Service Magic: The Art of Amazing Your Customers Review

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Service Magic: The Art of Amazing Your Customers ReviewRon Zemke takes the emotion that is tied up with the wonder of Magic and translates that experience over to the same feelings that customer should receive when they interact with our business. While the world of "slight of hand' is just that, illusion, the world of customer service cannot be. Instead we must take the basic structure used to design a magic performance and use that as a template for building out a plan for customer service.
Zemke lays out a fairly decent plan for the reader to follow and consider; beginning with the art of misdirection and ending with the wonder of the stage exit or "out". This plan is followed by many of today's most successful companies and has proven to evoke a similar feeling of wonder and amazement experienced on many of Vegas' nightly shows.
A great quote from this book is "You can't force customers to take part in the magic, but you can invite them to come and play along." Businesses that are sure to succeed no matter what the state of the economy, are those that invite the customers to participate and become part of the story.Service Magic: The Art of Amazing Your Customers OverviewLike stage magic, service magic is made up of more than tricks, hocus-pocus, and bravado. Service magic is an art and depends on developing customer rapport, excellent timing, and many hours of practice.Customer service wizards Chip Bell and Ron Zemke have decades of experience advising and coaching the world's biggest businesses in the fine art of providing excellent service. In their new book, Service Magic, the authors use examples from diverse industries to reveal inventive-and fun-approaches to customer service. Using new models for creating customer delight, they share a conjurer's trunk of ideas for sweeping away the mundane and creating customer experiences that will leave customers delighted, charmed, and wanting to come back for more.Readers will learn about the magic-building customer service strategies at play in industries such as:• Hospitality-How Marriott, Ritz-Carlton Hotels, Hotel Monaco, Old Faithful Inn, Berns Steak House, and Radisson have performed service magic for retaining guests, especially during a downturn in the travel and leisure market.• Financial services-How do USAA and American Express keep their customers happy when so many financial services companies are churning accounts faster than the Fed can drop interest rates?• Health care-See how some of the biggest health care providers, including Mayo, Aurora Health, Children's Memorial Hospital of Chicago, Grace Presbyterian Village, and Wayzata Dental, have created caring, nurturing, and helpful environments for patients and families. • Retail-Byerly's, SuperQuinn, Mary Jane's Farm, Macaroni Grill, Victoria's Secret, and Sewell Village Cadillac are vastly different retailers. Nevertheless, they share some common approaches to service and customer care. • Entertainment-Universal Studios, Disney World Resorts, All Outdoor White Water Rafting, and the St. Paul Saints have all captured the hearts and souls of customers through the magic of service.

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Swimming Upstream: A Lifesaving Guide to Short Film Distribution Review

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Swimming Upstream: A Lifesaving Guide to Short Film Distribution ReviewIt has taken me almost two years on the film festival circuit with my first short film to learn half of the things discussed in this very informative and inspiring book! I wish I had found this book when I first started sending out my short to film festivals and dealing with distribution companies. There are funny anecdotes, stories, and wise nuggets from filmmakers and industry professionals that are really speaking from years of experience.
Sharon Badal has compiled an amazing group of people who are responsible for programming, discovering, and creating some of the best and most original shorts in the world. As a filmmaker, it is also very inspiring to read about the humble, passionate beginnings of filmmakers like Peter Sollett and Ryan Fleck/Anna Boden, and how their short films opened the doors for their feature films.
This book is a must-read for anyone trying to break in with their short film!Swimming Upstream: A Lifesaving Guide to Short Film Distribution OverviewShort films have come into their own, not least in part due to the incredible new ways to distribute them, including the Web, cell phones, new festivals devoted to shorts--even television and theatres. This is the ultimate guide for anyone who's made a short film and wonders what to do next. Whether your short film is meant to be a calling card, a segue to a feature film, or you just want to recoup some of the costs, this book describes the potential paths for distribution. Written by the short film programmer of the Tribeca Film Festival and featuring contributions from top film festival directors, as well as studio, marketing, and technology executives, this book shows you what's important to the decision makers and gatekeepers. This is the definitive handbook filled with insider information available nowhere else.* A guide to getting your short film the exposure it deserves* Filled with interviews and insider information from the gatekeepers at Focus Features, AtomFilms, Shorts International, Sundance, and more* Includes exercises and projects to help you develop a strategy and find the right investors

