First of all, I need to thank Mr. Port for creating a marketing book that is uniquely suited to people in the consulting/personal services businesses rather than taking a one-size-fits-all "small-business" approach. Second, I give him kudos for integrating all the aspects of the marketing process so well.
Nonetheless, the linear approach to reading this book was extremely discouraging. Readers should get an overview first, even if it means skipping over things quickly. For me, it meant reading pretty much all items but not pausing for the exercises except to think on them very quickly.
You SHOULD do the exercises, but not until you've got an overview of where this is going. Otherwise, you're stuck in all those steps about soul-searching your "purpose," which feels like a waste of time. It was artificial for me to be doing this in a vacuum, that is, not being "in" my business, and I felt frustrated by not getting to that whole Eureka! My Ultimate Life Purpose! thing. As if we can just sit on a mountaintop and imagine our perfect vocation. Sometimes we discover these things along the way, by doing. For instance, I wasted a lot of time thinking my ideal clients were teenagers, but later, in imagining the sales cycle, I fell in love with the idea of working with adults. I may yet find my most fulfilling role in working with teens; that's an exploration for another day.
Also, the integration of everything from the touchy-feely purpose-of-your-business stuff to the methods of reaching out to people demands that you truly integrate it into your own approach. It's holographic. In other words, in the execution, you are actually doing everything at once, and even revising your ideas as you go, and re-working as you learn more. I think he acknowledges the re-visioning, but I don't think he emphasizes how integrated and non-linear that process is.
I needed to look ahead, and the Kindle version of this book was just too linear for that. I still think it's useful to have it in this format, because it helps in writing out the exercises and revising using TextEdit or Word. There's just more flexibility in electronic formats. I liked not having to flip from book to computer and back again. Nonetheless, I really moved forward when I checked out the illustrated version of this book at my local bookstore. I would even buy it if I had the cash -- which I don't; I'm still a poor start-up. I cannot recommend that version enough, though. It really visualizes it for you, and flipping back and forth to integrate your approach is easier.
In short, this is a highly sophisticated approach to marketing your services, and I believe it will be well worth it. The "sales cycle" alone is worth the price. I'm using that as an entry point to planning, and the soul-searching "purpose" just informs it, as background material.
One thing he doesn't flesh out too much is the "likability factor." For that, I look forward to reading the separate book by another author (Tom Sanders, I believe). Maybe that's just a personal thing, I don't know; popularity and likability have always been something I get insecure about. Feeling like the nerd at every party uncovers some deeper issues than what I like to do for a living. I'm willing to explore that further, and Mr. Port's book provides a good inspiration for me to go there without playing a dweeb. One clue to being a more likable person is changing your sales pitch to a real dialogue. I could immediately see how annoying I've been in introducing what I do with an "elevator speech." Knowledge like that is priceless.
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Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even if You Hate Marketing and Selling
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Michael you win my heart.
First I listen Michael at James Schramko podcasts. Booked my prelunch book from Pakistan to my daughter address at Waterloo Canada. This is a fastest way to get the book.Read the book two times. It was a amazing learning. Now booked myself for Michael online training. I wish one day meet MichaelAnd attend his live show.
Top reviews from other countries
Celestine
Excellent : New Worthwhile 'Tricks' - Even for this old Marketing Dog!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 22, 2014JB
A Training Program for the Price of a Book!
Reviewed in Canada on February 21, 2013