What critics say about ..". Geese vs. Swans..." ..". corporate America is being denied the potential benefits of public relations, of which they may be unaware, because of the travesties committed in its name by communicators who euphemistically see themselves as counselors, arousing the ire of a wise and experienced John Budd who challenges CEOs to raise the bar on advisors, introducing the role of corporate public diplomacy." Chester Burger, founder/chairman, PRSA's College of Fellows*; Founder/chairman, Chester Burger Co. "In crisp and forceful and pungent language John Budd contrasts the proper goals of the craft of PR with the realities of current performance... and urges communication consigliores to change their ways and avoid even the appearance of spin... but he's not sanguine this is either feasible or possible." Robert Hogan, former chairman, psychology department, University of Tulsa; author of Personality and the Fate of Organizations "This brief book is bold, iconoclastic, and on the mark. Budd chronicles and critiques the devolution of forward-looking public relations counseling to its present response-to-daily polls marketing and post-factum spin doctoring. He does so with verve and with wisdom gained from his life-long practice in the trenches." Robert Jackall, sociologist, Williams College; author of Moral Mazes, The World of Corporate Managers and Image Makers "As always from John Budd, sensible, smart advice, crisply presented. Thoughtful but easy to read - and enjoyable." Dr. Charles Elson, director, Corporate Governance, University of Delaware "Our corporate Socrates is back... this time encouraging communicators to abandon the folly of being PR counselors and focus on promoting and marketing which they do extremely well... simultaneously charging CEOs to find the intellectual advisors needed to better cope with the myriad threats to their credibility by a host of so-called soft factors." John D. Bergen, senior vice president, Siemens; ex-founded/CEO, The Council of Public Relations Firms *Public Relations Society of America

This book asks fundamental questions about the extent to which India is participating in the global shift towards knowledge-based forms of competitiveness. It charts Indian performance and progress using a unique framework benchmarked against fourteen other countries. In the course of the analysis, critical areas for improvement are identified, and the book provides detailed and objective insights for policy-makers and researchers to facilitate change and institutional reform in India. Readers will derive a comprehensive understanding of India's performance and prospects as it emerges as a serious global economic player. A particular feature of the work is the development of an original knowledge footprint concept that measures the extent and impact of knowledge development and diffusion domestic and internationally.The views expressed in this book are the author's.

Customers are not "on" the agenda. They ARE the agenda. Top consultant Stephen Hewett shows how to put Customer-Centricity at the heart of everything you do. It is not enough to have a strong customer service team - customers must be the principle focus of every aspect of business operation, not just the direct customer interface. Hewett's new book provides a highly practical guide designed to enable busy managers to achieve instant results. Broken down into 30 key areas, the book offers an easy reference tool which can be applied in almost any business context. Customer-Centricity is the new buzzword in management circles. This book shows readers at all levels how to put it into practice.

This book examines issues and implications of digital and social media marketing for emerging markets. These markets necessitate substantial adaptations of developed theories and approaches employed in the Western world. The book investigates problems specific to emerging markets, while identifying new theoretical constructs and practical applications of digital marketing. It addresses topics such as electronic word of mouth (eWOM), demographic differences in digital marketing, mobile marketing, search engine advertising, among others. A radical increase in both temporal and geographical reach is empowering consumers to exert influence on brands, products, and services. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and digital media are having a significant impact on the way people communicate and fulfil their socio-economic, emotional and material needs. These technologies are also being harnessed by businesses for various purposes including distribution and selling of goods, retailing of consumer services, customer relationship management, and influencing consumer behaviour by employing digital marketing practices. This book considers this, as it examines the practice and research related to digital and social media marketing.

The hypothesis was so radical, no one would touch it. One person wanted to know why. A collision soon occurred that would not only change the way we looked at today's sales and marketing techniques, but the way we communicate as well. It was simple-a perfect plan. In the past, we found the future. What if you were able to look back into the minds of the greatest marketing people of all time and experience their thoughts, processes, and patterns? What if you knew how they obtained a 95 percent close ratio and one-third global market share? What if you knew ... the perfect plan? The Perfect Plan is the spark that will ignite a fire of emotion with a visual communication that will create an evolutionary impact on each and every project. The Perfect Plan takes you back to a time and place where the world was hungry for an answer and when every action was for a purpose. From first-century Rome to today, the keys to the most successful marketing plans of all time are revealed and explained in a way that will take you to another place ... a place that is simply perfect. Once you go there, you may be so intrigued that you change your marketing strategy to reflect the most successful campaigns in history, and in turn, reap their rewards.

