Customer Reviews

Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions for Your Business (Agora Series)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I so enjoyed author Michael Masterson's last book, "Ready...Fire...Aim," that I have been eagerly awaiting this book. Alas, this book is very different...and that is not necessarily bad....as it primarily takes on the writing style of co-author MaryEllen Tribby, whose articles in the outstanding daily ezine, "Early to Rise," I enjoy for their high factual content. Michael is a wonderful philosopher on life, MaryEllen more the server of great info. I was in the mood for some philosophy from Michael, and instead got a treatise on the importance of using multiple channels of communication to promote ones business - a subject extremely important in view of the rapid deterioration in the economy. I am grateful for the surprise.

The authors have taken a challenging subject and covered it masterfully. The subject is challenging because each communication channel is worthy of a book, in and by itself. In fact, each of the channels has been treated singularly as a book many times over. One of the strengths of this book is that the authors have put all the channels under one roof so as to emphasize the importance of using multiple channels in communicating with buyers who are experiencing information overload.

Another strength of the book is the frequent use of short stories to illustrate entrepreneurs having success with one or more of the channels. The stories have just the right balance between solid information and brevity. And, the subjects of the stories are people with whom, in many cases, I have first-hand experience with their success. That is, the stories are of entrepreneurs who are really making it happen (in contrast to the hype that fills many areas of the internet).

The only real weakness in the book is not of the authors' making. Like many other authors are about to have happen, the book was written for another time, a time when all manner of businesses were flourishing. With the lead time between completing a book and getting it published, many a book will be coming out over the next couple of months somewhat out of context. In the case of this book, I actually believe that current challenging times make the authors' advocacy of using smart channel selection all the more important. In fact, if the same book had a title along the lines of "Changing Channels, Tune-up Your Marketing Communications for Changing Times" the book would be flying off the shelves. Regardless of the title, this book should fly off the shelves as every entrepreneur, and in fact every business person, needs to quickly rethink his or her selection and use of marketing communication channels. This book is an excellent book for starting such rethinking.

Easily deserving of five stars...even as I await Michael Masterson's next philosophical book, hopefully one about these challenging times.

This book is more of an into into multi channel marketing than it is a "how to" manuel. After reading the book a non-marketing person will have a wonderful direction to be pointed in, although a lot more information will be needed if one is to implement any action.

All in all a great review of a tough subject, but not a solution to using the synergy such a system could provide.

I am almost done reading this book and I have to say that I've learned more from it than from anything else I have read about marketing your business. I used to CRINGE when I thought about marketing my business, because I used to think it meant that I had to go out and call people up.

I own a video production company and I also offer a service for small businesses called Social Network Marketing. The chapter on Social Network Marketing in this book is an invaluable tool for anyone wanting to make use of MySpace and Facebook, etc. I offer my clients a way to set up their Social Network and maintain it on a daily basis. This book has helped me to explain to people why this channel is an important one not to be disregarded.

If you want to know about Direct Marketing techniques and the benefits to all of the different forms of marketing, this book is a MUST READ!

I'm sending a BIG thanks to the authors of this book.

-Angie Lile

Changing the Channel IS my Marketing Bible!!! This book has not only helped me excel in my career in marketing, but has also helped me with my personal business ventures. Changing the Channel covers every channel of marketing for any type of business. Tribby and Masterson are as real as they get. I have personally used many of the ideas and tips contained in the book and I have already seen a difference in both my personal business and my marketing career. Bringing some of these ideas to my meetings at work has positively affected the profitability of my company. This book is a sure way to generate profitability for your business. I urge everyone with a business to read this book.

Are you looking to leverage the power of direct response marketing on the internet? Do you want to add additional ways to reach new prospects and customers to grow your business?

If you answered Yes! then I highly recommend Changing the Channel by MaryEllen Tribby and Michael Masterson.

What I like most about the book is the authors give specific examples from actual multi-million dollar businesses that they've created using the exact principles taught in the book (as well as case studies of other businesses that have used these methods).

The authors do a great job of providing specific steps and check lists that you can easily follow, such as the seven-step process of rolling out a direct mail campaign on page 102 and "Direct Mail Step-by-Step" on page 102.

In addition, they bring to light many common marketing mistakes, including the "Top 10 Telemarketing Mistakes, Mishaps, and Blunders".

If you are looking to add or improve upon the marketing processes in your business using results based marketing, then I highly recommend this book.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have a business relationship with MaryEllen Tribby / Early to Rise... in other words I've seen this stuff first hand and know IT WORKS!

Sincerely,

Brian T. Edmondson

I found this book to be highly insightful and I pulled some great ideas from it. The chapter on selling to your email list through the use of teleconferences I found to be an amazingly smart way for businesses on a tight budget to use offline technology to ramp up online sales.

An excellent read from cover to cover!

I've been a marketing professional for more than 15 years and have practically every marketing book out there. I can honestly say that Changing the Channel is right there at the top. What makes Tribby and Masterson's book stand apart from the rest is it's comprehensiveness - one book that covers everything marketing from direct mail to online marketing to teleseminars. But it takes it a step further and offers real life, proven examples - promotions that worked, sample mail plans and more. After reading it, your brain will be swarming with ideas of how to grow your business. Whether you're an expert or novice, corporate professional or entrepreneur, there's tons of actionable information that is easy and cost effective to implement.

I was frustrated in Marketing because I felt that I had no method of predicting results. After reading about half of this book, some very basic data fell into place and I felt I could do Marketing - again. And I am doing it right now. Now I can design a campaign, establish the expectations, purchase the media and, above all, evaluate the financial outcome. This is a great book. I have one at home and one in my office... just in case.

For those wanting to learn more about cross-channel marketing, MaryEllen has an amazing book. I read this over the Christmas break and it has to be one of the best, most objective and down-to-earth books on marketing I've found. Obviously written with some real-world experience. Perhapos the title itself could have been better, since it doesn't really portray what's within. However after a few pages, you quickly realise what an amazing resource this book is.

An exceptionally easy-to-read book that puts it marketing into perspective - Something few marketing books or `experts' do today, who all seem to have their own agendas and media biases.

One of the best gifts I enjoyed giving during these most difficult economic times.

Content you can "Trust".

So well presented and documented, this book will become the foundation, the pillar if you will, for many success stories from online businesses in 2008,2009 and beyond.
Thank you, MaryEllen and Michael Masterson for "The Best" book of the year 2008'.

Loyd LaRue CEO
Loyd LaRue & Associates
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