Business Coaching

Guerrilla Marketing During Tough Times - 4.5 Stars

I bought  the ebook "Guerrilla Marketing During Tough Times: How To Steal Customers From Your Competitors In Tough Times" by Jay Conrad Levinson some time ago but it is becoming increasingly relevant as it is clear that the economies in the UK, the US and most of Europe will be in for some very tough times in the next year or two.

Take Advice From Those Who Have Experienced Recessions

The UK has recorded fifteen years of unbroken growth since the 1990-92 recession but only yesterday Mervyn King, the Governor of the Bank said that the UK faces the most difficult challenges for twenty years.

I still don't think that people are facing up to just how bleak things could get as most economic forecasts are saying that UK growth will slow but not fall into recession. I fear they are wrong.

Many businesses have only known this golden period of growth and I know from bitter experience that they could be in for a bitter shock.

So it makes sense to take advice from someone who has experienced a few recessions so step forward seventy year old Jay Conrad Levinson.

Even more it makes sense to consult a man who has been advising small businesses on how to use low and no cost marketing weapons for the last twenty five years.

This is the very essence of Guerrilla Marketing which uses time, effort and imagination to replace money in the marketing of a business. I particularly like "imagination" since time and effort both have their downsides.

Guerrilla Marketing recognises that resources are scarce and it maximises its impact by tightly targeting the concentration of effort on where it matters most and emphasises the importance of consistency in everything you do.

Guerrilla Marketing has never been more relevant and the book "Guerrilla Marketing During Tough Times" is an essential purchase.

Let me explain why.

Guerrilla Marketing During Tough Times - Contents

1. Chapter 1: Tough Times Don't Have To be As Tough As You Think
    
2. Chapter 2: The Importance of Stressing Value
    
3. Chapter 3: Using Consent Marketing Now More Than Ever
    
4. Chapter 4: Free and Almost Free Marketing
    
5. Chapter 5: Mining Your Customer List For Fun and Profit
    
6. Chapter 6: Community Involvement During Tough Times
    
7. Chapter 7: Attracting New Business During Tough Times
    
8. Chapter 8: The Importance of Service During Tough Times
    
9. Chapter 9: Making Yourself The Talk Of The Town
    
10. Chapter 10: Online Marketing In A Shaky Economy
     
11. Chapter 11: The Freebies That Lead To Serious Profit
     
12. Chapter 12: Getting Extra Mileage From Your Marketing and Email

The chapter titles nicely summarise what "Guerrilla Marketing During Tough Times" covers so I just want to pick up on a few themes that are covered in the book.

Tough Times Are A Poor Excuse

The easiest thing would be to use the difficult times ahead as a ready-made excuse for poor performance and a justification for not taking action.

Don't fall into this trap. It could be a very expensive mistake.

A guerrilla knows that opportunity lies in tough times.

When people have a problem, they need solutions.

When people have a big problem, they need big solutions and customers are more prepared to spend to cure a pain than to chase after a gain - see Using Pain To Sell.

The future prospects for your business depend on you taking the right actions, stripping out unnecessary activities and costs that don't add value (See Difficult Decisions Made Easier for more details) and focusing in on targeted opportunities.

There Is Gold In Your Customers

This is an idea that you will keep hearing from me but I know that there are big profit opportunities sitting in your existing customers (if you are like 90% of businesses).

It's so much more exciting chasing the new big deal but by focusing on improving your policies, systems and methods for re-selling, up-selling and cross-selling I am sure that you can make much more money concentrating on the prospects who already know and trust you.

Cheap Is Often Expensive

There will be pressure on you to reduce your prices, both from your customers, your competitors slashing their prices and your own desire to give your sales volumes a boost but I want you to remember this simple slogan:

Cheap is often expensive and in tough times, you can't afford to waste money.

You know it already.

Pay a low price and you often get cheap tat but pay more and buy quality and you get something that provides lasting value.

It doesn't always work but price is often a good guide to quality.

Take business advice for example.

Do you want an adviser who costs you $50 an hour or Jay Abraham at $5,000 per hour.

OK Jay may be a bit pricey but I know because he's told me, Scott Hallman's coaching work is booming at $1,250 per hour. Why? Because his clients make many times that money back from the ideas and clear implementation guides he gives them.

Permission Marketing Matters More Than Ever

During tough times, people will concentrate on key relationships from people who have proven they can be trusted.

This emphasises the importance of regular customer focused content (not self serving sales pitches), providing great customer service and improving your referral strategies. You may not be in someone's tight trusted network but a recommender might be.

Give Before Receiving

If you are dealing with a new prospective customer, what better way to demonstrate your value and why you are different by giving - it may be helpful information, a free trial, samples or anything else that can strengthen the relationship and put the prospective customer in a position where they have gained from contact with you.

In all my dealings with clients, prospects and visitors to my website and this blog, I work hard to make sure that they gain from their contact with me."

The subtitle of "Guerrilla Marketing During Tough Times" is "How To Steal Customers From Your Competitors In Tough Times" and let me give to you.

