Nuts! Southwest Airlines’ Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success: Kevin Freiberg, Jackie Freiberg

• Filed under: Business

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Southwest Airlines began operating in 1971 with four planes serving three cities and with revenues of $2 million. In 1995, the company had 224 planes serving 45 cities and revenues of almost $3 billion. Moreover, the company has made a profit every year since 1973, one of the few airlines that can make that claim. The authors, a husband and wife who are partners in a San Diego consulting firm, attribute much of Southwest’s success to the willingness of its management, led by chairman Herb Kelleher, to be innovative. Southwest’s primary operating philosophy is low fares and lots of flights. To make this formula work, Southwest management has created a culture where employees are treated as the company’s number one asset. The Freibergs list a number of things the airline management does to benefit its employees, including such programs as profit-sharing and empowering employees to make decisions. Southwest also mixes in New Age management techniques, such as celebrating different milestones, and letting love play a part in running the airline (the company’s stock ticker symbol is LUV). The Freibergs state up front that their work is not an expose and make no apologies for presenting a very positive and optimistic view. While the success the airline has achieved is worthy of study, some critical analysis would have made for a more worthwhile presentation. Photos. 150,000 first printing; $300,000 ad/promo.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
–This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
Business trainers and principals of their own consulting company, the Freibergs draw from personal interviews, surveys, and extensive research in telling the story of Southwest Airlines, which has been profitable for over 23 years at a time when the airline industry has been troubled with fare wars, layoffs, and soaring operating costs. The authors discuss Southwest’s philosophy under the leadership of its dynamic and charismatic CEO, Herb Kelleher, who attributes the company’s success to its outstanding customer service; low fares and maintenance (no meals are served, only nuts); short-haul, high-frequency, point-to-point service; and a belief that employees come first. “LUV,” Southwest’s New York Stock Exchange ticker symbol and past advertising theme, represents the caring character of the company, which the authors emphasize to the point of sounding corny. Several chapters conclude with brief summaries entitled “Success in a nutshell,” which cover the eccentric elements of Southwest’s corporate culture. Recommended for readers who like that style.?Bellinda Wise, Nassau Community Coll. Lib., Garden City, N.Y.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
–This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Inside the Magic Kingdom : Seven Keys to Disney’s Success: Tom Connellan

• Filed under: Business

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Those who worry that corporations have become excessively big and powerful must still admit that firms such as McDonald’s, Wal-Mart, and Disney have got at least one thing right. They know how to keep the customer satisfied and coming back for more! Connellan, a senior principal in a consulting firm specializing in customer loyalty and coauthor of Sustaining Knock Your Socks Off Service (1993), holds up Disney in particular as exemplary. Here he re-creates a fictional visit to Disney’s Magic Kingdom to bring to life examples of the customer service concepts Disney practices. Connellan was neither encouraged nor authorized by Disney management to write this book, but he did attend a Disney University seminar in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, to learn more about the “Disney approach to leadership, people management, [and] service quality.” David Rouse

Look in Mickey’s Briefcase . . .

Now, an outsider takes you inside the incredible Disney service culture and presents simple, powerful concepts in a fun, memorable way that just may change the way you conduct business.

Based on hours of interviews and discussions with present and former Disney employees, Inside the Magic Kingdom discloses the secrets behind Disneys success . . . and explains why, of its more than 30 million guests each year, over two-thirds are repeat customers.

This upbeat, easy-to-read book illustrates clear, solid principles with examples that are well-known to Disney insiders but virtually unknown to outsiders until now.

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Attracting Perfect Customers: The Power of Strategic Synchronicity: Stacey Hall, Jan Brogniez

• Filed under: Business

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Hall and Brogniez, consultants both, make one simple and compelling point: readers will make more money and be far happier if they and their company only deal with customers whose values mesh with their own. The authors describe buyers who are in complete synch with the seller as “perfect customers,” but they sidestep the issue of what happens if there are not enough “perfect customers” to keep one in business. A lack of quantitative supporting evidence further weakens their strategy. Still, this is a worthwhile book that may cause executives to rethink their basic marketing strategies.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review
“Hall and Brogniez are causing a worldwide shift in how companies train their sales and marketing teams.” — Jack Canfield, Co-author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller

“Hall and Brogniez outline a process to draw customers that are a perfect fit for your organization and ignore others.” — Toronto Globe and Mail, September 26, 2001

