Review of Dining Room & Banquet Management, 3E (Paperback)

This has great fundamentals for service the only down side is the price.Buying it through Amazon.com was a good way to go.

Product Description
If you are responsible for the efficient and profitable operation of a dining room or banquet facility, this revised manual is a handy reference and training resource to help you meet your goals.For service training programs in organizations providing banquet and/or dining room services, this is a thorough and clearly presented manual on the finer points of outstanding service, the distinguishing factor toward creating and maintaining a profitable business.The manager who trains his or her staff using this manual and the techniques presented here will provide excellent service to their guests.New diagrams concerning table and station assignments have been added to this new edition.Also included are step-by-step instructions on how to serve a typical meal with an individual server and how to enter orders and close out checks using a MICROS Point of Sale Computer System.Information about reservations, priority seating, and reservations systems has been updated as well.New techniques such as how to set guarantees for an event, the use of grazing stations and combination meal plates (vs. offering selections) are detailed in a section dedicated to banquet management.Your staff will learn confidence and skills that will serve them well as they serve your guests professionally and efficiently.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Dining Room & Banquet Management, 3E (Paperback)

Review of The New Pioneers: The Men and Women Who Are Transforming the Workplace and Marketplace (Paperback)

Reading The New Pioneers is a pleasant occupation.On theother hand, reviewing this book for people who have not yet read it isa challenging task.This is primarily because the book is written to be read and understood at many different levels.

The simplest and most obvious level is as a series of charming stories in the best humanistic tradition that demonstrate that there is good business in being a good human.

At a deeper level, Mr. Petzinger is also telling us that the economy is changing in a fundamental way because of the experiences of small and middle sized business leaders, such as those cited in the book.

Beyond that, he is suggesting something fundamental about human civilization and its potential to create astonishingly positive results.

At whatever level you consider the book, you will be well rewarded for reading it.

I must admit that it is tempting to ignore the book's shortcomings, but that would shortchange the principles that Mr. Petzinger is exploring...

As heart-warming as this book is, it is a scrapbook rather than a vision for individual entrepreneurs. Its value for entrepreneurs is, nonetheless, quite substantial.The benefit comes from stimulating ideas among readers by showing new business examples that have not been widely published and discussed before. I hope all entrepreneurs will read this book for that important benefit.

A fine effort from a talented journalist!END



Click Here to see more reviews about: The New Pioneers: The Men and Women Who Are Transforming the Workplace and Marketplace (Paperback)

Review of Antilogic: Why Businesses fail while individuals succeed (Hardcover)

It was the sub-title and a review I read (not on Amazon) that intrigued me to want to read this book. The book did not deliver on my expectations. I still walked away at the end saying, "So what?" It didn't seem that any particular premise had either been introduced or supported in a way that would make it 'applicable' -- so that you would have dropped the book several times during reading to run off and try a concept or two.

The most disappointing was the obvious 'filter' the author makes the reader look through because of his financial background as a CFO. And (someone please correct me on this if you can...I'm open for debate) I was most bothered by a premise that the entire book rested on. Where the concept of the efficiency of free markets was aligned to financial markets, including the stock market! I don't recall that association ever being a valid one when I was in business school.

Product Description
Antilogic is the opposite to logic, not the absence of logic as in random or chaotic events but the mirror image of logic, in a similar relationship that antimatter has to matter. It is the systematic pursuit of a course of action that may on the surface appear rational or impressive but in reality is little more than a generator of vapour. As with a looking-glass, if the reality and its mirror image meet they negate each other.

The word, 'Antilogic' has very early origins having been associated with the Sophists in ancient Greece. It is, however, alive and strong in the modern world of business and finance. All too frequently people have difficulty in distinguishing logic from Antilogic and cash from Vapourcash. Most people will be familiar with examples of Antilogic, such as share prices that drop on good results and poor managers who are given golden farewells or large salary increases while good staff is worked to exhaustion.

