What's Your BQ? Learn How 35 Companies Add Customers, Subtract Competitors, and Multiply Profits with Brand Quotient [Hardcover]

Sandra Sellani (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2007

What's Your BQ? It could be the most important question you can ask and answer if you are running a business in today's competitive landscape. Consider the fact that that 80% of new brands fail upon introduction and another 10% fail within five years. With the heightened competition and consumer savvy of the 21st century, it is imperative that every business owner knows how to build a competitive advantage into their brand. The book will give you a customized snapshot of your company's brand strengths and weaknesses through a 40-question test. The author will then take you through a step by step process of brand assessment, improvement and planning. The results can have a profound impact on the longevity of your business, large or small.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"Sandra Sellani takes the knowledge of a professor and translates it into a practical and useful new brand building tool. What's Your BQ will help you to discover what your brand means today and help you to brainstorm ways to maximize its potential for tomorrow."

Laura Ries

"Bestselling author of The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding"


"Sandra is passionate about helping people build better brands regardless of the size of their company. Her systems work for the new entrepreneur or the seasoned business professional. I'd definitely want her on my team."

Tim Wrightman

Superbowl XX Champion, Chicago Bears; Professional Speaker, Trainer, Spokesperson and Entrepreneur


"If there was one word that could be used to describe how Sperry Van Ness has grown from $17 million to $140 million in sales in four years, it would be "differentiation." Sandra Sellani's processes and techniques helped create, expand and define the differentiation that has catapulted our company from a small regional company to one of the largest commercial real estate firms in the nation. She is creative, her techniques are different and they work. If you want something you can implement on Monday morning, listen to what Sandra has to say."

David Frosh

President, Sperry Van Ness International, Inc.


"Sandra Sellani offers that rare combination of insight, knowledge, experience and humor. She is simply fascinating to listen to. In a world of over information, infotainment and distractions, Sandra's delivery and professionalism make her an unparalleled speaker and a delight to work with."

John Klymshyn

Author, "The Ultimate Sales Manager Guide" and "Move the Sale Forward", Keynote Speaker, Consultant and Trainer

About the Author

Sandra Sellani, MBA is Vice President of Marketing for Sperry Van Ness International, Inc. a commercial real estate brokerage firm that in five years has grown from $2.1 billion to $12 billion in sales. Sandra's team has won more than 30 awards for marketing, public relations and communications from organizations including the Public Relations Society of America and the International Association of Business Communications. Her work to date encompasses 20 years of management in sales, marketing and branding. She is a speaker for Vistage, the world's largest CEO membership organization, and speaks throughout the country to business leaders, entrepreneurs and sales executives.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 301 pages
• Publisher: Wbusiness Books (March 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0832950025
• ISBN-13: 978-0832950025
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #647,870 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"What's Your BQ?" was inspired by a graduate school class at Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA where Sandra Sellani received her MBA. While there she learned about a model of corporate strategy called "VRIO" created by Dr. Jay Barney of The Ohio State University.

Fascinated with the simplicity and brilliance of this model, she decided to become an expert on its use. She went to the web to do more research only to find there was nothing online on the topic- except for one powerpoint created by Dr. Barney. Astonished that this information was not common knoweldge in the business world, she called Dr. Barney to personally ask if she could adapt his method to help business owners create powerful, inimitable brands. He graciously gave his blessing and Sandra used the VRIO model as a basis for the book and to demonstrate how any company large or small can bulid a brand. This model is the cornerstone of her consulting work and she has used it to help hundreds of businesses and entrepreneurs to build brands with a relevant point of differentiation and a sustainable competitive advantage.

Sandra donates a portion of proceeds from "What's Your BQ?" to charities including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, The Silverlake Conservatory of Music and the Humane Society of the United States.

She is currently a marketing and brand strategy consultant in Newport Beach, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Make you think of your branding strategy, April 9, 2007

By 

Book Expert LA (Los Angeles USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What's Your BQ? Learn How 35 Companies Add Customers, Subtract Competitors, and Multiply Profits with Brand Quotient (Hardcover)

We all know branding is important, but it's difficult to measure. Sandra Sellani's "Brand Quotient" doesn't tell us how to evaluate a brand's worth (there are many formulas on the market). Instead, she focuses on the measurements of branding strategy execution.

"What's Your BQ?" is very useful for entrepreneurs or marketing professionals plan their marketing campaigns. Too often marketing campaigns focus too much on short term responds and ignore the long term branding strategy. This book not only provides a test to measure your execution of your branding strategy, it also offers 35 companies' strategy to build their brands. Some stories are very insightful (Netflix, Simple Green), and some are very interesting (Victor Pigs, [...]). These stories make this book a very interesting read and give new ideas of planning the branding strategy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Putting Theory into Practice, June 25, 2007

By 

Intrepid Innovator (Pasadena, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What's Your BQ? Learn How 35 Companies Add Customers, Subtract Competitors, and Multiply Profits with Brand Quotient (Hardcover)

Many business books are good at giving us endless strategies. Ms. Sellani distinguishes herself by transcending strategy and drilling into tactics. Her 35 case studies make it possible to quickly see how to apply the principles she espouses. Buy this book if you want to start working smarter instead of just harder.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Info for any business, May 4, 2007

By 

Lynne Mark "BookSearch" (CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What's Your BQ? Learn How 35 Companies Add Customers, Subtract Competitors, and Multiply Profits with Brand Quotient (Hardcover)

As retained search consultant I have had the privilege of working with many executives over my career. I have read many business books and take to heart their advice. Sandra's stood out offering insight not often consolidated in one book and we all recognize time is money. I recommend WHAT IS YOUR BQ to Leaders of any organization in any Department to further their career, their Team's effectiveness and the bottom line of their organizations.

Lynne Mark
Managing Director and Principal
MarkGroup Partners