Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity to purchase this management bundle for a price you won’t see anywhere else! You can purchase these books either in Paperback version for $29.95 ($9.95 savings) or eBook version for $19.95 ($9.95 savings)!
“42 Rules of Product Marketing (2nd Edition)” is a collection of product marketing wisdom and insights from forty-two experts from around the world. This book will expose you to the experience and knowledge of a group of the world’s leading product marketing experts with a range of perspectives in both consumer and business markets.
In this book, you’ll learn ways to:
Craft the right positioning and messaging for your prospective customers
Communicate with your customers in terms that are meaningful to them.
Use the web and social media to have two-way conversations with your customers
Use web analytics to understand customer interest
Work effectively with sales and sales channels to manage leads and drive revenue
Become recognized in your company or organization
Discern a prospect’s digital body language from web interactions
Understand the new rules of public relations
Best of all, it was written with the busy product marketer in mind. Each rule is kept to two pages and designed to stand on its own. The rules can be read in any order. In less than five minutes a day, you can learn from forty two of the best marketing managers in the world. Whether you are a seasoned, experienced product marketing manager or are just starting out, the “42 Rules of Product Marketing (2nd Edition)” will help you to work more effectively and produce greater returns for your company.
What they’re saying
“Regardless of your role, organization or background, you will gain new insights and ideas on how to improve the effectiveness of your product marketing activities.” Ken Horner, Vice President of Business Development, Calgary Scientific Inc.
“42 Rules of Product Marketing is an excellent compilation of easy-to-read marketing tips that cover state of the art marketing practices.” Mike Freier, President, Silicon Valley Product Management Association
“Powerful but concise book that pulls together the insights, experience and wisdom of over 40 marketing professionals with excellent advice for both consumer and business products.” Therese Padilla, President, Association of International Product Marketing & Management
What’s in the book.
Here’s a small sample of the actionable content in this book:
Rule #2: THINK BIG!, start small, move fast
Rule #8: Have Courage at Launch
Rule #10: Make Social Media a Listening Platform
Rule #21: Help Your Sales Team Communicate Your Message
Rule #: 34: Speak In The Customer’s Language
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With few exceptions, the service business is viewed as a “necessary evil”. Servicing products, after they are sold and in customers’ hands, is frequently overlooked and can be a source of customer dissatisfaction and profit loss. This thinking results in missed opportunities to convert customers into advocates and to generate significant business revenue.
If you are in the field service business, you should be designing solutions that benefit the customer and are profitable for your company. This includes developing a field service strategy, organizing the service business, optimizing field inventories, implementing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and tailoring sales incentives.
Complicating field service operations in today’s environment is the global nature of the installed base and where in the world your products and spares are manufactured. Sourcing global parts, managing the parts supply chain and the investment required are the things that keep managers up at night.
This book provides 42 essential rules to benchmark and develop a global service business. You will learn:
How to develop a profitable field service strategy and organization.
How to survey customers and drive improvement in field service operations.
The impact of poor field service on the bottom line.
What to do in an emergency.
What to consider when developing field repair inventories.
What systems and tools to consider.
…and much more.
Authors Rosemary Coates and Jim Reily have a combined 50+ years of global manufacturing and field service experience from companies such as Hewlett Packard and Cisco as well as the US Military. In addition they have worked on consulting engagements with a proven track record of amazing field service results. They offer insights and recommendations based on real-world experience.
What They’re Saying
“When does 1+1 = thousands of great insights and best practices? The answer is in “42 Rules”. The superb collaboration of two Field Service experts with contributions from their considerate network of experts has produced a definitive guidebook on how to deliver what Cusotmers want and competitors overloo. Keep this book close by as you’ll want to reference it often.”
Greg Stein, Director SanDisk Corp, Silicon Valley
“If this book had been available when I was dealing with Field Service issues earlier in the career at Donso, Formica, and International Paper, I would have slept much better at night knowing that I had answers to my questions or solutions to my problems. The 42 Rules in this book provide an insightful and holistic guide to successfully managing complex Field Service operations. Kudos to Ms. Coates and Mr. Reily for providing u s with this incredibly valuable guide. This book should be on the shelf of every Field Service professional.”
