Synopses & Reviews
The small-business guru behind Duct Tape Marketing and The Referral Engine teaches readers how to establish lasting commitment in their employees, customers, and businesses. Why are some companies able to generate committed, long-term customers while others struggle to stay afloat? Why do the employees of some organizations fully dedicate themselves while others punch the clock without enthusiasm? By studying the ins and outs of companies that enjoy extraordinary loyalty from customers and employees, John Jantsch reveals the systematic path to discovering and generating genuine commitment. Jantsch’s approach is built on three foundational planks, which he calls the clarity path, the culture patron, and the customer promise. He draws on his own experiences and shares true stories from businesses like Threadless, Evernote, and Warby Parker. His strategies include these:
- Build your company around a purpose. People commit to companies and stories that have a simple, straightforward purpose.
- Understand that culture equals brand. Build your business as a brand that employees and customers will support.
- Lead by telling great stories. You can’t attract the right people or get them to commit without telling a story about why you do what you do.
- Treat your staff as your customer. A healthy customer community is the natural result of a healthy internal culture.
- Serve customers you respect. It’s hard to have an authentic relationship with people you don’t know, like, or trust.
As Jantsch says, “Have you ever encountered a business where everything felt effortless? The experience was perfect, and the products, people, and brand worked together gracefully. You made an odd request; it was greeted with a smile. You went to try a new feature; it was right where it should be. You walked in, sat down, and felt right at home. . . . Businesses that run so smoothly as to seem self-managed aren’t normal. In fact, they are terribly counterintuitive, but terribly simple as it turns out.” As a follow-up to
The Referral Engine, this is about more than just establishing leads— it’s about building a fully alive business that attracts customers for life.
Review
"Frankly, I had no idea how John was going to top Duct Tape Marketing. The book is a classic. But with
The Referral Engine, John puts you in the drivers seat and shows you the steps to achieving marketing success without a huge budget. Go no further. Buy this now."
-Chris Brogan, coauthor of Trust Agents
"I dont think there are many people who know more about small business marketing than John does, and Im certain that theres no one more generous in sharing tips and insights. What, exactly, are you waiting for? This book will pay for itself in one day."
-Seth Godin, author of Linchpin
"Who knew that theres a science to referrals? Not I-but now that I know, I want you to benefit from Johns expertise. In a sense, a jacket blurb is the ultimate referral, and Im here to blurb this book because it will help you succeed in business."
-Guy Kawasaki, cofounder of Alltop
"If you love to cold call and dig spending money on advertising, then The Referral Engine is not for you. But if you want to learn how to get people talking up your business and driving new customers your way, then John has the answers. And he delivers them in an engaging style with tons of real-world examples."
-David Meerman Scott, bestselling author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR
"For Zappos, part of delivering a great customer experience means developing personal and emotional connections, both with employees and customers. These are the types of connections people talk about with their friends and family. This book will show you how to give people something to talk about."
-Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos.com
"John Jantsch, already one of the nations acknowledged leading authorities on referral generation, has taken his game to an entirely new level. The Referral Engine is a must read for anyone and everyone whose business could benefit from a steady, increasing stream of A-list, high-quality referrals. And I cannot think of a single business that doesnt qualify for that."
-Bob Burg, coauthor of The Go-Giver and Go-Givers Sell More
"This is a great book. It will reenergize your entire approach to marketing in todays world."
-Marcy Shinder, vice president, American Express OPEN
Review
"A swift, appealing read and a thorough primer on the power of letting your products and customers speak for themselves."
-Publishers Weekly
"Frankly, I had no idea how John was going to top Duct Tape Marketing. The book is a classic. But with The Referral Engine, John puts you in the driver's seat and shows you the steps to achieving marketing success without a huge budget. Go no further. Buy this now."
-Chris Brogan, coauthor of Trust Agents
"I don't think there are many people who know more about small business marketing than John does, and I'm certain that there's no one more generous in sharing tips and insights. What, exactly, are you waiting for? This book will pay for itself in one day."
-Seth Godin, author of Linchpin
"For Zappos, part of delivering a great customer experience means developing personal and emotional connections, both with employees and customers. These are the types of connections people talk about with their friends and family. This book will show you how to give people something to talk about."
-Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos.com
"Who knew that there's a science to referrals? Not I-but now that I know, I want you to benefit from John's expertise. In a sense, a jacket blurb is the ultimate referral, and I'm here to blurb this book because it will help you succeed in business."
