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"Beyond Buzz" ... Time to Rethink Marketing?
"What was the book about, Daddy?" I put down Beyond Buzz: The Next Generation of Word-of-Mouth Marketing, looked at my young son's big, expectant brown eyes, and realized I needed to think quick. "Well," I said, "you want to run a lemonade stand, right?" He nodded. "To sell lots of lemonade, you have to talk to people first. Ask them questions about how sweet they like lemonade, or how sour, or whether they like lots of ice cubes or none." He smiled and nodded understandingly. "So it's about making money, right?" I just laughed and we went downstairs to play catch.
In a way, my son is right. To be successful in business, you need happy customers who you listen to. Make them happy, meet their needs and exceed their expectations, and they'll be your customers for a long time.
It's sounds so simple (even to a seven-year old), but the truth is, it's hard to do. People are tough to please. Their needs and preferences change often. A successful product or service today has no guarantees for tomorrow -- think about Iomega Zip drives. They scrutinize mercilessly, talk to each other about what hot and what's not, and research like mad on the Web. If you're not prepared or aware of the new business reality, watch out.
That's why I enjoyed reading Lois Kelly's book so much. So many "business" books are fun to read, illuminating, and tell marvelous stories, but sometimes I wonder what it really means to me, and how I can apply concepts and ideas to my job.
Lois manages to do both -- she skillfully uses stories, metaphors, and practical advice to get you thinking about how to stop talking "at" customers, and start meaningful, productive conversations with them instead.
I'm relatively new to marketing, having spent much of my career in R&D roles. I'm beginning to appreciate that this may be to my advantage. I don't have any bad habits to unlearn! Lois writes about the many-to-many "talk" culture that marketers and leaders need to adopt to attract and keep customers. What better way to stay interested and engaged than through a conversation? This is a big shift for people use to building massive, one-way Web channels, and it's probably terrifying for some.
Lois gives examples of how companies and people are adapting, and she can help you make this change too. Start with developing a point-of-view that "sets you apart, speeds understanding, and provokes conversation." She follows this up with introspection -- tapping into core values and beliefs of the company (the CEO can help here), really listening to your customers, uncovering talk-worthy ideas, and much more.
My copy of Beyond Buzz has sprouted little green and yellow post-it notes. Like a seed, Lois' book has planted powerful ideas and questions, that will grow and add to my understanding, and change my perspective over time.
In a way, my son is right. To be successful in business, you need happy customers who you listen to. Make them happy, meet their needs and exceed their expectations, and they'll be your customers for a long time.
It's sounds so simple (even to a seven-year old), but the truth is, it's hard to do. People are tough to please. Their needs and preferences change often. A successful product or service today has no guarantees for tomorrow -- think about Iomega Zip drives. They scrutinize mercilessly, talk to each other about what hot and what's not, and research like mad on the Web. If you're not prepared or aware of the new business reality, watch out.
That's why I enjoyed reading Lois Kelly's book so much. So many "business" books are fun to read, illuminating, and tell marvelous stories, but sometimes I wonder what it really means to me, and how I can apply concepts and ideas to my job.
Lois manages to do both -- she skillfully uses stories, metaphors, and practical advice to get you thinking about how to stop talking "at" customers, and start meaningful, productive conversations with them instead.
I'm relatively new to marketing, having spent much of my career in R&D roles. I'm beginning to appreciate that this may be to my advantage. I don't have any bad habits to unlearn! Lois writes about the many-to-many "talk" culture that marketers and leaders need to adopt to attract and keep customers. What better way to stay interested and engaged than through a conversation? This is a big shift for people use to building massive, one-way Web channels, and it's probably terrifying for some.
Lois gives examples of how companies and people are adapting, and she can help you make this change too. Start with developing a point-of-view that "sets you apart, speeds understanding, and provokes conversation." She follows this up with introspection -- tapping into core values and beliefs of the company (the CEO can help here), really listening to your customers, uncovering talk-worthy ideas, and much more.
My copy of Beyond Buzz has sprouted little green and yellow post-it notes. Like a seed, Lois' book has planted powerful ideas and questions, that will grow and add to my understanding, and change my perspective over time.
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