Joel Sutherland, Managing Director Supply Chain Management institute University of San Diego
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“42 Rules for a Web Presence that Wins (2nd Edition)” (also available in our marketing bundle) was created by author Philippa Gamse for business owners, executives and managers, associations and nonprofit organizations who want to understand what it takes to create and sustain a successful web presence. It’s primarily designed for smaller businesses which are not pure e-commerce companies, and that probably don’t have the resources to deploy major enterprise software solutions and dedicated in-house technical teams.
The book is about business concepts, issues, strategies and tactics for the Web. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list or review of tools, technologies, platforms, current regulations or any of the other constantly shifting parameters of the online world. Rather, it aims to provide a fast, but thought-provoking read that offers a 30,000 ft “hawk-eye” perspective on the many different considerations for an effective website strategy and social media campaign.
What they’re saying.
The rules may be less important than the examples! Some of the anecdotes are counter-intuitive and web ‘ambassadors’ will benefit simply by asking the questions implied by author Gamse’s rules.” Vint Cerf, Internet Pioneer
“A tactical and practical guide to web activities that will help you avoid the pitfalls and potholes.” Guy Kawasaki, Author, “Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions” and former Chief Evangelist of Apple.
“Philippa has put together dozens of gems to help you get more from your web presence and think more deeply about your business, your customers, and how to approach them. A must-read . . .” Dr. Mark S. Albion, Co-Founder, More Than Money Careers LLC, and former professor, Harvard Business School
“Philippa is . . . laser-focused on what works, what’s tried and true, and what simply makes sense. Just having this book on your desk will make you a better online marketer.” Jim Sterne, Founder, eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit, and Author, Social Media Metrics
“Philippa provides an excellent list of ‘checks and balances’ for those who might be too close to their own material, or too used to seeing things from only one perspective.”Darrin Johnston, Senior Vice President, Sales, Meyer Corporation[/expand]
What’s In The Book
The book is divided into four main sections:
– Management-level Issues
– Setting Strategy and Tactics
– Creating Content That Makes Connections
– Measuring Results
These 42 Rules are based on 15-plus years of consulting experience and research by author Philippa Gamse into what works at a practical level, and are illustrated with real-life examples from her clients, audiences and colleagues. Each rule also includes a set of strategic questions to help you understand how to think through the key issues, how to make your own decisions in each case, and how to assign your own priorities.[/expand]
Hear from Philippa
Listen to author Philippa Gamse discuss ‘Website Strategies that Win’ on BizBuzz, BlogTalkRadio in conversation with host Becky Cortino.
The economy is changing. Trust and value have become the new Return on Investment (ROI). Consumers are the new drivers of the market; they are in control of where, when, how and from whom they buy. To succeed in this economy you need to do it all – build relationships, establish trust and value, maximize efficiency and generate bottom line results.
In her new management book, “42 Rules To Turn your Prospects into Customers (2nd Edition)” (also available in our sales bundle), Meridith Elliott Powell draws on her 20-plus years in sales to give you a practical step-by-step guide on how to find the right prospects, build profitable relationships, close more sales and turn your customers into champions for your business. Through her experience, research and interviews with sales professionals, clients and executives, Powell has gathered valuable information that will help you navigate this change, get ahead of the curve, and succeed.
For sales people, business owners, and executives who need to know how to identify the right prospects; build quality relationships, and maximize their sales efforts, this book provides solid, actionable answers. The rules can be learned quickly and implemented immediately so you and your teams can develop your most critical skill – striking the balance between relationships and results.
Powell answers these questions and more:
How can I make sure my networking efforts are setting me up for sales success?
How do I maximize my time and minimize my expenses?
How do I handle the stress of producing and meeting sales goals?
How do I get my customers to buy my best and most valuable products or services?
How do I standout from the competition?
Author Meredith Elliott Powell, a life-long student of sales and the sales process, is passionate about helping her clients succeed. Her experience, dedication to research and her desire to listen and learn from the ultimate teacher – our customers – ensure readers gain first hand knowledge of how to Turn Prospects into Customers.
