- Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: Star Trek (July 30, 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0743426924
- ISBN-13: 978-0743426923
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Diablo - The Kingdom of Shadows
Diablo: The Black Road
- Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
- Publisher: Star Trek (April 1, 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0743426916
- ISBN-13: 978-0743426916
Monday, August 25, 2008
Diablo - The Sin War
6 *
- Format: Kindle Edition
- File Size: 427 KB
- Print Length: 336 pages
- Publisher: Pocket Books (April 27, 2007)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
- Language: English
- ASIN: B000QBYF54
Diablo - Moon of the Spider
5*
This book sees the resurrection of Astrogha, servant of Diablo with the help of a legendary necromancer. But a young necromancer guided by fate is pitted against him.
- Publisher: Pocket Star (December 27, 2005)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0743471326
- ISBN-13: 978-0743471329
- Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
This book sees the resurrection of Astrogha, servant of Diablo with the help of a legendary necromancer. But a young necromancer guided by fate is pitted against him.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Permission Marketing - Seth Godin
8*
Published in 1999, this book is ahead of its time and one can see many of its principles employed in the world today especially on the Net. Godin speaks of the evolution of marketing from an Interrupting one to a Permission-based one. This is because the world is increasingly being flooded by advertising but the attention of individuals have not grown in comparison. Attention has become a commodity.
To keep mass marketing alive, it is proposed to (1) advertise in odd places, (2) make advertisements more controversial and entertaining, (3) keep advertisements fresh by churning them more and (4) replace them with direct mail and promotions. The latter only catches the attention for a while if relevancy is not kept up. In all, there is a vicious cycle if the old marketing ways are still employed - spending more to have more interruptive advertisements which cause people to 'tune out' and make advertisements less effective, which leads to more spending on even more advertisements to catch attention.
Permission Marketing is like courting - anticipated, personal and relevant. It is about stretching the life of the customer and leveraging on the experience of a previous sale to make the next sale. It is about the customer volunteering to want information instead of bombarding them with excessive data. Interruption is essential as a prelude to permission (granted if it is relevant). With permission, use frequency to hammer in concepts and cause familiarity which in turns breeds trust. Once trust is in place, it is increasingly easier to make repeat sales.
There are several levels of Permission stated:
1. Intravenous
Magazine subscriptions and hospital treatments are examples. Customers allow the suppliers to make decisions for them. Deep trust is implied.
2. Purchase on Approval
Negative option or automatic opt-in. An example is credit cards.
3. Points
Loyalty points are an example. Keeps customers engaged and returning . There are various forms of points system. Points can have a certain value r a chance to get something.
4. Personal relationships
Not scalable but powerful.
5. Brand trust
Leads to extensions of the same brand on different products.
6. Situation
Leverage on selling other products when customer is buying another product. "Want to upsize your meal?"
7. Spam
Permission is non-transferable, selfish, a process and cancellable anytime. Non-transferable because it is personal and needs relevanc. Selfish because it is consumer-centric and they are in control of whether they want your product. A process because it is a dialogue that improves or mars the relationship. Cancellable as the consumer is in control.
Myths about marketing on the web (revised)
1. Traffic hits is the best way to measure success
2. Great content is why people return
- relevancy is more important
3. Technology makes you sell better
- nope. they only make it easier or more efficient.
4. Search Engines are key to traffic
The web makes it easier for direct marketeers because of the speed of response, low cost of frequency and publishing, testing is faster. To evaluate a Permission Marketing program, note these points:
1. What is in it for consumers?
2. How much does incremental permission cost?
3. The level of permission earned and how is this being increased.
4. How much does incremental frequency cost?
5. Response rate
6. Permission viewed as an asset
7. Leveraging on Permission
8. Lifetime of permission granted
9. Is retention a lot easier/cheaper than getting fresh permissions?
The book also has case studies on permission marketing by organisations - how they failed and suceeded. Excellent book to own.
- Hardcover: 256 pages
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1 edition (May 6, 1999)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0684856360
- ISBN-13: 978-0684856360
To keep mass marketing alive, it is proposed to (1) advertise in odd places, (2) make advertisements more controversial and entertaining, (3) keep advertisements fresh by churning them more and (4) replace them with direct mail and promotions. The latter only catches the attention for a while if relevancy is not kept up. In all, there is a vicious cycle if the old marketing ways are still employed - spending more to have more interruptive advertisements which cause people to 'tune out' and make advertisements less effective, which leads to more spending on even more advertisements to catch attention.
Permission Marketing is like courting - anticipated, personal and relevant. It is about stretching the life of the customer and leveraging on the experience of a previous sale to make the next sale. It is about the customer volunteering to want information instead of bombarding them with excessive data. Interruption is essential as a prelude to permission (granted if it is relevant). With permission, use frequency to hammer in concepts and cause familiarity which in turns breeds trust. Once trust is in place, it is increasingly easier to make repeat sales.
