The Ultimate Marketing Plan: Target Your Audience! Get Out Your Message! Build Your Brand! [Paperback]

Dan S. Kennedy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 18, 2011

Let's face it - the business world today is nothing like it was ten years ago. Marketing budgets are tighter, consumers are more skeptical, and social media has changed forever the way we talk to our customers.

In this new edition of his bestselling The Ultimate Marketing Plan, industry expert Dan S. Kennedy integrates such tools as social media marketing, networking, and strategic memberships into a complete plan that will strengthen your customer base without breaking your budget.

Packed with updated examples, marketing techniques, and contributions from experts, Kennedy shows you how to catapult your company to the cutting edge.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dan S. Kennedy is an expert on marketing and sales who has been writing and speaking about these topics for twenty years. His popular newsletter, The No B.S. Marketing Letter, reaches thousands of people in the United States and Canada. Every year he and his network of consultants help tens of thousands of entrepreneurs succeed.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Adams Media; 4 edition (May 18, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1440511845
• ISBN-13: 978-1440511844
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #84,607 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #55 in Books > Business & Investing > Marketing & Sales > Marketing > Direct

More About the Author

Dan S. Kennedy is the provocative, truth-telling author of seven popular No B.S. books, thirteen business books total; a serial, successful, multi-millionaire entrepreneur; trusted marketing advisor, consultant and coach to hundreds of private entrepreneurial clients running businesses from $1-million to $1-billion in size; and he influences well over 1-million independent business owners annually through his newsletters, tele-coaching programs, local Chapters and Kennedy Study Groups meeting in over 100 cities, and a network of top niched consultants in nearly 150 different business and industry categories and professions.

As a speaker Dan has repeatedly appeared with four former U.S. Presidents; business celebrities like Donald Trump and Gene Simmons (KISS, Family Jewels on A&E); legendary entrepreneurs including Jim McCann (1-800-Flowers), Debbi Fields (Mrs. Fields Cookies), and Nido Qubein (Great Harvest Bread Co.); famous business speakers including Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, Jim Rohn, Tom Hopkins, and Tony Robbins and countless sports and Hollywood celebrities. Dan has addressed audiences as large as 35,000....for more than ten consecutive years, he averaged speaking to more than 250,000 people per year.

Dan lives in Ohio and in northern Virginia, with his wife, Carla, and their Million Dollar Dog. He owns, races and drives professionally in about 100 harness races a year at Northfield Park near Cleveland, Ohio, accessible at http://www.NorthfieldPark.com and frequently televised on the TVG cable network.

For more information check out my blog at www.dankennedy.com/blog/

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good stuff, even if not a full, ultimate plan July 8, 2012

By MG

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have read several of Dan Kennedy's books: I like his experienced, "from the street" - what he calls his "no B.S." - expertise. I was about to launch a new product and thought I'd catch up on Kennedy's writing, with this book on an "ultimate marketing plan."

First of all, I acknowledge that Kennedy is somewhat of an odd bird. If you haven't heard, he is probably the only marketing expert in the world (I can't imagine another) who doesn't like - or use -the internet. You read that right. He "detests" the internet (his words). He has a computer, but it's offline. You can't email him. He asks that you write him a note and fax it (remember fax machines?). At first, you might think this would disqualify someone from being a marketing expert in the 21st Century, and you could make a reasonable argument, but there is something to be said for Kennedy's old school, contrarian perspective. Marketing is marketing after all; and whether you mail a sales letter the old fashioned way, email it, or turn it into a squeeze page, the fundamentals still apply. In fact, I'm somewhat tired of listening to experts who talk like nothing existed before the internet.

The first chapter is the perfect example of learning the fundamentals. Kennedy reminds you to write your USP - your Unique Selling Proposition. Frankly, I found this to be the most important part of the book. The USP is to answer the question, "Why should someone buy from you." Domino's Pizza had a famous USP: "Fresh hot pizza delivered within 30 minutes or less, guaranteed." When you think about it, it's amazing that many - most - companies have no good, clear USP. As an exercise, I researched the USP's of the four competitors for my product. NONE had USPs - they gave potential customers no written, straightforward sentence on why people should even do business with them. Well, two of them did mention one benefit - that they had the "lowest price." If you have read Kennedy's books, you already know that the "lowest price" routine is worse than no USP.

Kennedy's book is not so much a full plan (which is why I dinged it a star) as it is chapters of reminders on things you need to do, as you market your product - targeting the right market, using testimonals (with photos), using buzz, having a call to action, and - something many forget about - keeping the customers you already have. There is the obligatory chapter on the internet, with the reminders to pay attention to the basics. (Sidenote here: Kennedy lists Frank Kern as a resource, who many consider a shady character, who has had his run-ins with the FTC.)

To summarize, not an ultimate - or even complete - plan, but I'm not complaining. Kennedy always has valuable things to say, much of which you will not hear anywhere else.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars He's The King Of Direct Selling For A Reason! October 28, 2011

By A. Jackson

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Dan Kennedy is the man...The "No BS Man" at that! The book gives you practical and tested advice on how to turn your business, no matter what it is, into a marketing business. In his own words, "There ain't no business if there ain't no customers!". I agreed with that 100%.

Throughout the book, Dan refers to his reliable stable of case studies that you probably have heard of in the past, but who cares...THEY WORKED! These are the same tactics and strategies I used in my real estate business to get 12 houses and $110,000 in the first 5 months of doing business! Yes! The book lists the "secret weapons" and "ultimate sins" when it comes to marketing. This is a great book with shining examples of how to do marketing right. Dan uses real world examples of entrepreneurs that have made it. Some of the stuff, I never (ever) thought would work in some of the businesses he mentions, but this book let me know that it was out there.

Thank you, Dan for this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Advice From The Master September 20, 2012

By Mark Thrice

Format:Paperback

Honest, insightful and blunt.

Once again, Kennedy nails it with advice that is both immediately applicable and incredibly useful no matter what type of business you own. He pulls no punches regarding the foolish things that entrepreneurs do and sheds light on how they can do better.

Only recommended if you want to know "the way it is" and be able to move forward to incredible success. If you just want to do what everyone else is doing, then this book is not for you. Good luck with that.