Confessions of Shameless Self Promoters

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Summary: Completely True Title
Review: 68 marketing gurus- wow! did I learn a lot! There is so much practical, usefull, non-traditional, information here- you will get your money back 10 times over. Buy this book- savor it!
Rick Frishman- Pres- Planned TV Arts (NYC) Co-author GUERRILLA PUBLICITY & GUERRILLA MARKETING FOR WRITERS

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Summary: Celebrating Self with Courage and Creativity
Review: As I was about to read this book, frankly, I was somewhat deterred by its title just as I was before reading Marilyn Ross's Shameless Marketing for Brazen Hussies. Titles such as these seem so blatant, so self-serving, so crass, so....

In fact, the same can be said of the content in these two books as well as in Allen's Confessions of Shameless Internet Promoters. And that is precisely the key point: because each of us receives each day (on average) about 3,000 (or is it 30,000?) "messages" of various kinds, it is more difficult now than ever before to penetrate all the noise and all the clutter. We now live in what Tom Davenport and John Beck call "the attention economy." The most valuable currency is gaining the interest and attention of others and then, over time, earning their respect and trust.

As a result, we should feel no shame when aggressively promoting ourselves if we do so with honesty and integrity; people buy from other people, not from companies. Nor should we feel any shame when aggressively promoting a product or service if it is of sufficient quality, fills a legitimate need, is priced fairly, and delivers substantial value. To those who complain that women seem "brazen" when doing so, I say "Get over it."

In this volume, Allen introduces each of the 13 chapters with her own thoughts about the given subject (e.g. "You Cannot Not Market" and "Building Your Unique Brand Recognition") and then several of the 68 guest contributors share their own thoughts, feelings, experiences, advice, etc. Inevitably, the value of individual segments will be determined almost entirely by the specific deeds and interests of each reader. All of the contributors' comments are worth sharing but not all of them are immediately relevant to each reader's circumstances. However, I think the entire book should be read and then re-read. Circumstances change, frequently without warning. We may need tomorrow or next week what we do not need today. In The Art of War, Sun Tzu observes that every battle is won or lost before it is fought. There is much to be said for "shameless" preparation.

For many, Chapter One ("An Introduction to Shameless Self Promotion") may well be the most valuable portion of the book because it provides all manner of reassurances that shameless self promotion really is legitimate, indeed imperative in today's marketplace IF (huge "if") it is conducted with honesty and integrity as well as tenacity. Allen provides a brief quotation on the title page of each chapter. For Chapter One, "If you don't blow your own horn someone else will use it as a spittoon." (Anonymous) Brief contributions by five marketing "gurus" -- Jeffrey Storie, Mark Victor Hansen, Don Taylor, Dana Burke, and Rick Segel -- then follow.

While reading this book, I frequently made connections between it and another book I read recently, Phillip McGraw's Self Matters: Creating Your Life from Inside Out. Directly or indirectly, Allen and most of her 68 contributors assert that effective promotion of one's self is wholly dependent upon having a strong sense of self-confidence and self-worth. Stated another way, the effectiveness of self promotion in the external world is wholly dependent on creating and then nourishing a healthy inner self. I agree with McGraw that self not only matters, it is all that we have. It does much more than identify us: it defines us. If we do not value it, why should anyone else?

Ignore the overheated words and phrases. Read all the lines but also read between them. Absorb and digest what Allen and her associates have to say. Then re-read at least the first chapter. This book has much of value to say about both self and promotion: the health of the former determines the effectiveness of the latter.

Many of those who begin reading this book looking for specific strategies and tactics will indeed find them but also something else of much greater value: a better understanding of themselves and, especially, of what may have delayed, diminished or even prevented their success in life until now. Who knows? You may be among them. Most of us are.

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Summary: A Tribute to Self Promotion and Proactive Cooperation
Review: Debbie Allen has done a great job writing and assembly 68 other marketing gurus to create a wonderful book; it will be a must-have promotional resource and reference for years to come. Needless to say, Confessions of Shameless Self-Promoters is already playing a huge role in helping me to be a successful writer, speaker, and consultant by helping me become a better SELF PROMOTER. Debbie Allen's wisdom is easy to follow - but more than that it is right on! I guarantee that if you read this book you will have tons of ideas for promoting yourself - it's incredible.

