RECOMMENDED
READING
In addition to Bill Geist's Destination
Leadership for Boards, these are the the ones we're
quoting the most these days to clients and audiences. Wanna grab your
own copy? Click on the books and get transported automatically to Amazon.com!
The Ultimate Question...Fred Reichheld.
Our new favorite book. The Ultimate Question you should ask your customers
is...well, that would spoil the surprise. But, it has to do with the
relationship between those that love you and those that trash you. The
ones who are ambivalent? You can be just as ambivalent. Reichheld's
research nails the most important question that any destination or enterprise
needs to ask itself. Compelling stuff. And, also
on CD.
Blue
Ocean Strategy...W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne.
Kim and Mauborgne make an elequent case for changing the way we think
about competition within a market (a red ocean) and provide a stunning
framework from which to create new markets (blue oceans). With lots
of examples from Southwest Airline to Cirque du Soleil, this isn't just
another business book. Rather, it will forever change the way you look
at your market...and the need for innovation.
Creating
Customer Evangelists...Ben McConnell & Jackie Huba.
Ben and Jackie share case studies of how some of the best companies
so involve, impress and incite their customers that those very same
consumers go out and tell all their friends (like that old shampoo commercial).
And, in a world where most consumers believe our marketing messages
about as much as the pitch from a used-car salesman, consumer evangelism
is crucial to our ability to increase market share and sales.
 The
Rise of the Creative Class...Richard Florida This
is the BIG One. Featured as part of our cover story in the Spring 2003
edition of the Zeitgeist Client newsletter, Florida makes the case for
a smarter brand of community and economoic development that focuses
on making our cities attractive to the needs and desires of an emerging
niche of people...the "Creative Class." This read will challenge
the way you look at your community, your market...and your business
models. A "must-read" for Destination Management professionals.
The
One Thing You Need to Know...Marcus Buckingham One
of the stars at IACVB/Boston, Buckingham breaks serious new ground with
exceptional research and insight into the key reasons for success on
both a professional and personal level. If you manage people, this book
is a must. And, if you attempt to manage your life...ditto. An exceptional
immersion into the real factors of success. Also on CD
and as an e-book.
 Customer
Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless ... Jeffrey
Gitomer If
you've seen Jeffrey live, you know he's one of the best sales and service
guys on the circuit. Now, throw out all your preconceived notions about
Customer Satisfaction...before he blows 'em away in this great book
for managers and employees alike. A fast, fun read that has Jeffrey's
inimitable wit and attitude all over it.
Boards That Make a Difference...John Carver
He's been called the guru of modern governance. His non-nonsense approach
to non-profit boards is at once refreshing...and challenging. In our
mind, he sets a standard for Boards that very few of us will ever attain.
But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. If you care about how your Board
governs the affairs of the association...this is a "must-read."
And, once read, we double-dog-dare you to try it!
Concepting...Jan Rijkenberg Struggling
with the whole "branding" concept? It's because brands can't
be artificially developed, they must spring from a product concept.
Instead of being about the product, concepting looks at brand development
in terms of ideas that actually mean something to the consumer, evoking
sympathy and identification with the brand, and improving customer loyalty.
Concept brands are the future for those wishing to capture their markets
in this increasingly converging age.
 Atlas
Shrugged ... Ayn Rand OK, many of us read this in
or around our college years. Thought it to be akin to science fiction.
Read it again! Our growing understanding of the world around us coupled
with the increasing "entitlement culture" being expoused in
much of North America makes for a wholly different canvas on which Rand's
story will unfold. This time around, it doesn't read like fiction!
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