This thought-provoking book challenges conventional wisdom and helps readers to see through the vapour. It sweeps through time and over continents, from the Yap islanders to the English mercantilists, from Groucho Marx to the indigenous peoples of Papua New Guinea. The author's wide-ranging knowledge and his astute business expertise will challenge, delight and inform the reader.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Antilogic: Why Businesses fail while individuals succeed (Hardcover)

Review of Aviation Security Management (Hardcover)

I am a Doctorial student working on my dissertation. I have found this journal very insightful and useful for my research. Not only is it good for my purpose, it also gives interesting facts about the aviation security industry.

I hope you enjoy this journal as much as I do.

Sincerely,

Gary

Product Description

Because of 9/11, there is universal recognition that aviation security is a deadly serious business. Still, around the world today, the practice of aviation security is rooted in a hodgepodge of governmental rules, industry traditions, and local idiosyncrasies. In fact, nearly seven years after the largest single attack involving the air transport industry, there remains no viable framework in place to lift aviation security practice out of the mishmash that currently exists. It is the ambitious intent of Aviation Security Management to change that. The goals of this set are nothing less than to make flying safer, to make transporting goods by air safer, and to lay the foundation for the professionalization of this most important field.

This dynamic set showcases the most current trends, issues, ideas, and practices in aviation security management, especially as the field evolves in the context of globalization and advances in technology. Written by leading academic thinkers, practitioners, and former and current regulators in the field, the three volumes highlight emerging and innovative practices, illustrated with examples from around the world. Volume 1: The Context of Aviation Security Management takes a penetrating look at the overall framework in which aviation security management has taken place in the past and will likely do so in the foreseeable future. It covers the major areas of focus for anyone in the aviation security business, and it provides a basis for educational programs. Volume 2: The Elements of Aviation Security Management delves into the emerging issues affecting aviation security managers right now. Volume 3: Perspectives on Aviation Security Management covers the full spectrum of international aviation security-related issues. It will serve as part of the foundation for the next generation of research in the area in both a business and cultural context. Collectively, these volumes represent the state of the art in the field today and constitute an essential resource for anyone practicing, studying, teaching, or researching aviation security management.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Aviation Security Management (Hardcover)

Review of Crisis Communications: A Casebook Approach (Lea's Communication Series) (Paperback)

I anticipated that reading a book about my profession would be rather dry, but was actually quite riveted by this book.It goes into excellent detail about the way a wide variety of crises are handled and offers common sense and explicit guidlines about how to deal with crisis communications.

Such a variety are included that it is likely to cover an area familiar to any PR professional.

She includes detailed interviews with those in charge of dealing with the media and several crisis communications plans.From NIKE to the postal service shootings, the book takes an inside look at how different PR professionals reacted to the variety of circumstances.

It is always useful to look closely at what others in your business are doing and this book does an excellent job of conveying that.This book consolidated many things I knew but had not put together completely.

Product Description
Various public relations and crisis communicationtheories suggest attributes and characteristics of programs that arelikely either to prevent crises or enable organizations to recoverfrom crises more swiftly than organizations without thosecharacteristics. In fact, negative thinking is the appropriate stancein crisis management. This book shows that if an organization'sleaders think and plan for the worst case scenario, they will come outof a crisis in better condition than they would otherwise. It showsindividuals how to prepare themselves and their organizations to copewith crises that may occur, and offers strategies and tactics to beused during a crisis. It provides this information via examinations ofthe experiences of public relations professionals in criseswhatthey did, what they wished they had done, and what hampered theirprogress. This volume of case studies demonstrates problems that canturn into crises, and crises, if not handled effectively, that canbecome catastrophes.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Crisis Communications: A Casebook Approach (Lea's Communication Series) (Paperback)

Review of The Wealthy Waiter (Paperback)

This book will change your view of being a waiter/waitress.