What they’re saying.
“Between the specific action steps and the simplicity of Meridith’s ideas, I found myself eager to try what I learned in this benefit-rich book. I gained ideas for my business in almost every chapter and have been effortlessly taking new steps forward with my sales process. Meridith just makes the sales process so easy!” Misti Burmeister, CEO Inspirion, Inc., New York Times Best-Selling Author, Boomers to Bloggers: Success Strategies across Generations
“Sales can seem overwhelming and scary to so many, but thank goodness for Meridith. She approaches the topic of sales in a unique way in her new book by laying out easy steps that lead to great relationships that close that deal. This book is ideal for everyone from the sales professional to the professional who never thought they would have to sell. By the time you finish Meridith’s book, you will be a salesperson with a smile.” Marquesa Pettway, DTM, Reinvention Expert, Speaker, Author, Coach
What’s in the book.
Here’s a small sample of the actionable content in this book:
Rule 2 Confidence Is Key To Sales
Rule 20 Master the Art of Listening
Rule 39 Invest in Yourself
You can register for a free book excerpt on the right side of the page. Just complete the form and we’ll email it right to you.
Watch the webcast
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“42 Rules for Outsourcing Your Call Center (2nd Edition)” is a compilation of real-life problems, lessons learned, pitfalls found, and practical approaches for planning, implementing, and outsourcing call center operations. It provides a path for companies outsourcing their first call center with a logical sequence of steps for moving an existing operation to an outsourced organization. This management book is a foundation for anyone considering outsourcing their call center. It starts by answering the question “Why Outsource,” and then guides the reader with rules from defining the project to selecting a vendor to the first go-live call.
Businesses continue to be challenged to find ways to minimize costs and maximize profits while retaining their customers with excellent service. They need to focus on customer retention and realize that running their own contact centers is not their core competence. These businesses need outsourcers that can deliver high customer satisfaction and execute cross-sell/up-sell revenue strategies.
“42 Rules for Outsourcing Your Call Center (2nd Edition)” takes the reader through the entire process from gathering requirements and setting goals, to identifying an outsourcing strategy and understanding and operational capabilities of a outsource partner. The reader will learn:
When outsourcing makes sense
How to define an outsourcing approach
What to look for in an outsourcing partner
When to determine if agents can work at home
How to craft an effective RFP
“42 Rules for Outsourcing Your Call Center (2nd Edition)” is a must-have for all call center managers hoping to improve customer satisfaction, increase customer retention and turn their call center into a revenue generating machine.
Author Geoffrey A. Best started in the computer industry in the 1970’s and has worked with call centers for over 20 years. His experience has provided him with insight into the systems and methods that companies use to operate their call centers and service their customers.
What they’re saying.
“Geoffrey has written the comprehensive resource for understanding the complexities of modern day contact center management. From customer experience design to the fundamentals of IT infrastructure, this book provides not only the right topics, but also the deeper insights required to maximize the effectiveness of a contact center operation. I highly recommend this book whether you’re an experienced contact center leader or someone that needs to quickly learn the intricacies of outsourcing.” Scott McIntyre, Chief Investigator, Infinite Green Consulting
“Geoffrey has captured the fundamentals for how to outsource a call center in a logical step-by-step process that exposes the reader to real-life scenarios. ’42 Rules for Outsourcing Your Call Center (2nd Edition)’ provides an encompassing view into what is necessary to plan and deploy a call center using a BPO and I recommend it for anyone that is contemplating this challenging task.” Nick Jiwa, Director of CustomerServ, LTD
What’s in the book.
Here’s a sample of the actionable content in this book:
Doing business in China is tougher than you think. Not only is the culture vastly different, but China’s experience in manufacturing is still developing. It will be a few years before the majority of manufacturers are up to world standards. In the meantime, quality, contract laws, schedules and logistics must be closely monitored. As a result, the things Westerners must do to be successful are far different from dealing with American or European manufacturers. The best way to quickly come up to speed on these differences and how to handle them is to learn from the experience of others. Through over 20 extraordinary executive interviews, Rosemary Coates captured the essence of sourcing and manufacturing in China. “42 Rules for Sourcing and Manufacturing in China (2nd Edition)” is a management book with a pragmatic approach that every businessperson headed to China must read.