If you pop up to my newsletter form at the top left, there is a sign up page for my newsletter. This gives you two free reports:

1. Marketing Secrets for Small Businesses - this is a primer of Jay Levinson and Jay Abraham's ideas for marketing
    
   
2. How To Win Profitable Customers Away From Competitors - the content is very different from "Guerrilla Marketing In Tough Times" but the intent is the same and I have been told by a rival business adviser that I should be charging at least £10 for it but I'm a guerrilla marketer - I give it to you free just so that you gain from contact with me.

My Review Rating for "Guerrilla Marketing During Tough Times" 4.5 Stars

I like to be stingy when I review books and a five star book has to be exceptional.

The Fourth Edition of "Guerrilla Marketing" had my top five star rating but I've knocked half a star off for this one. The 4.5 star rating is a strong buy recommendation for "Guerrilla Marketing During Tough Times."

The content is excellent and the book is well written but "Guerrilla Marketing" is a big book while this one is short.

You could argue that's an advantage. It is certainly tightly edited and there is no waffle or superfluous words.

I like books that focus on turning knowledge into action and this book ends each chapter with exercises and action steps but I did find myself wanting Jay Levinson to tell me more.

I guess this is a problem when you have so many books, You can't keep on repeating content because people would get bored but as I was reading I found myself looking back to Scott Hallman's Small Business Growth Club and thinking "Scott tells you exactly how to implement that idea."

Who Should Read "Guerrilla Marketing During Tough Times"

Jay Levinson writes for the small business owner and while he has authored or co-authored many books (with total sales exceeding 15 million copies worldwide), each is standalone and doesn't require knowledge of the other Guerrilla Marketing books.

It is not a technical read so owners of small/medium sized businesses should read, as should  people employed in sales and marketing functions.

Tough times do create unusual pressures and the book is a great way to hone your thinking.

I also believe that anyone who advises businesses needs to read "Guerrilla Marketing During Tough Times".

Remember A Guerrilla Is A Giver

I like the book very much but you may think I am biased because I am a certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach and it is certainly true that I buy into the ideas and ethos of Guerrilla Marketing so why don't you try it for yourself.

Pop over to the sales page of "Guerrilla Marketing During Tough Times" and sign up to get the first two chapters for free. Then you can judge for yourself whether you want to pay to read the rest of the book. I believe you will.

So let me end with a couple of quotes from the book

"Times may be tough for others - but tough times are golden opportunities for guerrillas"

and

"Even in the toughest of times, patience and persistence will pay off richly."

Guerrilla Marketing During Tough Times Program

A few months ago Jay Conrad Levinson put together an eight week coaching program called "Guerrilla Marketing During Tough Times". While the program has finished, I found this video of Brad Sugars interviewing Jay Conrad Levinson about the program and marketing in tough times which is worth watching although the sound quality isn't great.

The Guerrilla Marketing Association is also highly recommended.

To Your Success

Your Profit Coach

Paul Simister

Business coaching for customer focused entrepreneurs

Business Book Reviews 1

My new Business Books blog has been active in the first week with a combination of book reviews and book summary reviews.

Book Reviews

The Ultimate Sales Letter Dan Kennedy - 4.5 Stars

I review my well thumbed guide to copywriting by non nonsense copywriter Dan Kennedy.

Instant Team Building Bradley Sugars - 3 Stars

I plucked up courage to read another of Brad's Sugars books and this time it does have some good points but not enough to recommend it as a buy.

Ebooks

The Secrets Of Getting Your Bank Manager To Say Yes by Rob Warlow - 4.5 Stars

Excellent guide to convincing your bank manager to give you a loan.

Book Summaries

Success In Small Business Is A Laughing Matter Phil Johnson

Business advice with humour.

Creative Marketing Communications

Compendium of articles from the big creative agencies ran into my scepticism of brand advertising.

How To Close Every Sale Joe Girard

Hard nosed sales book from the Guinness Book of Records top salesman. Not for the squeamish who prefer consultative selling but ideal for those people tired of being walked over by prospects.

New Leaders Wanted Now Hiring Leandro Herrero

Thought-provoking and unusual book about leadership

Built To Last Jim Collins & Jerry Porras

Other people love it but I can't see what the fuss is about.

Articles

Michael Porter Five Forces Update

Latest Harvard Business Review article updates the classic with recent examples but the basic theory stays untouched.

Free Ebooks

Download these free ebooks while you have the chance as I intend to refresh the contents regularly.

Internet Marketers Guide To FREE Traffic, Sales and Profit by Raam Anand

Making A Living Off Your Blog by Terry Jett

AdSense Income Blueprint by Kurt Chrisler

To Your Success

Paul Simister

Your Profit Coach, business coaching for customer focused entrepreneurs

© Planning & Control Solutions Ltd 2007-2008 All Rights Reserved

Michael Porter Competitive Strategy 5 Stars

I have just started a Business Books blog with my fifth 5 star rated book, "Competitive Strategy: Techniques For Analyzing Industries and Competitors" by Michael E. Porter.

Competitive Strategy by Michael Porter

I believe that Competitive Strategy is an essential read for:

1. Any business adviser involved with advising clients on business development, strategy or marketing.
    
2. Any manager of a sizable business who is facing changes in their external environment.

The "Competitive Strategy" book is rightfully regarded as a classic since it was published in 1980 but unfortunately its contents are often mis-represented in other strategy books that I read.

