Differentiate or Die: Survival in Our Era of Killer Competition by Jack Trout with Steve Rivkin

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (March 17, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471357642
• ISBN-13: 978-0471357643
• 
  

Amazon.com Review

There are no two ways about it with Jack Trout. Either you've got a product or service that you can say is different, or you don't have much at all. In today's global marketplace and at its lightning-fast rate of change, there's no point in inventing and presenting a product only to sit back and hope that consumers everywhere will discover its greatness. It's not simply about what you or your product can do, it's about what you do differently from everyone else. Coauthors Trout and Steve Rivkin say it all in their no-holds-barred title,Differentiate or Die.A disciple of the marketing guru Rosser Reeves, who introduced the concept of the "unique selling proposition," Trout relays his vision of what can help you differentiate in blunt, tell-it-like-it-is prose. First he breaks the bad news that product quality, advertising creativity, price advantage, and breadth of product line are rarely successful ways to differentiate your business. Consumers expect the best quality, he says; they don't think it's a bonus. In the same vein, your competitor can slash prices just as quickly as you. After dismissing these common marketing techniques as futile, Trout concentrates on which differentiating ideas will set you apart from the pack: Being first (and staying there), owning a discernible attribute, having a heritage, becoming the preference of a particular consumer group, or even being the most recent arrival in a product arena are just some of these useful differentiates. Though the book's fast and quippy narrative style may leave some readers looking for more substance behind his adamant assertions, Trout's recommendations act as inspirational spurts of energy. A slim manual packed with punchy points, Differentiate or Die won't take you long to read but could make a lasting--you guessed it--difference to the success of your business. --S. Ketchum

Product Description

"Any damn fool can put on a deal, but it takes genius, faith, and perseverance to create a brand."-David Ogilvy

In today's ultra-competitive world, the average supermarket has 40,000 brand items on its shelves. Car shoppers can wander through the showrooms of over twenty automobile makers. For marketers, differentiating products today is more challenging than at any time in history yet it remains at the heart of successful marketing. More importantly, it remains the key to a company's survival.

In Differentiate or Die, bestselling author Jack Trout doesn't beat around the bush. He takes marketers to task for taking the easy route too often, employing high-tech razzle-dazzle and sleight of hand when they should be working to discover and market their product's uniquely valuable qualities. He examines successful differentiation initiatives from giants like Dell Computer, Southwest Airlines, and Wal-Mart to smaller success stories like Streit's Matzoh and Connecticut's tiny Trinity College to determine why some marketers succeed at differentiating themselves while others struggle and fail.

More than just a collection of marketing success stories, however, Differentiate or Die is an in-depth exploration of today's most successful differentiation strategies. It explains what these strategies are, where and when they should be applied, and how they can help you carve out your own image in a crowded marketplace. Marketing executives in all types of organizations, regardless of size, can learn how to achieve product differentiation through strategies including:
* Revisiting the U.S.P.
Rosser Reeves's classic unique selling proposition approach, updated for today's marketplace
* Positioning
Understanding how the mind works in the differentiating process
* Owning an Idea
Techniques to seize a differentiating idea, dramatize it, and make it your own
* Competition
How to use differentiating ideas against your competitors in the marketplace

Consumers today are faced with an explosion of choices. In this environment, distinctive product attributes are quickly copied by competitors, perceived by consumers to be minimal, or both. Still, those who fail to differentiate their product or service in the mind of the consumer won't stand a chance.

Differentiate or Die outlines the many ways you can achieve differentiation. It also warns how difficult it is to achieve differentiation by being creative, cheap, customer oriented, or quality driven things that your competitors can do as well.

Praise for Differentiate or Die

"Another great book by the king of positioning!"-John Schnatter, CEO, Papa John's International

"Differentiate or Die differentiates itself on the groaning marketing bookshelf with its lucid prose, its clear vision of the future marketplace . . . and its sensible solutions for surviving the frenzied competition we're sure to find there."-Dan Rather, CBS News

"What I like about Differentiate or Die is the book's emphasis on the power of logic, simplicity, and clarity-getting to the essence of a problem. In Silicon Valley, attributes like that can make the difference between having lunch and being lunch."-Scott McNealy, CEO, Sun Microsystems, Inc.

