Rework ( PDFDrive )

["Decommoditize\tyour\tproduct If\t you're\t successful,\t people\t will\t try\t to\t copy\t what\t you\t do.\t It's\t just\t a\t fact\t of\t life. But\tthere's\ta\tgreat\tway\tto\tprotect\tyourself\tfrom\tcopycats:\tMake\tyou\tpart\tof\tyour product\t or\t service.\t Inject\t what's\t unique\t about\t the\t way\t you\t think\t into\t what\t you sell.\tDecommoditize\tyour\tproduct.\tMake\tit\tsomething\tno\tone\telse\tcan\toffer. Look\tat\t Zappos.com,\t a\t billion-dollar\t online\t shoe\t retailer.\t A\t pair\t of\t sneakers from\t Zappos\t is\t the\t same\t as\t a\t pair\t from\t Foot\t Locker\t or\t any\t other\t retailer.\t But Zappos\tsets\titself\tapart\tby\tinjecting\tCEO\tTony\tHsieh's\tobsession\twith\tcustomer service\tinto\teverything\tit\tdoes. At\t Zappos,\t customer-service\t employees\t don't\t use\t scripts\t and\t are\t allowed\t to talk\tat\tlength\twith\tcustomers.\tThe\tcall\tcenter\tand\tthe\tcompany's\theadquarters\tare in\tthe\tsame\tplace,\tnot\toceans\tapart.\tAnd\tall\tZappos\temployees--even\tthose\twho don't\t work\t in\t customer\t service\t or\t fulfillment--start\t out\t by\t spending\t four\t weeks answering\t phones\t and\t working\t in\t the\t warehouse.\t It's\t this\t devotion\t to\t customer service\tthat\tmakes\tZappos\tunique\tamong\tshoe\tsellers.* Another\t example\t is\t Polyface,\t an\t environmentally\t friendly\t Virginia\t farm owned\t by\t Joel\t Salatin.\t Salatin\t has\t a\t strong\t set\t of\t beliefs\t and\t runs\t his\t business accordingly.\tPolyface\tsells\tthe\tidea\tthat\tit\tdoes\tthings\ta\tbigger\tagribusiness\tcan't do.\tEven\tthough\tit's\tmore\texpensive\tto\tdo\tso,\tit\tfeeds\tcows\tgrass\tinstead\tof\tcorn and\tnever\tgives\tthem\tantibiotics.\tIt\tnever\tships\tfood.\tAnyone\tis\twelcome\tto\tvisit the\t farm\t anytime\t and\t go\t anywhere\t (try\t that\t at\t a\t typical\t meat-processing\t plant). Polyface\tdoesn't\tjust\tsell\tchickens,\tit\tsells\ta\tway\tof\tthinking.\tAnd\tcustomers\tlove Polyface\t for\t it.\t Some\t customers\t routinely\t drive\t from\t 150\t miles\t away\t to\t get \\\"clean\\\"\tmeat\tfor\ttheir\tfamilies.* Pour\tyourself\tinto\tyour\tproduct\tand\teverything\taround\tyour\tproduct\ttoo:\thow you\t sell\t it,\t how\t you\t support\t it,\t how\t you\t explain\t it,\t and\t how\t you\t deliver\t it. Competitors\tcan\tnever\tcopy\tthe\tyou\tin\tyour\tproduct.","","Pick\ta\tfight If\tyou\tthink\ta\tcompetitor\tsucks,\tsay\tso.\tWhen\tyou\tdo\tthat,\tyou'll\tfind\tthat\tothers who\tagree\twith\tyou\twill\trally\tto\tyour\tside.\tBeing\tthe\tanti-______\tis\ta\tgreat\tway to\tdifferentiate\tyourself\tand\tattract\tfollowers. For\texample,\tDunkin'\tDonuts\tlikes\tto\tposition\titself\tas\tthe\tanti-Starbucks.\tIts ads\t mock\t Starbucks\t for\t using\t \\\"Fritalian\\\"\t terms\t instead\t of\t small,\t medium,\t and large.\t Another\t Dunkin'\t campaign\t is\t centered\t on\t a\t taste\t test\t in\t which\t it\t beat Starbucks.\t There's\t even\t a\t site\t called\t DunkinBeatStarbucks.com\t where\t visitors can\tsend\te-cards\twith\tstatements\tlike\t\\\"Friends\tdon't\tlet\tfriends\tdrink\tStarbucks.\\\" Audi\t is\t another\t example.\t It's\t been\t taking\t on\t the\t old\t guard\t of\t car manufacturers.\t It\t puts\t \\\"old\t luxury\\\"\t brands\t like\t Rolls-Royce\t and\t Mercedes\t \\\"on notice\\\"\tin\tads\ttouting\tAudi\tas\tthe\tfresh\tluxury\talternative.\tAudi\ttakes\ton\tLexus's automatic\tparking\tsystems\twith\tads\tthat\tsay\tAudi\tdrivers\tknow\thow\tto\tpark\ttheir own\t cars.\t Another\t ad\t gives\t a\t side-by-side\t comparison\t of\t BMW\t and\t Audi owners:\t The\t BMW\t owner\t uses\t the\t rearview\t mirror\t to\t adjust\t his\t hair\t while\t the Audi\tdriver\tuses\tthe\tmirror\tto\tsee\twhat's\tbehind\thim. Apple\tjabs\tat\tMicrosoft\twith\tads\tthat\tcompare\tMac\tand\tPC\towners,\tand\t7UP bills\t itself\t as\t the\t Uncola.\t Under\t Armour\t positions\t itself\t as\t Nike\t for\t a\t new generation. All\t these\t examples\t show\t the\t power\t and\t direction\t you\t can\t gain\t by\t having\t a target\tin\tyour\tsights.\tWho\tdo\tyou\twant\tto\ttake\ta\tshot\tat? You\t can\t even\t pit\t yourself\t as\t the\t opponent\t of\t an\t entire\t industry.\t Dyson's Airblade\tstarts\twith\tthe\tpremise\tthat\tthe\thand-dryer\tindustry\tis\ta\tfailure\tand\tthen sells\t itself\t as\t faster\t and\t more\t hygienic\t than\t the\t others.\t I\t Can't\t Believe\t It's\t Not Butter\tputs\tits\tenemy\tright\tthere\tin\tits\tproduct\tname. Having\tan\tenemy\tgives\tyou\ta\tgreat\tstory\tto\ttell\tcustomers,\ttoo.\tTaking\ta\tstand always\t stands\t out.\t People\tget\tstoked\tby\tconflict.\tThey\ttake\tsides.\tPassions\tare ignited.\tAnd\tthat's\ta\tgood\tway\tto\tget\tpeople\tto\ttake\tnotice.","","Underdo\tyour\tcompetition Conventional\t wisdom\t says\t that\t to\t beat\t your\t competitors,\t you\t need\t to\t one-up them.\t If\t they\t have\t four\t features,\t you\t need\t five\t (or\t fifteen,\t or\t twenty-five).\t If they're\t spending\t $20,000,\t you\t need\t to\t spend\t $30,000.\t If\t they\t have\t fifty employees,\tyou\tneed\ta\thundred. This\t sort\t of\t one-upping,\t Cold\t War\t mentality\t is\t a\t dead\t end.\t When\t you\t get suckered\tinto\tan\tarms\trace,\tyou\twind\tup\tin\ta\tnever-ending\tbattle\tthat\tcosts\tyou massive\t amounts\t of\t money,\t time,\t and\t drive.\t And\t it\t forces\t you\t to\t constantly\t be on\t the\t defensive,\t too.\t Defensive\t companies\t can't\t think\t ahead;\t they\t can\t only think\tbehind.\tThey\tdon't\tlead;\tthey\tfollow. So\twhat\tdo\tyou\tdo\tinstead?\tDo\tless\tthan\tyour\tcompetitors\tto\tbeat\tthem.\tSolve the\t simple\t problems\t and\t leave\t the\t hairy,\t difficult,\t nasty\t problems\t to\t the competition.\t Instead\t of\t one-upping,\t try\t one-downing.\t Instead\t of\t outdoing,\t try underdoing. The\t bicycle\t world\t provides\t a\t great\t example.\t For\t years,\t major\t bicycle\t brands focused\ton\tthe\tlatest\tin\thightech\tequipment:\tmountain\tbikes\twith\tsuspension\tand ultrastrong\t disc\t brakes,\t or\t lightweight\t titanium\t road\t bikes\t with\t carbon-fiber everything.\tAnd\tit\twas\tassumed\tthat\tbikes\tshould\thave\tmultiple\tgears:\tthree,\tten, or\ttwenty-one. But\t recently,\t fixed-gear\t bicycles\t have\t boomed\t in\t popularity,\t despite\t being\t as low-tech\tas\tyou\tcan\tget.\tThese\tbikes\thave\tjust\tone\tgear.\tSome\tmodels\tdon't\thave brakes.\t The\t advantage:\t They're\t simpler,\t lighter,\t cheaper,\t and\t don't\t require\t as much\tmaintenance. Another\t great\t example\t of\t a\t product\t that\t is\t succeeding\t by\t underdoing\t the competition:\tthe\tFlip--an\tultrasimple,\tpoint-and-shoot,\tcompact\tcamcorder\tthat's taken\ta\tsignificant\tpercentage\tof\tthe\tmarket\tin\ta\tshort\ttime.\tLook\tat\tall\tthe\tthings the\tFlip\tdoes\tnot\tdeliver: No\tbig\tscreen\t(and\tthe\ttiny\tscreen\tdoesn't\tswing\tout\tfor\tself-portraits\teither) No\tphoto-taking\tability No\ttapes\tor\tdiscs\t(you\thave\tto\toffload\tthe\tvideos\tto\ta\tcomputer) No\tmenus No\tsettings No\tvideo\tlight No\tviewfinder No\tspecial\teffects","No\theadphone\tjack No\tlens\tcap No\tmemory\tcard No\toptical\tzoom The\tFlip\twins\tfans\tbecause\tit\tonly\tdoes\ta\tfew\tsimple\tthings\tand\tit\tdoes\tthem well.\tIt's\teasy\tand\tfun\tto\tuse.\tIt\tgoes\tplaces\ta\tbigger\tcamera\twould\tnever\tgo\tand gets\tused\tby\tpeople\twho\twould\tnever\tuse\ta\tfancier\tcamera. Don't\tshy\taway\tfrom\tthe\tfact\tthat\tyour\tproduct\tor\tservice\tdoes\tless.\tHighlight it.\t Be\t proud\t of\t it.\t Sell\t it\t as\t aggressively\t as\t competitors\t sell\t their\t extensive feature\tlists.","Who\tcares\twhat\tthey're\tdoing? In\tthe\tend,\tit's\tnot\tworth\tpaying\tmuch\tattention\tto\tthe\tcompetition\tanyway.\tWhy not?\t Because\t worrying\t about\t the\t competition\t quickly\t turns\t into\t an\t obsession. What\t are\t they\t doing\t right\t now?\t Where\t are\t they\t going\t next?\t How\t should\t we react? Every\t little\t move\t becomes\t something\t to\t be\t analyzed.\t And\t that's\t a\t terrible mind-set.\tIt\tleads\tto\toverwhelming\tstress\tand\tanxiety.\tThat\tstate\tof\tmind\tis\tbad soil\tfor\tgrowing\tanything. It's\t a\t pointless\t exercise\t anyway.\t The\t competitive\t landscape\t changes\t all\t the time.\t Your\t competitor\t tomorrow\t may\t be\t completely\t different\t from\t your competitor\t today.\t It's\t out\t of\t your\t control.\t What's\t the\t point\t of\t worrying\t about things\tyou\tcan't\tcontrol? Focus\ton\tyourself\tinstead.\tWhat's\tgoing\ton\tin\there\tis\tway\tmore\timportant\tthan what's\t going\t on\t out\t there.\t When\t you\t spend\t time\t worrying\t about\t someone\t else, you\tcan't\tspend\tthat\ttime\timproving\tyourself. Focus\t on\t competitors\t too\t much\t and\t you\t wind\t up\t diluting\t your\t own\t vision. Your\tchances\tof\tcoming\tup\twith\tsomething\tfresh\tgo\tway\tdown\twhen\tyou\tkeep feeding\t your\t brain\t other\t people's\t ideas.\t You\t become\t reactionary\t instead\t of visionary.\tYou\twind\tup\toffering\tyour\tcompetitor's\tproducts\twith\ta\tdifferent\tcoat of\tpaint. If\t you're\t planning\t to\t build\t \\\"the\t iPod\t killer\\\"\t or\t \\\"the\t next\t Pokemon,\\\"\t you're already\t dead.\t You're\t allowing\t the\t competition\t to\t set\t the\t parameters.\t You're\t not going\tto\tout-Apple\tApple.\tThey're\tdefining\tthe\trules\tof\tthe\tgame.\tAnd\tyou\tcan't beat\t someone\t who's\t making\t the\t rules.\t You\t need\t to\t redefine\t the\t rules,\t not\t just build\tsomething\tslightly\tbetter. Don't\task\tyourself\twhether\tyou're\t\\\"beating\\\"\tApple\t(or\twhoever\tthe\tbig\tboy\tis in\tyour\tindustry).\tThat's\tthe\twrong\tquestion\tto\task.\tIt's\tnot\ta\twin-or-lose\tbattle. Their\tprofits\tand\tcosts\tare\ttheirs.\tYours\tare\tyours. If\t you're\t just\t going\t to\t be\t like\t everyone\t else,\t why\t are\t you\t even\t doing\t this?\t If you\tmerely\treplicate\tcompetitors,\tthere's\tno\tpoint\tto\tyour\texistence.\tEven\tif\tyou wind\tup\tlosing,\tit's\tbetter\tto\tgo\tdown\tfighting\tfor\twhat\tyou\tbelieve\tin\tinstead\tof just\timitating\tothers.","*\\\"A\t Shine\t on\t Their\t Shoes,\\\"\t Business\t Week,\t Dec.\t 5,\t 2005, www.businessweek.com\/magazine\/content\/05_49\/b3962118.htm \t *\\\"The\tPolyface\tStory,\\\"\twww.polyfacefarms.com\/story.aspx","CHAPTER EVOLUTION","","Say\tno\tby\tdefault If\tI'd\tlistened\tto\tcustomers, I'd\thave\tgiven\tthem\ta\tfaster\thorse. --HENRY\tFORD It's\t so\t easy\t to\t say\t yes.\t Yes\t to\t another\t feature,\t yes\t to\t an\t overly\t optimistic deadline,\t yes\t to\t a\t mediocre\t design.\t Soon,\t the\t stack\t of\t things\t you've\t said\t yes\t to grows\tso\ttall\tyou\tcan't\teven\tsee\tthe\tthings\tyou\tshould\treally\tbe\tdoing. Start\tgetting\tinto\tthe\thabit\tof\tsaying\tno--even\tto\tmany\tof\tyour\tbest\tideas.\tUse the\t power\t of\t no\t to\t get\t your\t priorities\t straight.\t You\t rarely\t regret\t saying\t no.\t But you\toften\twind\tup\tregretting\tsaying\tyes. People\tavoid\tsaying\tno\tbecause\tconfrontation\tmakes\tthem\tuncomfortable.\tBut the\talternative\tis\teven\tworse.\tYou\tdrag\tthings\tout,\tmake\tthings\tcomplicated,\tand work\ton\tideas\tyou\tdon't\tbelieve\tin. It's\t like\t a\t relationship:\t Breaking\t one\t up\t is\t hard\t to\t do,\t but\t staying\t in\t it\t just because\t you're\t too\t chicken\t to\t drop\t the\t ax\t is\t even\t worse.