Because Michael Porter's ideas became so popular, his became the established approach to business strategy and people tried to raise their ideas up by explaining how Michael Porter was wrong. Unfortunately some of the things I've read elsewhere just show that the authors have never read either Competitive Strategy or his follow up book "Competitive Advantage."

I will admit that it is more of a reference book, and a source I go back to quite often than a nice book to read from start to finish. It is not a problem provided you become familiar with  Porter's Five Forces which is the main analytical technique used in the book.

Click to read my full review Competitive Strategy Michael Porter

The Five Forces model has been recently updated in a new Harvard Business Review article - The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy - which I will also be reviewing on my Business Book blog but I am planning to write some guidance notes on how to put the five forces into action on this blog.

Business Books Blog

I have realised that to try to keep this Business Coaching blog focused on helping entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses to build better businesses with increased profits, I need to take some of my writing away to more specialised blogs.

I have already created the Business Development Advice blog for my reviews of business development products by other people and it is starting to attract its own traffic from the search engines.

I want to write about more of the business books, book summaries and articles that I read but I don't believe that this blog is the place to do it so I have started my Business Books blog. Some book reviews will appear on both sites in a different form (although the ratings and buy recommendations will be the same) if I believe that it is particularly important for you to be aware of a book.

I will be writing regular updates so that you have the option to read about a book that may interest you.

I am also thinking about an Internet marketing style blog to take away some of those post which will appeal to some readers but perhaps not to the majority.

Your Profit Coach

Paul Simister

Business coaching for customer focused entrepreneurs

Michael Gerber E Myth Mastery - 4 Stars

"E Myth Mastery: The Seven Essential Disciplines for Building a World Class Company" by Michael E. Gerber can be seen as the follow up to his classic The E Myth Revisited."

I was going to review his new book "Awakening The Entrepreneur Within" but after reading it, I have realised that Michael Gerber is on a voyage and I can't comment on the new book until I have explained my thoughts about "E Myth Mastery."

The E Myth Story So Far

In "The E Myth Revisited" Michael Gerber explains why most small businesses don't work as they should.

Most businesses start when someone who is working in a business has an entrepreneurial seizure and says "This is crazy. I shouldn't be working for him. I know more about doing the real work than him but he goes home with the profit, lives in the big house and drives the fancy car. I can do that."

Unfortunately the person is a technician and knows exactly how to do the work of a technician but little about the work of a manager controlling the business and managing the team and nothing about the business building skills needed to be an entrepreneur.

The technician finds a few customers but carries on preferring to do the technician's work being is busy, busy, busy with the work of the other roles piled on top but never getting done to the right level.

It's a classic case of being too busy working IN the business to work ON the business.

Meeting Sarah From All About Pies

The book starts with Sarah, the role model from "The E Myth Revisited", ten years after her business had been transformed. Only it hadn't been transformed because Sarah hadn't been changed. She was still a small business owner at heart.

Sickly, Syrupy Writing

Many parts of this book are excellent and I have given copies to clients and recommended that others buy it but I must warn you that the biggest drawback is the sickly writing style which makes the audio version of "E Myth Mastery" completely unlistenable.

Michael Gerber seems to think that he is Barbara Cartland writing bad romantic fiction. To make my point I opened the book at random and found this on the first page I tried (page 71).

"Her face was bright, flush with life, her eyes clear and excited, her smile beaming. We hugged each other like old, old friends do, and spoke each other's names..." Yuck!

There is no place for this type of nonsense in any business book that intends to be taken seriously as much of E Myth Mastery deserves to be.

Unless you want more of this rubbish do not buy the E Myth Mastery audio program because you even miss out on the compensating good stuff.

The Seven Disciplines

The good stuff is that Michael Gerber draws on the Seven Disciplines covered in the full E Myth Mastery business coaching program which costs thousands of dollars for businesses to work through with an E Myth coach. I know because I am one of the thousands of people who have bought it.

The seven disciplines are:

1. Enterprise leader
    
2. Marketing leader
    
3. Financial leader
    
4. Management leader
    
5. Client fulfilment leader
    
6. Lead conversion leader
    
7. Lead generation leader

You get the actual text from a selection of the E Myth Mastery workbooks together with details of a website where you can download the E Myth form templates to work through.

While I may not agree with everything written in E Myth Mastery, what you do get is outstanding provided you are prepared to work through it.

Michael Gerber believes in systemisation and letting the system carry the strain so that the coaching can be done by less experienced employees. This effectively means a system which helps and encourages the business owner to find their own answers across the seven disciplines. There is plenty of general business theory which you will see as I describe each discipline in more detail.

The Enterprise Leader

The real book starts on page 71 although there are one or two nuggets of enlightenment within the opening section which makes it worth quickly scanning. It also sets the scene as the conversation/love-in with Sarah continues throughout the book to introduce each new discipline.

You get introduced to the five essential skills of leadership - concentration, discrimination, organisation, innovation and communication which I can't argue with.

The Business Plan That Always Works

This is basically the heart centred plan based on fulfilling a meaningful vision rather than the head based logic of what you think your financial backers need to see.