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Sports and Entertainment Marketing Review

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Sports and Entertainment Marketing ReviewI was in Ken Kaser's marketing class for two years and i can honestly say with utmost certainty that Mr. Kaser's sports marketing book is the greatest, most compelling story of human drama and intrigue that i have ever read. It is a poignant and touching journey into the human psyche and inded the very nature of man. Through his stunning portrayal of the book's main character (a Jewish man named Trey), Kaser delves into the relms of intelectual enlightenment and human sexuality. While many subjects are explored through the main character's search for the meaning of life, he ultimately confronts the eternal questions of existence such as "Why am i here?", and "Why is Tenney such a bastard?". This book is a life changing epic full of all the things that make great literature great. Ken Kaser has given the world a gift it will appreciate forever and he will go down in history as the greatest writer in the English language. I give it 5 stars.Sports and Entertainment Marketing OverviewSPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT MARKETING 3E continues to use sports and entertainment topics as the foundation for teaching marketing concepts. Each marketing function is incorporated throughout the text and is highlighted with an icon to indicate how it is used in the marketing process.

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New Ideas from Dead CEOs: Lasting Lessons from the Corner Office Review

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New Ideas from Dead CEOs: Lasting Lessons from the Corner Office Review
Actually, it was Bernard of Chartres, not Isaac Newton, who should be properly credited with first observing that "we are like dwarfs on the shoulders of giants, so that we can see more than they, and things at a greater distance, not by virtue of any sharpness on sight on our part, or any physical distinction, but because we are carried high and raised up by their giant size." I thought of that observation as I began to read Todd Buchholz's book about ten "giants" of the business world, each of whom introduced or refined "new" ideas that have, by now, been widely adopted.
The ideas on which Todd Buchholz focuses in this book were obviously "new" at one time but have by now become widely-adopted core concepts for achieving and then sustaining success in business. For example, almost all of the ideas about salesmanship that Thomas J. Watson, Sr. institutionalized so effectively at IBM and his son Thomas Jr. then refined were developed years earlier at National Cash Register when CEO John Patterson noted that his brother was outselling everyone else, examined how he achieved it, and established what is reputed to be the first corporate sales training program (in 1893) based on his brother's sales strategies and tactics. It is worth noting that Watson Sr. worked for IBM for several years and later acknowledged the value of what he learned about salesmanship from its branch manager in Buffalo, John J. Range.
In (of all places) the book's concluding chapter, Buchholz offers a challenge to his reader and makes a statement that indicates his approach top each of the ten "giants":
"I dare you. Search this book for the solitary secret that will guarantee riches while protecting you from being flung against the wall by competitors. You won't find it." Buchholz then continues, "Not because I have failed to divulge the lives and lessons f great CEOs, but because I tried to reveal the simple truth about making it big: It does not take a village, a Harvard MBA, or even a rich uncle. It takes passion, and obsession with turning a great idea into a sweeping revolution."
That is certainly true of A.P. Giannini who "invented modern banking" by establishing and then building his Bank of Italy (that eventually became Bank of America) with a customer base of "the little people" (e.g. immigrants) and small businesses ignored by other banks. It is also true of Estée Lauder who "recognized that by placing herself among the `power elites,' to borrow C. Wright Mills' phrase, she could more easily market her cosmetics to the strata just below them." One of her most important insights was that she could sell more perfume by avoiding the word "perfume." She was among the earliest (if not the earliest) of those who recognized how important it is to members of the lower and middle economic classes to have a "taste of luxury" even if and especially if, that is all they can afford. Mass affluence has become and remains among the most significant phenomena in contemporary marketing.
Of special interest to me is what Buchholz reveals about David Sarnoff `s life and career, and especially his impact on the communications media in the 20th century. He was hired by Guglielmo Marconi to work for the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company as Marconi's personal assistant. He enrolled in and was among the few to complete an electrical engineering course at the Pratt Institute. He was on duty the night of April 14, 1912, when he received a message from H.M.S. Titanic that it was struck an iceberg and was rapidly sinking. Of course, there was nothing he could do except share this tragic news with his associates. But he began to think about an intriguing challenge: How to deliver sound to more people? Over the next several decades, he served as CEO of the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), heading an organization that delivered first sound, then pictures, and eventually colored pictures to people throughout the world. "David Sarnoff conquered radio and television because he had the brainpower and the willpower to understand both the science and the business."
Buchholz also has much of value to say about the lives and careers of Mary Kay Ash, Ray Kroc, Akio Morita, Walt Disney, and Sam Walton. With regard to Ash, in response to someone's suggestion that pink (actually mountain laurel) Cadillacs are "tacky," she inquired: "What color was the car your company gave you?" As a boy, Disney lived with his family on a small farm near Marceline, Missouri, for only a few years but later immortalized it as Main Street, USA, an especially popular area that welcomes visitors to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. "In fact, along Main Street, Walt honored his father with a fictitious second-story shop, featuring the following window sign: Elias Disney - contractor - est. 1895." Some of the anecdotes that Buchholz shares about them and the other CEOs are well-known, some less so. However, in combination with a wealth of carefully selected historical material, they help to reveal the CEOs' "passion, and obsession with turning a great idea into a sweeping revolution."
Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Richard Tedlow's Giants of Enterprise: Seven Business Innovators and the Empires They Built, Michael J. Silverstein and Neil Fiske's Trading Up: Why Consumers Want New Luxury Goods... And How Companies Create Them (Revised and Updated), and Paul Nunes and Brian Johnson's Mass Affluence: Seven New Rules of Marketing to Today's Consumer.New Ideas from Dead CEOs: Lasting Lessons from the Corner Office Overview