\t Deal\t with\t the\t brief discomfort\tof\tconfrontation\tup\tfront\tand\tavoid\tthe\tlong-term\tregret. Don't\t believe\t that\t \\\"customer\t is\t always\t right\\\"\t stuff,\t either.\t Let's\t say\t you're\t a chef.\t If\t enough\t of\t your\t customers\t say\t your\t food\t is\t too\t salty\t or\t too\t hot,\t you change\t it.\t But\t if\t a\t few\t persnickety\t patrons\t tell\t you\t to\t add\t bananas\t to\t your lasagna,\t you're\t going\t to\t turn\t them\t down,\t and\t that's\t OK.\t Making\t a\t few\t vocal customers\thappy\tisn't\tworth\tit\tif\tit\truins\tthe\tproduct\tfor\teveryone\telse. ING\tDirect\thas\tbuilt\tthe\tfastest-growing\tbank\tin\tAmerica\tby\tsaying\tno.\tWhen customers\t ask\t for\t a\t credit\t card,\t the\t answer\t is\t no.\t When\t they\t ask\t for\t an\t online brokerage,\t the\t answer\t is\t no.\t When\t they\t ask\t if\t they\t can\t open\t an\t account\t with\t a million\t dollars\t in\t it,\t the\t answer\t is\t no\t (the\t bank\t has\t a\t strict\t deposit\t maximum). ING\twants\tto\tkeep\tthings\tsimple.\tThat's\twhy\tthe\tbank\toffers\tjust\ta\tfew\tsavings accounts,\tcertificates\tof\tdeposit,\tand\tmutual\tfunds--and\tthat's\tit. Don't\tbe\ta\tjerk\tabout\tsaying\tno,\tthough.\tJust\tbe\thonest.\tIf\tyou're\tnot\twilling\tto yield\t to\t a\t customer\t request,\t be\t polite\t and\t explain\t why.\t People\t are\t surprisingly understanding\t when\tyou\t take\tthe\ttime\tto\t explain\tyour\tpoint\tof\tview.\tYou\tmay even\twin\tthem\tover\tto\tyour\tway\tof\tthinking.\tIf\tnot,\trecommend\ta\tcompetitor\tif you\t think\t there's\t a\t better\t solution\t out\t there.\t It's\t better\t to\t have\t people\t be\t happy using\tsomeone\telse's\tproduct\tthan\tdisgruntled\tusing\tyours. Your\tgoal\tis\tto\tmake\tsure\tyour\tproduct\tstays\tright\tfor\tyou.\tYou're\tthe\tone\twho","has\tto\tbelieve\tin\tit\tmost.\tThat\tway,\tyou\tcan\tsay,\t\\\"I\tthink\tyou'll\tlove\tit\tbecause\tI love\tit.\\\"","Let\tyour\tcustomers\toutgrow\tyou Maybe\t you've\t seen\t this\t scenario:\t There's\t a\t customer\t that's\t paying\t a\t company\t a lot\tof\tmoney.\tThe\tcompany\ttries\tto\tplease\tthat\tcustomer\tin\tany\tway\tpossible.\tIt tweaks\t and\t changes\t the\t product\t per\t this\t one\t customer's\t requests\t and\t starts\t to alienate\tits\tgeneral\tcustomer\tbase. Then\t one\t day\t that\t big\t customer\t winds\t up\t leaving\t and\t the\t company\t is\t left holding\tthe\tbag--and\tthe\tbag\tis\ta\tproduct\tthat's\tideally\tsuited\tto\tsomeone\twho's not\tthere\tanymore.\tAnd\tnow\tit's\ta\tbad\tfit\tfor\teveryone\telse. When\t you\t stick\t with\t your\t current\t customers\t come\t hell\t or\t high\t water,\t you wind\tup\tcutting\tyourself\toff\tfrom\tnew\tones.\tYour\tproduct\tor\tservice\tbecomes\tso tailored\t to\t your\t current\t customers\t that\t it\t stops\t appealing\t to\t fresh\t blood.\t And that's\thow\tyour\tcompany\tstarts\tto\tdie. After\t our\t first\t product\t had\t been\t around\t for\t a\t while,\t we\t started\t getting\t some heat\tfrom\tfolks\twho\thad\tbeen\twith\tus\tfrom\tthe\tbeginning.\tThey\tsaid\tthey\twere starting\tto\tgrow\tout\tof\tthe\tapplication.\tTheir\tbusinesses\twere\tchanging\tand\tthey wanted\t us\t to\t change\t our\t product\t to\t mirror\t their\t newfound\t complexity\t and requirements. We\tsaid\tno.\tHere's\twhy:\tWe'd\trather\tour\tcustomers\tgrow\tout\tof\tour\tproducts eventually\tthan\tnever\tbe\table\tto\tgrow\tinto\tthem\tin\tthe\tfirst\tplace.\tAdding\tpower- user\t features\t to\t satisfy\t some\t can\t intimidate\t those\t who\t aren't\t on\t board\t yet. Scaring\taway\tnew\tcustomers\tis\tworse\tthan\tlosing\told\tcustomers. When\t you\t let\t customers\t outgrow\t you,\t you'll\t most\t likely\t wind\t up\t with\t a product\t that's\t basic--and\t that's\t fine.\t Small,\t simple,\t basic\t needs\t are\t constant. There's\tan\tendless\tsupply\tof\tcustomers\twho\tneed\texactly\tthat. And\tthere\tare\talways\tmore\tpeople\twho\tare\tnot\tusing\tyour\tproduct\tthan\tpeople who\t are.\t Make\t sure\t you\t make\t it\t easy\t for\t these\t people\t to\t get\t on\t board.\t That's where\tyour\tcontinued\tgrowth\tpotential\tlies. People\tand\tsituations\tchange.\tYou\tcan't\tbe\teverything\tto\teveryone.\tCompanies need\tto\t be\ttrue\tto\ta\t type\tof\tcustomer\tmore\tthan\ta\tspecific\tindividual\tcustomer with\tchanging\tneeds.","","Don't\tconfuse\tenthusiasm\twith\tpriority Coming\t up\t with\t a\t great\t idea\t gives\t you\t a\t rush.\t You\t start\t imagining\t the possibilities\tand\tthe\tbenefits.\tAnd\tof\tcourse,\tyou\twant\tall\tthat\tright\taway.\tSo\tyou drop\t everything\t else\t you're\t working\t on\t and\t begin\t pursuing\t your\t latest,\t greatest idea. Bad\t move.\t The\t enthusiasm\t you\t have\t for\t a\t new\t idea\t is\t not\t an\t accurate indicator\t of\t its\t true\t worth.\t What\t seems\t like\t a\t sure-fire\t hit\t right\t now\t often\t gets downgraded\tto\tjust\ta\t\\\"nice\tto\thave\\\"\tby\tmorning.\tAnd\t\\\"nice\tto\thave\\\"\tisn't\tworth putting\teverything\telse\ton\thold. We\thave\tideas\tfor\tnew\tfeatures\tall\tthe\ttime.\tOn\ttop\tof\tthat,\twe\tget\tdozens\tof interesting\tideas\tfrom\tcustomers\tevery\tday\ttoo.\tSure,\tit'd\tbe\tfun\tto\timmediately chase\tall\tthese\tideas\tto\tsee\twhere\tthey\tlead.\tBut\tif\twe\tdid\tthat,\twe'd\tjust\twind\tup running\ton\ta\ttreadmill\tand\tnever\tget\tanywhere. So\tlet\tyour\tlatest\tgrand\tideas\tcool\toff\tfor\ta\twhile\tfirst.\tBy\tall\tmeans,\thave\tas many\tgreat\tideas\tas\tyou\tcan.\tGet\texcited\tabout\tthem.\tJust\tdon't\tact\tin\tthe\theat\tof the\t moment.\t Write\t them\t down\t and\t park\t them\t for\t a\t few\t days.\t Then,\t evaluate their\tactual\tpriority\twith\ta\tcalm\tmind.","","Be\tat-home\tgood You\tknow\twhat\tit\tfeels\tlike.\tYou\tgo\tto\ta\tstore.