Likeonomics: The Unexpected Truth Behind Earning Trust, Influencing Behavior, and Inspiring Action [Hardcover]

Rohit Bhargava (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 22, 2012

How to become a trusted resource for consumers in a society of constant manipulation

People decide who to trust, what advice to heed, and which individuals to forge personal or transactional relationships with based on a simple metric of believability. Success, in turn, comes from understanding one basic principle: how to be more trusted. Likeonomics offers a new vision of a world beyond Facebook where personal relationships, likeability, brutal honesty, extreme simplicity, and basic humanity are behind everything from multi-million dollar mergers to record-breaking product sales. There is a real ROI to likeability, and exactly how big it is will amaze you.

Likeonomics provides real-world case studies of brands and individuals that have used these principles to become wildly successful, including:

• An iconic technology brand that awakened a revolution among their employees by standing for something bigger than their products
• A Portuguese singer who used YouTube to rack up more than 30 million views and launch her professional career. A regional team of financial advisors that went from being last in the nation among 176 branches to first, and stayed there for 13 of the next 15 years
• A tiny professional sports talent agent who achieved the impossible by landing the #1 drafted player in the NFL draft as a client through the power of relationships
• Author Rohit Bhargava is a founding member of the world's largest group of social media strategists at Ogilvy, where he has led marketing strategy for clients including Intel, Pepsi, Lenovo, Seiko, Unilever, and dozens of other large companies

With Likeonomics as a guide, readers will get unconventional advice on how to stand out in a good way, avoid the hype and strategic traps of social media, and appeal to customers in a way that secures your company as a trusted and believable resource.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

The future isn't about the next social media tool or clicking a "Like" button. Instead, people decide which organizations to trust, what advice to follow, and who to forge personal or business relationships with based on the simple metric of likeability. This is no longer a soft quality and it is not the same thing as just being nice. With today's "modern believability crisis," earning the trust of your customers, employees, and colleagues is much harder to do. Likeonomics offers a new vision of a world beyond Facebook, where real relationships and personal values such as unabashed honesty, extreme simplicity, and basic humanity are the keys to success. There is a real ROI to likeability, and exactly how big it is will amaze you.

Likeonomics uncovers five key principles to win trust (or win it back)—and keep it. You'll learn how to use the TRUST formula (Truth, Relevance, Unselfishness, Simplicity, and Timing) to power every relationship. Being more believable is the real secret to standing out—whether you are trying to grow your business, win an election, or find your next job—and this book will help you get there.

Likeonomics provides real-world stories of brands and people who have used these principles to become wildly successful, including: 

• An unknown Portuguese singer who used YouTube to rack up more than 30 million views and launch her professional career
• The leader of a tiny island nation who put his country on the map with an unexpected meeting that got the world talking about global warming
• A regional team of financial advisors that went from being ranked 173rd out of 176 branches to first, and stayed there for thirteen of the next fifteen years
• An independent sports agent who achieved the impossible by landing the number-one player in the NFL draft as a client through the power of relationships

Learn how to stand out in a good way, avoid the hype and strategic traps of social media, and change your life and career by being more likeable, believable, and (most of all) trusted.

From the Back Cover

Being more successful in business and in life often requires the same thing. If you want to do both, read this book!—Deepak Chopra, Author of The Seven Spiritual Laws Of Success

PRAISE FOR Likeonomics

"Rohit Bhargava's wise and wonderful book proves that your mother was right, after all: people respond to those who treat them right. Companies and organizations need to heed this lesson and use Likeonomics to steer their thinking on ways to become more open, accessible, and trustworthy in the marketplace—and find success doing it."
—Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive and A Whole New Mind

"In Likeonomics, Rohit reinforces the popular notion that culture eats strategy and makes the case that likeability is an indispensable part of success. Rohit encourages us to create person-to-person connections that are authentic, relevant, and accessible. Gone are the days when alpha dogs rule. . . . In the era of Likeonomics, personal connection is king."
—Jonathan Becher, Chief Marketing Officer, SAP

"Rohit Bhargava gets to the heart of what underlies and sustains relationships—likeability. If you want to be successful in business, don't leave trust to chance—keep Likeonomics and its online workbook close at your side and you'll be on the path to success."
—Charlene Li, author of Groundswell and Open Leadership; founder, Altimeter Group

"This is a bold, fresh, and—most important—likeable book. Rohit reveals why networking must die, and the gap that should keep you up at night is your 'likeability gap.'"
—Christopher Graves, Global CEO, Ogilvy Public Relations

"Likeonomics is the How to Win Friends and Influence People for a new generation. Rohit shows us how to be more likeable and believable and, as a result, more popular and relevant, which are the keys to success in any endeavor. Highly recommended."
—Michael Port, New York Times bestselling author of The Think Big Manifesto

"If you want to be successful, you need to read Likeonomics! Rich in relevant, entertaining stories, and takeaways you can easily and immediately use, Rohit proves why being more likeable is the driving force behind building sustained relationships and exponential success."
—Peter Guber, CEO, Mandalay Entertainment; author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Tell to Win

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (May 22, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1118137531
• ISBN-13: 978-1118137536
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 0.8 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #35,232 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > Business & Investing > International > Global Marketing
  • #23 in Books > Business & Investing > Business Life > Motivation & Self-Improvement
  • #58 in Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Customer Service

More About the Author

Hi, my name is Rohit Bhargava. This is my author page, and my chance to tell you a bit more about myself, so here it goes. I knew I wanted to be a writer after I wrote my first screenplay at 16 years old. While I didn't end up writing movies, for the past decade I have been working as a marketing consultant to help companies to be more human and tell better (and more truthful) stories.