"Trout and Rivkin marvelously illustrate that differentiation is the cornerstone of successful marketing." -Philip Kotler, S.C. Johnson Distinguished Professor of International Marketing,
Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University

"We've built our business by being first-and executing best. Jack Trout and Steve Rivkin are doing the same, delivering the timely, powerful insights that will drive tomorrow's marketing strategies. A must read for anyone looking to win in an unforgiving competitive marketplace."-Mike Ruettgers, CEO, EMC Corporation

"Dotcom executives must learn the lessons of Differentiate or Die. If they don't, I pity their investors."-Aaron Cohen, CEO, Concrete Media; Co-Founder, Bolt.com

From the Back Cover

"Any damn fool can put on a deal, but it takes genius, faith, and perseverance to create a brand."-David Ogilvy

In today's ultra-competitive world, the average supermarket has 40,000 brand items on its shelves. Car shoppers can wander through the showrooms of over twenty automobile makers. For marketers, differentiating products today is more challenging than at any time in history yet it remains at the heart of successful marketing. More importantly, it remains the key to a company's survival.

In Differentiate or Die, bestselling author Jack Trout doesn't beat around the bush. He takes marketers to task for taking the easy route too often, employing high-tech razzle-dazzle and sleight of hand when they should be working to discover and market their product's uniquely valuable qualities. He examines successful differentiation initiatives from giants like Dell Computer, Southwest Airlines, and Wal-Mart to smaller success stories like Streit's Matzoh and Connecticut's tiny Trinity College to determine why some marketers succeed at differentiating themselves while others struggle and fail.

More than just a collection of marketing success stories, however, Differentiate or Die is an in-depth exploration of today's most successful differentiation strategies. It explains what these strategies are, where and when they should be applied, and how they can help you carve out your own image in a crowded marketplace. Marketing executives in all types of organizations, regardless of size, can learn how to achieve product differentiation through strategies including:
* Revisiting the U.S.P.
Rosser Reeves's classic unique selling proposition approach, updated for today's marketplace
* Positioning
Understanding how the mind works in the differentiating process
* Owning an Idea
Techniques to seize a differentiating idea, dramatize it, and make it your own
* Competition
How to use differentiating ideas against your competitors in the marketplace

Consumers today are faced with an explosion of choices. In this environment, distinctive product attributes are quickly copied by competitors, perceived by consumers to be minimal, or both. Still, those who fail to differentiate their product or service in the mind of the consumer won't stand a chance.

Differentiate or Die outlines the many ways you can achieve differentiation. It also warns how difficult it is to achieve differentiation by being creative, cheap, customer oriented, or quality driven things that your competitors can do as well.

Praise for Differentiate or Die

"Another great book by the king of positioning!"-John Schnatter, CEO, Papa John's International

"Differentiate or Die differentiates itself on the groaning marketing bookshelf with its lucid prose, its clear vision of the future marketplace . . . and its sensible solutions for surviving the frenzied competition we're sure to find there."-Dan Rather, CBS News

"What I like about Differentiate or Die is the book's emphasis on the power of logic, simplicity, and clarity-getting to the essence of a problem. In Silicon Valley, attributes like that can make the difference between having lunch and being lunch."-Scott McNealy, CEO, Sun Microsystems, Inc.

"Trout and Rivkin marvelously illustrate that differentiation is the cornerstone of successful marketing." -Philip Kotler, S.C. Johnson Distinguished Professor of International Marketing,
Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University

"We've built our business by being first-and executing best. Jack Trout and Steve Rivkin are doing the same, delivering the timely, powerful insights that will drive tomorrow's marketing strategies. A must read for anyone looking to win in an unforgiving competitive marketplace."-Mike Ruettgers, CEO, EMC Corporation

"Dotcom executives must learn the lessons of Differentiate or Die. If they don't, I pity their investors."-Aaron Cohen, CEO, Concrete Media; Co-Founder, Bolt.com

About the Author

JACK TROUT is President of Trout & Partners, one of the most prestigious marketing firms in the United States, with offices in 13 countries and a client list that includes AT&T, IBM, Merrill Lynch, Sears, and other Fortune 500 companies. Recognized as one of the influential gurus of marketing, Trout was the first to popularize the idea of "positioning" products and ideas in the minds of consumers. A sought-after speaker, he is the author of numerous marketing classics including the bestselling Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, and 1998's The Power of Simplicity.STEVE RIVKIN is coauthor of The New Positioning and The Power of Simplicity and head of his own communications consulting firm, whose clients include Kraft Foods, Olin Corp., and Horizon Health System. He is based in Glen Rock, New Jersey.

