Customer Reviews

The Rules of Attraction: Fourteen Practical Rules to Help Get the Right Clients, Talent and Resources to Come to You!

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Most marketing involves the seller as the hunter, and the potential customer as the hunted. And all too often, that analogy continues down to the point where the hunted customer is doing everything possible to protect themselves and to escape from the selling hunter. Is it any wonder then that the buyer/seller relationship is so distasteful to many? Mark Deo flips the mindset around in his book The Rules of Attraction: Fourteen Practical Rules to Help Get the Right Clients, Talent and Resources to Come to You! If done correctly, you as the marketer can actually have the customers seeking you out, already "sold" on who you are and what you have to offer before you even begin. I was impressed at how these seemingly counter-intuitive rules can actually produce more results than the tried and true (and tired) ideas.

Contents:
Introduction - The Principle of Attraction
Rule #1 - Become a Bigger Fish in a Smaller Pond
Rule #2 - Make the Problem More Important Than the Solution
Rule #3 - Create an Exclusive Community of Super-users
Rule #4 - Become the Only Solution
Rule #5 - Reject Strategically
Rule #6 - Give Information Away
Rule #7 - Reverse Risk
Rule #8 - Let Design and Color Speak
Rule #9 - Win Heartshare
Rule #10 - Collaborate Rather Than Compete
Rule #11 - Who We Are is More Important than What We Do
Rule #12 - Create Standards and Systems that Nurture Growth
Rule #13 - Learn the Discipline of Testing
Rule #14 - Destroy Your Business
Impacting Others - The Rules of Attraction at Work
About the Author; Business Attraction Resources, Free Bonus Material

Deo frames the principle of Attraction in terms of the lion and the gazelle. The gazelle (customer) is alert, knowing there are lions (sellers) nearby. When the lion starts the chase, the gazelle has only one thing on its mind... escape. So long as the lion is hungry, the gazelle can't slow down or else it will become lunch. But once the lion is able to capture and feed on something, it is no longer hungry. It poses no menace to the gazelle, and the gazelle can graze nearby without fear. Imagine if your company appears well-fed, and your customers don't see themselves as "the next meal". That lack of fear means that curiosity becomes attraction, and the customer is interested in finding out more about what you have to offer. In short order, you have their trust and you're considered a valuable partner instead of just another lion looking for the kill.

Deo's rules help you put yourself in that position of trust and partnership. For instance, rule #1 talks about narrowing your target market to a point where you are considered the industry expert. He cites the example of a financial planner who specializes in the education field. Given that teachers have some unique tax situations, they need to have an expert who is up-to-speed on those rules and implications. So by focusing on that specific field, the planner becomes the very big fish in the smaller education pond, and he is the overwhelming first choice of those in that field. If he tried to be all things to all people, he'd drown in the competition and would have nothing to make him essential to his clients. Another valuable rule is #5, which is learning to turn away from opportunities or clients that will dilute your main focus. His example is the Curves fitness franchise. They don't try to be a large, full-service gym catering to everyone from out-of-shape couch potatoes to competitive bodybuilders. Instead, they focus on the "soccer mom", the woman who wants to be in better shape, who doesn't feel comfortable around hundreds of people when they exercise, and who don't have as much free time as they'd like. The locations are small, with a limited set of equipment. The Curves plan is designed for a quick and focused workout, allowing the customer to get in, get their workout in, and get out. The focus and catering to that specific audience works, as the franchise is booming. But to get there, they had to say "no" to a lot of amenities that others considered essential to running a gym.

The Rules of Attraction is a solid guide to the business person looking to level the playing field against the mega-corporations. By changing your thinking and mindset, you really can spend less and attract more business, offering solutions to your customers that they can't get anywhere else. And even better, they won't feel like they're being set up as the next meal...

MapQuest can help you get from one location to another. Mark Deo's The Rules of Attraction can get you from marginal success in marketing and salesmanship to a leader in your field. It's all within the pages of this latest book. And the best part: whether you're newly starting or experienced and looking to take that next step, this book has enormous value.

