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D**N
Good book, but Seth Godin's other books first
As a Seth Godin fan, I decided to pick up “All Marketers are Liars.” I think the book is best for people who are already in the Godin universe because rather than being a “how to,” the book is more like listening to Seth share some of his worldview. Of course, his worldview is worth listening to, so no matter who you are, you’ll benefit from the time you spend. The main idea the book points out is that as a marketer, you’re unlikely to change someone’s point of view. Rather, you’ll succeed if you can find the people who already agree with you and then just invite them to join your client base. Godin shares a story which illustrates this well: “My friend Lisa wrote a best seller a few years ago, and reading the reviews on Amazon is an astonishing experience. About half of the readers gave the book five stars. They talked about how poignant and well-written the book was. They mentioned that they had bought four or five copies for their friends. The other half? They gave it one star. They vilified Lisa, her writing, her lifestyle and even the people who liked the book. What’s going on here? How can one book generate such diametrically opposite points of view? Simple. The book didn’t generate anything. All it did was give people a chance to express the biases they had before they even opened the book.”Another important point that Godin teaches which is often lost in the internet marketing world is that personal interactions really matter. In fact, they’re the #1 reason people will succeed in business. Of course, the original master of personal interaction was Dale Carnegie, and everyone on the planet should read, “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” However, to get a more modern explanation, read what Seth Godin writes, “If a consumer has a lousy telephone experience with a hotel reservations agent, his impulse will be to hate the service from every person he interacts with when he finally arrives at the hotel. The only solution? It’s not expensive carpeting, lower rates or a better mattress. The only solution is a warm, personal interaction between an authentic and caring individual and your disgruntled customer. Facts are not the most powerful antidote to superstition. Powerful, authentic personal interaction is. That’s why candidates still need to shake hands and why retail outlets didn’t disappear after the success of Amazon.”The whole really isn’t about lying. In fact, I don’t think I would have titled the book, “All Marketers are Liars.” But it’s catchy, and the author certainly makes a strong case in the book for why he chose that name. I’m giving the book five stars because I enjoyed reading it, but I’d choose a different one of his books if you’re looking to really advance your marketing efforts.
D**T
Storytelling beats advertising every time
I've always enjoyed Seth Godin's books and have read each of them starting with Permission Marketing (1999) as they've come out. I particularly liked his e-book Really Bad Powerpoint (and how to avoid it) (2001) although I haven't been able to find the (free) download lately.It was indeed a pleasure to get my Amazon delivery of his latest - "All Marketers Are Liars: The power of telling authentic stories in a low-trust world" - the day before a Boston to LA flight. Perfect. Seth has a terrific way of telling his stories in book form as a quick and fun read. I started the book at Logan Airport and finished somewhere over Kansas.This book is a must read for any marketer who wants to break through the noise of one-way, TV-influenced interruption marketing. Stories are authentic. Interruption is not. I particularly liked the section "Telling Stories in an Internet World." Seth explains why good Web marketing through storytelling beats advertising every time.The examples are fun, breezy and easy to grasp in several hours of airplane time. And hey, Seth says the stories can even fib a bit as long as they are authentic, reach the intended audience and not a fraud. Because marketers aren't liars, they are just storytellers. We tell stories that consumers want to hear. Want an example? It sounded great for me to say I read All Marketers Are Liars starting at Logan and finishing over Kansas didn't it? Because Kansas in the middle of the US and anyone can gague the speed at which you can finish the book. Guess what? I lied. I actually read the Boston Globe in Logan then took a nap at the beginning of the flight. The plane didn't even fly over Kansas (I asked the pilot). But I did finish "All Marketers Are Liars" on the plane and it is a great book. Read it and learn how to be a better marketer.
Trustpilot
2 days ago
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