Customer Reviews

The Ultimate Marketing Plan: Find Your Hook. Communicate Your Message. Make Your Mark.

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am in the planning stages of a new business venture. I have never written a marketing plan before and needed some insight and advice as to what tactics work and how to write the plan itself.

This book reads like a list of useful one-liner marketing tips and examples of how the author's friends have used them. It is not a how to book on writing a marketing plan, and it does not go into much depth as far as how you might accomplish the things that he recommends.

The most annoying part of this book is that every other page contains an advertisement for you to join some 12-week commitment mailing list that the author has created. He entices you by saying that you will receive additional tips and information for 12 weeks.

HELLO!!! McFLY!!! Didn't I just buy your book so that I could learn your marketing insights? YES! So then why do you make it seem like I just paid for the teaser information, and that the good stuff is behind the curtain that requires me to become a pawn in your marketing career? My price of admission stops at the price of this book, and it should not seem like I'm only getting half of the story that I paid for!

Author and speaker Dan Kennedy has written a basic, solid manual for marketing practitioners. He covers all the familiar fundamentals from developing a unique selling proposition (USP), to practicing target marketing, to using testimonials and celebrity endorsements. His plan is well organized, carefully thought out and based on his own extensive experience in marketing and sales. Certainly Kennedy's plan, which is made up mostly of tried-and-true marketing strategies, can help your business. However, seasoned marketing professionals looking for new tactics will require something more advanced. We suggest this book to marketers beginning their careers, small business owners conducting in-house marketing or people in other fields seeking an overview of marketing.

If you are into marketing at all - especially online marketing - you know about Dan Kennedy. And you either love him or hate him. I actually love his approach and strategies because at the end of the day - they work. So when I read this book I was wondering how informative it would be. I probably should have read this book when I was starting my business because while it is pretty comprehensive etc. it is written primarily for the beginning marketer. So if you are starting your business - I recommend that you pick this book up and introduce yourself to Dan's philosophy and proven strategies for marketing your business. It's worth the read.

I purchased this book last year as I was working on a marketing plan for the company I was working for. At the time I was looking for templates, step by step instructions, and clear direction on what comprises a good plan that will be presented to a board of directors or company executive committee. The book didn't help me with that at all.

I picked up the book again last week, and read it cover it to cover. I learned a lot. There are tons of marketing examples (including the somewhat intrusive albeit useful self serving promotions throughout the book)of good ad copy, good advertising ideas and marketing promotion stories throughout the book.

(By the way one of his marketing secrets is to have the guts to ask for action every time, in every presentation. He showed plenty of guts throughout the book as he promoted himself and his colleagues constantly - but he makes a great point and demonstrates it effectively).

If you're looking to learn how to write a great marketing plan, this might not be your book. But, if you have your own business, of ANY kind (especially doctors or chiropractors - he specializes in ideas for them!) then you WILL get more ideas than you can implement in a month from this book. They will be low cost and high impact ideas too!! Just the kind every business needs more of. :)

This book should not be used to manage your marketing campaigns but should get you thinking. It will not give you step by step answers to making your business make millions but it will explain your audience and why some methods make the difference. Remember, it's a marketing book and I am sure his intent is to make money in the process so there is advertising of other books and services. If you wrote the book it would be a good idea for you to mention your services too, so don't be so judgmental. Look for ideas and a high level understanding of the nature of selling and marketing and you will find what you are looking for from this book.

Maybe its my rural Kansas upbringing, but I really connect with Dan Kennedy's no-nonsense writing and speaking style. I've read literally hundreds of the most important business books and I'd put Dan Kennedy's importance and influence only just behind that of Napoleon Hill's.

Read his material, attend his seminars, and for the love of everything that's holy, study his examples.

"There are tons of marketing plan book on the market both offline and online by authors who's only successes are teaching programs, writing books and they have rarely marketing in their lives.

"Dan, on the other hand, is the real deal, having proven himself the master at marketing hundreds maybe thousands of products and services through his powerful marketing strategies and marketing plans, proving he's the master of the marketing plan.

"Let me tell you the truth, Dan's book is so effective, that I give it away to all my prospects even before offering my own book. He is, without a doubt, one of the top three marketers in the world, and when he talks about marketing plans you'd be insane not to listen and learn."

- Sandy Barris
Author, Sell More of Your Products, Services and Ideas
Creator, [...]

What Dan tells you is how it really is - there truly are no wishy washy messages here. I have personally recommended his books to dozens of people. If you enjoy Dan's no holds barred style then I can also recommend Swimming with Piranha Makes You Hungry by Colin TurnerSwimming with Piranha Makes You Hungry

This book isn't a marketing tell all by any means but it does lay a nice foundation to build on. The book explains each facet of marketing to a particular audience. Beginning with research and finishing with a finely crafted message written to appeal to a specific market, Dan Kennedy's book gives advice every marketer should know though not necessarily ALL they should know.

This book is in my opinion, an absolute must for anyone interested in pursuing marketing as a career, or for any business owner who is unsure of how to market their business.

Covering topics such as using the right media and message to reach the right market and how to develop a USP, there are more than 200 pages of priceless information here.

There are of course the occasional mentions of Dan's events and vouchers that you can use to get free trials of his material and some would view this as inappropriate. I see this as just who Dan is, a marketing expert, right down to using his book to do this.

A great read and a snip at the price it is listed at.

Simon Thurston