“Strategic Synchronicity: the answer to the question “How do I find more customers?” — Robert G. Allen, author,

“This is an incredibly insightful book with amazingly practical applications…a powerful concept that anyone can use to grow faster!” — Brian Tracy, Author,

“What a relief! This book is a must-read for anyone exhausted or frustrated by the competitive race for customers!” — Sharon Jordan Evans, Co-author

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Riches in Niches: How to Make It Big in a Small Market: Susan Friedmann

• Filed under: Business

Editorial Reviews

Review
“At last, a book that addresses the key to contemporary marketing. Nichepreneurs, the term Susan Friedmann brilliantly coined, defines a powerful mindset that has become the giant killer strategy for small business success….This is the must-read business book of the year.” — Rick Segel

Why do some financial advisors wind up making millions on TV giving investment advice while others labor in obscurity? How do some attorneys land regular columns in prestigious trade publications? Where do those speakers who give the annual address at industry conventions come from? What is the secret reason that a select few service professionals enjoy high-profile, high-prestige, and high-paying status as “experts” in their fields?

More importantly, can the rest of us do it? Susan Friedmann answers a resounding “Yes!” In Riches in Niches: How to Make It BIG in a Small Market, Friedmann explores the multiple factors that separate the “experts” from the service professionals who may have identical–if not better–skills, but whom no one has ever heard of.

You will learn:
* Why positioning yourself as an Expert in a Niche–a sweet spot known as a nichepreneur–is the most surefire route to success any service professional could want.
* The GEL Formula: Friedmann’s proven technique that shows service professionals how to find the professional niche that makes the best use of their skills while yielding maximum profit.
* The Seven Secrets nichepreneurs need to know to create, claim, and benefit from their Expert Identity.
* Creative ways to create secondary, even tertiary, income streams capitalizing on the benefits of “Being the Expert.”

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Business Mastery: A Guide for Creating a Fulfilling, Thriving Business and Keeping it Successful: Cherie M Sohnen-Moe

• Filed under: Business

Editorial Reviews

Review
Business Mastery is more than a book, it is an entire course that would benefit anyone planning/ running a business. — Reflexology Digest, April, 1998

Business Mastery3 is well written, informative and lively. Whether starting, evaluating or enhancing a practice, it’s an ideal office companion. — Somatics, Summer, 2000

Following the steps and principles in Business Mastery3 gives readers insights and abilities to attain excellence and long-term careers. — Massage Therapy Journal, Spring, 1999

Whatever the business, this book starts with your feet firmly planted in self-awareness and your dream drawn in detail. — Massage Magazine, March/April, 1999
–This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
The Lauterstein- Conway Massage School, David Lauterstein, Co-Director, — “One of the reasons complementary health care is enjoying a renaissance today is Cherie Sohnen-Moe and her book, Business Mastery. This book is the only thorough business text written for the complementary health care professional. It is written with the courage and insight to focus on business as an integral aspect of health care. If you build your practice with the help of this book, you will succeed!.” Author, Putting the Soul Back in the Body

, Michelle Anne Cox, phenomeNEWS — “Business Mastery was so inspiring to me that I actually opened my own business after reading only 80 pages. If you’ve ever told yourself that you would like to open a business, but haven’t because you didn’t know how, make you dread into a reality and read this book!.”

, Julie Register — “Business Mastery is a book that will enable you to create and maintain a joyous career that you are passionate about, a career that embodies your personal values, and a career that is financially profitable.” Your Guide to Spas

Order Business Mastery: A Guide for Creating a Fulfilling, Thriving Business and Keeping it Successful: Cherie M Sohnen-Moe form Amazon.

Coaching Knock Your Socks Off Service: Ron Zemke, Kristin Anderson

• Filed under: Business

Editorial Reviews

Top performers in sports and the performing arts never outgrow their need for coaching, say authors Ron Zemke and Kristin Anderson, so why should your front-line employees be any different? On the contrary, they insist, workers also need ongoing encouragement and assistance in order to upgrade their customer-service skills, maintain their daily motivation, and enhance their ability to react when new problems arise. Coaching Knock Your Socks Off Service, the latest entry in a popular series, offers a series of solid suggestions for achieving first-rate customer service in any business environment through sustained coaching by management and employees themselves.