Product Description
We believe that bottom up thinking is part of the key to becoming a wealthy waiter or waitress. If you're already involved with the restaurant industry, you have a leg up. If you're considering becoming a waiter for your first job, you've got lots to learn. This is not another "how-to" book--rather, it gives you a plan that you can use to transform your job into an entrepreneurial opportunity and a blueprint to build wealth. Restaurant managers might consider purchasing The Wealthy Waiter in bulk to distribute to each member of the service team. What a great way to build sales!

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Wealthy Waiter (Paperback)

Review of Creating the #1 Sales Force: What It Takes to Transform Your Sales Culture (Hardcover)

This is a systematic and detailed sales management guide. It takes the reader step-by-step through the process of sales culture conversion, to improve long-run sales-force performance. Stressing evolution rather than revolution, the approach taken is realistic and practical. It should prove useful for sales executives who are ambitious enough to spearhead change, and adept enough to apply the author's numerous insightful suggestions. Short case studies and a glossary are included.

Paul Francis Musgrave, author of Indispensable Marketing Strategies - How to Outwit Your Competition, Attract and Retain Customers, and Multiply Your Profits - Marketing Strategy Secrets for Profitable Small Business Management



Product Description
The results are impressive: most companiesusing the author's sales culture conversion process have experienced 12 to 15 percent sales growth in the very first year, and continued growth thereafter!CEOs, sales VPs, and business owners are nervously facing business conditions that are rocking the foundations of their traditional sales models. This is the story of how firms such as Honeywell, Cleveland Golf, Bridgestone Tire and Sports, Nautilus Group, StorageTek, and others have successfully created the #1 sales force in their respective industries by transforming their sales cultures. Based on decades of experience in the field, Jim Kasper's groundbreaking book walks readers through a systematic ten-step process for sales culture transformation and the inherent creation of a #1 sales force. Companies using his sales culture conversion process have posted higher total sales, reduced turnover, achieved greater productivity, and improved internal communication. One company that used Kasper's approach saw a return on investment of 20 times conversion cost; another reduced its sales cycle times by 46 percent!Each chapter of Creating the #1 Sales Force is centered around a case study from a well-known company. Readers will learn from the executives of these companies how to create the best organizational environments for sales growth. Three distinct sections make up each chapter: •An evolution memo written by the sales executive of the case-study example provides practical advice on sales culture evolution. •The 30,000-foot view is the big-picture executive summary outlining the key concepts for the chapter. •Evolution activities provide the framework for applying the sales culture transformation. As one corporate executive said: "Many books address change management, but there are no books on how to change a sales culture that will result in creating a #1 sales force." Jim Kasper's book fills that gap so readers can effect real change and, in the process, experience higher sales, stronger ROI, and more efficient sales rep productivity.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Creating the #1 Sales Force: What It Takes to Transform Your Sales Culture (Hardcover)

Review of Creating the #1 Sales Force: What It Takes to Transform Your Sales Culture (Hardcover)

This is a systematic and detailed sales management guide. It takes the reader step-by-step through the process of sales culture conversion, to improve long-run sales-force performance. Stressing evolution rather than revolution, the approach taken is realistic and practical. It should prove useful for sales executives who are ambitious enough to spearhead change, and adept enough to apply the author's numerous insightful suggestions. Short case studies and a glossary are included.

Paul Francis Musgrave, author of Indispensable Marketing Strategies - How to Outwit Your Competition, Attract and Retain Customers, and Multiply Your Profits - Marketing Strategy Secrets for Profitable Small Business Management



Product Description
The results are impressive: most companiesusing the author's sales culture conversion process have experienced 12 to 15 percent sales growth in the very first year, and continued growth thereafter!CEOs, sales VPs, and business owners are nervously facing business conditions that are rocking the foundations of their traditional sales models. This is the story of how firms such as Honeywell, Cleveland Golf, Bridgestone Tire and Sports, Nautilus Group, StorageTek, and others have successfully created the #1 sales force in their respective industries by transforming their sales cultures. Based on decades of experience in the field, Jim Kasper's groundbreaking book walks readers through a systematic ten-step process for sales culture transformation and the inherent creation of a #1 sales force. Companies using his sales culture conversion process have posted higher total sales, reduced turnover, achieved greater productivity, and improved internal communication. One company that used Kasper's approach saw a return on investment of 20 times conversion cost; another reduced its sales cycle times by 46 percent!Each chapter of Creating the #1 Sales Force is centered around a case study from a well-known company. Readers will learn from the executives of these companies how to create the best organizational environments for sales growth. Three distinct sections make up each chapter: •An evolution memo written by the sales executive of the case-study example provides practical advice on sales culture evolution. •The 30,000-foot view is the big-picture executive summary outlining the key concepts for the chapter. •Evolution activities provide the framework for applying the sales culture transformation. As one corporate executive said: "Many books address change management, but there are no books on how to change a sales culture that will result in creating a #1 sales force." Jim Kasper's book fills that gap so readers can effect real change and, in the process, experience higher sales, stronger ROI, and more efficient sales rep productivity.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Creating the #1 Sales Force: What It Takes to Transform Your Sales Culture (Hardcover)

Review of Cases and Exercises in International Management (Paperback)

The cases are deceptively simple, yet they hook students (undergraduate and graduate alike) and make them reflect on important International Management Issues.This book is, for the money, a great companion text for a class in International Management.I like this author's other Case book in International Business for the very same reason.Well worth the investment.

Product Description
This book acts as a supplement to the traditional text in international or cross-cultural management. The book provides a practical approach to the study of the subject, and students can apply what they have read in the textbook or learned in class to problems relevant to transnational management. A strong emphasis of the book is the importance of culture to international management issues.A particular strength of the book is the diversity of cultures found in the cases. The text is based on the belief that learning is best achieved through more active student involvement in the educational process.

About the Author
Charles A. Rarick is Professor of International Business in the School of Management at Purdue University at Calumet. Previously he held the position of Director of International Business and Professor of Management in the Andreas School of Business, Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida. He has lectured at Instituto Tecnologico y Estudios Superiores de Monterrey ITESM (Mexico), EAFIT in Colombia, University of International Business and Economics in China, and the Romanian-American University in Bucharest. Dr. Rarick received his Ph.D. from Saint Louis University and he is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resource Management. He is a member of the Academy of International Business, the North American Case Research Association, International Case Studies Academy, and the Society for the Advancement of Management, and has published numerous articles in academic journals. Dr. Rarick was the 2006-2007 Fulbright Distinguished Lecturer to the Philippines. He is also the author of Cases and Exercises in International Business (Prentice Hall) and The Confucian Advantage (Cummings and Hathaway).

Click Here to see more reviews about: Cases and Exercises in International Management (Paperback)

Review of The Portable MBA Desk Reference: An Essential Business Companion (Portable Mba Series) (Hardcover)

Being in business today means navigating a daunting array of jargon, theories, and data covering hundreds of topics-anyone of which could have the power to make or break your success at any time.

That's why thousandsof people depend on The Portable MBA Desk Reference-the complete one-stopsource of quick-access information on hundreds of key business terms,concepts, and resources. From accounting and advertising to management andmanufacturing, this ready reference puts a wealth of essential knowledgeright at your fingertips.

Now substantially revisedand updated, thisoutstanding second addition of The Portable MBA Desk Reference keeps pacewith the latest developments in business facts, figures, and more. Like itssuccessful predecessor, this new edition offers the combined wisdom ofexperts from every field of business-all skillfully presented in twouser-friendly sections.

Part One is an easy-to-use A-Z encyclopedia ofmajor business topics, with plain-English coverage of crucial terminologyand subjects in accounting, economics, finance, international business,management, manufacturing, marketing, and strategy. You'll also findhelpful mini-case studies and real-life examples, plus time-savingcross-references to related entries.