Choices That Change Lives: 15 Ways to Find More Purpose, Meaning, and Joy by Hal Urban

• Paperback: 256 pages
• ISBN-10: 0743257707
• ASIN: B000IFS0SQ

Review

"Some readers will cherish Hal Urban's new book for the basic truths it shares, some for the perfectly selected quotations, but all who read it will be enriched by it."-- Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People


"In Choices That Change Lives, Hal Urban expresses the conviction that we can be better, happier, and wiser at any time we choose, and goes on to provide support and inspiration for this important endeavor. Thank you, Hal!"-- Ken Blanchard, co-author of The One-Minute Manager® and The Secret


"Do you love inspiring quotations? Enjoy a story that both enlightens and entertains? Want to improve your character? Hope to deepen your prayer life? Hal Urban's Choices That Change Lives delivers all this and more. Keep it at your bedside; it's food for the soul."-- Thomas Lickona, author of Character Matters --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Hal Urban, author of the much-loved bestsellers Life's Greatest Lessons and Positive Words, Powerful Results, gives us his third book of inspirational and practical wisdom on leading a more meaningful and more joyful life. With Choices That Change Lives, Hal reminds us that our lives are the result of our choices and the most important choices we make become our character traits, the ones that lead to fulfillment and peace of mind. He illuminates fifteen character traits that help us more fully develop our capacity to live rich and rewarding lives. He assures us that it's never too late to change, to break the chains of self-defeating attitudes and habits, and challenges us to dig a little deeper -- to grow in such qualities as humility, patience, empathy, and courage -- and to renew ourselves daily. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Hal Urban was a high school teacher for many years and also taught at the University of San Francisco. He is a well-known leader in the Character Education movement and is in constant demand as a speaker at national conferences and school and community events. He raised three sons as a single father and now lives in Redwood City, California, with his wife, Cathy. 

The Success Principles(TM): How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield and Janet Switzer

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; First Edition edition (December 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060594888
• ISBN-13: 978-0060594886

Amazon.com Review

If there's anyone qualified to write a self-help book on success, it's Jack Canfield, who's worked his way from scraping by as a teacher to holding a Guinness world record for having seven books simultaneously on The New York Times® Best Sellers list.As a coauthor of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, he's sold more than 80 million books, and now lives "in a beautiful California estate" with his days of dining on spaghetti and tomato paste long behind him. "All you have to do is decide what it is you want, believe you deserve it, and practice the principles in this book," he says, and success is yours.

His advice is straightforward (examples: "reject rejection" and "surround yourself with successful people"), but rather derivative, with quotes from the likes of JFK, Colin Powell, Aldous Huxley, and fellow motivation author Napoleon Hill.Canfield's definition of success is primarily monetary, and he includes plenty of anecdotes depicting average folks who saved themselves from the brink of bankruptcy after following his principles. He could tone down the braggadocio; readers don't need to know that he's stayed in resorts in Hawaii, Italy, Australia, and Morocco. Despite those gripes, his cheerleader-caliber enthusiasm should benefit anyone looking to improve their lot in life. --Erica Jorgensen

From Publishers Weekly

When it comes to success, Canfield knows of what he speaks: he is co-creator, with Mark Victor Hansen, of the seemingly endless Chicken Soup for the Soul series. He presents 64 success principles that he claims "always work"—and draws on his own experience and that of others to illustrate them. Sixty-four principles may seem like a lot, but each receives a concise, easy-to-digest chapter that challenges readers to risk creating their lives exactly as they want them. Many of the principles are familiar—e.g., "Take 100% Responsibility for Your Life"—but Canfield has a nifty way of summarizing them ("Reject rejection"), and some are inventive: "Become an Inverse Paranoid" means see the world as out to help you instead of out to get you. He also offers specific techniques, such as positive-thinking exercises and visualizations. A section on transformation provides even more on how to overcome self-defeating beliefs, fears and habits. Further sections offer principles on building good teams and better relationships at the office. Canfield acknowledges his predecessors in the success advice field, such as Napoleon Hill, and is also clear that while he gives information, motivation, and inspiration, readers must contribute their own hard work. Canfield's energy and enthusiasm bounce off the page; many will flock to this inspiring (and very rich) teacher. And those starting off in business or in need of a refresher course may consider this title required reading.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Expect considerable press hype over this book, considering Canfield is coauthor of the Chicken Soup series, volumes of which appear on best-seller lists immediately upon release. Canfield has 64 principles of successful living that he wants all of us to pay attention to because to do so will result in a higher level of productivity in the personal, professional, and financial arenas. He begins with a fundamental admonition: everyone should "give up blaming and complaining." True, we all know people who display an irritating sense of entitlement, and those are the people who will best learn from this book--which, as it turns out, is definitely compelling. Canfield does an excellent job of what this kind of self-help guide is charged with doing: first, indicating what kind of thinking people need to do to understand how they would like their lives to play out, and second, imparting the courage to take action. There are some obvious suggestions here, but others will strike readers as original and refreshing. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