Knock your socks off service doesn’t just happen. It requires coaching on an ongoing basis. With this book, supervisors have a practical guide to the day-to-day challenges that arise in training superior customer service people. The authors present a model for successfully coaching anyone, anywhere, and they show readers how to apply it to familiar coaching situations.

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Mr. Shmooze: The Art and Science of Selling Through Relationships: Richard Abraham

• Filed under: Business

Editorial Reviews

Review
“Mr. Shmooze is an inspiration!” — Stephan Perrault, Principal, Wellspring Creative Communications

“Of all the advisors brought to our marketing and sales efforts, these folks have by far the biggest impact!” — Kevin Cushing, President, Progressive Partners

“This is a first-rate educational book for everyone in business–from those just beginning to seasoned professionals.” — Beth Treacy, President, Treacy Marketing Group

Mr. Shmooze: The Art and Science of Selling Through Relationships presents a composite character of the most successful and gregarious salespeople in America. This character, Mr. Shmooze, demonstrates how to turbocharge sales results by maximizing relationship-selling strategies.

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Guerrilla Marketing in 30 Days: Jay Conrad Levinson, Al Lautenslager

• Filed under: Business

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Levinson and Lautenslager succeed in taking all the lessons from their bestselling Guerrilla Marketing series and boiling them down into one simple, month-long learning session. The authors structure the book as a series of basic lesson plans that can be taught one day at a time, with the ultimate goal to expand a client base and boost profits. The book starts with “The Purpose of Your Marketing” (Day 2), moves on to “Telephone Selling and Marketing” (Day 15) and “Public Relations” (Day 20), and winds down with “Marketing Budgets” (Day 27). In theory, this is a reasonable approach, and it certainly covers a lot of ground. In practice, however, the book is uneven, especially lacking in presenting workable scenarios. Generalized, obvious points like “be upbeat, enthusiastic, and full of energy” appear throughout, with few exceptions (such as Day 16’s advice, which covers printed brochures and sales sheets and freshly suggests readers examine the junk mail they receive and don’t throw out, and analyze what about that sales material that made them keep it). This fine executive summary of basic marketing principles will be helpful for anyone just starting out in business, but likely won’t appeal to professionals. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Blueprint for Great Marketing!

In Guerrilla Marketing in 30 Days, co-authors Jay Conrad Levinson and Al Lautenslager take the best selling marketing series in history, Guerrilla Marketing, and boil it down into one dynamic package of the most up-to-date guerrilla tactics.

Whether your goal is to develop a complete marketing plan or to focus on improving a specific component, this is the book for you. From competition and research to execution and expansion, you get 30 action plans via guerrilla marketing tips, methods, ideas and values—where the major ingredients are time, energy and imagination, not hard-earned profits. And on each and every day you’ll have developed plans to improve and re-engineer a piece of your overall marketing blueprint to maximize profits and increase customers.

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There’s a Customer Born Every Minute: P.T. Barnum’s Amazing 10 "Rings of Power" for Creating Fame, Fortune, and a Business Empire TodayGuaranteed!: Joe Vitale, Jeffrey Gitomer

• Filed under: Business

Editorial Reviews

Praise for THERE’S A CUSTOMER BORN EVERY MINUTE

“Joe Vitale has created an entertaining, educational, and motivational manual-with the help of P.T. Barnum-that belongs in every hotel room alongside the Bible. Then, guests might read his inspirational book first, and give thanks to God for this worthy discovery.”
—Alan Abel, media hoaxer, author, consultantand lecturer on “Using Your Wits to Win”

“If you’re going to excel in business, learning about a showman like Barnum and applying some of the lessons he taught can give you valuable insights. Joe Vitale has captured ten of these lessons (he calls them ‘rings of power’) and shows how you can apply them in a way that will open your eyes and stretch your imagination. There’s a lot of money-making and fun wisdom here.”
—Joseph Sugarman, Chairman, BluBlocker Corporation

“Finally someone does it!!! Joe Vitale reveals the REAL P.T. Barnum! Vitale highlights the outrageously astute marketing of Barnum. Barnum’s driving belief certainly was that there IS a customer ‘born’ every minute. You will glean a number of useful ‘new’ marketing ideas that you can instantly use in your business. And you will learn about one of the savviest marketers of a time gone by. Fun, exciting, insightful, and packed with ideas! Genius!”
—Kevin Hogan, author of The Science of Influence and The Psychology of Persuasion