Part Two is a comprehensive andup-to-date directory of sources of vital business information. It tells youexactly where to look-in print and on line-and whom to contact forinformation on dozens of business areas, including advertising, marketingdemographics, corporate and industrial financial data, economic data,international business, and more. You'll also find appendices packed withhard business facts, numbers, and lists-perfect for beefing up an importantreport or preparing for that last-minute meeting.

Whether you're lookingfor a quick-take or a complete business refresher course, The Portable MBADesk Reference, Second Edition is an essential companion for your trip tothe top.

Nitin Nohria is Professor of Business Administration at TheHarvard Business School, where he focuses on leadership and organizationalchange. An active speaker at industry and company forums, he iscoeditor-with James Champy-of Fast Forward, a collection of HarvardBusiness Review articles on change, and with Robert Eccles, of Networks andOrganizations: Structure, Form, and Action. He is also coauthor of Beyondthe Hype, with Robert Eccles; The Differentiated Network, with SumantraGhoshal; and The Arc of Ambition, with James Champy.

Reviewed by AzlanAdnan. Formerly Business Development Manager with KPMG, Azlan Adnan iscurrently Managing Partner of Azlan & Koh Knowledge and ProfessionalManagement Group, an education and management consulting practice based inKota Kinabalu, Malaysian Borneo. He holds a Master's degree inInternational Business and Management from the Westminster Business School,London.

Product Description
The brand-new edition of the ultimate desktop tool

The PORTABLE MBA DESK REFERENCE

Substantially revised, completely updated

How do I analyze a balance sheet? What is business process reengineering? Where can I get financial information about overseas companies? What kinds of services does the Department of Commerce provide to exporters?

When it comes to finding quick answers to these and other important business questions, thousands of people depend on The Portable MBA Desk Reference-the complete all-in-one guide to business terms, facts, ideas, and resources.

Now this Second Edition has been extensively revised to include the very latest business topics and data, plus new cutting-edge sections on technology, and much more. Organized into two easy-to-use sections, it contains an A-to-Z encyclopedia covering key topics ranging from accounting and marketing to manufacturing and strategy, plus a comprehensive resource guide for finding specific information-in print and on line-on dozens of subjects. Ideal for a quick-take or a fast refresher, this edition of The Portable MBA Desk Reference is the best colleague you'll ever have.

A selection of Book-of-the-Month Club, Money Book Club, and Quality Paperback Book Club.

Being in business today means navigating a daunting array of jargon, theories, and data covering hundreds of topics-any one of which could have the power to make or break your success at any time.

That's why thousands of people depend on The Portable MBA Desk Reference-the complete one-stop source of quick-access information on hundreds of key business terms, concepts, and resources. From accounting and advertising to management and manufacturing, this ready reference puts a wealth of essential knowledge right at your fingertips.

Now substantially revised and updated, this outstanding second edition of The Portable MBA Desk Reference keeps pace with the latest developments in business practice, including cutting-edge information on the Internet and electronic commerce, plus up-to-the-minute business facts, figures, and more. Like its successful predecessor, this new edition offers the combined wisdom of experts from every field of business-all skillfully presented in two user-friendly sections.

PART ONE is an easy-to-use A-to-Z encyclopedia of major business topics, with plain-English coverage of crucial terminology and subjects in accounting, economics, finance, international business, management, manufacturing, marketing, and strategy. You'll also find helpful mini-case studies and real-life examples, plus time-saving cross-references to related entries.

PART TWO is a comprehensive and up-to-date directory of sources of vital business information. It tells you exactly where to look-in print and on line-and whom to contact for information on dozens of business areas, including advertising, marketing demographics, corporate and industrial financial data, economic data, international business, and more. You'll also find appendices packed with hard business facts, numbers, and lists-perfect for beefing up an important report or preparing for that last-minute meeting.