There is a lot of sense here which echoes my own views that too many business plans are not worth the paper they are written on, let alone the hours spent preparing and reviewing them.

Pillar 2 of my Eight Pillars of Business Prosperity starts with your vision and moves it down to how you are going to spend your time taking action. 

Business Quantification

No arguments from me here either. Your Key Numbers is pillar 1 of my Eight Pillars. If you want to improve and achieve, you have to know where you are starting from and how you are performing as you try new things.

The Marketing Leader

Pillar 3 of my Eight Pillars is your marketing position in the competitive world and the discipline of the marketing leader looks at the same issues.

Your Most Probable Customer

You get introduced to customer demographics -  who, what, where - all essential to know if you are going to correctly target your most likely customers.

Customer Perceptions and Behaviour

This one section is worth at least five times the price of the book and why I spend all that money on the E Myth Mastery program. I hoped to learn more but it's all here in the E Myth Mastery book.

This section introduces you to the idea of understanding how your customers think and make decisions - the art and science of psychographics.

I have been fascinated by the idea of how customers make buying decisions and weigh up the value they receive from buying and compare it against the price they pay for more than ten years. While I have read much about customer value, this was the first time that the term psychographics entered my brain and stayed there.

As I expand my thoughts about being a customer focused entrepreneur you can expect much more on this blog about this subject but the E Myth Mastery book is a superb introduction.

I have been reading marketing books for over twenty years and achieved a distinction in my MBA because I was a swot and love reading about business. I have never seen the logical/emotional parts of the purchase decision better or more comprehensively explained.

In fact the marketing books tend to emphasise the rational side of the decision, perhaps because it is an academic subject and perhaps because logic can be measured.

It is only in the sales training books and audios that I have found the idea that customers buy emotionally.

The basic explanation of the conversation that goes on in your brain included here is excellent although I do have some reservations with where Michael Gerber takes it.

There are some profound issues here and in trying to systematise, you can lose some of the subtle nuances which make all the difference.

Basically there are various influences on the unconscious mind like people's perceptions of themselves and their situation. It defines their reality which when combined with their motivations and drives goes a long way to explaining their behaviour.

The buying decision itself is a conversation between their gratification preference (emotional desires going straight to the subconscious) and their purchase preference (logical justifications for the purchase) which are bounded by subconscious associations.

This really is great material if you want to spend a few hours trying to put yourself in the shoes of your typical customers and try and work out how they think and look at the world.

If you can't be bothered then it won't appeal to you as much but the more you try to understand, the more you confirm your theories through observation and conversation. The more you actually understand, the more your marketing campaigns cut through the clutter like a laser beam and that means better results for lower cost.

Positioning and Differentiating Your Business

As any business student will tell you, the more you differentiate your business away from your competitors in ways that customers value, the more successful your business will be.

Again the contents of this section are great.

Financial Leader

I found this section interesting from two aspects

1. By qualification I am a chartered accountant so I find money issues easy so it was fascinating to read the insights about how many business owners fear dealing with money issues because it all seems so complicated and intimidating.
    
2. Michael Gerber was in financial trouble. He had told this story before in "The Power Point" but the business that became E Myth Worldwide effectively over-traded. They thought they were doing well. The top line was growing but the cash position was desperate and at one stage it looked like the business may have collapsed.
    
   If you feel intimidated by money and the idea of talking to your accountant and/or bank manager, then I am sure that this chapter will resonate. You will find comfort that even a business great like Michael Gerber has struggled with financial control.

Getting You On the Right Path

An explanation of the financial model of the business is provided including some pricing calculations.

Maximum Cash

Critical cash control ideas.

I wrap all this up in my Pillar 1 on Key Numbers.

Management Leader

Creating A High Performance Environment

This is about building the culture of the business to achieve your vision, starting with self management.

I pick this up in Pillar 7 about leading your team together with the self management issues in Pillar 2 from vision to action.

Operations Manual

One of the ideas that Michael Gerber is most famous for is systematising the business and creating a franchise prototype, even if you have no intention of franchising. In this section he explains how to set up your operations manual.

This comes through in my Pillar 8 systematising your business.

Client Fulfilment Leader

This is effectively your operations and how you meet the promises made to your customer before they decided to buy.

Your Client Fulfilment Baseline

This is back to knowing your key numbers for your business processes connected with client fulfilment.

There are basically three processes:

1. The production process
2. The delivery process
3. The customer service process

If you buy rather than make, your purchasing process would be your production process - how you actually obtain what you sell.

The delivery transfers the value to the customer which is easy to understand for physical goods. For services, production and delivery may be combined eg hairdressing.

The client service process is everything you do above the bare minimum of producing and delivering.

I pick this up in my Pillar 6 turning one time buyers into repeat buyers.

Systems Innovation

Michael Gerber walks you through the E Myth systems improvement process which you may find basic if you have been involved in big process improvement projects but could be a revelation if you haven't seen any systematic process improvement methods.

Pillar 8 again for me, systematising your business also includes improving the underlying processes.

Lead Conversion Leader

Lead Conversion

This is basically the selling process. Marketing has produced a lead from your advertising, your direct mail, your website... but the prospect hasn't bought anything yet. This takes you through a nice simple generic consultative selling system. No complaints there from me.