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Branded Entertainment: Product Placement & Brand Strategy in the Entertainment Business Review

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Branded Entertainment: Product Placement & Brand Strategy in the Entertainment Business ReviewI did'n like the service, it took to long to be delivered and when I got it was like a photocopy...so I think that's not good value for my money.Branded Entertainment: Product Placement & Brand Strategy in the Entertainment Business OverviewBranded Entertainment explains how product placement, a long-time phenomenon in films, has gone beyond this to embrace all media. Citing examples from film, music videos, and computer games, the author explains the history and development of product placement, advantages of this form of brand advertising, and methods employed by different brands. Most importantly, Branded Entertainment discusses the future possibilities for using this form of promotion to recreate an emotional connection with customers and to spread the message across multimedia channels.

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Celebrity Leverage: Insider Secrets to Getting Celebrity Endorsements, Instant Credibility and Star-Powered Publicity, or How to Make Your Business - Plus Yourself - Rich and Famous Review

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Celebrity Leverage: Insider Secrets to Getting Celebrity Endorsements, Instant Credibility and Star-Powered Publicity, or How to Make Your Business - Plus Yourself - Rich and Famous ReviewJordan McCauley has written a first-rate guide to boosting your business through the power of celebrity endorsements. The book shines a welcome light on the business of celebrity. It can teach you how associating your brand and products with celebrities can increase your credibility, make your products more desirable, and even allow you to raise your prices.
Based on his own experience as publisher of the Celebrity Black Book and building the highly successful [...] web site, Jordan explains in detail how you can contact celebrities and convince them to help you.
The book is full of the practical details that you'll need to know to attract celebrity involvement, whether you are new to the Hollywood scene or an experienced PR or agency pro.
Tactics explained in the book (often through case studies or expert interviews) include how to:
-find contact info for celebrities
-get past gatekeepers to reach celebrities
-arrange product placement in movies, TV and videos
-hire celebrities for events or endorsements
The second half of the book also provides guidance on how to build your own brand to make yourself into a celebrity. Jordan suggests that writing a book, getting booked on TV and radio, and being quoted in newspapers are all additional steps toward positioning yourself as an expert and eventual celeb yourself.
Valuable lessons for marketers and business owners in today's age of celebrity.
Scott Fox
Author, [...]
Celebrity Leverage: Insider Secrets to Getting Celebrity Endorsements, Instant Credibility and Star-Powered Publicity, or How to Make Your Business - Plus Yourself - Rich and Famous OverviewThroughout the pages of Celebrity Leverage, you'll discover creative strategies for getting your products in celebrities' hands, getting low-cost and free celebrity endorsements, linking your business, product or service to celebrities in other ways, and even making yourself into a celebrity in your field. All of these strategies are what I collectively call "Celebrity Leverage."This book is divided into two parts. The first, "Making Your Business Famous," shows you how to get other celebrities to promote your business, your products, and your services. The second section of Celebrity Leverage, "Making Yourself Famous," reveals how to turn yourself into a celebrity in your area, your niche and your field.Along with insider secrets from myself, you'll also hear advice fromsome of today's top marketing and publicity experts like Susan Berkley, Alex Carroll, Jeff Crilley, Donna Cutting, Mike Esterman, Brian Patrick Flynn, Rick Frishman, Drew Gerber, Jake Halpern, Bill & Steve Harrison, Susan Harrow, Paul Hartunian, Craig Hirschfeld, Dan Janal, Gavin Keilly, Dan Kennedy, John Kremer, Rebecca Lightsey, Ann McIndoo, Brian Reich, Rhonda Rees, Nick Romer, Penny Sansevieri, Yanik Silver, Robyn Spizman, Joan Stewart, Amy Stumpf, Joe Vitale and more.