\tYou're\tcomparing\ta\tfew\tdifferent products,\tand\tyou're\tsold\ton\tthe\tone\tthat\tsounds\tlike\tit's\tthe\tbest\tdeal.\tIt's\tgot\tthe most\tfeatures.\tIt\tlooks\tthe\tcoolest.\tThe\tpackaging\tlooks\thot.\tThere's\tsensational copy\ton\tthe\tbox.\tEverything\tseems\tgreat. But\tthen\tyou\tget\tit\thome,\tand\tit\tdoesn't\tdeliver.\tIt's\tnot\tas\teasy\tto\tuse\tas\tyou thought\tit'd\tbe.\tIt\thas\ttoo\tmany\tfeatures\tyou\tdon't\tneed.\tYou\tend\tup\tfeeling\tthat you've\t been\t taken.\t You\t didn't\t really\t get\t what\t you\t needed\t and\t you\t realize\t you spent\ttoo\tmuch. You\t just\t bought\t an\t in-store-good\t product.\t That's\t a\t product\t you're\t more excited\tabout\tin\tthe\tstore\tthan\tyou\tare\tafter\tyou've\tactually\tused\tit. Smart\t companies\t make\t the\t opposite:\t something\t that's\t at-home\t good.\t When you\tget\tthe\tproduct\thome,\tyou're\tactually\tmore\timpressed\twith\tit\tthan\tyou\twere at\t the\t store.\t You\t live\t with\t it\t and\t grow\t to\t like\t it\t more\t and\t more.\t And\t you\t tell your\tfriends,\ttoo. When\tyou\tcreate\tan\tat-home-good\tproduct,\tyou\tmay\thave\tto\tsacrifice\ta\tbit\tof in-store\tsizzle.\tA\tproduct\tthat\texecutes\ton\tthe\tbasics\tbeautifully\tmay\tnot\tseem\tas sexy\t as\t competitors\t loaded\t with\t bells\t and\t whistles.\t Being\t great\t at\t a\t few\t things often\tdoesn't\tlook\tall\tthat\tflashy\tfrom\tafar.\tThat's\tOK.\tYou're\taiming\tfor\ta\tlong- term\trelationship,\tnot\ta\tone-night\tstand. This\tis\tas\ttrue\tfor\tadvertising\tas\tit\tis\tfor\tin-store\tpackaging\tor\tdisplays.\tWe've all\tseen\ta\tTV\tad\tfor\tsome\t\\\"revolutionary\\\"\tgadget\tthat\twill\tchange\tyour\tlife.\tBut when\t the\t actual\t product\t arrives\t in\t the\t mail,\t it\t turns\t out\t to\t be\t a\t disappointment. In-media\tgood\tisn't\tnearly\tas\timportant\tas\tat-home\tgood.\tYou\tcan't\tpaint\tover\ta bad\texperience\twith\tgood\tadvertising\tor\tmarketing.","","Don't\twrite\tit\tdown How\t should\t you\t keep\t track\t of\t what\t customers\t want?\t Don't.\t Listen,\t but\t then forget\twhat\tpeople\tsaid.\tSeriously. There's\tno\tneed\tfor\ta\tspreadsheet,\tdatabase,\tor\tfiling\tsystem.\tThe\trequests\tthat really\tmatter\tare\tthe\tones\tyou'll\thear\tover\tand\tover.\tAfter\ta\twhile,\tyou\twon't\tbe able\t to\t forget\t them.\t Your\t customers\t will\t be\t your\t memory.\t They'll\t keep reminding\tyou.\tThey'll\tshow\tyou\twhich\tthings\tyou\ttruly\tneed\tto\tworry\tabout. If\t there's\t a\t request\t that\t you\t keep\t forgetting,\t that's\t a\t sign\t that\t it\t isn't\t very important.\tThe\treally\timportant\tstuff\tdoesn't\tgo\taway.","CHAPTER PROMOTION","Welcome\tobscurity No\t one\t knows\t who\t you\t are\t right\t now.\t And\t that's\t just\t fine.\t Being\t obscure\t is\t a great\tposition\tto\tbe\tin.\tBe\thappy\tyou're\tin\tthe\tshadows. Use\tthis\ttime\tto\tmake\tmistakes\twithout\tthe\twhole\tworld\thearing\tabout\tthem. Keep\ttweaking.\tWork\tout\tthe\tkinks.\tTest\trandom\tideas.\tTry\tnew\tthings.\tNo\tone knows\tyou,\tso\tit's\tno\tbig\tdeal\tif\tyou\tmess\tup.\tObscurity\thelps\tprotect\tyour\tego and\tpreserve\tyour\tconfidence. Retailers\t experiment\t with\t test\t markets\t all\t the\t time\t for\t this\t reason.\t When Dunkin'\tDonuts\tthought\tabout\tselling\tpizza,\thot\tdogs,\tand\tother\thot\tsandwiches, it\ttest-marketed\tthe\tproducts\tat\tjust\tten\tselect\tlocations. Broadway\t shows\t also\t provide\t a\t great\t example\t of\t testing\t ideas\t on\t a\t small stage\tfirst.\tThey\troutinely\tdo\ta\ttrial\trun\tin\ta\tsmaller\tcity\tbefore\tcoming\tto\tNew York.\t Testing\t out\t of\t town\t lets\t actors\t get\t some\t reps\t in\t front\t of\t a\t live\t audience before\tthe\tshow\tgoes\tup\tin\tfront\tof\tharsher\tcritics\tand\ttastemakers. Would\tyou\twant\tthe\twhole\tworld\tto\twatch\tyou\tthe\tfirst\ttime\tyou\tdo\tanything? If\t you've\t never\t given\t a\t speech\t before,\t do\t you\t want\t your\t first\t speech\t to\t be\t in front\t of\t ten\t thousand\t people\t or\t ten\t people?\t You\t don't\t want\t everyone\t to\t watch you\t starting\t your\t business.\t It\t makes\t no\t sense\t to\t tell\t everyone\t to\t look\t at\t you\t if you're\tnot\tready\tto\tbe\tlooked\tat\tyet. And\t keep\t in\t mind\t that\t once\t you\t do\t get\t bigger\t and\t more\t popular,\t you're inevitably\t going\t to\t take\t fewer\t risks.\t When\t you're\t a\t success,\t the\t pressure\t to maintain\t predictability\t and\t consistency\t builds.\t You\t get\t more\t conservative.\t It's harder\t to\t take\t risks.\t That's\t when\t things\t start\t to\t fossilize\t and\t change\t becomes difficult. If\tmillions\tof\tpeople\tare\tusing\tyour\tproduct,\tevery\tchange\tyou\tmake\twill\thave a\tmuch\tbigger\timpact.\tBefore,\tyou\tmight\thave\tupset\ta\thundred\tpeople\twhen\tyou changed\t something.\t Now\t you\t might\t upset\t thousands.\t You\t can\t reason\t with\t a hundred\t people,\t but\t you\t need\t riot\t gear\t to\t deal\t with\t ten\t thousand\t angry customers. These\tearly\tdays\tof\tobscurity\tare\tsomething\tyou'll\tmiss\tlater\ton,\twhen\tyou're really\tunder\tthe\tmicroscope.\tNow's\tthe\ttime\tto\ttake\trisks\twithout\tworrying\tabout embarrassing\tyourself.","","Build\tan\taudience All\t companies\t have\t customers.\t Lucky\t companies\t have\t fans.\t But\t the\t most fortunate\tcompanies\thave\taudiences.\tAn\taudience\tcan\tbe\tyour\tsecret\tweapon. A\tlot\tof\tbusinesses\tstill\tspend\tbig\tbucks\tto\treach\tpeople.\tEvery\ttime\tthey\twant to\t say\t something,\t they\t dip\t into\t their\t budgets,\t pull\t out\t a\t huge\t wad\t of\t cash,\t and place\tsome\tads.\tBut\tthis\tapproach\tis\tboth\texpensive\tand\tunreliable.