On my approach, this is all about Pillar 5 sales lead conversion.

Client Re-Conversion

This deals with the persuading one-time customers to buy again by developing great relationships.

My pillar 6 here, increasing the lifetime value of the customer.

Lead Generation

Channels reaching your target market

To buy from you, your customers have to know that you exist so in this chapter Michael Gerber looks at the different ways of reaching your target customers based on where they are and what they do.

Application of Lead Generation Principles

In this section, Michael Gerber explains very concisely how you can get your message across in a ten step process.

This section on lead generation is wrapped up in my Pillar 4 Lead Generation.

Conclusion

As I have worked my way through the E Myth Mastery book I have shown you how the Mastery program fits with my Eight Pillars of Business Prosperity.

You will have seen that while the order and the way the components fit together is different. I have a preference for getting orders flowing in to make more money while Michael Gerber likes to fix the business first.

Because we seem to agree on so much you can understand why I like the core of the book and why I am happy to recommend it to clients.

The E Myth Mastery by Michael Gerber is a great resource for any small business owner looking to improve their business. It is not the whole story and effectively serves as a long lead generation technique for the full E Myth Mastery program.

I would buy "The E Myth Revisited" book first because that helps to set the scene but "E Myth Mastery" is a much more practical book, especially when you download the worksheets from the website.

I can't forgive it for the sugary text that is just too sickly for words and the book is docked one star from the five stars that I would have given it - so that is a four star rating from me. The book is highly recommended.

Just grit your teeth, pour yourself a brandy to settle your stomach, skim read the first section and the introductory sections for each of the seven disciplines and start learning how you can build a world class company.

You can buy the book from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com and I'll earn about 20p.

If you check the dotcom reviews you will see that the E Myth Mastery is certainly polarising opinions with 11 five star ratings and 11 one star ratings

Michael Gerber Is In The UK - 24 June 2008

I've announced this before on my blog but you may have missed it. Michael Gerber is making one of his rare trips to the UK in June at the DreamStart Conference at the Royal Armouries in Leeds on 24 June 2008.

Even better I have been able to negotiate a special price for the readers of my blog and email newsletter. The normal price is £99 per ticket which looks a great deal anyway to feel the special aura around a business guru like Michael Gerber. The special Your Profit Coach price is just £75 per ticket. I don't know how long this special offer will last so take this opportunity to book because I am sure the event will be a sell out.

To take advantage of this special deal, all you have to do is book the Dream Start tickets through this link and enter Your Profit Coach as the booking reference in the space provided. You will then be invoiced at the lower price.

Don't miss this chance to find out why Michael Gerber is a legend in the world of small business advisors.

Awakening the Entrepreneur Within

If you are wondering about my review of Awakening The Entrepreneur Within, I expect to publish in about a months time.

To Your Success

Paul Simister

Your Profit Coach, business coaching for customer focused entrepreneurs

© Planning & Control Solutions Ltd 2007-2008 All Rights Reserved

Michael Port - Book Yourself Solid - 4.5 Stars

I have just finished reading "Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest and Most Reliable System For Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even If You Hate Marketing and Selling" by Michael Port.

Michael Port specialises in helping service professionals (accountants, business coaches and consultants, chiropractors, realtors/estate agents...) to market themselves more effectively so that they are booked solid.

Let Me Make This Simple For You

Let's skip the blah, blah, blah and cut to the chase.

1. If you are thinking about venturing out on your own as a professional service provider, buy Book Yourself Solid. It will tell you what you need to know about marketing to become successful.
    
2. If you are providing professional services to a small number of clients but there are more hours available in a week than you currently work, buy this book. It will give you new ideas to find new clients.
    
3. If you already a successful service provider working all the hours you want, buy Book Yourself Solid. It will help you to develop more status so that your fee rates can be increased and help you to find ways to break out of the "fees for time" syndrome which can restrict your income.

What Makes A Great Book?

When I read and review a business book I look for three key things:

1. The book is well written. Check.
    
2. The book introduces me to new ideas or gives me a new way of looking at currently known techniques. The book must increase my knowledge or if it is an introductory book, it must explain the ideas clearly. Check.
    
3. The book must move me from theory into action. It is only by applying knowledge through action that your results improve. Check.

So that's three big ticks/checks for Book Yourself Solid.

You Want The Review?

I think that some of my readers like it best when I pull a book to pieces rather than be nice about it but let me explain why I believe that Book Yourself Solid is the book to boost the marketing of your professional services.

A Real Action Focus

Throughout the book you will find written exercises and links to useful resources to help you to implement the ideas.

Even better, when you buy the book you learn the password to get the 90 page Book Yourself Solid workbook from bookyourselfsolid.com. This lays it all out so that you can conscientiously work through and complete the exercises and capture your thoughts.

I recommend that you do it as you read the book and then print off another copy when you've reached the end and do it again.

It will be interesting to see what you have learnt and how the book has changed the way you were thinking about the sales and marketing of your professional services business.

You may be one of those people who just skips over the exercises in books but don't do it with Book Yourself Solid. You won't get the best out of it.

