The World's Best Known Marketing Secret: Building Your Business with Word-of-Mouth Marketing [Hardcover]

Ivan R. Misner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 27, 1994

This book shows you how to grow your business in the toughest of times with the oldest, best and most effective marketing method in the world.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Misner, a motivational speaker and expert on business networking, acknowledges in his title that there is nothing secret about word-of-mouth ("W-O-M") marketing and advertising. W-O-M, in fact, is often credited for the popularity of movies, restaurants, etc. Misner, though, suggests ways to take advantage of the tremendous potential of W-O-M. Ten years ago he founded Business Network International in Arcadia, California, by assembling a group of friends to exchange business referrals. Since then the organization has expanded to more than 300 chapters and generated more than $325 million in business as a result of more than one million referrals among its members. Misner offers examples to demonstrate the power of W-O-M, shows how to develop referral networks, suggests how to deliver a positive message, and lays out how to put together a W-O-M marketing plan. Recommended for libraries serving small business, professionals, and salespeople. David Rouse

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Bard Press (October 27, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885167059
• ISBN-13: 978-1885167057
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,087,332 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Ivan Misner is the Founder & Chairman of BNI, the world's largest business networking organization. BNI was founded in 1985. The organization has thousands of chapters throughout every populated continent of the world. Each year, BNI generated millions of referrals resulting in over billions of U.S. dollars worth of business for its members.

Dr. Misner's Ph.D. is from the University of Southern California. He has written twelve books, including his New York Times Bestseller; Masters of Networking as well as his recent #1 bestseller, Networking Like a Pro. He is a monthly columnist for Entrepreneur.com and is the Senior Partner for the Referral Institute - a referral training company with trainers around the world. In addition, he has taught business management and social capital courses at several universities throughout the United States.

Called the "Father of Modern Networking" by CNN and the "Networking Guru" by Entrepreneur magazine, Dr. Misner is considered to be one of the world's leading experts on business networking and has been a keynote speaker for major corporations and associations throughout the world. He has been featured in the L.A. Times, Wall Street Journal, and New York. Times, as well as numerous TV and radio shows including CNN, CNBC, and the BBC in London.

Dr. Misner is on the Board of Trustees for the University of LaVerne. He is also the Founder of the BNI Misner Charitable Foundation and was recently named "Humanitarian of the Year" by a Southern California newspaper. He is married and lives with his wife Elisabeth and their three children in Claremont, CA. In his spare time!!! he is also an amateur magician and a black belt in karate.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars mutual referrals for fun and profit, January 3, 2006

By 

Daniel Ginensky (Bet Shemesh Israel) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The World's Best Known Marketing Secret: Building Your Business with Word-of-Mouth Marketing (Paperback)

This book is well organized and has descriptive chapter titles. However, the insights and techniques offered are fairly lightweight.

This book is a guide to creating a network of people in non-competing businesses who agree to refer clients to each other. I was dissapointed to find that aside from mutual back-scratching, there were zero insights on how to get people to talk about my business. Isn't that what word-of-mouth is supposed to be about?

In general, I found few surprises in the book. A lot of it struck me as "Dale Carnagie" style advice, pointing out that you should try not to sulk in the corner when at business gatherings, etc.

To end on a positive note, I wholeheartedly agree with the auther's choice of title, seeing as how the ideas in this book are well known to most adults with average social skills.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book but needs updating on Internet networking, February 27, 2005

By 

Sally (CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The World's Best Known Marketing Secret: Building Your Business with Word-of-Mouth Marketing (Paperback)

Just finished reading this book this evening with mixed view on it. In my view, this could be a good, entry-level handbook for small business owners/professionals, such as doctors, dentists to learn to practise networking and get referrals. It offers practical, step by step how-to-dos on tranditional referral marketing.

What it misses is the power of social networking through the Net and the resulting referrals. If the authors can update the book with "Internet Networking", it will be a more useful book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Referral is READ World's Best Known Marketing Secret, July 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The World's Best Known Marketing Secret: Building Your Business with Word-of-Mouth Marketing (Paperback)

There is so much useful, easily digestable material contained within this book, that only one reading is simply not enough!. I have read this book more than once and the new 2nd edition provides even more tips for growing my business. I particularly like the section on the "Top Ten Commandants of a Networking Mixer" for example, because it gives information that even a "born networker" can benefit from applying at their next networking function. For example- #3 states, "act like a host, not a guest"--so simple but profound in the ability to position yourself as a person in the know--the kind of person others want to do business with! If you are in business this book is a must have. If you know a person in business this book is the best gift you could give! After all, "givers gain" begins by giving!