\tAs\tthey\tsay, you\twaste\thalf\tof\tyour\tad\tbudget--you\tjust\tdon't\tknow\twhich\thalf. Today's\tsmartest\tcompanies\tknow\tbetter.\tInstead\tof\tgoing\tout\tto\treach\tpeople, you\t want\t people\t to\t come\t to\t you.\t An\t audience\t returns\t often--on\t its\t own--to\t see what\t you\t have\t to\t say.\t This\t is\t the\t most\t receptive\t group\t of\t customers\t and potential\tcustomers\tyou'll\tever\thave. Over\t the\t past\t ten\t years,\t we've\t built\t an\t audience\t of\t more\t than\t a\t hundred thousand\tdaily\treaders\tfor\tour\tSignal\tvs.\tNoise\tblog.\tEvery\tday\tthey\tcome\tback to\tsee\twhat\twe\thave\tto\tsay.\tWe\tmay\ttalk\tabout\tdesign\tor\tbusiness\tor\tsoftware\tor psychology\tor\tusability\tor\tour\tindustry\tat\tlarge.\tWhatever\tit\tis,\tthese\tpeople\tare interested\tenough\tto\tcome\tback\tto\thear\tmore.\tAnd\tif\tthey\tlike\twhat\twe\thave\tto say,\tthey'll\tprobably\talso\tlike\twhat\twe\thave\tto\tsell. How\tmuch\twould\tit\tcost\tus\tto\treach\tthose\thundred\tthousand\tpeople\tevery\tday the\t old-fashioned\t way?\t Hundreds\t of\t thousands?\t Millions?\t And\t how\t would\t we have\tdone\tit?\tRunning\tads?\tBuying\tradio\tspots?\tSending\tdirect\tmail? When\t you\t build\t an\t audience,\t you\t don't\t have\t to\t buy\t people's\t attention--they give\tit\tto\tyou.\tThis\tis\ta\thuge\tadvantage. So\tbuild\tan\taudience.\tSpeak,\twrite,\tblog,\ttweet,\tmake\tvideos--whatever.\tShare information\t that's\t valuable\t and\t you'll\t slowly\t but\t surely\t build\t a\t loyal\t audience. Then\t when\t you\t need\t to\t get\t the\t word\t out,\t the\t right\t people\t will\t already\t be listening.","","Out-teach\tyour\tcompetition You\t can\t advertise.\t You\t can\t hire\t salespeople.\t You\t can\t sponsor\t events.\t But\t your competitors\tare\tdoing\tthe\tsame\tthings.\tHow\tdoes\tthat\thelp\tyou\tstand\tout? Instead\t of\t trying\t to\t outspend,\t outsell,\t or\t outsponsor\t competitors,\t try\t to\t out- teach\t them.\t Teaching\t probably\t isn't\t something\t your\t competitors\t are\t even thinking\tabout.\tMost\tbusinesses\tfocus\ton\tselling\tor\tservicing,\tbut\tteaching\tnever even\toccurs\tto\tthem. The\t Hoefler\tType\tFoundry\tteaches\tdesigners\tabout\ttype\tat\tTypography.com. Etsy,\tan\tonline\tstore\tfor\tthings\thandmade,\tholds\tentrepreneurial\tworkshops\tthat explain\t \\\"best\t practices\\\"\t and\t promotional\t ideas\t to\t people\t who\t sell\t at\t the\t site. Gary\t Vaynerchuk,\t who\t owns\t a\t large\t wine\t shop,\t teaches\t people\t about\t wine online\tat\tWine\tLibrary\tTV,\tand\ttens\tof\tthousands\tof\tpeople\twatch\tevery\tday. Teach\t and\t you'll\t form\t a\t bond\t you\t just\t don't\t get\t from\t traditional\t marketing tactics.\t Buying\t people's\t attention\t with\t a\t magazine\t or\t online\t banner\t ad\t is\t one thing.\tEarning\ttheir\tloyalty\tby\tteaching\tthem\tforms\ta\twhole\tdifferent\tconnection. They'll\t trust\t you\t more.\t They'll\t respect\t you\t more.\t Even\t if\t they\t don't\t use\t your product,\tthey\tcan\tstill\tbe\tyour\tfans. Teaching\t is\t something\t individuals\t and\t small\t companies\t can\t do\t that\t bigger competitors\tcan't.\tBig\tcompanies\tcan\tafford\ta\tSuper\tBowl\tad;\tyou\tcan't.\tBut\tyou can\tafford\tto\tteach,\tand\tthat's\tsomething\tthey'll\tnever\tdo,\tbecause\tbig\tcompanies are\tobsessed\twith\tsecrecy.\tEverything\tat\tthose\tplaces\thas\tto\tget\tfiltered\tthrough a\t lawyer\t and\t go\t through\t layers\t of\t red\t tape.\t Teaching\t is\t your\t chance\t to outmaneuver\tthem.","","Emulate\tchefs You've\tprobably\theard\tof\tEmeril\tLagasse,\tMario\tBatali,\tBobby\tFlay,\tJulia\tChild, Paula\tDeen,\tRick\tBayless,\tor\tJacques\tPepin.\tThey're\tgreat\tchefs,\tbut\tthere\tare\ta lot\t of\t great\t chefs\t out\t there.\t So\t why\t do\t you\t know\t these\t few\t better\t than\t others? Because\t they\t share\t everything\t they\t know.\t They\t put\t their\t recipes\t in\t cookbooks and\tshow\ttheir\ttechniques\ton\tcooking\tshows. As\t a\t business\t owner,\t you\t should\t share\t everything\t you\t know\t too.\t This\t is anathema\t to\t most\t in\t the\t business\t world.\t Businesses\t are\t usually\t paranoid\t and secretive.\tThey\tthink\tthey\thave\tproprietary\tthis\tand\tcompetitive\tadvantage\tthat. Maybe\ta\trare\tfew\tdo,\tbut\tmost\tdon't.\tAnd\tthose\tthat\tdon't\tshould\tstop\tacting\tlike those\tthat\tdo.\tDon't\tbe\tafraid\tof\tsharing. A\t recipe\t is\t much\t easier\t to\t copy\t than\t a\t business.\t Shouldn't\t that\t scare\t Mario Batali?\tWhy\twould\the\tgo\ton\tTV\tand\tshow\tyou\thow\the\tdoes\twhat\the\tdoes?\tWhy would\the\tput\t all\this\trecipes\tin\tcookbooks\twhere\tanyone\tcan\tbuy\tand\treplicate them?\tBecause\the\tknows\tthose\trecipes\tand\ttechniques\taren't\tenough\tto\tbeat\thim at\t his\t own\t game.\t No\t one's\t going\t to\t buy\t his\t cookbook,\t open\t a\t restaurant\t next door,\tand\tput\thim\tout\tof\tbusiness.\tIt\tjust\tdoesn't\twork\tlike\tthat.\tYet\tthis\tis\twhat many\tin\tthe\tbusiness\tworld\tthink\twill\thappen\tif\ttheir\tcompetitors\tlearn\thow\tthey do\tthings.\tGet\tover\tit. So\temulate\tfamous\tchefs.\tThey\tcook,\tso\tthey\twrite\tcookbooks.\tWhat\tdo\tyou do?\t What\t are\t your\t \\\"recipes\\\"?\t What's\t your\t \\\"cookbook\\\"?\t What\t can\t you\t tell\t the world\tabout\thow\t you\toperate\tthat's\tinformative,\teducational,\tand\tpromotional? This\tbook\tis\tour\tcookbook.\tWhat's\tyours?","","Go\tbehind\tthe\tscenes Give\tpeople\ta\tbackstage\tpass\tand\tshow\tthem\thow\tyour\tbusiness\tworks.\tImagine that\t someone\t wanted\t to\t make\t a\t reality\t show\t about\t your\t business.\t What\t would they\tshare?\tNow\tstop\twaiting\tfor\tsomeone\telse\tand\tdo\tit\tyourself. Think\t no\t one\t will\t care?\t Think\t again.