This book provides a wide-ranging overview of the current state of tourist destination management and presents important recent research in the field. Contemporary theoretical and methodological approaches to management and marketing are discussed, and innovative practices with respect to both urban and rural destinations are described with the aid of many interesting case studies from across Europe and beyond. In addition, the volume addresses key issues such as governance, cooperation, the use of social media, and sustainability. A variety of influences on tourism development are examined, and efficient strategies for making destinations distinct are explored. The book will be a welcome addition and update to the existing literature and will be of interest to academics and practitioners alike.

This book offers the first comprehensive exploration of frequent flyer programs. By combining academic research with extensive insights and examples from the actual business world, it explores the key drivers and strategies of airline loyalty marketing today in an unprecedented manner. Strategy in Airline Loyalty also explores how the programs have evolved over time from marketing programs to financial powerhouses, identifying both the catalysts for change, as well as the strategic options and underlying trade-offs available to airlines. Covering diverse angles ranging from behavioral economics, to accounting, and structural design, the book reviews every core aspect of frequent flyer programs and offers extensive frameworks and definitions. The book provides a useful and complete reference for researchers, and helps those interested in frequent flyer programs to develop a better understanding of their past, present and future.

Almost every situation you face in life is a sales situation. You started at a young age when you tried to negotiate with your parents for a later bedtime, and you are still selling today, whether intentionally or by accident. Did you ever trade baseball cards when you were a kid? That's sales. Did you ever negotiate with your friends as to which clothes Barbie got to wear? That's sales.

"The Accidental Salesperson" not only teaches you how to identify sales interactions, but also walks you through the steps of the sales process to help you achieve success in the long run, regardless of whether you are an "accidental" or a professional salesperson.

Whether you are closing a million-dollar deal or just trying to get your kids to eat their vegetables, top sales rep Allan Barmak outlines a few key elements you need: Identify your potential sales target Engage in dialogue to learn more about your prospect Negotiate Close the deal

By following these simple steps, you can find the inner salesperson you never knew existed and lift your career to the next level.

Fashion is bound up with promoting the "new," concerned with constantly changing aesthetics. The favored styles or looks of a season arise out of the work of a vast range of different actors who collectively produce, select, distribute and promote the new ideals, before moving on next season. If fashion is defined, in part, by the incessant requirement to be "new," this requirement means aesthetic qualities are always in motion and, therefore, unstable. How, then, are fashionable commodities stabilized long enough for them to be calculated--i.e., selected, distributed and sold--by those critically placed inside the fashion system? Since there are few studies that actually examine the work that goes on inside the world of fashion we know little about these processes. "Fashion and the Cultural Economy" addresses this gap in our knowledge by examining how aesthetic products are defined, distributed and valued. It focuses attention on the work of some of the market agents, in particular model agents or "bookers" and fashion buyers, shaping the aesthetics inside their markets. In analyzing their work, Entwistle develops a theoretical framework for understanding the distinctive features of aesthetic marketplaces and the aesthetic calculations within them.

Enrich your career and learn concepts that will allow you to reach your full potential Stop Selling contains a wealth of ideas that have proven effective in even the most turbulent markets, plus hundreds of new and innovative ideas guaranteed to increase your sales results Learn how to create better habits and implement the changes in your sales repertoire that will drastically impact your personal goals. Transform your sales results and your image. Become a consultant, advisor, and trusted friend to your clients by better relating to their deepest desires and goals. Develop a richer understanding of personality types and communication styles that will help you identify underlying obstacles to your sales success. Learn why deals stall out and how to get the client back on track. Discover unique concepts, ideas, and examples of how to build stronger, long-lasting client relationships. Close or advance your sales more smoothly by clearly defining the challenges and issues that are causing the client to go cold. Learn how to embrace change and recognize it as the root of all decision making. Stop Selling offers over 35 years of sales experience in a simple, easy-to-follow format. If you are looking for ways to develop your career and enhance your professional relationships, this book is a blueprint for success