There are several levels of Permission stated:
1. Intravenous
Magazine subscriptions and hospital treatments are examples. Customers allow the suppliers to make decisions for them. Deep trust is implied.
2. Purchase on Approval
Negative option or automatic opt-in. An example is credit cards.
3. Points
Loyalty points are an example. Keeps customers engaged and returning . There are various forms of points system. Points can have a certain value r a chance to get something.
4. Personal relationships
Not scalable but powerful.
5. Brand trust
Leads to extensions of the same brand on different products.
6. Situation
Leverage on selling other products when customer is buying another product. "Want to upsize your meal?"
7. Spam
Permission is non-transferable, selfish, a process and cancellable anytime. Non-transferable because it is personal and needs relevanc. Selfish because it is consumer-centric and they are in control of whether they want your product. A process because it is a dialogue that improves or mars the relationship. Cancellable as the consumer is in control.
Myths about marketing on the web (revised)
1. Traffic hits is the best way to measure success
2. Great content is why people return
- relevancy is more important
3. Technology makes you sell better
- nope. they only make it easier or more efficient.
4. Search Engines are key to traffic
The web makes it easier for direct marketeers because of the speed of response, low cost of frequency and publishing, testing is faster. To evaluate a Permission Marketing program, note these points:
1. What is in it for consumers?
2. How much does incremental permission cost?
3. The level of permission earned and how is this being increased.
4. How much does incremental frequency cost?
5. Response rate
6. Permission viewed as an asset
7. Leveraging on Permission
8. Lifetime of permission granted
9. Is retention a lot easier/cheaper than getting fresh permissions?
The book also has case studies on permission marketing by organisations - how they failed and suceeded. Excellent book to own.
The Big Moo by Seth Godin
5*
- Hardcover: 208 pages
- Publisher: Amazon Remainders Account (October 20, 2005)
- ISBN-10: 1591841038
- ASIN: B000GIW464
- Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.1 x 1 inches
Compiled like the Chicken Soup for the Soul, the Big Moo is a aggregation of writing from pioneers in different areas in the ways of being REMARKABLE. Godin talks about the need to be different, to be the purple cow amongst the brown. Even so, you must need a Big Moo to change the game and be that pioneer of a new trend.
There are amazing stories - some simple, some deep. And they are all insights to how these remarkable people think. Subject include dealing with failure, having persistence, playing as opposed to mere working, being creative, be extraordinary in the ordinary, doing things NOW, being extreme, pushing the envelope, overcoming fear (vs anxiety), making wrong decisions etc.
It's not exactly a wealth of information but rather, it is a wealth of experiences that the reader can tap on. Perhaps you can garner something new from it or goad you on to greater things.
5*
Sunday, June 15, 2008
How Full Is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath
7 stars
- Hardcover: 128 pages
- Publisher: Gallup Press; 1 edition (August 10, 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1595620036
- ISBN-13: 978-1595620033
- Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
At first glance, you would have thought this thin book has little substance. 128 pages with almost every alternate page of a quote with a picture of a bucket, you might think you have been ripped off. However, happiness in life often lies in simplicity and one does not have to find all ways and means to be happy. This book is about that. Just a simple theory about a life that is a bucket and how happy you are depends on how full is your bucket.
The theory originated from Don Clifton, a psychologist who focused on the positivities in life to to promote happiness. The theory of the Dipper and the Bucket centralizes on the fact we have buckets to fill but often, we use our dippers to empty them. The book is split into 6 main chapters and their summaries are as follows:
Chapter 1: Negativity Kills
The chapter begins with history on how American POWs were treated in North Korean camps. Deaths were not caused by torture but an emotionally draining experience of killing relationships. Prisoners were infused with so much negativity that they lost the meaning to live.
Chapter 2: Positivity, Negativity and Productivity
Productivity is powered by positivity. Lack of appreciation, disengagement, unproductiveness can be caused by negativity. And this can spread from one person to another. Hence the dipper theory.
Chapter 3: Every Moment Matters
A good relationship should have a 5:1 positive-to-negative interaction ratio. It's always better to have more positives but an upper limit exists. This is because positivity must be grounded in reality.
Chapter 4: Tom's Story - an overflowing bucket
This part is a short autobiography of the author on his trials and how positivity helped him weather them.
Chapter 5: Making it Personal
There is no one single way to impart positivity to others. You must individualize each attempt,, catering to the target person's character.
Chapter 6: 5 strategies for increasing positive emotions
1. Prevent Bucket Dipping
2. Shine a Light on What is Right - instead of focusing on what went wrong, see what went right
3. Make best friends - have great relationships
4. Give unexpectedly
5. Reverse the golden rule
You can visit www.bucketbook.com for questions, tests and other reading material.
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