Flip: How to Turn Everything You Know on Its Head--and Succeed Beyond Your Wildest Imaginings [Hardcover]

Peter Sheahan (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0061558958 | ISBN-13: 978-0061558955 | Publication Date: April 1, 2008

Peter Sheahan is perhaps the most original Australian business guru to gain prominence for a generation. Peter, who is still under 30, has built a superb reputation as a consultant to major Australian and international organisations, from Gloria Jean's and Borders to Fairfax, PWC, L'Oreal, the ADF and Westpac. In FLIP he reveals what the superstars of modern business have in common: an ability to 'flip' - to think counter-intuitively and then act boldly, with no regard for 'business as usual' conventions. The only rule is that there are no rules. Those who take these lessons on board will be well placed to join other 'flipstars' such as Richard Branson, Google, Toyota, Rupert Murdoch and Apple. Stick to what you learned in business school at your peril ...

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sheahan, consultant and Young Turk of the business world, turns conventional wisdom around to discover marketing techniques effective with today's younger consumers, "who can't go to the toilet without phoning five of their friends." Sheahan puts forth business model-shattering concepts like gaining control by giving it up: allowing customers, networks and rank-and-file employees to improve products through feedback, interaction and inclusiveness. He even "flips"conventional thinking on outsourcing: "It is one thing to make products or do the paperwork for the world cheaply, and it is another entirely to innovate, design and sell goods and services to the world's advanced consumer markets." Sheahan illustrates his points convincingly with examples pulled from the business headlines, though some of his ideas may strike readers as overly dramatic and hard to follow, like putting as much effort into staff satisfaction as into customer satisfaction. Elsewhere, readers will find business fundamentals updated ("absolutely, positively sweat the small stuff" and "you've got to be fast, good, cheap, and more!"), and increasingly familiar lessons on exploiting a niche ("Mass-market success: Find it on the fringe"). Business owners and decision makers trying to capture the hearts and minds of today's younger consumers will find this a helpful guide.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Peter Sheahan has empowered many of us at NewsCorp to do more with less, faster. His presentation and unique style are both engaging and inspiring." Ian Moore, NewsCorp America "Peter Sheahan gave us all something to aspire to. I would confidently recommend him to anyone who is looking to engage Generation Y." Sue Polo, Google --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 309 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061558958
• ISBN-13: 978-0061558955
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #802,470 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Peter Sheahan is known internationally for inspiring innovative business thinking and creating lasting behavior change. He has established himself as a highly successful entrepreneur with his international thought leadership practice and as the CEO of ChangeLabs, a global consultancy building and delivering large-scale behavioral change projects for clients such as Apple and IBM. Peter has worked with some of the world's leading brands, including Google, Goldman Sachs, Hilton Hotels, Harley Davidson and GlaxoSmithKline.

By age 30 he had already built two multimillion-dollar businesses, operating in 9 cities internationally. He has delivered more than 2000 presentations to over 300,000 people in 15 different countries. In 2006, Peter was voted the National Speakers Association's Keynote Speaker of the Year and has since been named one of the 25 Hottest New Speakers in America, and one of the 25 Most Influential Speakers in the industry.

He is the author of six books, including international bestsellers Fl!p and Generation Y. As a global thought leader, Peterʼs insights into business trends and the changing needs of customers and staff have made him a regular presenter on Fox Business, with appearances on ABC and BBC as well. In 2008 Peter was a featured expert in a five-part global series on Innovation on CNBC, and he has been written up in the Washington Post, CNBC, Inc.com, the Wall Street Journal and Fast Company magazine. His newest book Making It Happen unpacks his insights on the best leaders and entrepreneurs execute on their good ideas, and turn them into profitable results.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some typical stuff, a few new things, April 20, 2008

By 

Michael P. Maslanka (dallas, texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flip: How to Turn Everything You Know on Its Head--and Succeed Beyond Your Wildest Imaginings (Hardcover)

Sheahan covers some well trod territory: price is about customer value, not just a low balled number; the great ideas come from the fringe of the herd, not the middle; once expectations are met the bar is automatically raised higher. Good stuff. But the Harry Beckwith series covers it better. Why a four then? The book's first section talks about a simple yet profound formula: action brings clarity. You need to be in the game, as imperfect as your game may be. If not ,you don't get the info you need to be better, to find out what works, what does not., and to see ambiguity as a friend, not an enemy. I have not seen it quite expressed this way and makes the book a worthwhile addition to your business books.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Even More Valuable in an Economic Meltdown, October 25, 2008

By 

Dave Carpenter "Peak Performance Scholar" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Flip: How to Turn Everything You Know on Its Head--and Succeed Beyond Your Wildest Imaginings (Hardcover)

I read this book when it first came out in the spring. I enjoyed the book then but didn't think it quite worthy of a review (I am a voracious reader but only post reviews on books I rate a four or five star.). Close call, but I passed on writing a review.

Yesterday the book jumped off my library shelf and I re-read. Wow...is this a fine book for the times that have evolved since the book was published!

We have entered turbulent times, or as I refer to them with my consulting clients, "whitewater times." All assumptions must be re-examined, and quickly. Few, if any, of the old ways of doing business will be right for prospering in tough times. Author Peter Sheahan's six prescriptions are suddenly even more valuable.

His core concept that action creates clarity ("to move forward you must act in spite of ambiguity") will be key to surviving in whitewater times. This mantra creates a much needed bias toward action at a time when many are likely to be frozen in fear.

Until the arrival of the flood of books that can be expected on prospering in tough times, this book's fundamentals will be helpful in creating a strategy for businesses to cope with these tough times.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Ok book if you have never read one before, September 1, 2008

By 

B. W. (orlando, fl) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Flip: How to Turn Everything You Know on Its Head--and Succeed Beyond Your Wildest Imaginings (Hardcover)

There was only one really useful thing in this book. That was the statement of:

"Action creates clarity"

The rest of the book was a rehash of all other management books. I can only imagine that he is a good speaker and he gives away his books to get the sales rankings.