Whether you're looking for a quick-take or a complete business refresher course, The Portable MBA Desk Reference, Second Edition is an essential companion for your trip to the top.

The Portable MBA Series

The Portable MBA series, with over 450,000 copies sold, provides instant "MBA literacy" to managers, professionals, and business owners. Portable MBA books provide comprehensive coverage of the primary business functions taught in MBA programs, as well as focused coverage of today's vital business topics. As such, The Portable MBA series provides the most authoritative continuing business education available.

Abridged List of Series Titles

The Portable MBA, Third Edition

The New Portable MBA

The Portable MBA in Marketing, Second Edition

The Portable MBA in Finance and Accounting, Second Edition

The Portable MBA Desk Reference, Second Edition

The Portable MBA in Management

The Portable MBA in Entrepreneurship, Second Edition

The Portable MBA in Entrepreneurship Case Studies

The Portable MBA in Strategy

From the Publisher
The Portable MBA Desk Reference is the essential source of key business information, definitions, ideas, and common business formulas. Now in its second edition, this key reference for every manager and student has been substantially updated to include all the latest business facts, figures, and lists, as well as new detailed sections on technology, including chapters on the Internet and e:commerce. The resource section in the back of the book has also been completely reworked to include more practical sources of information for managers. Nitin Nohria, of the Harvard Business School, lends his business expertise as the new editor for this edition.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Portable MBA Desk Reference: An Essential Business Companion (Portable Mba Series) (Hardcover)

Review of Managing for Sales Results: A Fast-Action Guide for Finding, Coaching, and Leading Salespeople (Hardcover)

I read Managing For Sales Results when it first came out and was floored by how simple Ron Marks has made a topic that brings pain to many, and utter anguish to yet others.

I only wish he would have written it 25 years ago when I got my first taste of leading a sales team.

As Marks says, managing sales people is like trying to provide adult day care -- easily the hardest job in management...hands down.

I immediately understoodthe things I was doing that were undermining my chances of success; how to change both my own behavior as well as that of those who work with me; and it has given me a solid base for talent management and acquisition.

If you're a sales person and want to learn how great sales managers should operate, this is a valuable read. If I were going back into the field full time, I'd love to think it would be for someone who manages the Ron Marks way. And if you ever want to break into management, then this is a must read.

This book can be devoured in one cross-country flight, or a week's worth of lunches. You're THAT CLOSE to a sales management breakthrough.

Read the book, then hope Marks comes to your city for live workshops. I attended two of his courses and reading the book ahead of time made all the difference in the world.

His teaching style, in person, is just like the book...easy to get into and pick up the information. I've attended other workshops and seminars where the ego of the instructor was such a barrier to learning, and I wound up glad for it to end. Not so with this guy. He's a world class teaching talent.

So, if you're perusing Amazon because sales management hasn't turned out to be the walk in the park it once was made out to be, grab this book and implement just one of Ron Marks' strategies. I believe that you'll quickly be back for the rest.

Product Description
This book looks at various methods for recruiting salespeople, from the traditional to the radical, and shows you how to make the smartest, most profitable hiring decisions for your team. It argues that sales managers should put more emphases on coaching and recruiting, making it a priority for your sales organization. With the right recruiting and training strategies, you can find a constant stream of qualified candidates and beat your competitors to the best sales prospects.

From the Inside Flap

Some say that managing salespeople is like commanding a ship. As captain, you hold the responsibility of guiding your crew and keeping the ship afloat. Unfortunately, sales managers almost never receive proper training, and without the proper skills, they end up crashing their company on the rocks.

But now, sales managers can turn to Managing for Sales Results for the answers they've been looking for. It assists you in improving your leadership and communication skills and provides valuable information on how to handle every type of salesperson. Packed with step-by-step guidance, this practical sales guide will help you lead your staff to greater profit.