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The Graphic Designer's Guide to Pricing, Estimating, and Budgeting (Third Edition) Review

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The Graphic Designer's Guide to Pricing, Estimating, and Budgeting (Third Edition) ReviewGraphic Designer's Guide to Pricing, Estimating & Budgeting offers a fine survey on how to create a profitable graphic design business. It comes from a designer who covers everything from handling competition to managing budgets and this third edition has been updated to include more information on time management, Web considerations and multimedia pricing, and more. Designers simply must have this business guide!
The Graphic Designer's Guide to Pricing, Estimating, and Budgeting (Third Edition) Overview
The most comprehensive guide to graphic design pricing procedures provides startup and experienced design business owners with dozens of useful, creative methods for achieving profitability. Updated throughout with additional material on time management, expanded coverage of Web and multimedia pricing, and numerous new interviews with leading designers, this third edition is an invaluable industry guide focusing on these crucial aspects of running a graphic design business. Coverage includes how to set rates, deal with competitors' pricing, use different pricing methods, prepare estimates, draft proposals, establish and manage budgets, negotiate, and position the brand of the firm. Graphic designers will find the clearly written, practical advice indispensable to professional success.


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Selling a Screenplay: The Screenwriter's Guide to Hollywood Review

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Selling a Screenplay: The Screenwriter's Guide to Hollywood ReviewField is an amiable interlocutor, getting copious bon mots from the requisite titans of the film industry -- and they'll tell you WHAT they're "LOOKING FOR" ... but not WHERE to LOCATE THEM WHEN they are LOOKING.
No list of agents, no "these-are-the-steps-you-must-follow-in-submitting-a-script" to ______ or _______ or _______.
It seems that even if "follow all his (genuinely good and accurate, I'm sure) advice" and even if you have the world's best-script in your hands, say, 1 year after having read this book -- you STILL won't KNOW what to DO with it, nor if or how you may get an agent with it, or a meeting, or a sale, or ... anything ....
An initially inspiring, but ultimately, pretty frustrating read ....Selling a Screenplay: The Screenwriter's Guide to Hollywood Overview- Breaks Down the Business of Screenwriting - Explains What the Buyer Looks For - Shows You What to Do to Get in the Door- Tackles the Pitching Process - Provides Personal Insights from Famous Screenwriters Everybody has a story to tell. Everybody wants to write the great American screenplay.But what do you do after it's written? How do you sell it? Studio honchos. Development Executives. Independent Producers. What do they want? Do you need an agent or manager to get it into production?Selling a screenplay can mean earning $250,000 or more, so competition is fierce. Syd Field gives you an insider's look at the movie and TV industry, packed with essential tips from the pros. Selling a Screenplay is a must-have guide for every screenwriter, filled with frank real-life advice from Hollywood'smost powerful deal makers and most celebrated screenwriters. They all started somewhere.