". . .a must-read for everyone who is looking to attain new heights in his or her life." -- Arielle Ford, author of Hot Chocolate for the Mystical Soul

". . .an illuminating and easy-to-read book. Jack’s teaching is highly effective. . . ." -- Ken Blanchard, author of The One Minute Manager(R) and Customer Mania!(R)

". . .the best success classic to come along in decades. . . ." -- Les Brown, author of Live Your Dreams and Conversations on Success

"Canfield’s principles are simple, but the results you’ll achieve will be extraordinary!: -- Anthony Robbins, author of Awaken the Giant Within and Unlimited Power

"Great book, great read, great gift for anyone committed to becoming a Master of Life!" -- Michael E. Gerber, author of The E-Myth books 

"I have personally learned a lot from Jack Canfield and I trust you will too" -- John Gray, Ph.., author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

"If you could read only one book this year, you have it in your hands." -- Harvey Mackay, author of the New York Times #1 bestseller Swim with the Sharks without Being Eaten Alive

Product Description

The Principles Always Work
If You Work the Principles

Get ready to transform yourself for success. Jack Canfield, cocreator of the phenomenal bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, turns to the principles he's studied, taught, and lived for more than 30 years in this practical and inspiring guide that will help any aspiring person get from where they are to where they want to be.
The Success Principles™ will teach you how to increase your confidence, tackle daily challenges, live with passion and purpose, and realize all your ambitions. Not merely a collection of good ideas, this book spells out the 64 timeless principles used by successful men and women throughout history. And the fundamentals are the same for all people and all professions -- even if you're currently unemployed. It doesn't matter if your goals are to be the top salesperson in your company, become a leading architect, score straight A's in school, lose weight, buy your dream home, or make millions of dollars–the principles and strategies are the same.
From learning these basics, you can then tackle the important inner work needed to transform yourself. After this inner work, you can turn to building a "success team" and the important ways of transforming your relationships for lasting success. Finally, because success always includes a financial dimension, you can learn to develop a positive money consciousness along with the habits that will ensure that you have enough to live the lifestyle you want, while keeping the importance of tithing and service central to your financial practice. Taken together and practiced every day, these principles will transform your life beyond your wildest dreams!
Filled with memorable and inspiring stories of CEO's, world-class athletes, celebrities, and everyday people, The Success Principles™ will give you the courage and the heart to start living the principles of success today. Go for it!

About the Author

Jack Canfield, America's Success Coach, is the cocreator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul^® series, which includes 40 New York Times bestsellers, and coauthor with Gay Hendricks ofYou've GOT to Read This Book! An internationally renowned corporate trainer, keynote speaker, and popular radio and TV talk show guest, he lives in Santa Barbara, California.

From AudioFile

Every important principle of effective living is summarized with class and intelligence in this near-perfect audio lesson by one of our most prolific personal development writers. The lessons hit home immediately and beg to be heard again and again: We are responsible for our reactions and thoughts, our visualizations of the future, and our day-to-day actions. We are the ones who will be held accountable if we don't move toward our dreams, speak the truth, and deal with problems when they need to be dealt with. This is a curiously optimistic essay with ideas that are impossible to refute or dismiss. A humanely erudite lesson for people at any level of disrepair or unhappiness. T.W. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle

Hardcover: 315 pages
Publisher: Dutton Adult; roughcut edition (October 11, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0525948023
ISBN-13: 978-0525948025