“I love this book. If you’d like to know the real story about one of the most fascinating characters in American history, told by a master storyteller (and the person who probably knows more about him than anyone else), read this book. Barnum is not the guy portrayed by the legend attached to his name. He is much, much more, and Vitale tells his story with the can’t-put-it-down passion and excitement he’s become so well known for.”
—Bill Harris, President, Centerpointe Research Institute

From the Inside Flap
Famous entrepreneur and showman P.T. Barnum is perhaps best known today for having said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” But, surprisingly, Barnum never said such a thing. In fact, he believed that there was a customer born every minute, and this belief—that everyone was a potential buyer—was just one of the many solid business principles that led him to a long and successful career.

There’s a Customer Born Every Minute reveals the lost wisdom of this great business pioneer. Barnum was much more than a showman; he was a dedicated businessman and entrepreneur with a razor-sharp mind. In this delightful and absorbing new edition, Joe Vitale reveals the secrets of Barnum’s success and shares the ten key business practices that Barnum developed and lived by.

But this is much more than a retelling of old business wisdom. Barnum’s business principles were straightforward, effective, and timeless; and now Vitale shows you how to apply and adapt those key principles to your own business. Whether you run an established company or plan to start your own entrepreneurial venture, these principles will help you achieve your goals. What worked yesterday still works today, even in the current fast-paced and highly competitive environment.

Vitale reveals Barnum’s genius for making money and highlights the tactics he used throughout his career as a newspaperman, politician, entre?preneur, promoter, and finally, as a showman. Plus, this new edition includes even more rare material by and about Barnum, including advertisements, photos, letters, an in-depth interview with the man himself, and the entire text of his famous speech, “The Art of Money Getting.”

Far more entertaining than the typical business book, There’s a Customer Born Every Minute is both a practical resource packed with true business wisdom and a fascinating look at one of the greatest characters—and one of the greatest business minds—in American history.

Order There’s a Customer Born Every Minute: P.T. Barnum’s Amazing 10 "Rings of Power" for Creating Fame, Fortune, and a Business Empire TodayGuaranteed!: Joe Vitale, Jeffrey Gitomer form Amazon.

The Service Profit Chain: James L. Heskett, W. Earl Sasser, Leonard A. Schlesinger

• Filed under: Business

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
That the customer should be–indeed, must be–at the heart of any service company’s strategy is certainly not a cosmos-altering revelation. But the equations, formulas, research, and just plain common sense that three Harvard Business School professors apply to the process of creating a lifetime customer is definitely worth attention. Much of what they propose is based on a series of Harvard Business Review articles and consulting gigs as well as the tenure of a CEO of Au Bon Pain; in addition, the case histories, though a bit shopworn (including British Airways and WalMart), continue to pound home the high-profit level possible in long-term customer relationships. Marketers may fear the coming of the customer-centric organization, since many processes and functions will be turned upside down in a new kind of reengineering. Employees, however, will rejoice, since the front line is the key to unlocking customer satisfaction. Barbara Jacobs

Review
Herbert D. Kelleher

Chairman, President and CEO of Southwest Airlines Co.

I am very angry with Jim Heskett, Earl Sasser and Len Schlesinger because I am deathly afraid that our competitors will read their book! The skunks have set forth in an accurate, profound, intelligible, and easily understandable way the core values, tenets, and practices that animate Southwest Airlines and can make any service business successful.

C. William Pollard

Chairman, The Servicemaster Company

Profit and service do mix. Jim Heskett, Earl Sasser and Len Schlesinger have provided a systematic way for us to understand the link. The examples that the authors draw from their studies and experiences make the book come alive — it is a real learning experience.

John B. McCoy

Chairman and CEO, Banc One Corporation

Unveils a great model that managers can use to maximize both customer loyalty and profit. It links an action plan for managing all elements of a business with a thorough process for measuring results.

David H. Maister

Author of Managing the Professional Service Firm and True Professionalism

If you read only one book on service industry management, this is the one to read — and to re-read. The simple but powerful framework integrates numerous insights covering a wide range of service industry topics.

Leonard Berry

Professor of Marketing and JCPenney Professor of Retailing Studies, Texas A&M University, Author of On Great Service and Marketing Services

The authors effectively integrate their wide body of research and thinking into an incisive framework for organizational leadership.

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