Your Ideal Client

I have blogged before about Michael Port's "velvet rope policy" and how it is up to you to decide who you want to work with.

It's a lesson that many of us have had to learn by bitter experience but professional services are a two way street. When the best coach, consultant or adviser comes into contact with the worst client, it is the worst that wins. Little is achieved and both you and your client lose out.

Some people are just not meant to work together and the sooner you accept that, then the sooner you start applying tighter acceptance criteria. You can also ruthlessly weed out the clients that are not up to standard.

They will suit somebody else so you owe it to them and you owe it to yourself to bail out of the relationship early.

Your Who, What and Why

Are you clear on your personal identity? Who you want to work with, what you do and why you do it?

For years I struggled with this because I didn't seem to fit into any nice easy pigeon hole. I'm an accountant but I'm not an accountant. I'm a consultant but I'm not a consultant. I'm a marketer but I'm not a marketer.

You see the problem?

The word business coach seemed to fit me quite well but I noticed that people didn't respond to it as well as I'd hoped.

This is partly because many people are sceptical about the word "coaching." Is it consultancy? Is it training? Is it therapy? Is it encouragement and support?

Yes, Yes, No and Yes in my case.

The problem is that pick any of the professions and describe youself that way, people get to keep their own existing mental image.

If you say you are an accountant people immediately stereotype you and commoditise you. They may even think that you are a little bit boring thanks to Monty Python.

Not good news when you are trying to show that you are different and that you are the accountant, life coach, estate agent, dentist, stock broker... that they want and need.

See "But I Don't Want An Elevator Speech" for a great video of Michael Port explaining this problem.

Becoming The Expert Authority

You market and sell professional services.

That means that you are selling expert knowledge but you probably run into two opposing thoughts:

1. It's not polite to brag about what you know. Somehow it can undermine the very professionalism that you are presenting. Proactive marketing has been difficult for many old fashioned professionals to get their heads around.
    
2. There is always somebody who knows more than you do. It is impossible to know everything so if you are a lawyer specialising in employment matters, you can't get pulled into areas outside that speciality but also you can be out-specialised.

Book Yourself Solid addresses this issue and while it encourages you to continue to learn as an essential element of your professionalism, you also have to accept what you know.

Be clear about what you know and even more important, make sure that your clients know your boundaries. There is no shame in admitting that you don't know about something. Don't be reluctant to refer work when necessary.

The Book Yourself Solid Sales Cycle

You are romancing your customers, gradually building the trust and credibility necessary to turn the relationship into profit.

The key way to show your knowledge is through information products. Perhaps you have a blog like this one because I am sure that as you read my blog, you gradually realise that I do know a bit about business. (Did you see how I ducked out the bragging issue I mentioned earlier.)

Perhaps you should have a free e-book or a short course people can subscribe to.

Whatever the mechanism, the idea is the same. To demonstrate your knowledge in a meaningful way to potential clients so that they feel that you are the obvious solution to their problems.

The Book Yourself Solid Core Self Promotion Strategies

Clients need to know that you exist so you have to find ways to promote yourself.

Michael Port devotes a chapter to each of his seven promotion strategies:

1. The Book Yourself Solid Networking Strategy - love it, hate it but it nearly always has to be done and the book gives you practical tips to allow you to network with confidence.
    
2. The Book Yourself Solid Outreach Strategy - this includes direct mail, telemarketing, email marketing - in fact anything that you do to reach out to your prospective clients and say "this is what I can do for you."
      
3. The Book Yourself Solid Referral Strategy - the core strategy for most good professionals and where most of my coaching and consultancy fees come from.
    
4. The Book Yourself Solid Web Strategy - this is an excellent chapter but then Michael Port is co-creator of Traffic School.
    
5. The Book Yourself Solid Speaking and Demonstrating Strategy - most people are terrified about the idea of speaking in public but it can be a very effective way of promoting your services. Not one I fancy particularly although I love small group training.
    
   The thought of addressing an audience of hundreds of people sends a shiver down my spine. But this chapter has made me think again. Partly because it has broken my fixed idea.
    
   Public speaking doesn't have to mean speaking to 500 people. Michael helps me to identify baby steps which are just outside of my comfort zone but not so frightening that I have a mental block and refuse.
    
6. The Book Yourself Solid Writing Strategy - this one is much more to my liking but again, I have suddenly realised that I'm not really doing much in this area apart from my blogs. I will definitely be pressing on the gas pedal here. I love to write.
    
7. The Book Yourself Solid Keep-in-Touch Strategy - so obvious but often hard to do. I use a contact management system to follow up with contacts and record what is happening and of course I have my email newsletter. You have signed up haven't you? What do you do?

So there we have it. A fairly long review of Michael Port's "Book Yourself Solid" book.

I think it is great. One of the best books that I have ever read and I wish it had been written thirteen years ago when I first started as a professional service provider. My life could be very different.

But Paul Why Haven't You Given It Five Stars?

Good question and I'm glad you asked.

Michael Port has upset me!

He has destroyed my business book review ideas but I am not giving in.

When I started reviewing these books I was determined that I was going to be firm but fair.

My recommendation is hard won and that means holding back the top 5 star award to books that I can recommend without reservation because they have changed the way I think about business and act in business.

