Brand Book Bites from The Business of Belief
(“brand book bites” are book reviews that highlight the most interesting brand stories in the latest best-selling books. Subscribe to my feed so you don’t miss these regular bulleted briefings on the books I recommend.)
– the book: The Business of Belief: How the World’s Best Marketers, Designers, Salespeople, Coaches, Fundraisers, Educators, Entrepreneurs and Other Leaders Get Us to Believe – a deceptively short book.
– the brains: This is the fifth book from Tom Asacker — speaker, author, advisor, provocateur – and friend.
– the best bits: With Tom’s staccato writing style, you’ll be tempted to scan through it, but then something is going to jump off the page and make you realize this book isn’t like a bowlful of M&M’s to shovel down – it’s to be savored slowly like a Godiva truffle. Here are some samples to whet your appetite:
- “Belief is what humans do.” – Identifying, understanding, shaping, and appealing to beliefs is how you influence others.
- “Effective leaders know that the essential first step to changing people’s behavior is to understand their perspectives and embrace their desires and beliefs.” – It’s not about you.
- “Change your behavior and your behavior will change your mind.” – When we want to affect change in our own lives, we need to start by controlling our actions – our attitudes will follow.
– the brand story: I asked Tom about the story of Vikram Gandhi, an Indian-American filmmaker who decided to make a documentary to expose yogis – fake gurus in the yoga industry – by becoming one himself. The story of how Gandhi donned saffron robes and sandals and headed out to attract followers with a persona, Kumare, was unsettling to me. Wasn’t that inauthentic and disingenuous?
Tom explained that Gandhi had simply done what people do when they expose the tricks of a magician – he helped people understand their beliefs and how they are created. And, there’s the potential for marketers to do the same. “Some organizations look down at their audiences and think they’re pulling something over them,” Tom said – but, other brands draw people in, help people understand themselves, and help them choose products that reflect their values. It depends, he explained, on how deeply you engage with audience and what they desire.
– the bottom line: The Business of Belief is an investigation into the philosophy of business. With maxims such as “affect before effect,” Tom really makes you think.
other brand book bites: