Knowledge - Books

As management trends and fads swirl around us, it's easy to lose sight of the basics. In fact, a manager's responsibilities always boil down to selecting, directing, evaluating, and rewarding people. Get these not-so-easy pieces right, and management success is virtually guaranteed. That's why this engaging book will be embraced by seasoned managers and novices alike. It provides a structured framework for developing and fine-tuning the only four skills they ultimately need. For each of the elements, Don Marshall reviews the key issues, discusses the pros and cons of various practices, and offers candid advice on what works best. This lucid approach is both time-saving and liberating: The Four Elements of Successful Management shows managers how to focus on the big picture -- where the major gains are made -- rather than the complicating details. For a succinct and timeless "short course" in the fundamentals of management, no other guide even comes close.... [ read more ]

The headlines shout out – where are our leaders! Is every leader who flies high bound to have their wings clipped? Mike Singletary and Rick DeMarco answer this question with a resounding "No!" To find out why, read "The Leadership Zone." The book is full of Mike and Rick’s life-lessons. They provide a map on how to overcome perhaps the most profound challenges we face as a country and in global corporate America: 1) Why is there such a lack of true servant leaders? 2) Why do so many perceived leaders go through melt-down and disappoint families, businesses, constituencies and countries?... [ read more ]

In The Hummer and the Mini, Waters explores the new trend landscape and urges companies to stop looking for the one right answer in their industry. There are many good ways to design products, develop a line of goods, merchandise a store, or craft a marketing message. You can thrive by selling huge cars (the Hummer) or tiny ones (the Mini). You can turn something old into something new and desirable (the Vespa) or turn a commodity into a luxury (In-and-Out Burgers at the Oscars). You can even customize a product designed for the masses (personalized postage stamps) or sell less as more (Minute Clinics).... [ read more ]

Be it time, money, opportunities lost—the cost of finding and hiring a new sales person is significant. Expert sales strategist Kathy Graham-Leviss takes the woes out of recruiting sales people and introduces a research-based, five-step formula for hiring, developing, and retaining top sales talent.... [ read more ]

Maybe you're in sales...or marketing...or communications? Maybe you're a writer. Maybe you're even a CEO. Whatever your title, you're one of the hundreds of thousands of professionals who communicate for a living-and you're struggling to get your message heard in a noisy and crowded marketplace. Yes, you know what you want to say and who you want to reach. No, you don't have writer's block and you certainly know how to construct a sentence. So what's the problem? The audience you're writing for is going, going, gone... Today's consumer doesn't want to read anymore-they're already overwhelmed by overflowing e-mail, millions of Web pages, and 24/7 news proliferation. Your Attention, Please. is the new strategy guide for communicating to the reluctant consumer. It shows you who the new audience is, how to reach them, and how you must communicate differently-or risk losing mindshare and marketshare. ... [ read more ]

In today’s highly competitive world of complex sales, commoditization of your brand is one of the greatest dangers. You must differentiate yourself from the competition—or you will lose out. And the way to do that is through customer engagement. Rather than sell your own corporate story and brand message, you need to tell customers their story—the one in which they are the heroes and they achieve success. Erik Peterson and Tim Riesterer have been developing and honing their Power Messaging sales technique for more than 20 years, and now they reveal all their secrets in Conversations That Win the Complex Sale. Presenting a catalog of facts or playing 20 questions with prospective customers is the surest way to lose the sale. Peterson and Riesterer provide the tools you need to recraft your message into a compelling story that wins more deals.... [ read more ]

Business-to-Business Marketing Research is written by proven research powerhouses. Drawing upon their collective years of experience, the authors examine topics unique to B2B, equipping readers with the tools and the techniques for effective research. The book spotlights new techniques related to focus groups and in-depth interviews, as well as the impact of data mining and other computer and technology-driven types of research. an accompanying CD enables users to apply the tips and techniques to live data.... [ read more ]

In "Private Label Strategy: How to Meet the Store Brand Challenge," Nirmalya Kumar and Jan-Benedict E.M. Steenkamp describe the new strategies for private labels that retailers are using, and challenge brand manufacturers to develop an effective response. Most important, they lay out actionable strategies for competing against--or collaborating with--private label purveyors. Packed with detailed international case studies, valuable visuals, and hands-on tools, Private Labels enables managers to navigate profitably in this radically altered landscape.... [ read more ]

From New York Times bestselling authors and renowned leadership consultants Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton comes a groundbreaking guide to building high-performance teams. What is the true driver of a thriving organization’s exceptional success? Is it a genius leader? An iron-clad business plan? Gostick and Elton shatter these preconceptions of corporate achievement. Their research shows that breakthrough success is guided by a particular breed of high-performing team that generates its own momentum—an engaged group of colleagues in the trenches, working passionately together to pursue a shared vision. ... [ read more ]

Today's brands face an apparent choice between two evils: continue betting on their increasingly ineffective advertising or put blind faith in the supposedly mystical power of social media, where "likes" stand in for transactions and a mass audience is maddeningly elusive. There has to be a better way . . . As Lennon and McCartney wrote a half century ago, money can't buy you love. But in today's world, where people have become desensi­tized-even disillusioned-by ad campaigns and marketing slogans, that maxim needs an update: Money can't even buy you like.... [ read more ]