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An Actor's Business: How to Market Yourself as an Actor No Matter Where You Live Review

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An Actor's Business: How to Market Yourself as an Actor No Matter Where You Live ReviewThis book has a lot of information about several regional theatre communities, which I found really useful since I've only ever experienced one of them. I wish there had been some information on a couple other areas, but of course only so much information can be put into one book. Mr. Reilly also focuses on the television and film industry and even gives some information on writing for screen. "An Actor's Business" is also a very motivational book, with lots of preparational tools as far as marketing goes, but of course it's only helpful as far as you actually go out and do the activities he suggests. If you need a book that will provide you with the motivation to get up and go at 'em -- read this one!An Actor's Business: How to Market Yourself as an Actor No Matter Where You Live OverviewA thorough and well-written resource for anyone wanting to understand all facets of the acting business.It covers everything from unions to marketing yourself.

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Madison And Vine: Why the Entertainment and Advertising Industries Must Converge to Survive Review

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Madison And Vine: Why the Entertainment and Advertising Industries Must Converge to Survive ReviewThe world is a changin.
The previous review stated some of the examples were outdated - I agree but expected that. Books take years to get to publication, and we expect everything webified FAST, including up to date research in books. Unfortunately it can't be done.
This book however is a super overview of two clashing industries that will (nevermind must) become a transparent and fluid harmonious single entity. Those that come on board will survive - those that won't will sink...
Frankly this SHOULD be required reading for mass communications faculty - the students already get it...Madison And Vine: Why the Entertainment and Advertising Industries Must Converge to Survive Overview
The inside scoop on innovations and relationships that are revolutionizing the industry
..
From the sharp decline in CD sales to the fragmentation of network TV audiences, the business models of the entertainment and advertising industries are showing severe cracks. Advertising Age editor Scott Donaton explains why these industries must converge to survive, overcoming hurdles and creating business models that attract today's consumer.
..
PRAISE FOR MADISON And VINE
..
"A superb analysis of the intersection of Madison and Vine. This convergence is the future financial model of the entertainment and advertising industries."--Mark Burnett, Creator/Executive Producer of The Apprentice and Survivor
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"Scott Donaton [has] written the definitive book about the mutual benefit that happens when filmmakers and marketers collaborate."--Harvey Weinstein, President, Miramax Films Corp.
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"Scott Donaton does more than lay out a road map of the future. A word to those who want some action in this crazily converging technocentric world: read this book or be left behind."--Stanley Bing, bestselling author of What Would Machiavelli Do and Fortune magazine columnist
..
"Unique and insightful, Scott provides an insider's look into the evolving business models of entertainment and advertising."--Donny Deutsch, Chairman and CEO, Deutsch Inc.
.

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Directed by Steven Spielberg: Poetics of the Contemporary Hollywood Blockbuster Review

