#PSBookClub
It was a busy 2017 and we’re going to be honest and admit that we let PS Book Club slide. In 2018 though, one of our New Year’s Resolutions was to re-ignite the spark behind the book club. And what better way to restart than with “This I Know” by the marketing master, Terry O’Reilly. Marketing Lessons from Under the Influence, is a great way to start the year with #boldness #passion and #creativity.
As always, we will cover two chapters in each blog post, and will aim to have them posted every two-weeks after our book club sessions. We will be posting on social media when we update the blog, so stay tuned and Tweet/Facebook us your thoughts using the #PSBookClub. Do you agree with our thoughts on chapters one and two? Have a read and let us know!
Chapter 1: Sludge or Gravy (What Business Are You Really In?)
Initial Thoughts
Curt Hammond (CH): I bought this book after seeing Terry speak at a session in Guelph this past fall. This question from his talk (along with a few laughs) is what resonated with me the most. It is at the same time unbelievably simple and overwhelmingly complex. I LOVED the line “the best marketers are the best listeners.”
Virginia Ehrlich (VE): After reading the first chapter of this book I knew I was going to be hooked. It was a reminder of how passionate I am about marketing and helping share the good work of businesses and organizations. It was also a reminder of how important it is to not only know what business you’re really in, but why you started your business in the first place. Once you can answer those questions, you will have a much easier time coming up with compelling and relatable marketing campaigns.
Brittany Kelly (BK): This first chapter was a great reminder that the focus of all marketing should be on the customer and their needs. Defining your business passion and always ensuring that the marketing is reflective of that passion and is focused on how the customer feels. This quote really resonated with me, “Smart marketers know when their nose is too close to the glass and their breath is fogging up the view. You have to develop the ability to leave your office and look back in through the windows.”
Key Takeaways
CH: The more boldness we can encourage our clients to have around this conversation the better our work for them will be and (more importantly) the more impact they will have. #MarketerKnowThyself
VE: “People buy benefits. Not products. Not features. And they buy those solutions from companies they can relate to.”
BK: “The key to articulating what business you’re in is a purely emotional exercise. It was an emotional moment for the founder on day one and it’s emotion that pulls in customers.”
Photo by Mervyn Chan on Unsplash
Chapter 2: Praying to the God of Otis (Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch)
Initial Thoughts
VE: I pretty much underlined every sentence in this chapter because it was so awesome. One line really stuck out: “An elevator pitch is about forced clarity. It insists you encapsulate the core of your offer or company”. Elevator pitches do not come easy but once you land on a strong, one sentence description of your business, it should ignite excitement and leave everyone wanting to hear more.
BK: This chapter really affirmed the need for clear, simplistic and strong positioning statements in a world of constant advertising overload. The part about how, on average, people see three thousand advertising messages a day, notice six and retain two, and the way to capture the “top two” placement you must have a simple ad, founded on strategy and creativity.
CH: Without question the elevator pitch is important. AND we need to remind clients that the entire story of their organization or project does not have to hang on the elevator pitch alone. Take it for what it is: an opportunity to encourage someone to step off the elevator with you and go deeper into your story.
Photo by Andrew Welch on Unplash
Key Takeaways
VE: “An elevator pitch turns into a lighthouse whenever the horizon gets foggy.”
BK: “Can you describe your idea in an exciting sentence or two? If you can, it’s probably a strong idea. If it takes a paragraph, it’s not ready yet.”
CH: “A magazine that feels like it was mailed back from the future.” #WishIHadWrittenThat
So, what did you think about chapters one and two? Excited to keep learning and growing as much as we are with this book?? We’d love to see your thoughts and key takeaways in the blog comments, and on Twitter using the hashtag #PSBookClub. And make sure you check back in the next couple of weeks for our discussion on chapters three and four. Need a copy of the book? You can get your copy here and you can follow Terry on Twitter here.
Happy reading!