Trained in storytelling and analysis of human communication, I see in managerial circles a great desire for too-pat formulas to predict human behavior. A lot of business people’s assumptions don’t pass a simple BS test — do I actually know anyone who’s done what we think our buyer is going to do in response [...]

It’s book review time again. Perhaps you’ve heard that sales people have a rant about marketing people (and others) who don’t understand what sales people do. Today’s book is a nice little vaccine against Complete Sales Ignorance.
The Elevator Summary: Most books about selling are of little use in understanding the psychological world of selling. Sandler [...]

Book report time again.
The Elevator Summary: The book isn’t santimonious about Six Sigma or process design. It makes rigorous tools and structured thinking readable, and relevant to complex B2B selling and marketing. He’s also clear that process is not a goal.
Standout Moments: These processes began in manufacturing. What the book does brilliantly is give the [...]

Book report time. This one is good summertime reading – lightweight, and short.
The Elevator Summary: A witty lampoon highlighting the jargon, obfuscation, and paint-by-numbers habits which cloud business communication and impede selling.
Standout Moments: The chapter “You’ve Been Templatized.” A favorite nugget:  “Business idiots are the sheep that use any shortcut available to automate their voice, [...]

Book review time.
The Elevator Summary: Thorough, clear reference book explaining how to measure what marketing is supposed to produce. Knowing what the metrics mean doesn’t tell you how to improve them, but this book does tell you what the metrics mean.
Standout Moments: The Customer Profitability chapter. For example, Prospect Lifetime Value = response rate x [...]