of all the information presented below.In this mini-guide you will learn about:● Dozens of facts and tips on Cuban Culture and daily life.● Money saving tips on Cuban cuisine and dining.● Common restaurant scams in Havana.● Facts about buying alcohol, cigars and shopping in general.● Important tips on using taxis, public transportation and rental cars.● Info on biking in Havana● Booking a cheap apartment in Havana (casa particular)Plus, this updated 2016 edition includes a special Trinidad City Guide. Trinidad is one of the most beautiful towns in Cuba and one of the most popular excursion destinations for travelers. Learn how to explore this wonderful UNESCO World Heritage site for yourself, on your next trip to Cuba.BONUS: As a bonus, this mini-guide also includes the Top Ten Cuba Tip List! It’s packed with the most important information that any traveler must know about Cuba and Havana, in order to maximize their fun, save money and avoid any hassles.The Real Havana guide has all that information and much more. It has been described by industry professionals as being the #1 travel guide for information about Cuban culture. That’s why it is a bestseller and has been a trusted resource to over 200 000 travelers since 2010.About Full Compass GuidesFull Compass Guides are aimed at travelers who want to understand local customs and culture so that they can experience destinations like a local. Unlike regular tourist guides, Full Compass guides are not a list of attractions popular with tourists, and boring restaurant and hotel reviews that are obsolete the moment they are published. With our guides, you get succinct, useful information about the culture, people and geography of your destination so you have the tools and the confidence to explore on your own, experience everything that your destination has to offer, and save money.Our guides are written by experienced travelers who have intimate knowledge of both the location and the culture of the destination. They give you the exact information you need in order to make the most of your travel time. With a Full Compass guide, you will be a knowledgeable explorer, rather than just another flash-happy tourist.