Rivers of Revenue: What to Do When the Money Stops Flowing [Hardcover]

Kristin Zhivago (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2004

Right now, buyers are looking for your product or service. Are you making it easy for them to find you? To understand what you are selling? To buy from you? Or, are you irritating and disappointing them with your selling process?

Kristin Zhivago, the author of Rivers of Revenue:What to do when the money stops flowing, has spent the last 35 years helping business owners grow their companies. She has become an expert on customer buying processes. She has interviewed thousands of customers for her clients, and has found that customers trying to buy something are often ignored, inconvenienced, and irritated.

Rivers of Revenue will show you how to make it easy for people to buy from you. You'll learn how to find out what your buyers are looking for, how they look for it, the tradeoffs they're willing to make, the other approvers involved, the questions they'll ask during their buying process, and the level of performance they expect.

You'll learn how to reverse engineer a successful sale so you can "manufacture" sales in quantity.

After you have read about the sophisticated but simple interviewing techniques, the 5 Levels of Buyer Desire, and the 4 Categories of Buyer Scrutiny, you will have the tools you need to give your customers exactly what they want.

Kristin Zhivago demystifies marketing with this breakthrough book. It will forever change the way you market and sell your products and services. It will help you "get in the revenue flow"--and stay there.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A highly practical--and provocative--handbook on how to 'think like a buyer' to increase your sales. It's gotten rave reviews." -- Debbie Weil, WordBiz Report, July 22, 2004

"A map to a vast reservoir of refreshing, life-giving sustenance." -- FearlessBooks.com, September 11, 2004

"An educational, energizing and life-changing tool" -- Fairfield County Business Times, August 2004

"Likely to rank as the year's most important marketing guide." -- Jeffrey Tarter, Softletter, August 15, 2004

"This book is priceless--filled with ideas and tools that can truly make a difference." -- Marie D. Jones, Curled Up with a Good Book, August, 2004

From the Author

"I'm not stopping people from buying from me!" That's what most of us think.

When you consider your experiences as a customer, however, you see a different picture. Last time you bought a car, was it fun? Last time you tried to compare cellular phone plans, was it easy? Last time you called a company for an answer to a question, did a helpful human being answer the phone? Or, did you have to suffer through "press 1 for this, press 2 for that"--and you still didn’t get a good answer?

As I interview customers for clients, and help them improve their marketing strategy, methods, and messages, I routinely find that companies place barriers in front of the customer--even as he or she is standing there, money in hand, hoping to buy.

It could be an offhand comment a salesperson makes during a sales call. It could be some confusing copy on their website. It could be an inadequate product description--which is really quite common--or the way their pricing is structured.

Using the methods in this book, you will be able to identify and remove these barriers. More importantly, you will find out exactly what customers want from you, and how they want you to sell to them. You will find it easier to attract and help the people who can make the biggest contribution to your financial success.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Smokin' Donut Books (August 2004)
• ISBN-10: 0974917915
• ISBN-13: 978-0974917917
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,029,667 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Could be titled: A Few Good Business Ideas, and What I Know About Advertising, October 29, 2005

By 

Reader (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rivers of Revenue: What to Do When the Money Stops Flowing (Hardcover)

This book is divided into three parts. The good stuff is in part three. I would label the first 30 pages as "capitalism for 12 year olds." Part 2, I would label as "Another 'In Search of Excellence' flavor of the month", unfortunately, this takes you to over 100 pages in this 300 page book with large type.

Here is a sample quote, "Know what your customers want and find ways to give it to them, at a profit." I think about 90% of every business in existance is trying to do this, and if Kristin knew how to do this consistantly, she would be a multi-billionaire. Anyway.

I almost didn't make it, but in the remaining 200 pages, the author finally reveals her expertise. It is mostly advertising & PR planning, with a heavy emphasis on the internet. What was new to me was how she catagorized the buyer's scrutiny level into light, medium, heavy and intense. From these levels, she offers different advertising plans to be successful. Insights into the 'buyer process' were also helpful.

I think the book would have been a lot more effective if she had detailed how she and her husband changed the focus of their own consulting business. This is what much of the book is based upon, but instead, it is written in a vague manner. I'd pay double for Kristin to write, "Exactly what I did when the money stopped flowing."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fountain of practical advice to maximizing one's profit, December 13, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rivers of Revenue: What to Do When the Money Stops Flowing (Paperback)

Written by a worldside speaker with 35 years of experience in the business of the bottom line, Rivers Of Revenue: What To Do When The Money Stops Flowing is a no-nonsense business and career guide to coping with lean times. From learning how to tap into the five layers of buyer desire, to marketing and selling products of light, medium, or heavy scrutiny, to determining the right price to charge and much more, Rivers Of Revenue is a fountain of solid practical advice to maximizing one's profit and building a sustainable customer base. Especially recommended for small business owners in today's turbulent economic times.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Full of insight and ideas you can put right to work, September 16, 2004

By 

Mac McIntosh "The B2B Sales Lead Expert. Mark... (North Kingstown, RI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rivers of Revenue: What to Do When the Money Stops Flowing (Hardcover)

I've known Kristin Zhivago and have been reading her newsletters and columns in leading marketing publications for years. So her new book, "Rivers of Revenue: What to do When the Money Stops Flowing" was required reading for me.

Kristin always seems to be able to cut through the fog of business, focus on the essence of a problem, then quickly identify the right path to a solution. Not always an easy task! But that's just what she does again in this book.

Although I mentally groaned when I realized the beginning of the book was a parable, I quickly got caught up in the tale and found it full of useful lessons.

Then Kristin changed directions, applying the lessons of the parable to today's real life situations. Although some of the lessons and suggestions seemed obvious to me, I found myself thinking that many business owners and managers I've met didn't appear to have learned these lessons, and must if they want their businesses to grow or prosper.

When I finished the book on a recent cross-country flight, I realized it was a engaging quick read, unlike many business books that provoke more naps than thoughts. And I also realized it was chock-full of insight and ideas that I could apply to both my own and my client's businesses.

I now plan to buy a number of copies of Rivers of Revenue to share with my clients and business friends. I highly recommend that you read it too.