Book Yourself Solid is great. I love it.

Well written, very easy to read, action focused and at 243 pages of content, full of great ideas and actionable advice without going into tedious detail.

But it hasn't had the chance to stand the test of time so I can't say for certain whether this is "The Beatles" and not the latest hot new thing that is the current number 1.

Is it a book that I will keep on referring back to like my 5 star review books?

I just don't know but I can tell you that I have written in my schedule to come back and reassess my grade with the current intention to upgrade the book from 4.5 stars to 5 stars on 1 April 2009.

In one year's time I will know.

My Recommendation

There are two actually:

1. If you market professional services then buy Book Yourself Solid. Here are the links to Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
    
2. Sign up to Michael Port's Think Big Revolution. He interviews all kinds of interesting people and occasionally has a Q&A session. These are all recorded and the mp3s are available for you to download and listen to at any time. It just shows Michael Port's commitment to providing value.

Michael also provides a Book Yourself Solid Coaching Program that is delivered to groups over the Internet and telephone. This run once or twice a year but the weekly schedule and feeling of accountability may be what is needed to help you to implement the Book Yourself Solid ideas.

I haven't been on the course myself but Michael works very closely with Mitch Meyerson on two other courses Traffic School and The Product Factory. I know people who have been on both these and they are highly recommended and I was extremely impressed with Mitch Meyerson's Guerrilla Marketing Coach Certification Program.

Final Words

I don't think I've ever thought this about a book before.

I wish I'd written Book Yourself Solid. That's how good it is.

To Your Success

Paul Simister

Your Profit Coach, business coaching for customer focused entrepreneurs

© Planning & Control Solutions Ltd 2007-2008 All Rights Reserved

Guerrilla Marketing In 30 Days - 2 Stars

I was really looking forward to reading "Guerrilla Marketing In 30 Days" by Jay Conrad Levinson and Al Lautenslager.

I believe small business owners need an action focused guide to systematically implementing the Guerrilla Marketing concepts.

You can tell from my two star rating that I was bitterly disappointed.

My Dilemma

I am a big believer in the Guerrilla Marketing ideas and I have struggled with this book for the last six weeks.

I had decided that I wasn't going to review it on the basis of "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" which is a good philosophy for life.

The problem is that this is the Guerrilla Marketing book I have probably seen most often in book shops in the UK.

The book looks very convincing in the shop as "A Blueprint for Great Marketing" and with complimentary feedback from three highly rated and popular authors - Stephen Covey, Jack Canfield and Guy Kawasaki, it is a compelling "buy".

The simple truth is that I don't want you to waste your money buying it or your time reading it.

My Confession

The clue is in the title.

Thirty days equals thirty chapters and I have only managed to stomach reading the first twelve chapters and skimmed the remainder, dipping in occasionally.

The writing is that bad and it is in a very different style to Jay Conrad Levinson's classic "Guerrilla Marketing" (see my 5 star review of Guerrilla Marketing Fourth Edition).

What Do The Amazon Reviewers Think?

There have been 18 reviews to date on Amazon.com and to my amazement 14 have awarded the book 5 stars so they are clearly seeing merits in the book that I don't.

I have more sympathy for the reviewer who said that in 3 months he'd managed to read 3 chapters and doesn't intend to waste his time on the remaining 27 (a three star review from a very kind man). One of the 2 star reviewers described the writing as "so bad it's uncomfortable" also struck a chord.

If You Want To Implement Guerrilla Marketing On A Tight Budget

The appeal of this book is the focus on action for people who want to move from the theory into seeing the improved results Guerrilla Marketing will bring for their business.

So as an alternative (it will cost more but yield far more benefits than a book you can't read) I recommend you:

1. Buy "Guerrilla Marketing Fourth Edition" by Jay Conrad Levinson (Amazon UK and USA)
      
2. Buy the "Guerrilla Marketing Toolkit" (also known as the Guerrilla Marketing Jumpstart Program) which is a much more practical multi-media six week program for implementing Guerrilla Marketing in your business. This comes with a 100% money back guarantee.
    
3. Commit to joining the Guerrilla Marketing Association as soon as you start seeing how well the Guerrilla Marketing ideas work. This is Jay Conrad Levinson's subscription site which is absolutely packed with great marketing resources and even gives you a free 30 day trial (at the time of writing.)

Conclusion

Turn away from "Guerrilla Marketing In 30 Days" but turn towards Guerrilla Marketing.

The quality standard has not been maintained in this co-authored book and it is a concern I have with several of the other GM books as well.

I really don't want you to get the wrong impression of Guerrilla Marketing because of one poor experience.

At its best, Guerrilla Marketing (in the resources I am pointing you towards) is a very structured small business marketing solution which is proven to work for all kinds of different small businesses all over the world.

Incidentally beware of rip-off guerilla marketing and even gorilla marketing products. The official Jay Conrad Levinson Guerrilla Marketing has two Rs and two Ls although it has taken me some time to learn to type it consistently.

To Your Success

Your Profit Coach

Paul Simister

Business coaching for customer focused entrepreneurs

Adrian Slywotzky - The Art Of Profitability 4.5 Stars

"The Art of Profitability" by Adrian Slywotzky is a fascinating little book which looks at twenty three different business models which an entrepreneur can use to build a profitable business.