My first book called Personality Not Included was all about how to develop and share a story and personality for a company. My second book is called LIKEONOMICS and was just released. It is all about why we do business and build relationships with people we like.

Outside of writing and consulting, I also teach marketing as a Professor at Georgetown University in Washington DC. I have been invited to speak at over 100 events around the world, including TEDx and the World Communications Forum in Davos. You can learn more about me by visiting my website at rohitbhargava dot com or by reading my latest blog posts (at the right).

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book on the humanization of business - with tons of stories! May 15, 2012

By Michael Margolis

Format:Hardcover

Likeonomics is a great book with tons and tons of stories. It's refreshing in style, full of substance, and includes lots of well-researched examples.

The problem with being "liked" is that the harder you try, the more unlikable you often become. It's sort of like being that guy you says, "trust me, baby". In Likeanomics, Rohit does a brilliant job of framing this process in business terms, while getting into the nitty-gritty of likeability. The bulk of Likeonomics is built around 5 principles framework called TRUST that stands for Truth, Relevance, Unselfishness, Simplicity, and Timing. Each principle is supported by dozens of examples, useful frameworks, and great distinctions. This book is also a great model of the evolution of "the book" as a product - with tons of bonus material online and lots of cool surprise content. It's like the story than never ends, for anyone who wants to really go deep down the rabbit hole of this unique topic.

Yes, it's true, Rohit's a friend, and he's written the book I'm too lazy to write. But I'm not too lazy to read and review it here on Amazon. Rohit's done more research and collected more examples than you could cram into 5 books combined. He's also constructed a 21st century book experience that will appeal to different readers (both analytical and creative).

Over the years, I've coached thousands of marketers and changemakers on how to tell their story, including how to write a kick-ass bio. Likeanomics is one of the few books that I can recommend since it offers a 21st century perspective on personal branding and authenticity that doesn't come off sounding like sunflowers or slick tricks. Rohit's really taking on the complex issues and paradox we face in the humanization of business.... At the end of the day, as Rohit explains, we do business with the people we like. Even when people might not be as talented as the competent jerk. Loveable fools win everytime. It's just a matter of becoming comfortable with ourselves again. This book can definitely open the door for you. Read more ›

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Likeonomics is not just another book with a clever title June 7, 2012

By R Sridhar

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought Likeonomics about 20 days ago. I was hoping to finish the book in about 3 to 4 days. I could not do that. Not because it was a difficult to read book. On the contrary it is an extremely well written book.

While Rohit may not have explicitly said so being liked is different from being popular. I never thought about being liked is such a useful thing in building trust for instance. Rohit's advice on how to go about being liked is probably meant for brands. However I think it is equally relevant to people who want to change for the better.

For instance I am an Innovation Coach and I have a coachee who has a problem of being trusted. I found so many useful tips in the book for him.

I could not finish the book quickly because with each chapter Rohit triggered off so many ideas in mind - things I could use for various people, brands, services & situations. I liked the many useful references and stories too. I did not know for instance that the US government is focusing on better writing so much.

I found the book inspiring and I am sure I will put many of the ideas in it to practice.

I am glad I found the book by chance. (I was actually searching for books on "Earning trust and respect"!)

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Indian As Apple Pie May 23, 2012

By A. Gupta

Format:Hardcover

First, full disclosure. I am in this book. I mean, my company was highlighted in a chapter in this book. Another disclosure. I am a journalist. And trained not to lie. I know that this book will do well, because its premise is what I epitomize every day with my business and cookbooks: a real connection with my audience through truthful information and a desire to help rather than profit from this interaction. As I read this book, I'm learning even more. There's a woman who became a singing sensation through her YouTube videos - not overnight, but slowly and steadily as she consistently put material out and her fans consistently loved what she was doing. There's the lard salesman who had the unique ability to connect with his audience and now is a household name (you'll have to read the book for this one). Get this book and you will learn a lot. It seems intuitive. But if it truly was - wouldn't we all do it already? Whether you have a business, are looking to excel in your current job, or looking to find work through selling yourself to a future employer, this is a book you need!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Quick read with good illustrations and quotes June 12, 2012

By Sherrie Rohde

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Likeonomics is not a new concept but this book is full of great illustrations from various industries on how to achieve different aspects of essentially being a likeable human. I couldn't relate to all the stories, but really enjoyed those that did resonate with me. The quotes throughout each section were great and I added quite a few to my list of favorites. All in all, not not super deep (very quick and easy read), but a good book and one that I would recommend. :)

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A VERY Likeable Book April 29, 2012

By Dave Kerpen

Format:Hardcover

As the author of Likeable Social Media and Likeable Business, I'd like to think I know a thing or two about the importance of being likeable in business. Rohit knows a lot about about likeability and writes with great passion, understanding, and humor. This book is full of stories that will inspire you, and actionable takeaways that will help you benefit from being more likeable. Likeonomics is a great read for entrepreneurs, for seasoned business vets, and for anyone looking to succeed in today's growingly complex business environment. I give this book two big orange thumbs up! Buy it now, you won't be disappointed!