Deo takes us through topics having to do with marketing philosophy, knowledge of the enemy and company self -analysis. His rules, broken into fourteen separate areas, are easily read and understood. I found myself motivated in several areas and particularly enjoyed the rules dealing with Letting Design and Color Speak (rule 8) and Destroying your Business (rule 14). I liked the fact that I could use each rule as its own independent idea and guide, not necessarily a part of the one before or after. This gave me the ability to read the rules in any order I saw fit and refer back to each independent of the other.

The book is fast reading and to the point. The rules are clearly defined and thought out very well. I'll use this to improve my own position in the world of marketing and salesmanship.

As someone relatively new to the Small Business Industry, I couldn't ask to find a better book. Mark Deo has hit the nail on the head when it comes to The Rules of Attraction.

Mark's book is filled with tons of useful information on small business that anyone could use. His style of writing makes it very easy for the newest of business professionals to understand and follow along. Now don't think this book is just for beginners. While the information he portrays in the book may not be new to the veteran businessman, but rather a fresh look on the business world they already know. The Business world of today is changing, and Mark Deo's book shows a great way that we can keep up with it.

I'd highly recommend this book to anyone interested in business. 5 Stars!

I've read dozens of marketing books for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and Mark Deo's strikes me as the best -- easy to read, makes good points clearly, and conveys wisdom and savvy!
-- Brad Smart, author of Topgrading

Mark Deo's book "The Rules of Attraction" is an easy read which is FILLED with practical gold!

Just the section found within rule #8 ('Let Design and Color Speak') titled "Before and After" these 12 pages alone with the before and after ads is worth way more than the actual price of this book.

If any entrepreneur applies what they absorb from this section alone (Rule #8) their return on investment will speak for itself!

Though the marketing insights are not 'new', it is the way Mark has written this book so the beginner marketer will find this information easy to follow and they can instantly implement. For the seasoned marketer this book proves to be a refreshing look over what you 'know' with an outline in Rule #4 ("Become The Only Solution")you can use in your own marketing and with your clients.

Mark Deo's work is a refreshing and thought-provoking read, especially for someone who has read their share of `business' books. Business books in general seem to reside in one of two categories, those that are just vague enough to be useless, and those that go after their subject and the area of the author's expertise with razor sharp clarity, which are a great deal useful in that one area.

The Rules of Attraction confounds the two categories cited above. It is neither vague nor pointed, but embarks on a journey that does indeed highlight the author's area of expertise: business philosophy and the value of intangibles. As I said, it is not vague. Mark Deo writes clear and compelling prose that delves into the 14 Rules cited in his title. Many go contrary to long-held `rules' that every business has automatically operated by for decades, including such shockers as rejecting business, advertising sucks, and suicide by marketing.

In addition to radical thinking when it comes to the intangibles of business, he also offers some radical thinking when it comes to the tangibles: how many books have you read actually recommend deciding on your color and design before your message? But Deo makes a convincing argument for the importance of garnering attention first through color and design, so that the message, whatever you ultimately decide it to be, will actually be read. His numerous case studies with before and after ads are worth the cost of the book in and of themselves. I can guarantee that after reading this work, you will never again write up the text of an ad and then squeeze a few images in wherever they may fit.

Ultimately the true value of this book lies in not giving you direction on the small details of your business, but in leading you to evaluate your business in the large-picture sense and in a no-nonsense, realistic manner. Gone are the days where a company labored over a `mission statement' that was quickly forgotten in less than a month even by those assigned to write it. Deo introduces a new day of tapping into true passions, true visions and winning heartshare over marketshare.

I wish I had read this book before.
I'm not in the marketing business. Or am I?
I don't do marketing for my company, but I do marketing of myself everyday in my job,
In my relationships, in my studies.
This easy and quick to read book is full of many interesting tips.
It is structured in fourteen rules, one for chapter.
Some of them are obviously important, but maybe overlooked in day to day business, such as "Make the Problem more Important than the Solution."
Others seems counterintuitive, such as "Reject Strategically", but if I think back to my many errors, I'm sure the use of this rule would have helped me a lot in my career.
I liked the many examples of negotiating in the work environment too.
The book contains many example from real life situation that make the book easy to read and pleasant.
As I said, I wished I had read this book before.
I'd give it 5 starts if it weren't for the fact that I only give 5 starts to literature books.

