Charlene Li: Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies
TDMers need to join the Web 2.0 revolution now. The old traditional marketing isn't good enough anymore. Groundswell tells you what it is, why you should do it and how to implement it. Best book on the subject. Don't get left behind. Your entire team should read this today! (*****)
Chris Balish: How to Live Well Without Owning a Car: Save Money, Breathe Easier, and Get More Mileage Out of Life
We love this book! Chris Balish provides readers with practical, every-day tips on how to go car-lite or even car-free. We wish we'd written this book ourselves, but it somehow rings much more true coming from this self-described "mainstream" guy. THIS is the book to give to your customers. Best give-away ever! (*****)
Andy Sernovitz: Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking
A natural follow-up to "The Tipping Point" and "Citizen Marketers" is this latest must read for people who are trying to get the word out about their service. Anyone running a TDM program has got to read this book! (*****)
Ben McConnell: Creating Customer Evangelists: How Loyal Customers Become a Volunteer Sales Force
Another awesome book from the folks who brought you Citizen Marketers. Six tenets: Customer Plus-Delta; Napsterize your knowledge; Build the buzz; Create community; Bite-size chunks; and Create a cause. An easy, quick read that's full of useful ideas and examples. Get it and start creating customer evangelists today! (*****)
John Martin & Matt Thornhill: Boomer Consumer: Ten New Rules for Marketing to Americas Largest, Wealthiest and Most Influential Group
Marketing to Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964)? Here's your step by step bible. A fascinating, fun and easy read. The first half is all about understanding the psychology, sociology and culture of the Boomers. Filled with great stories and scads of easy to understand research. The 2nd half goes through the 10 new research-based Rules for marketing to boomers in a practical straight-forward manner. A must have book for anyone in the business. LOVED IT! (*****)
Chip Heath: Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
Touted as the follw-up to Gladwell's "The Tipping Point" and "Blink" the authors reveal the science of why some things "stick" in our minds and why others don't and then they spell out how you can methodically go about making your message "sticky." Great research, great instructions. A must read! (*****)
Danny Meyer: Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business
If you run a customer service oriented organization this is a must-read. Full of usefull principles for treating customers (and employees) right - in any line of business. Learn the 51% rule, constant gentle pressure and when to say no. Bonus if you like food and restaurant stories. (****)
Jim Collins: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't
If you lead an agency or company this is a great way to make sure you're whole team is on the same page and moving forward together. Our team liked the book so much we're doing training classes on incorporating the principles into our work. The principles of the book are based on years and years of research that prove what separates the great from the good. Use it and do the same! (****)
Joseph Michelli: The Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary Into Extraordinary
Those of us who serve customers can learn a lot from the people who have perfected customer service while serving a cup of coffee. The author demonstrates how we can use the Starbucks method in our own companies. Great strategies and tons of ideas. Get a book for everyone on your staff and develop your own Green Apron Book! (****)
Frank Luntz: Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear
Noted pundit and pollster Frank Luntz is the guru of words. Years of research with polls, focus groups and traveling around the country give him a great perspective on how to reach your audiance. Awesome book. A must read. Political junkees will like the stories, but whatever your politics, there's lots of good stuff in here for you! (See summary on June 4, 2007 of this blog.) (****)
Seth Godin: Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable
Marketing Guru Seth Goden shows you the difference between just marketing and being remarkable - which is better than just marketing. Way better. A must and easy read. (****)
The Group of 33: The Big Moo: Stop Trying to Be Perfect and Start Being Remarkable
Great short essays from top business writers on how to be remarkable at what you do in any industry. If you manage people or just want to shine, there's much in here worth reading! (****)
Malcolm Gladwell: Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
The follow-up to The Tipping Point. Enough said. (****)
Malcolm Gladwell: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
The one that started it all. A "John Martin recommended book" that we all love. (****)
Ben McConnell: Citizen Marketers: When People Are the Message
The future is here and now. Shows you how to use the latest Internet technologies to further your cause. (***)
Ken Blanchard: Customer Mania!: It's Never Too Late to Build a Customer-Focused Company
If you run a store or call center this is a must read. Fun too. Uses YUM! brands (KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell) and has lots of great examples on how to create customer mania about your service. (***)
Debbie Weil: The Corporate Blogging Book: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know to Get It Right
Advertising and press releases aren't the only way to get the word out. Blogging is a great way to promote your cause and archive your story. Every local program should have one. Debbie Weil explains why your organization needs a blog and then shows you how to do it. We read it before starting CommuterPageBlog and loved it. (***)
Karen Salmansohn: Ballsy: 99 Ways to Grow a Bigger Pair and Score Extreme Business Success
Quick, short, easy to read tid-bits that will help you grow a bigger pair. Much fun. (***)
Seth Godin: Free Prize Inside: The Next Big Marketing Idea
Marketing Guru Seth Godin follows-up Purple Cow and shows you how to create and implement one. Practical 'how-to" examples. (***)
Jim Collins: Good to Great and the Social Sectors: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great
Companion to the fantastic book. For those in the public sector a handy tool to further take the principles from the main book and use them when profit isn't you're bottom line. Its helpful to read the big book first though. (**)
Geil Browning: Emergenetics: Tap Into the New Science of Success
Build a stronger team and well-rounded thinking with Emergenetics. Think of it as an easier to understand Myers-Briggs. Our entire ACCS team went through the process and used the book to reinforce what we learned in the in-person sessions. What's your thinking style (conceptual, social, analytical, or structural)? Fun! (**)
William C. Taylor: Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win
From the people who bring you the great magazine "Fast Company" comes the book about leaders that don't do business as usual and in the process make their organizations great. Filled with stories about companies you know with wonderful inspiration to take your team to another level. (**)
Tom Peters: Reimagine!: Business Excellence in a Disruptive Age
Ideas, ideas, ideas. (**)
Our good friend Richard Layman at the awesome Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space blog points us to this article in the Toronto Star (Think you have it bad? Try a 240-km commute; December 8, 2007) about a commuter in our area who drives from Berryville in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains to Alexandria each weekday. The article is the first in a series from the Star's foreign correspondents describing a world of commuting horror stories beyond Toronto's urban sprawl. First in the series is the story about Lori Forrester commuting to Alexandria. She says her commute (in the picture) takes anywhere from 90 minutes to 3 hours each way. It also costs her $150 each week to fill up her gas tank. From the article:
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