\t Even\t seemingly\t boring\t jobs\t can\t be fascinating\twhen\tpresented\tright.\t What\t could\tbe\tmore\tboring\tthan\tcommercial fishing\t and\t trucking?\t Yet\t the\t Discovery\t Channel\t and\t History\t Channel\t have turned\t these\t professions\t into\t highly\t rated\t shows:\t Deadliest\tCatch\tand\tIce\t Road Truckers. It\tdoesn't\tneed\tto\tbe\ta\tdangerous\tjob,\teither.\tPeople\tlove\tfinding\tout\tthe\tlittle secrets\tof\tall\tkinds\tof\tbusinesses,\teven\tone\tthat\tmakes\tthose\ttiny\tmarshmallows in\tbreakfast\tcereals.\tThat's\twhy\tthe\tFood\tNetwork's\tUnwrapped--which\texplores the\tsecrets\tbehind\tlunch-box\ttreats,\tsoda\tpop,\tmovie\tcandy,\tand\tmore--is\tsuch\ta popular\tprogram. People\tare\tcurious\tabout\thow\tthings\tare\tmade.\tIt's\twhy\tthey\tlike\tfactory\ttours or\tbehind-the-scenes\tfootage\ton\tDVDs.\tThey\twant\tto\tsee\thow\tthe\tsets\tare\tbuilt, how\t the\t animation\t is\t done,\t how\t the\t director\t cast\t the\t film,\t etc.\t They\t want\t to know\thow\tand\twhy\tother\tpeople\tmake\tdecisions. Letting\tpeople\tbehind\tthe\tcurtain\tchanges\tyour\trelationship\twith\tthem.\tThey'll feel\ta\tbond\twith\tyou\tand\tsee\tyou\tas\thuman\tbeings\tinstead\tof\ta\tfaceless\tcompany. They'll\t see\t the\tsweat\t and\t effort\tthat\tgoes\tinto\twhat\tyou\tsell.\tThey'll\tdevelop\ta deeper\tlevel\tof\tunderstanding\tand\tappreciation\tfor\twhat\tyou\tdo.","","Nobody\tlikes\tplastic\tflowers The\t business\t world\t is\t full\t of\t \\\"professionals\\\"\t who\t wear\t the\t uniform\t and\t try\t to seem\tperfect.\tIn\ttruth,\tthey\tjust\tcome\toff\tas\tstiff\tand\tboring.\tNo\tone\tcan\trelate\tto people\tlike\tthat. Don't\tbe\tafraid\tto\tshow\tyour\tflaws.\tImperfections\tare\treal\tand\tpeople\trespond to\treal.\tIt's\twhy\twe\tlike\treal\tflowers\tthat\twilt,\tnot\tperfect\tplastic\tones\tthat\tnever change.\t Don't\t worry\t about\t how\t you're\t supposed\t to\t sound\t and\t how\t you're supposed\tto\tact.\tShow\tthe\tworld\twhat\tyou're\treally\tlike,\twarts\tand\tall. There's\ta\tbeauty\tto\timperfection.\tThis\tis\tthe\tessence\tof\tthe\tJapanese\tprinciple of\twabi-sabi.\tWabi-sabi\tvalues\tcharacter\tand\tuniqueness\tover\ta\tshiny\tfacade.\tIt teaches\t that\t cracks\t and\t scratches\t in\t things\t should\t be\t embraced.\t It's\t also\t about simplicity.\t You\t strip\t things\t down\t and\t then\t use\t what\t you\t have.\t Leonard\t Koren, author\t of\t a\t book\t on\t wabi-sabi,\t gives\t this\t advice:\t Pare\t down\t to\t the\t essence,\t but don't\t remove\t the\t poetry.\t Keep\t things\t clean\t and\t unencumbered\t but\t don't sterilize.* It's\t a\t beautiful\t way\t to\t put\t it:\t Leave\t the\t poetry\t in\t what\t you\t make.\t When something\tbecomes\ttoo\tpolished,\tit\tloses\tits\tsoul.\tIt\tseems\trobotic. So\ttalk\tlike\tyou\treally\ttalk.\tReveal\tthings\tthat\tothers\tare\tunwilling\tto\tdiscuss. Be\t upfront\t about\t your\t shortcomings.\t Show\t the\t latest\t version\t of\t what\t you're working\ton,\teven\tif\tyou're\tnot\tdone\tyet.\tIt's\tOK\tif\tit's\tnot\tperfect.\tYou\tmight\tnot seem\tas\tprofessional,\tbut\tyou\twill\tseem\ta\tlot\tmore\tgenuine.","","Press\treleases\tare\tspam What\t do\t you\t call\t a\t generic\t pitch\t sent\t out\t to\t hundreds\t of\t strangers\t hoping\t that one\t will\t bite?\t Spam.\t That's\t what\t press\t releases\t are\t too:\t generic\t pitches\t for coverage\tsent\tout\tto\thundreds\tof\tjournalists\tyou\tdon't\tknow,\thoping\tthat\tone\twill write\tabout\tyou. Let's\t dissect\t the\t purpose\t of\t a\t press\t release\t for\t a\t moment:\t It's\t something\t you send\tout\tbecause\tyou\twant\tto\tbe\tnoticed.\tYou\twant\tthe\tpress\tto\tpick\tup\ton\tyour new\t company,\t product,\t service,\t announcement,\t or\t whatever.\t You\t want\t them\t to be\texcited\tenough\tto\twrite\ta\tstory\tabout\tyou. But\t press\t releases\t are\t a\t terrible\t way\t to\t accomplish\t that.\t They're\t tired\t and formulaic.\tThere's\tnothing\texciting\tabout\tthem.\tJournalists\tsift\tthrough\tdozens\ta day.\t They\t wind\t up\t buried\t under\t an\t avalanche\t of\t hyperbolic\t headlines\t and\t fake quotes\t from\t CEOs.\t Everything\t is\t labeled\t sensational,\t revolutionary, groundbreaking,\tand\tamazing.\tIt's\tnumbing. If\tyou\twant\tto\tget\tsomeone's\tattention,\tit's\tsilly\tto\tdo\texactly\tthe\tsame\tthing\tas everyone\telse.\tYou\tneed\tto\tstand\tout.\tSo\twhy\tissue\tpress\treleases\tlike\teveryone else\t does?\t Why\t spam\t journalists\t when\t their\t inbox\t is\t already\t filled\t with\t other people's\tspam? Furthermore,\t a\t press\t release\t is\t generic.\t You\t write\t it\t once\t and\t then\t send\t it\t to tons\t of\t reporters--people\t whom\t you\t don't\t know\t and\t who\t don't\t know\t you.\t And your\tfirst\tintroduction\tis\tthis\tvague,\tgeneric\tnote\tyou\talso\tsend\tto\teveryone\telse? Is\t that\t the\t impression\t you\t want\t to\t make?\t Is\t that\t really\t going\t to\t get\t you\t the story? Instead,\t call\t someone.\t Write\t a\t personal\t note.\t If\t you\t read\t a\t story\t about\t a similar\t company\t or\t product,\t contact\t the\t journalist\t who\t wrote\t it.\t Pitch\t her\t with some\t passion,\t some\t interest,\t some\t life.\t Do\t something\t meaningful.\t Be remarkable.\tStand\tout.\tBe\tunforgettable.\tThat's\thow\tyou'll\tget\tthe\tbest\tcoverage.","","Forget\tabout\tthe\tWall\tStreet\tJournal Forget\t about\tTime,\t Forbes,\t Newsweek,\tBusiness\tWeek,\tthe\t New\tYork\t Times,\t and the\tWall\tStreet\tJournal.\t Pitching\ta\treporter\tat\tone\tof\tthese\tplaces\tis\tpractically impossible.\t Good\t luck\t even\t getting\t ahold\t of\t that\t guy.\t And\t even\t if\t you\t do,\t he probably\twon't\tcare\tanyway.