Marketing Magic: Action-Oriented Strategies That Will Help You : Find Customers, Promote Your Products or Services, Create Exciting Marketing Plans, I ... Your sale (Expert Advice for Small Business)

Rating:
Summary: There is no magic, only basics
Review: Mr. Debelak has written a 'basic' marketing book; something you might read in a beginning marketing course. However, some of his information is out of date. When I started reading Marketing Magic I realized much of the infomation was common sense and didn't find any 'magic' that would make me want to continue reading. I skipped to certain sections hoping to find secrets or 'magic' information. I cite his information about trade shows. Unfortunately, it was out of date too.

If you need a basic marketing book to cover introduction to business marketing, this would be the book to buy. If you have been in business and need more current information, continue your search.

Rating:
Summary: Old stuff for a new time...
Review: The title of the book is great, but the contents are old. I was hoping to find 'magic', but all I got was the same information I learned in college. An example would be his information concerning trade shows. While the concept and premise are sound, the details of taking business cards, is old. There are so many innovations that obtaining leads at shows has become as simple as swiping a credit card. And he mentions not attending national shows, which is good advice in the beginning. But if you are going to ANY trade show, your booth should always look professional. It doesn't have to cost you thousands of dollars either, but a well groomed booth will attract more than a booth with a table and chair.

The information contained in the book is good but, unless you have never taken any business classes or have worked in business before, find something else that truly is 'magic'.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Value for the money
Review: There isn't anything bad you can write about this book. The advice is solid, there are many action plans and check lists as well as example of businesses which have implemented the various plans. It touches many aspects of marketing and is a great book to help the average small business move more products and services. It would still be a bargain at twice the price.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book on Marketing for Small Business
Review: This is by far the best book I've read on marketing for small business.

Most marketing books aimed at small businesses usually fall into one of two categories.

The first category is the book that is too superficial. It treats marketing as if it's just about advertising and promotions, and ignores other important areas of marketing, i.e. Marketing Plans, Strategy and Tactics.

The second category is where the book is really a marketing textbook, which covers too much abstract marketing theory, and doesn't really help you how to apply that theory to a small business situation.

Where this book scores highly, is that the author manages to condense a lot of marketing theory into easily applied concepts and guidelines, that can readily be applied to a small business.

Also he gives lots of examples, and clearly has a lot of practical experience of his own to draw on.

Obviously, you still have to apply these concepts and examples to your own business, but then nobody can do that for you, unless you employ a marketing consultant to come and look at the specifics of your business situation.

I've read Debelak's Streetwise Marketing Plan, and Infiltration Marketing as well. I just think that he is very good at helping people involved in small businesses, understand which marketing issues are important to them, and how they need to be applied to a small business.

This book is a lot more useful than a whole bunch of more highly regarded " Marketing Textbooks ", that are OK on an MBA course, but not much use, when you are trying to get a small business off the ground.