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Directed by Steven Spielberg: Poetics of the Contemporary Hollywood Blockbuster ReviewWarren Buckland's "Directed by Steven Spielberg" is a welcome addition to the growing shelf of books that take a serious look at the films of Spielberg. His approach is to do a deep analysis of Spielberg's visual style, and he comes up with some fascinating results. It's no news to me that Spielberg's movies are way smarter than a lot of people tend to assume, but Buckland makes a good case for "Jurassic Park," which I'd previously considered to be one of the lesser movies in his career. Buckland is similarly insightful on the subjects of the rest of the movies he covers.
However, I have reservations about certain aspects of the book. For one thing, it's a dry, dry, dry read. This is acdemic writing, and frankly, academics don't know how to write nine times out of ten. Buckland is great at analysis; he's less good at presenting his analysis. Therefore, unless you're a pretty serious Spielberg fan (or a serious film-school student), you're likely to have a hard time making it through some sections of this book.
Secondly, Buckland's concentration on Spielberg's visuals lapses in certain places. Whenever he begins discussing elements of Spielberg's films that he doesn't like, Buckland almost immediately shifts away from visual analysis and toward more traditional criticisms of plot and character, etc. These are quite possibly valid critical arguments, but they are a betrayal of Buckland's intent in writing the book. And quite frankly, a visual analysis of some of these sections might have been useful, even revelatory.
Another issue is with Buckland's analysis of "Poltergeist." He takes a statistical analysis -- a fascinating one, in fact -- of the movie in order to determine who "really" directed the movie. (If you weren't aware, it has long been a Hollywood controversy over whether credited director Tobe Hooper was in fact just a patsy for Spielberg, who has been rumored to have actually done most of the directing himself.) Buckland's findings, surprising even to himself, is that while Spielberg obviously wielded some influence, Hooper was also extremely active in the movie's visuals. This is great stuff, but it seems to settle the controversy in favor of Hooper, and fails utterly to take into account the fact that Spielberg wrote the film (he's credited with "story by," but did an uncredited full rewrite of the final draft of the screenplay). Whether or not he physically directed it, it's a Spielberg movie. To be fair, this is a problem with film criticism at large; the writer of the film is often ignored, and ought not be.
Finally, at the end, there are short analyses of several Spielberg movies not covered in full. One of these is "A.I.," and Buckland opts not to approach the movie's visuals at all. Instead, he offers up the analysis that the majority of the movie is a dream sequence from the point of view of the sick child, sleeping within the cryogenic chamber. This analysis is so poor, so entirely off-base, that it's hard to believe I'm supposed to take it seriously. It's so wrong-headed, in fact, that it calls Buckland's overall credibility somewhat into question. This is a problem coming at the end of an otherwise solid book.
Don't let these problems put you off from buying it if you're a serious Spielberg fan, though. There is a lot to like and appreciate here.Directed by Steven Spielberg: Poetics of the Contemporary Hollywood Blockbuster OverviewAlthough the blockbuster is the most popular and commercially successful type of filmmaking, it has yet to be studied seriously from a formalist standpoint. This is in opposition to classical Hollywood cinema and International Art cinema, whose form has been analyzed and deconstructed in great detail. Directed By Steven Spielberg fills this gap by examining the distinctive form of the blockbuster. The book focuses on Spielberg's blockbusters, because he is the most consistent and successful director of this type of film - he defines the standard by which other Hollywood blockbusters are judged and compared. But how did Spielberg attain this position? Film critics and scholars generally agree that Spielberg's blockbusters have a unique look and use visual storytelling techniques to their utmost effectiveness. In this book, Warren Buckland examines Spielberg's distinct manipulation of film form, and his singular use of stylistic and narrative techniques. The book demonstrates the aesthetic options available to Spielberg, and particularly the choices he makes in structuring his blockbusters. Buckland emphasizes the director's activity in making a film (particularly such a powerful director as Spielberg), including: visualizing the scene on paper via storyboards; staging and blocking the scene; selecting camera placement and movement; determining the progression or flow of the film from shot to shot; and deciding how to narrate the story to the spectator.Directed By Steven Spielberg combines film studies scholarship with the approach taken by many filmmaking manuals. The unique value of the book lies in its grounding of formal film analysis in filmmaking.

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This Business of Music Marketing and Promotion, Revised and Updated Edition Review

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This Business of Music Marketing and Promotion, Revised and Updated Edition ReviewIt seems that most reviewers are quite split on whether this is a "good" book or a "lousy" one. First off, reading the book I got a distinct impression that this book is not intended for musicians, it seems to be targeted more towards those in marketing who are familiar with marketing basics, but not about how they apply to the music industry.

There are much better books about the inner workings of the music industry (see books by Donald S. Passman and Moses Avalon.) There are much better books on marketing (see the "Guerrilla" series by Levinson and Godin). This book is adequate at introducing the music biz to marketing juniors, but not marketing to musicians.

One review wrote: "...dizzying amount of extremely useful information, all within an engrossing and enjoyable text" -- I find this review extremely suspect. I've read many books on both the music biz and marketing -- but this one is so mind-crushingly boring it's difficult to read and useful info is easily forgotten.This Business of Music Marketing and Promotion, Revised and Updated Edition OverviewThe maxim in the music industry has always been "You can't make it on talent alone," and with This Business of Music Marketing & Promotion, you don't have to.In language that is simple and direct, author Tad Lathrop details promotional skills, publicity plans, royalty guidelines, and more, all supported by real-life examples. He shows how the Web and other technological developments have revolutionized not only how music is made, but how it is marketed and promoted. The old rules still apply—create a marketing plan, know your copyrights, be familiar with the laws of commerce—but there are a host of new ones as well, along with new strategies on how to give your recording the exposure it deserves. This streamlined, reorganized, and updated edition features an all-new chapter ("Twenty-Five Profile-Building Ideas to Use Right Now"), which will help readers get a running start in the recording business. They'll also find completely updated material about Internet sales and promotion techniques, the latest information available on integrated marketing and e-marketing strategies, and brand-new listings of information resources.

