When you hear something smart it’s worth writing it down, to internalize or make it your own.
It’s been a while since I wrote a post like this, and though I offered something that resembles a review of Guy Kawasaki’s new book, “Enchanted” previously, I had admitted to being only 62 pages into it.
On a recent flight, I was able to finish it up. While reading, I diligently highlighted points I found interesting and dog-eared the pages.
Here’s a list of a handful of citations from those pages.
1) “Embrace the nobodies,” Guy writes on page 62. “Anyone who understands and embraces your cause and want to spread the word is worthy of your attention.”
I agree with this philosophy on so many levels – and have strong sense that it’s often worthwhile to forget the “influencers” and focus on those who actually care about your brand.
It will grow in time and produce what Charlene Li called the Groundswell. It’s also a pretty good argument for being thankful for those Retweets on Twitter.
2) “Engage many,” reads the subhead on page 113. “Don’t focus on the rich, famous and traditional influencers…Remember: Nobodies are the new somebodies in the world of wide-open communications.”
It’s an echo of line one, but the point rings true and is worth restating.
3) “Surprise your fans,” says the Holy Kaw guy on page 141 about Facebook fans. “From time to time, give your Facebook fan page a burst of excitement by introducing initiatives like ‘Fan Page Friday’ or ‘Share Your Blog Day’ and invite all your fans to share their links on your wall.
The latter seems like a creative PR idea to me – and one that enhances the relationship with your existing fans. It’s also the type of tangible advice this book will leave you with.
See these related posts:
Marketing Strategy: The Looming Knowledge Crisis
The Ability to Focus is Becoming an Essential Marketing Skill
Why Content Marketing and Public Relations Need Each Other
4) Don’t make a “viral video” your goal for YouTube, he writes, enlisting the help of Greg Jarboe, who wrote the book on YouTube marketing. “The right goal is to provide a steady supply of video that is inspiring, entertaining, enlightening, or educational and that, over time, enchants people.”
In other words, forget about home runs and focus on base hits. Greg makes an appearance on page 141.
5) He provides a little culture too – the Japanese word “Yahoku-no-bi” means “appreciating the beauty of what is implied, unstated and unexpressed.
Application: Don’t sell past the close in your enhancement efforts.” Selling past the close is sales folk knowledge, passed down from generation to generation, which means when you get to a “yes” leave it alone. You’re done. You won. He tells us so on page 149.
6) Another bit of knowledge from Japan: bakatore comes to the reader on page 151. “It means ‘stupid’ or ‘foolish,’ and it’s the perfect description of people who think disenfranchised employees can enchant customers.”
This is an important point for managers: don’t haggle over a few hundred dollars. Pay for performance and promote for potential. If you do that, your employees will be happier and enchant your customers.
7) “Make your boss look good,” Kawasaki writes on page 165, providing advice in this book to both managers and employees alike.
“You should do this within the boundaries of ethics and morality, but the reality is that when your boss looks good, you look good.”
It reminds of what Ralph Waldo Emerson is attributed as saying, “It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.”
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