Reviewing Jay Conrad Levinson's "Guerrilla Marketing"
So how market savvy do you think we should be in these times of
cut-throat competition?
If, like me, you believe, that every person, whatever his role, his
space or his job deliverables,
is a seller of his image, products and philosophy, and if like me,
you passionately
feel every small business should wrest every possible business deal out
there
from every big and small competitor, well, you need to gobble up Jay Conrad Levinson’s
Iconic Book, Guerilla Marketing.
The book is a veritable tool-kit!
Every page, every paragraph is a tool!
The object is to turn your product and your brand into an
“instant-recall” brand using atypical, unconventional, engagement methods which depend on unusual approaches, boy-scout
concepts like “intercept encounters”, buzz, fireworks, hoopla…you name it!
The objective is…your
competitors should not be able to recall one name other than your’s when they
need stuff that you’re handling.
The Crucial Game Changer?
The cost has to be low. And creative.
The Resources? Time, energy
and imagination. Not, Money.
Frankly, I loved the book for what Levinson terms as “"guerrilla marketing” weapons. He uses very
few mantras and sticks to them like a recalcitrant child, he forces you to
abandon your comfortable quilt of high costing marketing/media solutions and
minutely look at every live resource as a medium to gain more business.
Pointers which tickled my left-brain and made me relook at my
environment closely:
1. Reeling
in new business-how everyone in the team is a resource?
2. Sustaining
Business over the long run-“Stickiness to existing customers”
3. Marketing
on the internet, Using Podcasting, Automated Marketing
4. “I
didn’t know you offered that!”
5. Disconnected
Sales Gimmicks Learnings
Levinson is, indisputably the father of modern day marketing for small
businesses.
The best USP for this book is that even though I’m not part of any Sales
Team, this book has convinced me that I am a Brand Ambassador for my companyJ
So, ultimately, is every one of you…right?
Interestingly, you’ll learn about how and why you need to get it right
BEFORE you advertise, then a multitude of simple ways to get your message out
there. Jay Levinson not only teaches you about marketing in general, he teaches
you what you should be doing step by step to grow your business.
The 4th edition of the small business marketing classic is completely
updated and revised as of 2007. And is sold out-100%.The new edition is as
relevant today as its original edition was over 20 years ago.
On a more serious note-I wish there was a chapter on the subtle dynamics
of selling RFPs in the world. Or something clearly industry-specific. We
clearly need quick working roadblock guzzling ideas. In the next-edition, maybe.
