Yesterday, while checking my weblog stats, I noticed a fair amount of traffic headed my way courtesy of a nice blogroll created in support of a Miami University class called Marketing 311. Well students, this is your lucky day because yesterday I also found a free podcast of the Dan Kennedy lecture that literally changed my life.
Background: In 2001, after hearing a friend rave incessantly about Dan Kennedy's knowledge of direct mail marketing, I bought his cassette "How to Inexpensively Attract a Flood of New Customers to Your Business" from eBay for about three bucks.
I was B-L-O-W-N away. I absolutely defy any student of marketing to listen to this and not be amazed. In fact, I double-dog dare you.
Since hearing this cassette, I have purchased dozens of Mr. Kennedy's tapes, and I have bought dozens of tapes of the old-school direct marketers Mr. Kennedy praises in his tapes. And guess what? They stomp! Turns out that Mr. Kennedy is an incredibly shrewed judge of who's got game in direct mail and guerrilla marketing. Which leads me to the second part of why this is your lucky day:
Both Mr. Kennedy (of marketing's old shool) and Seth Godin (of the new) rave about Guy Kawasaki's book "How to Drive Your Competition Crazy." Now, when two of my favorite authors agree that someone else's book rules, you know it's time to visit Amazon. So I did -- about three years too late. And sure enough, Mr. Kawasaki's book -- which I bought used for 92 cents -- showed up last Friday, and I was B-L-O-W-N away.
So Red Hawks, here's your homework for today:
- Listen to Dan Kennedy's "How to Inexpensively Attract a Flood of New Customers to Your Business" Part 1 and Part 2.
- Drop a buck on How to Drive Your Competition Crazy. That's the price of a draft beer.
You'll be 50 times the marketer of that hotshot professor of yours. Unless he takes my advice, too.
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Q: Need the number of a recruiter who "gets it?"
A: Download Harry's contact info for future reference.