We all sell something for a living -- whether it's a brand, a vision, an education, a direction, or a service. We might even be selling a set of numbers to a board meeting, learning to a student, or cereal to an infant. This eye-opening parable is about harnessing natural energy--yours and that of those around you--in order to take your sales, and your satisfaction to the next level of success. In Top Performer, you'll meet Jim, a disciplined but uninspired sales manager. In London on vacation--his first in years--he meets a gentleman named Top Hat. In an engrossing conversation, Top Hat tells him about a legendary Dublin busker/street performer called the Rat Catcher, who engages his audience and effortlessly charms them into parting easily with their change. Top Hat then gives Jim an envelope to bring to the Rat Catcher as a form of introduction. Jim is incredulous, and even a bit suspicious. But after a trip back home, he's willing to do anything to break out of his rut of good-to-average sales and dogged but unfulfilling perseverance. Jim travels to Dublin, where the Rat Catcher tells--and shows--him some surprising secrets of his work ethic and his selling style. Jim ultimately realizes that he needs to Claim the Pitch, Mine the Mess, Choose the Close, and, most importantly, Juice the Jam. When Jim returns home, he's re-energized, having learned how to Build a Circle and Pass the Hat where it really counts--in his life, his relationships, and his workplace. Full of action-packed and sometimes hilarious descriptions of the real like adventures of street performer, this engaging metaphor will appeal to anyone in any position--and in any field, from banking to baking to busking. In the tradition of the bestselling Fish! series this is a deceptively simple story that contains profound advice--advice that will help make readers into Top Performer themselves.

Learn the powerful techniques of NLP to enhance your influence and gain the competitive edge in any sales pitch. This practical guide to using NLP in sales includes real life examples to illustrate techniques that have amazed sales people with many years experience. It also contains easy to follow exercises and tips to practice in real situations. This book will enable you to use powerful NLP techniques to increase sales, develop trust & rapport, handle any challenge and close a sale elegantly and effectively. Focusing on the sales person as facilitator, this book will also reveal the six areas of limitation that sales people place on themselves, their prospects and their products and give readers the tools to remove them. It will enable readers to read and utilise a prospect's buying and decision making patterns and provide a set of NLP tools to achieve win/win outcomes for the sales person and their prospects.

In Branding to Differ, Jean-Luc Ambrosi provides a practical and comprehensive look at best practice branding for those requiring a real understanding of brand development and management. Ambrosi demonstrates that the brand is fundamentally a promise, that it impacts both the emotional and rationale mind, and that ultimately good branding is about expressing a difference. He shows concisely how to approach brand management holistically throughout the organisation and emphasises which key elements truly impact a brand's success. His argument about the need to differentiate is compelling and provides the reader with a step by step approach on how to build a powerful brand. Written from both a strategic and practical perspective it is a road map on how to manage brands beyond the text book concepts and popular cliches. A must read for any senior executive.

Fundamentals of Retailing and Shopper Marketing is an ideal companion text whether you are in marketing, in manufacturing, work for an advertising agency or if you work in retail. The book focuses on the sharp end of the retail industry and, through real-world examples, shows students and practitioners best retail practice. The text includes models, illustrations and photographs. It is practical, visual and easy to read and teaches you how to transfer your know-how to your own brand, marketing strategy, student assignment or retail environment.

From new brand development to brand management, from trademark protection to the role of advertising and design, Brands offers a comprehensive survey of all aspects of branding. Assembling a wide range of "brand experts," this topical and authoritative collection looks, from a variety of perspectives, at the increasingly crucial role that brands have come to play in the international marketplace.

How do legal systems recognize the value of brands to both consumers and producers? How has the concept of branded goods been extended successfully to embrace services and other less tangible "products"? How have some brands come to signify certain social or political ideals, and how do those ideals affect consumer loyalty? Brands thoroughly addresses these questions, demonstrating that brands are the most valuable assets of today's international companies.