-Guy Kawasaki, cofounder of Alltop
Review
“The Commitment Engine is a no-nonsense, hard-driving locomotive that can help turn dreamers into doers. Get on board!”—Steven Pressfield, author of
The War of Art and
Turning Pro “Wow! This book hit me deep. It dives into the deepest core of meaning—the side of business that other books are scared to touch. A powerful mix of why and how.”—Derek Sivers, founder, CD Baby, sivers.org “John Jantsch does it again! I’ve recommended The Referral Engine over and over again, and The Commitment Engine is another great resource to grow your business. Step 1: Commit to read this book—soon.”—Chris Guillebeau, author of
The $100 Startup “Not often enough does a book come along and inject a breath of fresh air into the world of business. This is one of those books.”—Guy Kawasaki, bestselling author of
Enchantment; former chief evangelist of Apple “Jantsch’s book is required reading for small-business owners. It will help you with lofty things like finding your higher purpose as well as the practical steps of making a commitment plan.”—Nancy Duarte, CEO, Duarte, Inc.; author of
Slide:ology and
Resonate “As I read John’s book I kept thinking of Steve Jobs’s admonition that you must follow your heart first—and that if you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, you’ll give up just when the going gets tough. John has extended this idea to the entire company and shows business leaders how to ignite this same kind of passion and commitment throughout an organization.”—Verne Harnish, author of
The Greatest Business Decisions of All Time and
Mastering the Rockefeller HabitsReview
“
Duct Tape Selling explores several counterintuitive routes to sales success, but it starts with the most important skill of all: listening. If we want to move others—with our ideas, our products, our services, or even ourselves—we have to slow down and understand what our counterparts are saying. And if you listen to John Jantsch, youll learn the attitudes and abilities required to master the new world of sales.” —
Daniel H. Pink, author,
To Sell Is Human and
Drive “Duct Tape Selling totally reframes the sales process, showing sellers how to leverage marketing strategies to connect, build value, and win more business.” —Jill Konrath, author, Agile Selling and SNAP Selling
“In an ever more connected society, consultative selling is (fortunately) the new driver of growth. Once again, John Jantsch turns our expectations upside down and shines a light on a better way to get things done.” —Seth Godin, author, The Icarus Deception
“Jantsch brings the concept of inbound selling to life with practical, actionable advice that can help turn any sales rep into a sales superstar. From effective storytelling to optimizing your social profile for success, Johns advice will give aspiring and existing salespeople alike the tools, context, and information they need to meet the needs of twenty-first-century buyers.” —Brian Halligan, HubSpot CEO and co-author, Inbound Marketing
“Duct Tape Selling holds answers for how real-world salespeople can connect and stick with real-world customers. If youre tired of seeing your sales fall apart, John Jantsch has the real-world answers.” —Jeffrey Gitomer, author, Little Red Book of Selling and 21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Selling
“Duct Tape Selling does a fantastic job defining why the world of sales has changed, what the new world of sales looks like, and how you can become a modern sales professional.” —Jill Rowley, social selling evangelist, Oracle
Synopsis
The small business guru behind Duct Tape Marketing shares his most valuable lesson: how to get your customers to do your best marketing for you.
The power of glitzy advertising and elaborate marketing campaigns is on the wane; word- of-mouth referrals are what drive business today. People trust the recommendation of a friend, family member, colleague, or even stranger with similar tastes over anything thrust at them by a faceless company.
Most business owners believe that whether customers refer them is entirely out of their hands. But science shows that people can't help recommending products and services to their friends-it's an instinct wired deep in the brain. And smart businesses can tap into that hardwired desire.
Marketing expert John Jantsch offers practical techniques for harnessing the power of referrals to ensure a steady flow of new customers. Keep those customers happy, and they will refer your business to even more customers. Some of Jantsch's strategies include:
-Talk with your customers, not at them. Thanks to social networking sites, companies of any size have the opportunity to engage with their customers on their home turf as never before-but the key is listening.
-The sales team is the most important part of your marketing team. Salespeople are the company's main link to customers, who are the main source of referrals. Getting them on board with your referral strategy is critical.
-Educate your customers. Referrals are only helpful if they're given to the right people. Educate your customers about whom they should be talking to.
The secret to generating referrals lies in understanding the "Customer Referral Cycle"-the way customers refer others to your company who, in turn, generate even more referrals. Businesses can ensure a healthy referral cycle by moving customers and prospects along the path of Know, Like, Trust, Try, Buy, Repeat, and Refer. If everyone in an organization keeps this sequence in mind, Jantsch argues, your business will generate referrals like a well-oiled machine.
This practical, smart, and original guide is essential reading for any company looking to grow without a fat marketing budget.
Synopsis
A new paradigm gives salespeople the tools to think and act more like successful marketers The art of selling has evolved tremendously over the last few years. Todays hectic pace demands that sales professionals rethink their strategies and practices. They must attract, teach, convert, serve, and measure while developing an individual brand that stands for trust and expertise.
Now the popular author of Duct Tape Marketing teaches sales professionals how to apply the tactics of traditional marketing to their daily work. In Duct Tape Selling, salespeople will learn how to develop a marketing-based system to dramatically increase their effectiveness, stand above their competitors, and add value to their customer relationships.
Jantsch flips the traditional business modelwhere marketers owned the message while sellers owned the relationshipson its head. These days, he argues, marketers must get better at relationships and sales must perfect the message and delivery.
Synopsis
Many of the areas that salespeople struggle with these days have long been the domain of marketers, according to bestselling author John Jantsch. The traditional business model dictates that marketers own the message while sellers own the relationships. But now, Jantsch flips the usual sales approach on its head.
Its no longer enough to view a salespersons job as closing. Todays superstars must attract, teach, convert, serve, and measure while developing a personal brand that stands for trust and expertise.
In Duct Tape Selling, Jantsch shows how to tackle a changing sales environment, whether youre an individual or charged with leading a sales team. You will learn to think like a marketer as you:
- Create an expert platform
- Become an authority in your field
- Mine networks to create critical relationships within your company and among your clients
- Build and utilize your Sales Hourglass
- Finish the sale and stay connected
- Make referrals an automatic part of your process
As Jantsch writes: Most people already know that the days of knocking on doors and hard-selling are over. But as I travel around the world speaking to groups of business owners, marketers, and sales professionals, the number one question Im asked is, What do we do now?
Ive written this book specifically to answer that question. At the heart of it, marketing and sales have become activities that no longer simply support each other so much as feed off of each others activity. Sales professionals must think and act like marketers in order to completely reframe their role in the mind of the customer.”
About the Author
JOHN JANTSCH is a marketing consultant and author of Duct Tape Marketing, The Commitment Engine and The Referral Engine. He is the founder of the Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network. His blog was chosen as a Forbes favorite and his podcast was called a must listen” by Fast Company. He lives in Kansas City.