[.ca] 101 Ways Topromote Yourself: Tricks of the Trade for ... (ISBN 0380810549)

Let's Make That 102 Ways Ms. Pinskey!:
Here's number 102 for you Ms. Pinskey! When writing a non-political book, never, ever, ever include expressions of disdain from one political party against another - ever! It could cost you book sales because its bound to offend half the readers! I'm a marketing and sales professional specializing in how to attract, hold and multiply ideal clients. My staff and I are preparing to travel around California this fall to talk to thousands of women. We research hundreds of books and websites and select only the best to recommend to our audiences. After reading 16 chapters, I counted this one as a worthy of referral - that is until I got to Chapter 17, "Bumper Stickers". She lists 14 of the supposed "best-sellers" (would that be from the New York Times??) and includes three worn out tirades that left-Liberals typically use to smear right-Conservatives: 1. "Guns don't kill, people do. . .HELLO! They kill with guns." 2. "Ignorance, bigotry and hatred should not be family values!" 3. "Friends don't let friends vote Republican" There are no right-against-left bumper sticker sneers on that list, which of course would be equally out of place in a how-to-get-sales book. Now if Ms. Pinskey can show me where to get this "best selling bumper sticker" list to confirm its authenticity for myself, not only would I recommend her book, I would hand out free copies! Such a deal, Raleigh?

Good and bad:
There are good and bad suggestions in here, but perhaps that is a strength, as it will get your mind working. If one good idea comes of a quick reading, then the book has paid for itself, no problem. I would like to say I was put off by the authors left wing ranting and felt it was out of place. In fact, I pretty much lost respect for her and it hurt my opinion of the rest of the book. I guess if you're a leftie, you'd probably be more inclined to feel she's a market wiz, and won't mind her silly attacks on the right. In either case, when it comes to business, ideas are ideas, so a quick scan of this book may lead to a good idea, and the cost is low enough to justify buying it.

Pinskey Gives You 101 Detailed Plans for Great Publicity:
The title led me to expect a list of 101 promotional ideas, with an explanation of each idea. But Raleigh Pinskey delivers far more! Everyone in business needs promotion. And it's usually promotion that gets left behind, the victim of time allocation where priorities are put on product acquisition and delivery, and the myriad everyday details of running a business. Yet it's promotion that brings attention to the company and gives us all the opportunity to grow the business. Pinskey gives us 101 promotional ideas, and here's the bonus: Each idea is explained, including implementation ideas, resources, and contacts needed to pull the idea off successfully! This book is a resource manual that could have been produced in a notebook and sold at business seminars for a hundred bucks. Instead, Pinskey and her publisher have made it a gift, packaging it as a mass media paperback at a remarkably low cost. Don't bee fooled by the low price. Others would charge far more for this advice. Skim through this book. You'll easily find a dozen ideas that are not suited to promote your business, though they might be useful to others. And you'll find a couple of dozen ideas that do apply to your specific business. Take those ideas seriously. Put them into action and profit. I'm taking this book home for a weekend project to come up with a few new promotion projects for my own business. You can, too!

Not all ideas are wise!:
I just read this book and was very dissatisfied with its contents. The suggestions are not original and are not at all feasible for most people. For example...Ms. Pinskey recommends sending out audio tapes in a mass mailing. First of all, this is cost prohibitive. Second of all, a majority of cars these days do not even have cassette players, as she suggests. I was not impressed with the writing style and would not recommend this book to my friends.

Good Book!:
This is a book loaded with hundreds of ideas on how to promote yourself (for you and/or your business.) For example in the first chapter the author talks about selecting a good name for your business: What are some examples of successful names? Independent Business magazine and Business 96 magazine (last year Business 95, next year Business 97) both hold business name contests. These are the Independent Business winners for the first three contests (there were none in 1992 or 1993): *1991 #1: Juan in a Million (Mexican Restaurant) #2: Twice Sold Tales (used book store) #3: Loch Ness Lure Co. (fishing lure shop) *1994 #1: Curl Up and Dye (beauty salon) #2: Johnny on the Spot (portable toilets) #3: Brilliant Deductions (tax preparation services) *1995 #1: Rhythm & Brews (coffeehouse with music) #2: Wreck-O-Mend (car collision repair) #3: Engine Newity (car engine repair) * * * Zev Saftlas, Author of Motivation That Works: How to Get Motivated and Stay Motivated