From getAbstract.com

• How to identify the harmful impact of your ego and the collective ego
• How to connect with the formless universal energy beyond thought and emotion
• How to experience a spiritual awakening, peace and happiness

If you were to say that this book inspires a completely new way of thinking, you would be wrong. That’s because new-age guru Eckhart Tolle bases his teachings on the existing concept of moving beyond thinking. He explains that you can only connect to the energy that flows through the universe only when you hush the incessant voice in your head. This book made a huge media splash early in 2008 when Oprah Winfrey selected it for her bestseller-making book club and encouraged worldwide discussion of it via live Web seminars. Readers eagerly shared their “aha moments” online, citing points in the book that ignited their “shifts in consciousness.” And yet anyone who is at all familiar with Eastern philosophies will not find Tolle’s messages quite so groundbreaking. For instance, the concept of ego transcendence has been part of the Eastern spiritual lexicon for centuries.getAbstract agrees that Tolle’s guidance fulfills a need for current-day seekers, and recommends it to anyone who relishes the spiritual quest for authentic selfhood and inner stillness, or who is simply curious to discover what provoked all the buzz.

From Publishers Weekly

According to Tolle, who assumes the role of narrator as well, humans are on the verge of creating a new world by a personal transformation that shifts our attention away from our ever-expanding egos. This idea is well realized through Tolle's remarkably well-paced narration. Naturally, the author understands his material so thoroughly that he is able to convey it in an enjoyable manner, but Tolle's gentle tone and dialect begs his audience's attention simply through its straightforward approach. Something about this reading just seems profoundly important, whether one agrees with the material or not, and listeners' attention is sure to be captured within seconds of listening to Tolle's take on the universe in which we live. Originally released in 2005, both book and audiobook were reissued when Oprah Winfrey chose the title for her book club this year. A Penguin paperback. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Building on the astonishing success of The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle presents readers with an honest look at the current state of humanity: He implores us to see and accept that this state, which is based on an erroneous identification with the egoic mind, is one of dangerous insanity.Tolle tells us there is good news, however. There is an alternative to this potentially dire situation. Humanity now, perhaps more than in any previous time, has an opportunity to create a new, saner, more loving world. This will involve a radical inner leap from the current egoic consciousness to an entirely new one.
In illuminating the nature of this shift in consciousness, Tolle describes in detail how our current ego-based state of consciousness operates. Then gently, and in very practical terms, he leads us into this new consciousness. We will come to experience who we truly are—which is something infinitely greater than anything we currently think we are—and learn to live and breathe freely.

About the Author

Eckhart Tolle is a contemporary spiritual teacher who is not aligned with any particular religion or tradition. In his writing and seminars, he conveys a simple yet profound message with the timeless and uncomplicated clarity of the ancient spiritual masters: There is a way out of suffering and into peace. Tolle travels extensively, taking his teachings throughout the world.

The Four Elements of Success: A Simple Personality Profile that will Transform Your Team by Laurie Beth Jones

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (April 26, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785208887
• ISBN-13: 978-0785208884

Product Description

Laurie Beth Jones, management expert and business consultant extraordinaire, noticed that none of the personality/temperament profiles in the market today, none of them provided a tool that was simple, visual, intuitive, and powerful enough to create a shift in thinking as well as relating. So she developed The Path Elements Profile (PEP), which can be used in recruitment, placement, retention, team building, and customer relations as businesses transform many individuals into a harmonizing, humming force for good. Within the framework of the book will be scriptural examples as well as modern day business stories.
Based upon the elements of Earth, Water, Wind and Fire, the Path Elements Profile helps determine both individual and team behavioral tendencies that affect everything from career choice to daily "to do" lists. We choose to act on what we value, and each element type values very different things:

• Fire personality types love and thrive on challenge
• Water personality types thrive on harmony and calm
• Wind personality types love chaos and change
• Earth personality types love order and structure

PART I of this book provides an overview of the elements themselves as individual personality types. Jones will explain each element's strengths and challenges and will have the readers identify their own as well as those of their team members.
Then in PART II, readers will assess their teams. There are 28 one-day principles, that, if followed will take readers on a simple yet radical journey to a transformed workplace.
INCLUDES an Assessment Test for Your Team's Elemental Strengths and Weaknesses