For business people who are experienced in doing business in China, or for first-time visitors, this book will provide valuable insights from real executives and experts. These executives offer their personal experiences and recommendations about sourcing and manufacturing in China. Going beyond simple cultural do’s and don’ts, you will discover:
How business is really done
How you can make things happen in China
The mistakes westerners often make, and how to avoid them
What made these executives successful
Based on her 25 years of supply chain experience, much of it spent living and working across Asia, author Rosemary Coates has become an expert on doing business in China. Her own personal experiences in China are interwoven into this book.
What they’re saying
“Today I read ’42 Rules for Sourcing and Manufacturing in China (2nd Edition)’ by Rosemary Coates, a businesswoman with over 20 years experience in international trade in Asia. Why would I be interested in reading such a book? Two reasons:
1) Economic growth in China is exploding. It represents an abundant resource of cheap labor / materials and there is tremendous opportunity there.
2) I am currently working on manufacturing glow-in-the-dark key caps (marketed to women, so they can find their keys in their purse). After presenting RFQs to factories both in the US and abroad, it became clear that Chinese factories offer way cheaper prices, at least for injection molding-related stuff. But I also realized that there was a lot of stuff I didn’t know: and like I say, it’s worst to get screwed by not knowing what you don’t know. This book helped me realize a lot of what I don’t know.
Coates highlights the importance of understanding cultural differences between the Chinese and Americans. The Chinese culture is somewhat paradoxical, its heritage a mix of Communist and Confucianism.”
Although the government is socialist, the Chinese operate with a very capitalist mindset, valuing hard work to get ahead and extreme competitiveness. Indeed, Coates hints that many of the famous government monitoring may be for the purpose of gaining competitive advantage in market negotiations! Moreover, the socialist roots value crediting inventions to the entire populous, explaining the Chinese ethical stance towards copying and stealing ideas: why not? Coates recommends strategies for dealing with IP theft, such as having individual components assembled in different factories, and only manufacturing older product-models abroad.
Confucianism was the prevailing philosophy in China for a long time, and it helped ingrain certain values such as unequal relationships between elder/superiors and inferiors and the importance of saving face in social situations. Chinese labor management works very much like this: superiors tell the inferiors what to do, and then they do exactly that. To deviate from precise instructions would embarrass the superiors. And although China is graduating 800,000 engineers per year, they are not being taught critical thinking skills; Chinese education emphasizes rote memorization. If a young Chinese student were to challenge a teacher, then the teacher might lose face, so no asking questions.
Other implications of this culture of respect include advice to handle business cards with great respect, a recommendation to answer questions about your income, weight, and marital status, and understanding when a Chinese partner may be prevaricating: it’s likely that you will never be told “No” outright, out of concern for potential embarrassment. So if you get a lot of vague responses, be sure to politely address your concerns, without any direct accusations.
One other thing I found particularly interesting was the importance the author placed on guanxi, which roughly translates to “networking”, though I think “clout” might be more apt. Relationships in China are built on trust and business favors, and it can take a year or more before sufficient trust has been accumulated to proceed with business processes. Coates encourages consulting firms that understand guanxi well to assist you in your ventures overseas.
I also learned lots about safety and environmental regulations, acronyms for International Commerce Terms (“incoterms”), geography, relative population growth, what to screen for when evaluating a factory, and more. Really, if you are thinking of doing business in China, I recommend getting this book. Even if Coates’s perspective may be inaccurate at times (the book was published very recently, in November 2009, and even makes mention of Twitter), you will probably learn things you did not know. One last pearl: Chinese factories often have high turnover after the Chinese New Year (based on the lunar calendar), so defect rates are higher before and after the holiday; your QA process should account for potential problems there.”
– Zachary Burt
What’s in the book.