This comprehensive guide explores the unique behavioral styles of salespeople and shows you how to work with their diverse personalities. You'll soon be able to forge a loyal, dedicated, and effective sales team and master the critical core competencies that sales managers need to succeed in today's sales world.

From interviewing candidates to training new hires to managing established sales pros, Managing for Sales Results covers every aspect of quality team-building and sales management. Plus, you'll learn how to design and implement team sales strategies that lead to lasting success.

Step by step, Managing for Sales Results will help you build an effective, devoted team and lead them to consistent, superior results. Based on his long experience as a top-performing salesperson, Ron Marks gives you the proven and practical guidance needed to motivate individuals and teams, counsel salespeople for improved sales results, and maintain consistent and positive morale.

This expert, comprehensive guide is the only resource today's sales manager needs to improve sales performance and ensure lasting competitive advantage.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Managing for Sales Results: A Fast-Action Guide for Finding, Coaching, and Leading Salespeople (Hardcover)

Review of Marketing for Rainmakers: 52 Rules of Engagement to Attract and Retain Customers for Life (Hardcover)

There are a lot of marketing books out there, and I've read or glanced through the majority of them. The key problem with most marketing books, though, is that they take one good idea and milk it for 300 pages. What I liked about this book is the breadth and variety of ideas. While not every single one of the 52 Rules of Engagement provides a breakthrough insight, they are consistently valuable and uniformly easy to put into action.

If you're looking for a book to tell you how to run an ad campaign or use web marketing, this is not the book for you. It's not a how-to-do book; rather it's a how-to-think book. How to think like a marketer and increase your rainmaking skills.

The book is clearly aimed at professionals and independents, but I think it has a lot of application for corporate-based marketers as well. Early on in the book, Fragasso stresses that neither marketing or rainmaking are God-given talents -- and his book succeeds at increasing the reader's skill level at both.

Product Description
You are a successful entrepreneur with a brain for business, but you're indecisive about marketing and need a guide that will help your company distinguish itself, inspire customer loyalty and increase profits. Marketing for Rainmakers: 52 Rules of Engagement to Attract and Retain Customers for Life presents practical concepts, helpful tips and real-life examples to help you take your business to the next level with marketing that focuses on the customers' needs. Fifty-two business-building ideas will inspire you to take immediate action and develop a marketing mindset.

From the Inside Flap
It's one thing to be great at what you do, but it's quite another thing to be able to convince customers of that fact. If you're a professional service provider, salesperson, or independent contractor, marketing is a critical ingredient in your company's success. Marketing for Rainmakers presents a collection of fifty-two business-building, loyalty-inspiring marketing ideas for anyone who wants to increase their customer base, improve customer relations, and make more money doing what they love to do.

Inside, you'll discover a wealth of tactics and strategies, practical tips, and real-life examples guaranteed to help separate you from the competition and build profitable long-term relationships with your clients. Fully practical and applicable to your small business, Marketing for Rainmakers shows you how to build a thriving professional practice using a marketing mindset based on intense customer focus.

Many professionals find marketing mysterious and tricky. Few people truly understand it. This book breaks good marketing down to its simplest goal-to motivate people-and shows you how to do just that. In fact, this straightforward marketing guide will turn you into a true marketing rainmaker-that person who can motivate customers and build long-lasting, profitable relationships with them.