What Is A Business Model

A business model is the way your business creates value for customers and captures its fair share as profit.

The best business models build their own momentum so success automatically leads to more success.

Who Is Adrian Slywotzky?

Apart from having a very difficult name to spell, Adrian Slywotzky at the time of writing this book was the thought leader at management consultants Mercer Management Consulting. A quick search on the Internet indicates that it has merged as the old website takes you to Oliver Wyman, a name I am not familiar with.

Adrian Slywotzky has written a number of books and the Mercer magazine used to be excellent and now I understand why I have stopped getting emails.

Articles from Mercer were one of the inspirations for my interest in customer value and the customer focused entrepreneur (custompreneur) although their focus is very much on the big blue chip companies rather than the small business sector.

Format Of "The Art Of Profitability"

This is another management book set in a story book form with Steve, a young executive having regular lessons from profit master David Zhao.

This makes it easy to read but I don't agree with the guidance to readers to only read one chapter per week.

You know I recommend it from the 4.5 star rating so if you buy it I favour reading the book through fairly quickly, then revisiting each business model in more detail and working with the ideas. Finally picking your preferred models and seeing how they could be applied to your business.

In my walk through of the book, I am going to look at the first four business models in some detail and then just list the titles of the next six because I want to give you a good flavour of the type of ideas you will find.

Business Model 1 - Customer Solution Profit

High acquisition and initial service costs can mean that a business loses money in the early months of gaining a new customer but profit builds consistently through the relationship.

This is basically my coaching model and especially the case when I work on a profit share basis. I invest heavily at the start of the relationship as I learn about the client and absorb that cost (when a time based consultant would charge high fees without delivering much value at that stage) but earn my profits as the success of the relationship shows through in bigger client profits.

So for this model the key question is - are you willing to invest in your customers at the start to reap the rewards later?

Business Model 2 - Pyramid Profit

Through a series of multiple offers your customers stack into a profit pyramid with a large number of customers at the bottom with small profits leading up to a few customers who contribute large amounts of profit.

This is done by selling a basic product at a very competitive price and then offering additional products and services to people willing and able to spend more.

The example given in the book is the Barbie doll where some children will just have the basic entry level product, others will buy multiple clothes and accessories and there are even premium Barbie dolls as collectors pieces for adults with an emotional connection to the brand.

Business Model 3 - Multi Component Profit

In this model, a business will sell the same product in different formats to different customers (or through different distribution channels) at different prices.

The example given in the book is Coke (supermarket multi-packs, restaurants, vending machines) but an example from my own past is a milk dairy. This business had its own milk rounds, sold milk to independent milk men and also sold to the big supermarkets.

The essence of a multi component profit business is to find different ways to package up their product to different customers to sell at different prices.

Business Model 4 - Switchboard Profits

In this business model you bring products together in unique combinations to create a profitable project. The more components you can combine, the more opportunity you have for creating something particularly special and profitable.

The example in the book is the Hollywood agent who represents stars, writers and directors and by putting together a dream package, the agent has much more bargaining power.

Business Models 5 to 10

Are you getting a flavour for the different ways a business can be designed to create profit?

Some businesses naturally fall into an imitation of one design so the issue becomes "Are you making the most of your business model?"

Here are the titles of the next six to whet your appetite:

5 - Time Profit

6 - Blockbuster profit

7 - Profit Multiplier Model

8 - Entrepreneurial Profit

9 - Specialist Profit

10 - Installed Base Profit

To find out more details about the first ten and the remaining thirteen, you will have to buy the book (Amazon UK or USA).

Who Should Read This Book?

If you are an entrepreneur, a want-to-be entrepreneur, business designer or business coach /consultant concerned with helping your clients to make more money, then I recommend you read this book.

In some ways the book is an easy read but it will reward thoughtful reflection and this is the only book I've read that looks at different business models. If you know of another, then please leave a comment.

My Reservations

I do have a few minor reservations:

1. The book doesn't move into an action phase. It gives you ideas about "what business model" to aim for but doesn't tell you how to build it. A few practical tips would have been nice but just knowing where you are going is a big plus.
    
2. Some people will just read the book, follow the story line and miss the main lessons. Just as I was commenting on Raving Fans, I would have liked to see one page summaries about each model to reinforce the important factors.
    
3. Many models won't apply to one particular business so there is a danger that a reader will be locked into a "won't work for my business" mindset and then misses a cracking idea that could transform their fortunes.

Conclusions

I strongly recommend "The Art of Profitability" by Adrian Slywotzky to you and I give it a 4.5 star rating (remember I am very mean about my 5 star ratings).

This is a book which influences my thinking about business opportunities and I've just had an idea. I'll create a little template which helps me to fit business opportunity to business model so I can keep focused.

Your business model is very much the big picture of your business. The grandest of grand strategies if you like.

Select the right business model for the right opportunity and implement it effectively and you will prosper. Work with an under-developed business model and you are making your working life much harder than it needs to be.

To Your Success

Paul Simister

Your Profit Coach

Business coaching for customer focused entrepreneurs