Rule 7 Expect the Unexpected—Betty’s Story
Rule 14 Find Multiple Suppliers
Rule 41 Do’s and Don’ts Are Helpful to Know
You can register for a free book excerpt on the right side of the page. Just complete the form and we’ll email it right to you.
Watch the webcast
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For 200,000 years, human beings have moved back and forth between I-Centric and We-Centric societies. Time and again, we’ve seen the “I to WE” pendulum swing. Yet, history has shown us that societies that prospered, withstood adversity, and created real and lasting advancements understood the power of Creating WE.
Currently, most organizations today operate in an “I” paradigm. In this arena, we keep score – “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine.” We are taught to control our needs and emotions because they are destructive—logic prevails. We are punished for making mistakes and we hide our thoughts for fear of losing our power or status. In a WE paradigm, things are different.
In this leadership book, “42 Rules for Creating WE (2nd Edition)” (also available in our leadership bundle) offers new insights from thought leaders in neuroscience, organizational development, and brand strategy, introducing groundbreaking practices for bringing the spirit of WE to any organization, team or cause. In the book, readers learn how to:
Shatter Old Paradigms
Understand What Moves People
Foster Integrity, Candor and Caring
Create Worlds with Words
Each of these concepts contains a set of timeless guidelines, practices and tools for becoming a WE-Centric leader and fostering dramatic improvements in productivity, engagement, and focus. Leaders who have the courage to explore these new concepts will begin to see more productive norms emerge in their organizations. They will see people working together toward common goals, energetically and enthusiastically. And that’s when the real magic happens.
“42 Rules for Creating WE (2nd Edition)” is written by The Creating WE Institute, an international group of critical thinkers with multi-disciplinary expertise, who have come together to harvest new forms of engagement and innovation in the workplace. The Creating WE Institute’s mission is bring a spirit of WE to organizations currently operating as a group of I’s.
What they’re saying.
“It took Napoleon Hill nearly 25 years to write ‘Think and Grow Rich,’ his legendary guidebook for individual success. Judith E. Glaser and her Creating WE Institute colleagues took a lot less time to write today’s greatest guide for team success, and it will soon be read by 6,200 Burberry employees worldwide.” Angela Ahrendts, CEO of Burberry
“One of the most pleasing and captivating aspects of music is the ability to identify and bring together sounds that when heard individually would appear lacking and discordant into a beautiful and complete harmony. In 42 Rules for Creating WE, leaders will learn how to listen for these different sounds and how they can use them to bring about the harmonization of their organization into a beautiful and complete WE.” Nile Rodgers, CEO We are Family Foundation; Composer; Music Producer
“42 Rules’ is a handy collection of relationship gems—whenever you feel stuck in a relationship and wonder how to get unstuck, pick up this treasure trove and find the gem of insight that provides a roadmap for getting unstuck.” Dr. Pierce J. Howard, Author, The Owner’s Manual for the Brain
What’s in the book.
Here’s a small sample of the actionable content in this book:
Rule 3 Be Selfish to Become Selfless
Rule 15 Be Consciously Contagious
Rule 30 Support Others in Recognizing Needs
You can register for a free book excerpt on the right side of the page. Just complete the form and we’ll email it right to you.
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“42 Rules for Growing Enterprise Revenue (2nd Edition)” (also available in our sales bundle) is for companies that want to matter more to the customers and markets that represent the greatest opportunities for growth. The book is based on three core premises:
Customer relevance is at the core of any successful revenue growth strategy.
Being relevant is an enterprise skill, not a departmental function
There is no silver bullet for continuous growth — you have to keep trying new things
The book “42 Rules for Growing Enterprise Revenue (2nd Edition)” by Lilia Shirman are based on proven, cross-functional initiatives that allow business leaders to identify and understand target markets, define customers’ context for purchases, and prove their companies’ value within that context. In this management book Shirman combines her own observations with lessons from business leaders at Cisco, Salesforce.com, Adobe, Citrix, and others to distill actionable strategies for B2B vendors to drive sustainable relevance and growth.
The rules cover a broad spectrum of concepts, including:
Developing relevance as a corporate skill
Finding markets where you matter
Defining and proving value
Solution orchestration
Industry specialization
Sales channel empowerment
What they’re saying.
