Why this book?... Who was it that said "the only purpose of business is to serve the customer"? This SmarterMarketing formula focuses on that. All else is secondary. The majority of CEOs don't trust marketers' ability to deliver growth and the majority of Corporate Boards don't have Marketing Directors on them. So say several recent media reports. It doesn't matter which specific reports they are, the issue is that there is a worrying challenge to be addressed. Because when it's the custodian of customer connection, the Marketer, that's losing the vote of confidence, trouble is looming for business. This is why the time honoured SmarterMarketing formula is being published in book form. It's lonely at the top for CEOs. You're constantly in the spotlight, with people waiting for you to trip up. Empowerment and values are crucial for quality teamwork to deliver goals. But how do you ring-fence the challenging debates and lengthy discussions in a straightforward, relaxed, informed and non-threatening way? And review delivery at suitable intervals? And train and coach whilst empowering and motivating and inspiring your team? Formulae help. Tried and trusted formulae. Here's a 2 decade proven one for commerce. You might find it useful. If not I'll give you your money back. There's little risk anyway, just the cost of a book. Or even if you use the supporting website, it's just the price of a business lunch for 2, or the cost of a tankful of fuel for your executive car. There will be one thing at least you can learn and apply. The rest is a bonus. The power is the brevity and succinctness, because that's how you easily internalise the formula. No long videos or webinar programmes, just simple, succinct stuff you can use on a day to day basis to inspire, empower and manage the marketers working for you. Enjoy, scare, build respect, eliminate bullshit, protect and build your bottom line using the business development blueprint exposed here. "Having read this stuff, I've now incorporated it into my modus operandi, use it to keep a handle on my marketing people and their suppliers, and hired the Agency to work for me! Great stuff. Well done. Tremendous value, loads of common sense and real practical ideas to implement." Roger Hollis, former CEO, Roomservice by Cort (a Berkshire Hathaway Company) www.roomservicebycort.com "Marketers have been accused of being expensive, slippery and unaccountable. I like the common sense practical approach here of implementing good, targeted marketing communications and measuring the effectiveness on sales and revenue of marketing spend. SmarterMarketing is an easy to grasp process to focus the marketer's mind in today's maelstrom of message clutter and increasing customer empowerment". Professor Robert Shaw, www.vbmf.com, author of Marketing Payback, creator of the 'Imagine, Predict, Demonstrate' infinity formula for our DMA Return on Ideas thought leadership innovation with CIMA and CIM - better results from Finance and Marketing working together "The value built into this program doesn't even bare thinking about! I've worked for several large organisation all with one thing in common.... they're paying literally thousands of £££'s in the search for a marketing strategy that will help them achieve sustainable growth. It's amazing to think that you can have what all the major players are in search of for just a tiny fraction of the cost. This really is a must have for anyone in business that wants to be successful in their marketing effort and more importantly those who wish to reproduce that marketing success over and over again!..." Mike Connelly www.smartnumber.co.uk The SwitchboardFree Call Management People
About the Author: Who am I? I'm on Linked in. I got an honours degree in Economics & Business Studies at Sheffield University in England, UK. I started work with Mars as a salesman, was hauled into head office as a graduate trainee. I learnt brand management at Beecham (now Glaxo). I learnt mis-marketing at Pedro Domecq, because my bosses were ex P&Gers who thought they could bully the drinks industry with aggressive grocery marketing tactics. Mentored by Phil Luckett, John Hayter and Leonard Lavin, I grew to Marketing Director for Alberto VO5 (now a Unilever brand) in the UK when I was 28, then to MD in the Far East running 5 countries through national distributors when I was 30, where I saved the principal Far Eastern company from bankruptcy. Back to the UK I became a freelance entrepreneur, then bought equity in an agency I liked before selling out to Colin Lloyd. I launched TBDA, ww.tbda.co.uk, The Business Development Agency (now True Business Data Activation) in the mid 90s with data genius Richard Organ, ex CACI, when Colin sold out to Euro RSCG, now Havas Media. The summary is I have an uncanny 360 degree vision of commerce, the importance of 'customer experience' and the delivery of customer satisfaction. SmarterMarketing is one of my gifts back to industry, because since I left the prescient values of ROTA at Mars, where Marketers were the Gods of cash flow creation, and revered as such, and since I learnt so much from the draconian 'loss of yield' fine on Marketing from Beecham (now Glaxo) Accountants, I have become increasingly appalled at 'marketing's' track record in Boardroom contribution. Mainly a result of poor accountability. Not trusted by FDs or respected by shareholders. What a shower Marketers can be! This is not just my jaundiced opinion, there are loads of media reports articulating the lament. Hopefully this book, its formula and introduction to the fuller blueprint manual, toolbox, system helps. Or I'll refund you the paltry cost, if you dare request it! A special thank you to all my family, friends and business colleagues who've encouraged me to distil the ups and downs of 40 years business experience into this SmarterMarketing success system. And to the inspirations from reading or hearing Jay Abraham, Claude Hopkins, Theodore Levitt, Tony Robbins, Tom Peters, Lou Gerstner, Lee Iacocca, Richard Branson, Professor Robert Shaw, David White and the Dan Kennedy crew.