Debbie Allen has put together ideas from other proactive thinkers; they cover each topic using: smart thinking, system thinking, futuristic thinking, and positive thinking. Proactive thinkers are highly motivated, achieve their dreams, recognize opportunities, overcome failures, have exceptional values, and promote good change. If you are truly seeking the kind of success and abundance that makes your life 100% livable - you must get this book. Some of the ideas she promotes are found in SUCCESS BOUND, another book built on learning how to live a proactive life by eliminating the fear of failure.

I found myself jumping around to various sections of the book because there were so many areas that I wanted to read right away. I will be going through this book on a daily basis for many days, weeks, and months ahead. I recommend you read it and absorb the wisdom and truths of this book and let them seep deep into your subconscious mind. Then step out and BE A SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTER.

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Summary: Promotion made fun and effective
Review: I love books that bring together the best of the best and Confessions of Shameless Self-Promoters featuring my friend, Deb Haggerty, is no exception. I am continually looking for new tools to share with writers and speakers who are trying to market themselves and their products. This book is now a featured book on my Web site and in the reference section in my handouts.

Ideas, tips, and strategies are packaged in an easy-to-read book. I love the fact that those featured don't just talk about success, they go out and grab it. Confessions of Shameless Self-Promoters is motivational and fun and doesn't make a person feel guilty for what they haven't done. Instead it inspires them to do something every day to further their goals.

At first I didn't like the title because I hate self promotion. I look at the most effective promotion as building relationships. Once I started reading the various chapters I realized the title is actually misleading because every person in the book preaches relationship building. Networking, referrals, branding, Internet marketing, direct mail, media, and more or covered in depth and well by some of the top people out there. I highly recommend this practical resource for anyone regardless of their business or product.

Rating:
Summary: Gutsy strategies for growing your business
Review: If you're looking to dominate your marketplace, this book offers a ton of immediately useable advice. A compilation of wisdom from 68 marketing gurus, it has 13 different sections chock-full of outrageously good ideas.

Rating:
Summary: Maybe it was my fault....
Review: Maybe it was my fault for not reading the book description better, but I really expected a lot more from this book than what it was able to deliver. The book is essentially a hodge-podge of stories from 68 different "marketing gurus" (mostly speakers and business "coaches"). Unfortunately, there are very few sections that are universally applicable. Instead, the book contains war story after war story -- a very few of which might actually be relavent to you and your business. However, the work required to dredge up this occassional "nugget" isn't worth the effort. Instead, I strongly encourage you to pick up a copy of C.J. Hayden's "Get Client's Now!" For anyone interested in building a personal brand, I would also recommend Robert Bly's "Become a Recognized Authority..." Finally, for consultants and other business service professionals, I'd recommend Brody, D'Angelo, Kerley, and Zick's "Power Marketing for Consultants," Shenson and Wilson's "138 Quick Ideas to Get More Clients," and Robert Gentle's "Consultant -- Market Yourself." In short, this book has been a huge disappointment. In fact, I suspect that most of the positive reviews are from some of the "68 marketing gurus" and not from objective readers. Overall grade: C-/D+

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Summary: Inspiration to go from reticence to results!
Review: The many personal sagas, strategies and stories of shameless self-promoters in Debbie Allen's book clearly show that there are many paths to success. The fast track, though, means stepping up to the plate and striking at the balls until you hit the home run. This book will give you the instruction, inspiration and confidence to be a heavy hitter.

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Summary: Fabulous self promotion techniques!
Review: This book has given me tons of brand new ideas to help me move to the next level of success. Simple, effective and powerful tools that can be used by anyone in any business. Being self employeed it is especially important for me to use every tactic possible to grow my business through strategic marketing. Debbie Allen's polish as an author shines through. A must read for every person that wants to succeed - whether working for someone else or for yourself. I'm buying this book as gifts for the holidays!