“The core of growing any venture is deep customer insight. Lilia Shirman gives simple, powerful frameworks, practical action plans, and real world examples for putting such insight to work. This book should be assigned reading in every business and entrepreneurship course.” Tom Kosnik, Fenwick and West Consulting Professor, Stanford Technology Ventures Program, Stanford University
“Simplistic value claims won’t cut it in enterprise accounts. Don’t leave sales teams to do the hard work of proving worth on their own. Shirman inspires us to stop “crafting” messages and instead to collaborate with customers to understand how and why we really matter. And then to throw the entire organization behind mattering more.” Rick Jackson, CMO, VMWAre
“To avoid commoditization, B2B companies must constantly expand their offerings and innovate how they sell, market, serve, partner; In short, how they do business. If adding yet another product feature is no longer enough to differentiate, read this book. Shirman provides a treasure-trove of strategies for staying relevant and valuable.” Erik Frieberg, VP Solutions Marketing, HP Software
What’s in the book.
Rule 5 Build Your Portfolio of Corporate Skills
Rule 18 Ask Customers to Say “I Wish”
Rule 36 Define Your Specialization Roadmap
You can register for a free book excerpt on the right side of the page. Just complete the form and we’ll email it right to you.
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“42 Rules for Your New Leadership Role (2nd Edition)” (also available in our leadership bundle) describes practical and effective actions for you to make a strong start at your new VP, Director, or Manager job. Drawing from more than 50 interviews with respected leaders and the author’s 20 years as a strategy consultant and executive coach, these rules form the manual they forgot to hand you when you got that promotion or offer letter.
Topics in this leadership book include how to gain cooperation from your team, read the business culture at your new level, tee up smart “quick wins”, show others how to work with you, assess the business risks in your new role, make the most of your strengths without overdoing it, work around your weaknesses, use team screw-ups to your advantage, redesign your undoable job, and stay focused on your plan when everyone wants you to fight fires and solve the problems on their desks.
Let this book remind you what you did right before, help you avoid common missteps that cause leaders to stumble, and give you new strategies for acing those critical first months. Adjust what you find here to serve team needs, market condition, cultural context, your goals and your personal leadership style. Buy this book when you’re making a step up, moving to a new organization, or for your friends as they move up. This book is also an ideal reference for executive coaches, HR business partners, management trainers, executive assistants, and others who help new leaders to be successful.
Author Pam Fox Rollin coaches leaders to succeed at the next level. She specializes in helping functional leaders, especially marketing executives, who are stepping up to more strategic roles.
What’s they’re saying.
“I wish I had this book early in my career! By now, I’ve seen hundreds of people start leadership roles—from senior executives to customer-facing team leads—some starting brilliantly, some struggling unnecessarily. This book points you to the actions that make all the difference in those critical early months.” Peter Aceto, CEO, ING DIRECT, Canada
“Pam was a key partner in transforming my team from a sales support organization to one providing strategic marketing leadership. With her warm and direct style, Pam assisted me in tackling the challenges of being new to the company, new to the industry, and new to leadership level. With my reports (many of whom were also new), Pam developed their leadership skills, strategic thinking, and implementation planning. The wisdom in this slim, yet impactful, book provides new leaders a road map to success.” Gail Piccirilli, former VP Marketing, Blue Shield of California
“Pam gives us that rare gem of a book—the perfect blend of proven tactics solidly grounded in the latest research. 42 Rules for Your New Leadership Role offers smart, busy leaders the proven mindsets and practical to-do’s to make their strongest start as they rise in the leadership ranks. She also provides great tips on leading change across your organization. Refer back to the book often, and take every chance to hear Pam speak about leadership.” Sharon L. Richmond, Director, Change Leadership Center of Excellence, Cisco Systems
What’s in the book.
Rule 7 Map What Matters to People with Power
Rule 17 Pick Smart Quick Wins
Rule 24 Make Your Own Metrics
You can register for a free book excerpt on the right side of the page. Just complete the form and we’ll email it right to you.
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