You know there are about 11,000 new business books published each year and a great many are either thinly disguised sales presentations, or contain nothing practical an actual business could put to use in real life because the authors have never actually done it themselves. So I have to tell you a true story about what happened at an author’s conference I just attended, put on by a wonderful bookseller called 800CEORead…
Now if you haven’t already read any of his books, David Meerman Scott writes bestsellers with titles like “The New Rules of Marketing and PR” and a new one called Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead. If I had to summarize his general message, it’s that yes the rules have changed, but you too can REALLY master them and create your own marketing Worldwide Rave (another of his titles). Why should you or I believe that this author is actually walking his walk, vs. blowing the usual smoke to sell books? Well you have to remember that at this author’s conference, there are all kinds of famous, accomplished authors and speakers, many of whom you’ve read, most with the healthiest of egos. But in conversations with these folks, certain names keep coming up all the time: Seth Godin: heads nod. The Heath Brothers: People murmur “of course, MMMM, hhhmmmmnn. David Meerman Scott?…..
The conference stops. They bring a Bishop out to lead a benediction.
Never seen anything like it. I mean, you have to hand it to this guy. His rules have got to be working, don’t they? Otherwise, it’d be evidence of a Higher PR authority at work, but I don’t think he’s Jewish. I’m going back to reread em. I know there’s a rule in there that can help me.
Bill Schley
I just love this story. Thanks so much for sharing.