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The Business of iPhone and iPad App Development: Making and Marketing Apps that Succeed Review

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The Business of iPhone and iPad App Development: Making and Marketing Apps that Succeed ReviewAs an independent developer I came across the first edition of this book while browsing Barnes and Noble. It seemed like something I should read, although like most developers the thought of devoting time to learning about best business and marketing practices was about as exciting as washing socks. Consequently I barely looked at the book as it gathered dust on my shelf. Fortunately this updated and expanded edition came along just before I embarked on my first serious paid app development project. The first 8 pages alone made it clear to me how much more there is to developing and selling a successful iOS app than I would ever have imagined. I figured if I developed a great app and did some cursory marketing via forums, blogs etc that from there word of mouth would get the rest of the job done for me. I was wrong. WAY wrong.
This book should be considered a must-have for any iOS dev - independent or otherwise. It takes you from pre-development planning (that's right - you've already missed some opportunities if you have blindly begun development without considering some of the tips provided here) through intellectual property protection, in-app social marketing, pricing strategies, advertising etc. to app submission, release and ongoing marketing. The content of this book not only helps you to market your app but it also informs your design decisions so that your app helps to sell itself. Yes - there is additional work required beyond the coding we prefer to focus on, but it is this additional effort that enables us to take advantage of all that hard work creating our apps. Buy this book and read it before your project begins. It will open your eyes and undoubtedly help you succeed.The Business of iPhone and iPad App Development: Making and Marketing Apps that Succeed Overview
The phenomenal success of the iPhone, iPad and the iPod touch has ushered in a "gold rush” for developers, but with well over 300,000 apps in the highly competitive App Store, it has become increasingly difficult for new apps to stand out in the crowd. Achieving consumer awareness and sales longevity for your iOS app requires a lot of organization and some strategic planning. Updated and expanded for iOS 4, this bestselling book will show you how to incorporate marketing and business savvy into every aspect of the design and development process, giving your app the best possible chance of succeeding in the App Store. The Business of iPhone and iPad App Development was written by experienced developers with business backgrounds, taking you step-by-step through cost effective marketing techniques that have proven successful for professional iOS app creators-perfect for independent developers on shoestring budgets. No prior business knowledge is required. This is the book you wish you had read before you launched your first app!

What you'll learn
Analyze your ideas and competition, and identify your audience to evaluate sales potential.
Protect your business and intellectual property and avoid potential legal hassles.
Transform your iOS app into a powerful marketing tool.
Build synergy with in-app cross-promotion and social media, and Apple's Game Center.
Utilize revenue-generating business models such as in-app advertising and In-App Purchase. Includes extensive coverage of the iAd framework and the Store Kit API.
Improve usability and implement effective testing.
Create a pre-release buzz online with Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and a dedicated website.
Successfully navigate the App Store submission process.
Execute a post-release marketing strategy with press releases, app reviews, promotional sales and giveaways.

Who this book is for
This book is for any developer looking to build a successful business selling iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps in Apple's iTunes App Store. All the code examples included in this book can be downloaded from http://iphonebusinessbook.com/.

