Fool-Proof Marketing: 15 Winning Methods for Selling Any Product or Service in Any Economy

by Robert W. Bly

Make Your Business Thrive in Any Economy From bestselling author Bob Bly, this easy-to-read, hands-on guide offers fifteen methods for maximizing business performance in any economy. Depression and recession are real fears for businesses, but every industry has its ups and downs regardless of the economy. In response, Fool -Proof Marketing presents proven techniques for reversing any sales decline and developing business-generating ideas for sustaining momentum when business is good. Fool-Proof Marketing offers hands-on advice, With Bob Bly's simple and effective marketing strategies, you'll find new sources of revenue, cut costs, improve your customer service, and create stronger relationships with your clients. Even if your business is currently on track, you'll find creative ways to streamline your organization and prepare for unexpected problems. Don't just watch your business dwindle--make your organization stronger through these proven techniques for making the most of your marketing dollar.

Genres: Reference

292 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2002

About the author

Bob Bly is a freelance copywriter with 4 decades of experience in direct response and business-to-business marketing. He is the author of 100 published book on topics ranging from science, sex, satire, and science fiction -- to small business, writing, advertising, and online marketing. McGraw-Hill calls Bob Bly “America’s top copywriter.”

Reviews

[Daniel Taylor]

Read this review only if you own a business or are self-employed.

Still with me? Bob Bly is the copywriter who got me started down the same path. His books are loaded with practical advice that comes from reading broadly and having decades of experience. In short, he's a seasoned veteran and if you're in business, then you'd do well to pay attention to him.

While this advice is aimed at business owners and corporate managers, because of Bly's background, many of the examples are drawn from his copywriting career. Not that this means other businesses are neglected. Copywriting by its nature is writing for other businesses.

Published in 2003, this book is not just one for when times are tough; Bly also shows you how to manage when you hit a boom. He divides the book into personal strategies, such as using your time more wisely and improving your relationship skills; marketing, the core of the book, where he shows you how to split customers into groups depending how likely they are to buy and then he shows you how to reach each group; business strategies, such as reducing costs and making competitive quotes; and he finishes with customer service, emphasizing that this is where your business needs to stand out from the rest.

I have two reasons why I like Bly's books so much. First, he writes clearly and he draws on his extensive reading and not just his vast experience. Second, over the years of my copywriting career, I've tested out his ideas and they work.

Here he changes his advice about setting a fee and sticking to it. When times are tough, you need to negotiate to survive. I'm not sure whether I agree with this or not yet. Dan Kennedy has just written No BS Price Strategies for the New Economy and I'll be interested in seeing his thoughts and then testing out both approaches before I arrive at any conclusions.

If you want to increase your business, then you'll find it impossible to walk away from this book without at least one idea. Over the coming weeks, I'll be implementing some of these ideas and if I remember, I'll come back and let you know how they go.

[Catherine]

Robert Bly does it again. Provides some information about selling any product or service in any economy. This is an older book but the wisdom hasn't changed. It's solid marketing information not talked about in other books. This is my 3rd time reading it. I've picked up a wealth of insights each time.