When I first read this book I was most impressed with its straightforwardness and highly tangible and practical approach to reshaping and redefining the traditional "marketing pull" concepts that many of us have come to learn through the years. It was one of the most instructive and valuable books that I've read this year, and one that I readily recommend to all business leaders and marketing professionals in companies of all sizes in industry sectors across the board.

Quite unlike most books that I read, I found myself going back to reread certain sections in virtually every chapter of this book to savor what the author was offering up to me. Once I finished reading this book, I read this book for a second time and unearthed even more gold nuggets once I better understood -- and appreciated -- the author's distinctive approach to blend practicality with keen insight and a hint humor overlaid with innumerable case studies of companies in a variety of industries to drive home his points.

While some may call what Mark Deo espouses as "counter-intuitive", in point of fact, Mark is a thought leader who's ahead of the curve of what today's reality is already reflecting, but most people just aren't yet seeing nor understanding. Mark brings it all into focus for us in his latest book. Buy this book, read it, and implement what's in it. You'll profit tremendously if you do.

Normally I don't read marketing books because I am not in the field of marketing, but this book was worth the read. The format was clean and simple, making each rule easy to understand and digest. This book is a must read for any business looking to attract users. The author also does a great job of providing examples of each of his rules in the format of a story which was very helpful to me in understanding how each rule worked. Examples are effective means of learning for me.

By reading 'The Rules of Attraction' you will receive an incredible amount of valuable business education. The author Mark Deo is not simply a 'talker' but a 'doer'! He has been a speaker at events all over the world but most important he does what he 'speaks'. I can personally vouch for the fact that regardless of what your profession is, or how much experience you have - this book will seriously prepare you to improve your skills in your business.

'The Rules of Attraction' over-delivers, & you'll discover that it provides the most relevant and powerful business advice that you can put to use immediately. I'm sure that even as you read through the book that you'll 'come away' from it with an entirely different yet fresh approach to your business.

It's June 2009 and the world economy is faced with tremendous pressures. The chances that you or a collegue of yours is in need of a 'jump-start' to your business could be very real. Mark's book can be the start of the right kind of advice you'll need to improve your business model.

'The Rules of Attraction' outlines specific steps that you could take to re-create a fresh business model for your business. There is no better time to take advantage of this than now and re-learn a new approach to attracting potential customers and clients!

So how would you like to attract more clients no matter what kind of situation the economy is in - whether up or down?

Wouldn't you like to develop that 'perfect' business model where you've got no competition?

How would you like to learn to design and implement an effective yet practical marketing campaign that literally attracts clients and customers like a bear to honey!?

Yep . . . Mark's book will give you those answers! But that is just the tip of the iceberg! Here is just a small sample of what else you could learn about in 'The Rules of Attraction':

- You'll learn a method that allows you to target and brand your products or services in a vertical market.

- Even in the most competitive markets or if you feel your products or services are general in nature, you can learn how to become the only solution and as a result attract clients.

- Learn how to implement Attraction Testing in order to choose the best applications to help improve your marketing efficiency.

- You'll learn from a dozen or so visual examples of before and after ads using the proper color, copy, headlines, overall design and call to action.

And the list goes on . . . but I'll leave the rest for you to discover for yourself!

I sincerely hope you benefit from this brief summary and you buy 'The Rules of Attraction'! I know that you'll truly enjoy it as well as find it extremely useful as a powerful business tool as it was for me. This is one of the most practical books I've had the opportunity of reading and USING . . . & I highly recommend it be added to your 'MUST READ IMMEDIATELY LIST'!

Eric V. Van Der Hope
Publisher and #1 Best-selling Author of Mastering Niche Marketing
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