Step by step, you'll learn to master the skills and attitude of a marketing rainmaker. If you're driven to succeed, Marketing for Rainmakers will show you how to make the most of every marketing opportunity and approach every aspect of your business with true dedication to your customers. Once you master the skills and attitude of a marketing rainmaker, you'll bring in more customers than you know what to do with-and keep them coming back for more.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Marketing for Rainmakers: 52 Rules of Engagement to Attract and Retain Customers for Life (Hardcover)

Review of Do It Yourself Advertising and Promotion: How to Produce Great Ads, Brochures, Catalogs, Direct Mail, Web Sites, and More , 3rd Edition (Paperback)

Like many of us running small businesses, I have no choice but to come up with ads, brochures, press releases, etc. myself.This book gives me a systematic way of doing so, and I credit it with saving me a lot of money in missteps.If you follow the guidelines and checklists carefully, you will probably produce advertising and promotional material that at the very least avoids being amateurish, and will probably sell some products.I like that it concisely gives an overview over each of the areas of advertising and promotion.It explains insider terms without being condescending.Any Gripes?If I could afford the "test" runs of 5000 mailing pieces before I made my "real" mailing of many times that, I wouldn't be reading this book now would I?!But I am probably making excuses for not following their advice on testing advertising, and would be better off if I followed it.The book has been a great help in building my business, and I consult it frequently.

Product Description
Praise for the Second Edition

"Mr. Hahn's background in an industry where the creative stretching of promotional budgets is a daily necessity serves well the reader of this book. His advice is both practical and imaginative, and delivered with wit as well as wisdom."
-Andrew McNally III, Chairman of the Board, Rand McNally

Create Madison Avenue advertising on a Main Street budget with Do-it-Yourself Advertising & Promotion

Now the most complete guide to do-it-yourself advertising includes totally new sections on branding, the Internet, and Yellow Pages advertising. This updated edition of Do-It-Yourself Advertising and Promotion offers the latest information on launching your own homegrown, successful advertising campaigns and new desktop publishing techniques.As an entrepreneur or small business owner, you'll find tried-and-true, low-budget promotional tactics. With every chapter updated and expanded, this new third edition is better-and more comprehensive-than ever.

Author Fred E. Hahn and expert contributors show you how to create successful high-impact advertising on a limited budget using practical, time-tested techniques. This friendly and accessible guide explains each method step by step-with concrete advice on planning, scheduling, budgeting, creative issues, and production procedures to help you develop effective:

Newspaper and magazine ads - Flyers, brochures, and invitations - Direct mail campaigns

- Catalogs - Web sites - E-mail and Internet advertising - Teleservicing - Audiovisual materials - Publicity tools and techniques - And more!

From the Publisher
This new edition features four new chapters coverings topics such as how to select print media for your ads, how to create ads in the comfort of your own home, and how to advertise via the broadcast Fax and the internet. The book offers practical, field-tested techniques and insights into every major form of advertising such as newspaper ads, flyers, direct mail brochures, catalogs and audio ads. For the reader's ease, each form of advertising is covered in a single self-contained chapter. Detailed checklists and step-by-step instructions also make producing ads easy for the reader.--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Do It Yourself Advertising and Promotion: How to Produce Great Ads, Brochures, Catalogs, Direct Mail, Web Sites, and More , 3rd Edition (Paperback)

Review of Negotiating For Dummies (Paperback)

Having spent time negotiating sports sponsorship contracts, I have a new found love for negotiating.In reading this book, the authors have laid out a clear and concise program in which to begin, work through and close negotiatings.A great book for beginners and a good brush up for intermediates and pros.

Product Description
People who can't or won't negotiate on their own behalf run the risk of paying too much, earning too little, and always feeling like they're getting gypped. Negotiating For Dummies, Second, Edition offers tips and strategies to help you become a more comfortable and effective negotiator. And, it shows you negotiating can improve many of your everyday transactions-everythingfrom buying a car to upping your salary. Find out how to:

• Develop a negotiating style
• Map out the opposition
• Set goals and limits
• Listen, then ask the right question
• Interpret body language
• Say what you mean with crystal clarity
• Deal with difficult people
• Push the pause button
• Close the deal

Featuring new information on re-negotiating, as well as online, phone, and international negotiations, Negotiating for Dummies, Second Edition, helps you enter any negotiation with confidence and come out feeling like a winner.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Negotiating For Dummies (Paperback)