Table of Contents
Seeing the Big Picture in a Crowded App Store Marketplace
Doing Your Homework: Analyzing iOS App Ideas and Performing Competitive Research
Protecting Your Intellectual Property
Your iOS App Is Your Most Powerful Marketing Tool
Social Inception: Promoting Your Apps Within Apps
Money for Nothing: When It Pays to Be Free
Monetizing Free Apps with iAd and Other In-App Advertising Opportunities
Exploring the Freemium Model with In-App Purchase
Testing and Usability: Putting Your Best Foot Forward
Get the Party Started! Creating a Prerelease Buzz
Keys to the Kingdom: The App Store Submission Process
Increasing Awareness for Your iOS App
Online Resources for App Research and Marketing


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The Accidental Millionaire: How to Succeed in Life Without Really Trying Review

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The Accidental Millionaire: How to Succeed in Life Without Really Trying ReviewAs a wedding photographer, I found Gary's book to be both entertaining and thought provoking. Gary has a unique philosophy about life and success, and his stories are interesting and very funny. His book made me laugh and encouraged me to view my own situation as a photographer a little differently, and even motivated me to take a few more risks. I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone interested in business and photography.The Accidental Millionaire: How to Succeed in Life Without Really Trying OverviewThe Accidental Millionaire is the memoir of Gary Fong, would-be slacker who revolutionized wedding photography, inventor of popular photography aids, entrepreneur, contrarian, bon vivant and a man who really, really didn't want to become a doctor. A first-generation Chinese-American, Gary was raised in one of Los Angeles' least-desirable neighborhoods and was forced to deal―in his own quirky and often very funny way―with the burdens of poverty, crime and his parents' relentless aspirations. These issues almost overwhelmed him until he had a dramatic epiphany. Spotting a bumper sticker that read "Since I gave up hope, I feel much better," Gary promptly did just that.He stopped trying and started succeeding. At turns hilarious, insightful and instructive, The Accidental Millionaire is Horatio Alger-meets-David Sedaris. Turning the traditional self-help principles upside down, The Accidental Millionaire disdains the goal-oriented approaches of traditional self-help philosophies. Sometimes not knowing where you are going is the best possible way to get there.

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Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story Review

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Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story ReviewLately, I have been reading about the power of persuasion, and some experts believe stories can be used to induce a trance-like state. I like telling stories, and have found that as a teacher, students remember the personal stories I tell long after they have forgotten basic facts. However, I don't think I am always a great storyteller, and I have rarely tried to craft a good story. I hoped this book would shed light on the power of a story, and show me how to tell an effective one.
Guber highlights the times he failed to connect with a client, and most of the time, it was because he failed to tell a story. This may sound counter-intuitive to many in the business world. After all, isn't business about being sober and logical? Where do stories fit in? According to Guber, most people in business forget that they are dealing with humans, and in order to reach people, a sales pitch has to have an emotional component. Stories not only add an emotional dimension to business interactions, but also appeal to our natural love of good stories (which contain a challenge, struggle, and resolution). This love of the challenge-struggle-resolution story is, according to research in the book, hard-wired into our brains. Thus, stories are not just entertaining: they are powerful tools that help us connect with others, and persuade them to see our point of view.
I have to respectfully disagree with other reviewers that suggest the author doesn't explain how to tell good stories. It is true that this is not a book you would use in a creative writing class. You won't learn about the elements of a short story, or what personification is. However, the book explains how to use a certain type of story to become more successful. Guber does clearly explain how to tell an effective story. The entire book is about this, surrounded by stories of him and others. He tells readers how to find the right hero, where to find inspiration, ways to make a story emotionally relevant, how to make sure a story connects with a given audience, how to be authentic, the importance of proper intention (thus sending out proper body language), using props, and many other tips and tricks that clearly indicate how a good, purposeful, story is told. Many of these tips are condensed in the "aHHa" sections at the end of each chapter. He may not treat the topic the way an English teacher would, but he does offer practical advice.
One possible drawback is that this book may not appeal to all readers because it is short on hard data, which isn't too surprising, given that it is about shifting away from that sort of approach. Guber does include research, it is just that the book itself is based on Guber's personal ideas and stories. I am convinced, but it is definitely a new way of looking at business interaction.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It opened my eyes to the power of the stories I regularly tell, and ones I have been told. After reading this book, I know how to craft a compelling story, that will entertain, build rapport with others, persuade others, and help me accomplish my goals. Since reading the book, I have made an effort to tell more stories, and the response has been positive. The fodder for stories is all around, in what I have done, and what I have seen others do. As I start my own business, and continue to teach in the classroom, I plan to craft my storytelling ability to not only educate, but also make more money.Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story Overview

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