Category Archives: Marketing & Sales

It’s ridiculous to believe that growth only comes from a big disruptive idea. Growth happens for most companies when they uncover opportunities that already exist but often are hidden by traditional beliefs about what is promising or possible. The ability to see things differently and as a result do things differently is an essential capability necessary to tap into new sources of revenue growth.

by All Ries and Jack Trout After years of working on marketing principles and problems, Al Ries and Jack Trout have distilled their findings into the basic laws that govern success and failure in the marketplace. They call these principles the Immutable Laws of Growth and there are 22 of them. This isn’t a marketing textbook replete with complex theories and case studies. Rather, this is an easy to read book containing 22 bits of business wisdom, or “laws” of common sense

by All Ries and Laura Ries “The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding” is the definitive text on branding, pairing anecdotes about some of the best brands in the world, like Rolex, Volvo, and Heineken, with ezpertise of marketing gurus Al and Laura Ries. Combining The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding and The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding, the authors argue that the only way to stand out in today’s cluttered marketplace is to build your product or service into a brand—and

by Harry Beckwith Instead of producing tangibles—automobiles, clothes, and tools—more and more businesses provide intangibles—health care, entertainment, financial services, and so on. However, according to Harry Beckwith, most of these intangibles are still being marketed like tangible products. How do you sell, develop, and grow something that can’t bee seen, touched or heard? “Selling the Invisible” answers that question by offering insights on how markets work and prospects think. Beckwith argues that what consumers are primarily interested in today are not features,

by Al Ries and Jack Trout “Positioning” describes creating a “position” in a prospective customer’s mind—one that reflects a company’s own strengths and weaknesses as well as those of its competitors. Advertising gurus Ries and Trout explain how to: make and position an industry leader so that its name and message finds its way into the collective subconscious of your market—and stays there; position a follower so that it can occupy a niche not claimed by the leader; and, avoid letting a

by Seth Godin The rules of marketing have changed. Seth Godin describes how a number of incredibly successful brands, like HBO, Starbucks, JetBlue, and Apple have created new ways to differentiate themselves from all the other companies around them. “Purple Cow” has a simple message. Be remarkable. “Purple Cow” is about the why, the what, and the how of being remarkable. Godin writes, “Something remarkable is worth talking about. Worth noticing. Exceptional. New. Interesting. It’s a Purple Cow. Boring stuff is invisible.

by Malcolm Gladwell The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Malcolm Gladwell argues that ideas, products, messages, and behaviors “spread just like viruses do.” Based on his research covering a number of different fields and industries, Gladwell identifies three key factors that each play a role in determining whether a product will launch successfully, an idea will spread or a particular trend will become popular. Gladwell’s discussion

by Michael Treacy Michael Treacy uncovers how great companies master growth each year and how all businesses can identify and exploit opportunities for increased revenues, gross margins, and profits. Treacy’s main point is simple—it is possible to grow any business by 10 percent or more, year after year, in good times and bad. He addresses the challenge of double-digit growth with five disciplines of growth: (1) keep the growth you have already earned, (2) take business from your competitors, (2) show up

by Adrian Slywotsky and Rickland Wise Slywotsky and Wise analyze companies in mature markets that have managed to achieve significant growth without venturing outside their industry or acquiring other companies. Their chief insight is that established companies with experience in their field have, aside from their core business, a wealth of hidden assets—customer relationships, technical expertise, efficient business models—that they can exploit to grow new businesses. “How to Grow When Markets Don’t” is a worthwhile look at the possibilities open to mature

by Jagdish Sheth and Rajendra Sisofia “The Rule of Three” describes the evolution of markets as two complementary sectors – generalists, which cater to a large, mainstream group of customers; and specialists, which satisfy the needs of customers at both the high and low ends of the market. Any company caught in the middle (“the ditch”) is likely to be swallowed up or destroyed. Sheth and Sisodia argue that most markets resemble a shopping mall with specialty shops anchored by large stores.