One of my goals for 2011 is to read more. Never did I think that I would finish two books in the first two weeks, and be about a third of the way through a third read! Needless to say I've lost quite a bit of sleep over these books, staying up late to devour them before I fall asleep.
And so I've decided to create a new blog series called Book Worm. I would say that I have recently rediscovered my joy of reading and know a lot of you out there also share the same addiction to books. I thought that I would create a sort of book review after finishing each book as way to look back and reflect on my impressions of each read. Nerdy you may say, but I can't help it. I love reviewing, dissecting and analyzing.
The first book book in this series is All Marketers Are Liars. (*as a side note, not all the books will be related to business, it's just the first one I picked up:))
My sister in law got me this book for Christmas. Immediately after I opened it, she asked me if it was the right book, she wasn't too sure about the title. I don't think I even answered her before I started to dive right in.
There is nothing ground breaking in this book but yet it's written in a way that makes you stop, think and reevaluate how you are marketing. He challenges his reader to figure out what they want to sell, find a group of people that have a "need" for that product or service, and then to create an authentic story around that product or service that, basically, makes the customer fall in love.
He has recently retitled this book All Marketers Tell Stories and I think that is probably a better indicator of what's inside this book. I've been most challenged to think about what I am trying to convey to clients and potential clients. My tag line is Capturing Real Moments For Romantics At Heart. Is everything I am doing reflecting this? From first client interactions down to the tiniest marketing detail, am I telling a consistent story about romance and moments? What do my clients feel when they visit the website? What are their first impressions of me at our initial meetings. Every detail counts and should reflect the story I am creating.
I would definitely recommend this book to business owners out there! It's full of great anecdotes about companies and products. I found myself watching commercials and commenting to myself about the exact story they were trying to tell and who they were selling to. (You'll start to see marketing a little bit differently:))
Here's the important part, Godin realizes that marketers can play dirty and while he acknowledges this in the book he encourages marketers to be authentic. Tell real and authentic stories to your customers. Can you live up to the story you are creating for your clients? Is that story based in reality or is it just a gimmick to get people in the door?
I could probably go on and on, but instead I suggest that you go out and read this book. And after you're done, let me know what you think! (*And if you have read this book before, what did you think? Did you agree with Godin?*) I'd love to hear your thoughts!