\tYou're\tnot\tbig\tenough\tto\tmatter. You're\t better\t off\t focusing\t on\t getting\t your\t story\t into\t a\t trade\t publication\t or picked\tup\tby\ta\tniche\tblogger.\tWith\tthese\toutlets,\tthe\tbarrier\tis\tmuch\tlower.\tYou can\t send\t an\t e-mail\t and\t get\t a\t response\t (and\t maybe\t even\t a\t post)\t the\t same\t day. There's\t no\t editorial\t board\t or\t PR\t person\t involved.\t There's\t no\t pipeline\t your message\thas\tto\tgo\tthrough. These\t guys\t are\t actually\t hungry\t for\t fresh\t meat.\t They\t thrive\t on\t being tastemakers,\tfinding\tthe\tnew\tthing,\tand\tgetting\tthe\tball\trolling.\tThat's\twhy\tmany big-time\t reporters\t now\t use\t these\t smaller\t sites\t to\t find\t new\t stories.\t Stories\t that start\ton\tthe\tfringe\tcan\tgo\tmainstream\tquickly. We've\t been\t written\t up\t in\t big\t mainstream\t publications\t like\t Wired\t and\t Time, but\twe've\tfound\tthat\twe\tactually\tget\tmore\thits\twhen\twe're\tprofiled\ton\tsites\tlike Daring\t Fireball,\t a\t site\t for\t Mac\t nerds,\t or\t Lifehacker,\t a\t productivity\t site.\t Links from\tthese\tplaces\tresult\tin\tnotable\tspikes\tin\tour\ttraffic\tand\tsales.\tArticles\tin\tbig- time\tpublications\tare\tnice,\tbut\tthey\tdon't\tresult\tin\tthe\tsame\tlevel\tof\tdirect,\tinstant activity.","","Drug\tdealers\tget\tit\tright Drug\t dealers\t are\t astute\t businesspeople.\t They\t know\t their\t product\t is\t so\t good they're\t willing\t to\t give\t a\t little\t away\t for\t free\t upfront.\t They\t know\t you'll\t be\t back for\tmore--with\tmoney. Emulate\t drug\t dealers.\t Make\t your\t product\t so\t good,\t so\t addictive,\t so\t \\\"can't miss\\\"\tthat\tgiving\tcustomers\ta\tsmall,\tfree\ttaste\tmakes\tthem\tcome\tback\twith\tcash in\thand. This\twill\tforce\tyou\tto\tmake\tsomething\tabout\tyour\tproduct\tbite-size.\tYou\twant an\teasily\tdigestible\tintroduction\tto\twhat\tyou\tsell.\tThis\tgives\tpeople\ta\tway\tto\ttry it\twithout\tinvesting\tany\tmoney\tor\ta\tlot\tof\ttime. Bakeries,\t restaurants,\t and\t ice\t cream\t shops\t have\t done\t this\t successfully\t for years.\tCar\tdealers\tlet\tyou\ttest-drive\tcars\tbefore\tbuying\tthem.\tSoftware\tfirms\tare also\t getting\t on\t board,\t with\t free\t trials\t or\t limited-use\t versions.\t How\t many\t other industries\tcould\tbenefit\tfrom\tthe\tdrug-dealer\tmodel? Don't\tbe\tafraid\tto\tgive\ta\tlittle\taway\tfor\tfree--as\tlong\tas\tyou've\tgot\tsomething else\t to\t sell.\t Be\t confident\t in\t what\t you're\t offering.\t You\t should\t know\t that\t people will\tcome\tback\tfor\tmore.\tIf\tyou're\tnot\tconfident\tabout\tthat,\tyou\thaven't\tcreated\ta strong\tenough\tproduct.","Marketing\tis\tnot\ta\tdepartment Do\t you\t have\t a\t marketing\t department?\t If\t not,\t good.\t If\t you\t do,\t don't\t think\t these are\t the\t only\t people\t responsible\t for\t marketing.\t Accounting\t is\t a\t department. Marketing\t isn't.\t Marketing\t is\t something\t everyone\t in\t your\t company\t is\t doing 24\/7\/365. Just\tas\tyou\tcannot\tnot\tcommunicate,\tyou\tcannot\tnot\tmarket: Every\ttime\tyou\tanswer\tthe\tphone,\tit's\tmarketing. Every\ttime\tyou\tsend\tan\te-mail,\tit's\tmarketing. Every\ttime\tsomeone\tuses\tyour\tproduct,\tit's\tmarketing. Every\tword\tyou\twrite\ton\tyour\tWeb\tsite\tis\tmarketing. If\tyou\tbuild\tsoftware,\tevery\terror\tmessage\tis\tmarketing. If\tyou're\tin\tthe\trestaurant\tbusiness,\tthe\tafter-dinner\tmint\tis\tmarketing. If\tyou're\tin\tthe\tretail\tbusiness,\tthe\tcheckout\tcounter\tis\tmarketing. If\tyou're\tin\ta\tservice\tbusiness,\tyour\tinvoice\tis\tmarketing. Recognize\t that\t all\t of\t these\t little\t things\t are\t more\t important\t than\t choosing which\tpiece\tof\tswag\tto\tthrow\tinto\ta\tconference\tgoodie\tbag.\tMarketing\tisn't\tjust a\tfew\tindividual\tevents.\tIt's\tthe\tsum\ttotal\tof\teverything\tyou\tdo.","","The\tmyth\tof\tthe\tovernight\tsensation You\twill\tnot\tbe\ta\tbig\thit\tright\taway.\tYou\twill\tnot\tget\trich\tquick.\tYou\tare\tnot\tso special\t that\t everyone\t else\t will\t instantly\t pay\t attention.\t No\t one\t cares\t about\t you. At\tleast\tnot\tyet.\tGet\tused\tto\tit. You\t know\t those\t overnight-success\t stories\t you've\t heard\t about?\t It's\t not\t the whole\t story.\t Dig\t deeper\t and\t you'll\t usually\t find\t people\t who\t have\t busted\t their asses\tfor\tyears\tto\tget\tinto\ta\tposition\twhere\tthings\tcould\ttake\toff.\tAnd\ton\tthe\trare occasion\tthat\tinstant\tsuccess\tdoes\tcome\talong,\tit\tusually\tdoesn't\tlast--there's\tno foundation\tthere\tto\tsupport\tit. Trade\tthe\tdream\tof\tovernight\tsuccess\tfor\tslow,\tmeasured\tgrowth.\tIt's\thard,\tbut you\thave\tto\tbe\tpatient.\tYou\thave\tto\tgrind\tit\tout.\tYou\thave\tto\tdo\tit\tfor\ta\tlong\ttime before\tthe\tright\tpeople\tnotice. You\tmay\tthink\tyou\tcan\tspeed\tup\tthe\tprocess\tby\thiring\ta\tPR\tfirm.\tDon't\tbother. You're\t just\t not\t ready\t for\t that\t yet.\t For\t one\t thing,\t it's\t too\t expensive.\t Good\t PR firms\tcan\tcost\tupward\tof\t$10,000\tper\tmonth.\tThat's\ta\twaste\tof\tmoney\tright\tnow. Plus,\t you're\t still\t just\t a\t no-name\t with\t a\t product\t no\t one's\t ever\t heard\t about. Who's\t going\t to\t write\t about\t that?\t Once\t you\t have\t some\t customers\t and\t a\t history, you'll\thave\ta\tstory\tto\ttell.\tBut\tjust\tlaunching\tisn't\ta\tgood\tstory. And\t remember,\t great\t brands\t launch\t without\t PR\t campaigns\t all\t the\t time. Starbucks,\t Apple,\t Nike,\t Amazon,\t Google,\t and\t Snapple\t all\t became\t great\t brands over\ttime,\tnot\tbecause\tof\ta\tbig\tPR\tpush\tupfront. Start\tbuilding\tyour\taudience\ttoday.\tStart\tgetting\tpeople\tinterested\tin\twhat\tyou have\tto\tsay.\tAnd\tthen\tkeep\tat\tit.