Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends, and Friends into Customers

Written by:
Seth Godin
Narrated by:
Seth Godin

Abridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
45
Narrator
2
Release Date
August 1999
Duration
2 hours 1 minute
Summary
The man Business Week calls 'the ultimate entrepreneur for the Information Age' explains 'Permission Marketing'—the groundbreaking concept that enables marketers to shape their message so that consumers will willingly accept it.

Whether it is the TV commercial that breaks into our favorite program, or the telemarketing phone call that disrupts a family dinner, traditional advertising is based on the hope of snatching our attention away from whatever we are doing. Seth Godin calls this Interruption Marketing, and, as companies are discovering, it no longer works.

Instead of annoying potential customers by interrupting their most coveted commodity—time—Permission Marketing offers consumers incentives to accept advertising voluntarily. Now this Internet pioneer introduces a fundamentally different way of thinking about advertising products and services. By reaching out only to those individuals who have signaled an interest in learning more about a product, Permission Marketing enables companies to develop long-term relationships with customers, create trust, build brand awareness -- and greatly improve the chances of making a sale.
Reviews
Profile Avatar
Anonymous

Overall, most of the information in this book has been out in the business literature landscape for several years. It's pretty dated, and the reading is hardly what you call high energy. There are better business listens out there, but if you're bound and determined to develop a permission-based marketing campaign, muddle through it.

Profile Avatar
Natalie

I think that although the information in this audio was nothing new, it reemphasized the fact that you shouldn't spam 10 million emails in hopes to play the "numbers game". You will be better off finding and keeping valuable customers through permission marketing then to waster money on buying lists and trying to sell to people who aren't interested...or to get the one-time sale.

Profile Avatar
Anonymous

I first heard Seth Godin speak on permission marketing on a Google video (talking to Google employees) and had high hopes for this book. After reading 60% of this book (that as far as I could make it) he just another marketer out of touch with the consumer (ok, maybe less out of touch then the most marketers). I should mention this normally a topic I despise so maybe I am a little biased.

Profile Avatar
Richard Z

Excellent analysis of how to more effectively "ask permission" to potential customers. I never thought of how many different ways there was to actually get a "slam dunk" sale! Seth really explains, in detail, how most of the most effective marketing today is "permission" based...that is....we ask for it! We actually want to be sold to...as long as it is what we want, or need. But what really is a "need?" Isn't it really what the marketers create as a "necessity" to "make our lives easier, more fulfilled, etc...?" Again, this really is a great realization of how to effectively market products, ideas, and create a movement.

Profile Avatar
Charlie

A good refresher on word-of-mouth, loyalty, and viral campaigns but, as noted, it does feel like dated and somewhat second nature by now. Would love to hear a revised version or addendum based on strategies and tactics that have worked via the Internet in the last five years.

Profile Avatar
DC Beltway Commuter

Seth Godin always has some good points. This book continues the trend, although it is a bit dated now. I can't fault the book for times changing, but a lot of the concepts he presents are somewhat commonplace now. It is interesting, though, to see the reasoning behind the way things are done.

Profile Avatar
Dave Jackson

While the topic of permission marketing is one every marketer should understand, you can get alot of this on the Internet. Nothing really new here. He does cover the topic well. I was told how GREAT this guy was, so maybe my expectations were too high, but the book barely held my attention.

Profile Avatar
Anonymous

This is a good book for anyone in marketing that is responsible for lead generation or maintaining an account base. The examples are a bit dated (many from 1999-2000), but the points made are timeless and especially relevant in today's Internet-based marketing. I've already recommended it to several of my colleagues.

1 book added to cart
Subtotal
$10.95
View Cart