From Publishers Weekly
Fox's fourth entry in his How to Become series proves again that he has mastered the short format, advice-driven business book. The book contains 50-odd short chapters boasting a surprising amount of useful information delivered in a street-smart style. In the chapter entitled "Banish All Buying Barriers," Fox advises readers to eliminate anything that makes it difficult for customers to buy. About merchants featured in Visa ads for not accepting AmEx, he says, "Not accepting the American Express card is dumb. Bragging about it is even dumber." Fox lists words to avoid in advertising (e.g., "lifetime" and "quality") and questions to ask when drafting a marketing plan. Four "instant challenges" describe a marketing problem (e.g., how to sell shoe shines during a downpour) and ask readers to solve it. (Try a sandwich board reading: "Acid Rain! Save your shoes. Get a shine. Ask about the Rainy Day Special.") Throughout, Fox never loses sight of what he sees as marketing's ultimate goal, the "super marketer's anthem: It don't mean a thing. If it don't go ka-ching!"
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From AudioFile
Fox's manifesto for retrofitting ailing marketing plans and tapped-out marketers is a rapid-paced, upbeat instruction. Loaded with anecdotal material--how does an ailing shoeshine shop bring scuffed shoes through the door within 10 minutes of implementing a new marketing idea? What's wrong with aesthetically layered image ads? How much is a customer really worth? While some of Fox's information is tried-and-true, it's worth a listen--you won't walk away without a passel of powerful money-making techniques. D.J.B. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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