\tIn\ta\tfew\tyears,\tyou\ttoo\twill\tget\tto\tchuckle\twhen people\tdiscuss\tyour\t\\\"overnight\\\"\tsuccess. \t *Pilar\tViladas,\t\\\"The\tTalk:\tThe\tSlow\tLane,\\\"\tNew\tYork\tTimes\tMagazine,\t Oct. 9,\t2005,\twww.tinyurl.com\/ychqtup","CHAPTER HIRING","","Do\tit\tyourself\tfirst Never\thire\tanyone\tto\tdo\ta\tjob\tuntil\tyou've\ttried\tto\tdo\tit\tyourself\tfirst.\tThat\tway, you'll\tunderstand\tthe\tnature\tof\tthe\twork.\tYou'll\tknow\twhat\ta\tjob\twell\tdone\tlooks like.\tYou'll\tknow\thow\tto\twrite\ta\trealistic\tjob\tdescription\tand\twhich\tquestions\tto ask\tin\tan\tinterview.\tYou'll\tknow\twhether\tto\thire\tsomeone\tfull-time\tor\tpart-time, outsource\tit,\tor\tkeep\tdoing\tit\tyourself\t(the\tlast\tis\tpreferable,\tif\tpossible). You'll\t also\t be\t a\t much\t better\t manager,\t because\t you'll\t be\t supervising\t people who\tare\tdoing\ta\tjob\tyou've\tdone\tbefore.\tYou'll\tknow\twhen\tto\tcriticize\tand\twhen to\tsupport. At\t37signals,\twe\tdidn't\thire\ta\tsystem\tadministrator\tuntil\tone\tof\tus\thad\tspent\ta whole\tsummer\tsetting\tup\ta\tbunch\tof\tservers\ton\this\town.\tFor\tthe\tfirst\tthree\tyears, one\t of\t us\t did\t all\t of\t our\t customer\t support.\t Then\t we\t hired\t a\t dedicated\t support person.\tWe\tran\twith\tthe\tball\tas\tfar\tas\twe\tcould\tbefore\thanding\tit\toff.\tThat\tway, we\tknew\twhat\twe\twere\tlooking\tfor\tonce\twe\tdid\tdecide\tto\thire. You\tmay\tfeel\tout\tof\tyour\telement\tat\ttimes.\tYou\tmight\teven\tfeel\tlike\tyou\tsuck. That's\tall\tright.\tYou\tcan\thire\tyour\tway\tout\tof\tthat\tfeeling\tor\tyou\tcan\tlearn\tyour way\t out\t of\t it.\t Try\t learning\t first.\t What\t you\t give\t up\t in\t initial\t execution\t will\t be repaid\tmany\ttimes\tover\tby\tthe\twisdom\tyou\tgain. Plus,\t you\t should\t want\t to\t be\t intimately\t involved\t in\t all\t aspects\t of\t your business.\t Otherwise\t you'll\t wind\t up\t in\t the\t dark,\t putting\t your\t fate\t solely\t in\t the hands\tof\tothers.\tThat's\tdangerous.","","Hire\twhen\tit\thurts Don't\t hire\t for\t pleasure;\t hire\t to\t kill\t pain.\t Always\t ask\t yourself:\t What\t if\t we\t don't hire\t anyone?\t Is\t that\t extra\t work\t that's\t burdening\t us\t really\t necessary?\t Can\t we solve\tthe\tproblem\twith\ta\tslice\tof\tsoftware\tor\ta\tchange\tof\tpractice\tinstead?\tWhat if\twe\tjust\tdon't\tdo\tit? Similarly,\t if\t you\t lose\t someone,\t don't\t replace\t him\t immediately.\t See\t how\t long you\t can\t get\t by\t without\t that\t person\t and\t that\t position.\t You'll\t often\t discover\t you don't\tneed\tas\tmany\tpeople\tas\tyou\tthink. The\t right\t time\t to\t hire\t is\t when\t there's\t more\t work\t than\t you\t can\t handle\t for\t a sustained\t period\t of\t time.\t There\t should\t be\t things\t you\t can't\t do\t anymore.\t You should\t notice\t the\t quality\t level\t slipping.\t That's\t when\t you're\t hurting.\t And\t that's when\tit's\ttime\tto\thire,\tnot\tearlier.","","Pass\ton\tgreat\tpeople Some\tcompanies\tare\taddicted\tto\thiring.\tSome\teven\thire\twhen\tthey\taren't\thiring. They'll\thear\tabout\tsomeone\tgreat\tand\tinvent\ta\tposition\tor\ttitle\tjust\tto\tlure\tthem in.\tAnd\tthere\tthey'll\tsit--parked\tin\ta\tposition\tthat\tdoesn't\tmatter,\tdoing\twork\tthat isn't\timportant. Pass\t on\t hiring\t people\t you\t don't\t need,\t even\t if\t you\t think\t that\t person's\t a\t great catch.\t You'll\t be\t doing\t your\t company\t more\t harm\t than\t good\t if\t you\t bring\t in talented\tpeople\twho\thave\tnothing\timportant\tto\tdo. Problems\tstart\twhen\tyou\thave\tmore\tpeople\tthan\tyou\tneed.\tYou\tstart\tinventing work\t to\t keep\t everyone\t busy.\t Artificial\t work\t leads\t to\t artificial\t projects.\t And those\tartificial\tprojects\tlead\tto\treal\tcosts\tand\tcomplexity. Don't\tworry\tabout\t\\\"the\tone\tthat\tgot\taway.\\\"\tIt's\tmuch\tworse\tto\thave\tpeople\ton staff\t who\t aren't\t doing\t anything\t meaningful.\t There's\t plenty\t of\t talent\t out\t there. When\tyou\tdo\thave\ta\treal\tneed,\tyou'll\tfind\tsomeone\twho\tfits\twell. Great\t has\t nothing\t to\t do\t with\t it.\t If\t you\t don't\t need\t someone,\t you\t don't\t need someone.","","Strangers\tat\ta\tcocktail\tparty If\t you\t go\t to\t a\t cocktail\t party\t where\t everyone\t is\t a\t stranger,\t the\t conversation\t is dull\tand\tstiff.\tYou\tmake\tsmall\ttalk\tabout\tthe\tweather,\tsports,\tTV\tshows,\tetc.\tYou shy\taway\tfrom\tserious\tconversations\tand\tcontroversial\topinions. A\t small,\t intimate\t dinner\t party\t among\t old\t friends\t is\t a\t different\t story,\t though. There\tare\tgenuinely\tinteresting\tconversations\tand\theated\tdebates.\tAt\tthe\tend\tof the\tnight,\tyou\tfeel\tyou\tactually\tgot\tsomething\tout\tof\tit. Hire\t a\t ton\t of\t people\t rapidly\t and\t a\t \\\"strangers\t at\t a\t cocktail\t party\\\"\t problem\t is exactly\twhat\tyou\tend\tup\twith.\tThere\tare\talways\tnew\tfaces\taround,\tso\teveryone is\tunfailingly\tpolite.\tEveryone\ttries\tto\tavoid\tany\tconflict\tor\tdrama.\tNo\tone\tsays, \\\"This\tidea\tsucks.\\\"\tPeople\tappease\tinstead\tof\tchallenge. And\t that\t appeasement\t is\t what\t gets\t companies\t into\t trouble.\t You\t need\t to\t be able\t to\t tell\t people\t when\t they're\t full\t of\t crap.\t If\t that\t doesn't\t happen,\t you\t start churning\tout\tsomething\tthat\tdoesn't\toffend\tanyone\tbut\talso\tdoesn't\tmake\tanyone fall\tin\tlove. You\t need\t an\t environment\t where\t everyone\t feels\t safe\t enough\t to\t be\t honest when\t things\t get\t tough.\t You\t need\t to\t know\t how\t far\t you\t can\t push\t someone.\t You need\tto\tknow\twhat\tpeople\treally\tmean\twhen\tthey\tsay\tsomething. So\t hire\t slowly.\t It's\t the\t only\t way\t to\t avoid\t winding\t up\t at\t a\t cocktail\t party\t of strangers.",""]