Non-monetary incentives and recognition programs are an area of employee motivation that is often overlooked. Yet, a strategic focus on non-cash rewards, such as additional time off, "employee of the month" awards, achievement certificates or trophies, and celebratory meals, can generate significant return on investment in employee engagement, performance improvement, and financial results. Strategic Reward and Recognition brings together theory and practice to guide HR professionals, consultants, and senior leaders in developing a clear strategy in developing and implementing the most effective reward programs for their organizations. Author John Fisher provides good practice examples from all over the world, different sectors, and large and small organizations. ... [ read more ]

Every organization wants to go from good to great. Yet, despite knowing where they want to go, many companies can't find their way there. They struggle to find the one thing that matters in today's competitive marketplace. Price? . . . Quality? . . . Innovative product features? While all of these certainly influence a customer's buying decision, none of them is the most influential factor. What is? It's the salesperson. Achieve Sales Excellence examines the new paradigm of business-to-business sales. Based on the results of an innovative, fourteen-year study, this book offers unmatched insight on sales performance issues and the practices sales professionals and organizations must embrace to be a world-class sales force. ... [ read more ]

Free your workplace from drama dysfunction with these proven tools for increased office efficiency, harmony, and productivity. In The Drama-Free Office, authors Jim Warner and Kaley Klemp interweave humorous and relatable case studies with the key skills you'll need for managing office saboteurs--be they subordinates, coworkers, or the boss. You will see your coworkers (and yourself) in this entertaining and practical blueprint for addressing the dramatic behaviors that cripple so many teams.... [ read more ]

Is it possible to be at your best even when you are underqualified or doing something for the first time? Is it still possible, even after decades of experience, to recapture the enthusiasm, curiosity, and fearlessness of youth to take on new challenges? With the right mindset—with Rookie Smarts—you can. In a rapidly changing world, experience can be a curse. Careers stall, innovation stops, and strategies grow stale. Being new, naïve, and even clueless can be an asset. For today’s knowledge workers, constant learning is more valuable than mastery. In this essential guide, leadership expert Liz Wiseman explains how to reclaim and cultivate this curious, flexible, youthful mindset called Rookie Smarts. ... [ read more ]

Why is a great company culture so rare? How can you make sure your organization has one? The good news is that creating an inspiring and sustainable culture is not as hard as you might think. Dr. David ''Doc'' Vik reveals the keys to success in The Culture Secret.... [ read more ]

Almost one in four American working adults has a job that pays less than a living wage. Conven­tional wisdom says that’s how the world has to work. Bad jobs with low wages, minimal benefits, little training, and chaotic schedules are the only way companies can keep costs down and prices low. If companies were to offer better jobs, cus­tomers would have to pay more or companies would have to make less. But in The Good Jobs Strategy, Zeynep Ton, a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, makes the compelling case that even in low-cost settings, leaving employees behind—with bad jobs—is a choice, not a necessity. Drawing on more than a decade of research, Ton shows how operational excellence enables companies to of­fer the lowest prices to customers while ensuring good jobs for their employees and superior results for their investors.... [ read more ]

A crash course on the most dynamic marketing platform today! Online marketing has evolved far beyond flashy websites and banner ads shouting at customers about your product. It's about using an array of Internet tools to build credibility and visibility, spread your message, and form meaningful customer relationships. The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course: Online Marketing puts you on the fast track to harnessing the power of the Web for your marketing goals.... [ read more ]

Today, the really successful companies are using innovative and low cost ways to strengthen the most critical aspect of their business, the employee-customer relationship. The results are greater customer satisfaction and higher profits. Taking Care of the People Who Matter Most shows you how they are doing it. Sybil Stershic, an internal marketing expert with over 30 years experience, has written this book for employers, managers, and HR professionals who want to create a working environment that motivates employees to take the best possible care of their customers -- and each other. This book will show you, from the inside-out, how to build company loyalty, increase employee satisfaction, and create a winning team of motivated workers and customers.... [ read more ]

This book describes how to make customer service available online and recommends what types of information a company should provide over the Internet.... [ read more ]

Capturing Customers.com calls itself the first post-dot-com book about sales and marketing. It describes the impact that businesses can create when they combine their "online" sales and marketing efforts with more traditional offline activities.... [ read more ]

The book encapsulates Oracle's vision for succeeding on the Internet. However, it was written before the meltdown, so it will be interesting to see how the vision measures up to current reality.... [ read more ]

Describing the latest tracking and analysis tools, this book tells marketers how to use the Web to develop profitable long-term, one-to-one relationships with their most valued customers.... [ read more ]

Little Red Book of Selling gives a step by step explanation on how to become a top salesperson. Full of wit and cartoons, this book has everything you need to kick start or increase your sales.... [ read more ]

“Why is customer loyalty and engagement important? The biggest reason is that customer engagement is the only metric that impacts other metrics typically measured by a company. As one industry expert noted, When customer engagement slides, so do a great many other outcomes, including future sales, growth and profit. Obviously, engaged customers are the best customers for a company to have. Eight of ten executives believe their company loses sales each year because of failure to create engaged customers, and 80% say that engaged customers are critical because they recommend products or services.” Excerpted from ‘Capitalizing on Voice of Customer,’ Published by Allegiance (www.allegiance.com) ... [ read more ]

Provides an in-depth study of managing information in call centers.... [ read more ]