Outstanding new book from Dan Kennedy with contributions from Matt Zagula. This is pretty much all Dan (unlike some books with his name on the cover), which is a BIG plus as far as I’m concerned.
OK so is this “Trust-Based Marketing” some amazing new concept? No…but this book is no less valuable for that.
There’s not really anything tremendously new in the world of direct response marketing, but the key concepts evolve and adapt to changing circumstances. The idea of positioning as the “trusted advisor” won’t be new to most students of Dan and direct response and the idea that people do business with those they “know. like and trust” is hardly new either.
What is, arguably new, is the increased importance of building TRUST in the new economy where people are fearful about economic conditions and suspicious of…well pretty much anyone and any organisation they don’t know well.
More than ever, building a position of trust and authority is essential to both attracting high-quality new business and retaining clients for the long-term.
In this book, Dan basically rolls up his sleeves and tackles the subject of building trust, and hence authority, from the ground up.
Along the way, there are some fascinating insights into why people decide to trust others (frankly, some of this is shocking, but as a marketer you need to understand the reality of how people behave).
Lots of great ideas and strategies although,as with most of Dan’s books, you’ll have to work to create your own action plan based on these principles.
As an aside, Dan actually includes in the book some VERY valuable material (some extracts from a “shock and awe” pack, for example) but most people won’t realise what they’re seeing (or understand how to use it). For copywriters, there’s one chapter in particular about the use of language in building trust that is PURE GOLD.
Dan’s co-author is Matt Zagula who specialises in the financial services area. His material is solid, with useful examples in his area of expertise.
Great book and one that I had no trouble reading straight through fairly quickly (if it takes me a while to plough through a book, that’s not usually a good sign!). Unreservedly recommend this ESPECIALLY if you’re involved in marketing professional services or high-ticket items.
And yes, if you choose to buy the book through a link on this site, Amazon will pay me a (very) modest commission.