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Posted Feb. 6, 2003 4:17 a.m. by katie
The book Clients for Life, which Andrew Sobel co-wrote with Jagdish Sheth has been an 800-CEO-READ bestseller ever since it came out two years ago. Now, Sobel is on his own and brings us Making Rain. Its sort of the natural extension of Clients for Life. Where the first book gives you what you need to establish client loyalty, Making Rain goes on to tell you how to maintain that loyalty for the long haul.
Sobel argues that rainmakers, people hired by companies to bring new customers, are ineffective because they are there for the short-termthey do their job and leave the organization behind. He believes that it would be better to bring out the rainmaker in everyone in an organization, and increase value and loyalty that wayfor the long-termso an organization is always making rain for itself, without temporary outside help. Makes sense to me! I like the idea of fostering current employees development.
The first part of the book borrows a lot from Clients for Life and shows how to develop yourself into a client advisor who is a deep generalist instead of a narrow specialist. Sobel frowns on the idea of being too specialized since that really limits what you can offer. In one chapter, he gives nine strategies to be a better advisor; another chapter is about relationship capital and how to build it. The second part of the book tells you how to get your foot in a clients doorhow to use what youve learned in the first part. The third part gives advice on how to maintain your client relationships for the long term by sustaining your service to them, and constantly assessing your performance and the organizations needs.
I like all the historic examples that are throughout the book. Sobel uses important figures like Ben Franklin, Leonardo Da Vinci, Loyola, Merlin (yes, the magician!), and the Rothschilds to illustrate his concepts. Not only are the stories interesting; but they are fun and made me see these people in a new light. Most importantly, the stories helped me more clearly understand the points Sobel was making.
Overall, this book is based in common-sense ideas, but Sobel goes the extra mile to show us how to use those common-sense ideas that we all have. Books like this are the best kind to read because they make us fully understand and clearly see what we have always had an inkling of, but were never able to put into action.
Posted Jan. 23, 2003 4:14 a.m. by katie
Po Bronson wrote three successful books centered on technology and the Internet. Based on those three books, I believe that Bronson is one of the best young writers producing business narratives. However, with this book, Bronson changes direction and, in turn, may possibly be his generations Studs Terkel, writing like Tom Wolfe.
Why was Bronson compelled to step outside his genre and tackle this universal question? He explains in his introduction:
This book is about urge, that need. I began this project because I hit that point in my life. The television show Id been writing for was canceled. The magazines I wrote for had thinned their pages. My longtime book editor had quit to pursue theater and film. I was out of work, and though I could have hustled up more, I wasnt sure I should. I felt like the kinds of stories Id been telling no longer worked. They no longer mapped the depth and drama of human life as I experienced it. I found I was intrigued by people who had unearthed their true calling, or at least those willing to try.
This book contains the stories of 55 people whose search for greater meaning in their lives caused them to change their careers, and subsequently, change their lives. Within the stories, Bronson is both observer and character, which adds depth and empathy to the narratives. While this book is not a traditional business book, and will probably be shelved in the self help/popular psychology section in a bookstore, I wanted to include it as a JCS because so many of us in the business world struggle with these questions.
Though I dont make a habit of quoting other reviews, Publishers Weekly really nailed the book is this sentence: Brimming with stories of sacrifice, courage, commitment and, sometimes, failure, the book will support anyone pondering a major life choice or risk without force-feeding them pat solutions." Plus, it's a ball to read and is chock-full of serious inspiration -- something we all could use more of.
Posted Jan. 4, 2003 4:12 a.m. by katie
Over the years, I have learned that, often when making decisions, my gut/intuition always plays a major role. Even when I am deliberately noting the pros and cons of a situation, even when doing all the research, still Ive a tendency to go with my gut. And, my gut tends to be right. (Of course, I always thought that it was because I was brilliant). Seriously, I thought it was a combination of luck and experience, but Gary Klein tells us it is more than that.
Klein, Ph.D., chairman and chief scientist of Klein Associates says that, yes, intuition is a function of experience, but it is learnable, or like an unused muscle that can be strengthened with exercises that he supplies. Klein has studied and worked with both the US Marines and firefighters, concluding that these people do not have the time to study a situation, come up with the correct decision, and then act. Instead, firefighters and Marines must trust their intuition.
Dr. Klein, much like our mothers about piano lessons, tells us that the key to maximizing our intuitive talents is practice, practice, practice. To assist, the author provides the reader with three-tiered course called Intuition Skills Training.
The book is designed with three sections: Intuition: Ways to Build It; Intuition: Ways to Apply It; and Intuition: Ways to Safeguard It. I found the last section just fascinating. He also discusses how you can communicate your intuitive decisions more effectively and how to develop metricsquantitative data to support them, which he says will teach you how to recognize and defend yourself against the negative effects of information technologies.
Finally, Kleins illustrative stories are some of the best I have read. They are real, understandable, readable and make complete sense. This is the book that will help you make that next big decision a little more effortlessly.
