Well, no, not really. He is more of a really good storyteller. And that is the premise behind his book that I read – All Marketers Are Liars.
If you are a marketer, you will know exactly who Seth Godin is. He has been sharing his strange and unorthodox ideas on marketing for quite a while now, and you get a strong sense of his personality and beliefs if you spend any time in any of his seven existing books.
“All Marketers Are Liars” is a great title, and it built automatic intrigue in me when I picked up the book. I knew it was going to be a bit quirky, but I also hoped it contained a great message. And luckily it did!
I’ve had a bad run of books lately, and it was nice to find a book I actually enjoyed and learned something from. Like most books, my eyes did glaze over towards the end, as it struggled to hold my attention in the last few pages. But that aside, the first 3/4 was great.
Here’s a peak at the Contents:
- Highlights
- Got Marketing?
- Step 1: Their Worldview and Frames Got There Before You Did
- Step 2: People Notice Only the New and then Make a Guess
- Step 3: First Impressions Start the Story
- Step 4: Great Marketers Tell Stories We Believe
- Examples: Stories Framed Around Worldviews
- Important Aside: Fibs and Frauds
- Step 5: Marketers With Authenticity Thrive
- Competing in a Lying World
- Remarkable? The Cow has Not Left The Building
- Bonus Part 1: Master Storytellers and Those Who Are Still Trying
- Bonus Part 2: Advanced Riffs
The book is packed with examples, and I’m sure an American audience will probably get slightly more from the book than others. This is due to the regular references to US politicians, that other nationalities may not know so intimately.
Despite this, the message is not lost, and the distinctions between what lead to marketing success and what leads to imminent marketing failure are quite clear.
So I give Seth a thumbs up for this one.
Have you read All Marketers Are Liars? Are you a Seth Godin fan? Feel free to share your thoughts and feelings by commenting below.
Twitter: templateoftime
December 3, 2011 at 1:33 am | Permalink
Thanks for the book review. I will look forward to reading it.
Twitter: fionamceachran
December 6, 2011 at 8:28 am | Permalink
Hi Tom, Thanks for your comment. Please feel free to come back and let me know your thoughts when you’ve read it!
Cheers
Fiona
Twitter: ExtremeJohn
December 3, 2011 at 4:55 pm | Permalink
I’ve heard about this book and was also intrigued about it. It’s good to come across a review of that book as it kindles my interest even more.
Extreme John´s last [type] ..Friday Free For All: Who Is Your Role Model Entrepreneur?
Twitter: fionamceachran
December 6, 2011 at 8:30 am | Permalink
Hi John, Thanks for stopping by! Yes, Seth has written quite a few books, and I’ve read most of them. But I did enjoy this one the most. If you do pick it up, I’ve love to know what you think
Cheers
Fiona
Twitter: EuniceCoughlin
December 29, 2011 at 11:41 am | Permalink
Hi Fiona,
I’m almost done reading this book except that mine is the later version where “…Are Liars” is marked out and is replaced with “…Tell Stories”. He had to change the title because people weren’t buying the book; they didn’t like the story of being lied to! He addresses that in the book. Great book and it will totally turn your ideas of what being a good marketer is all about after reading it. I like the part about coming up with a unique story about your competition that hasn’t been told yet. It’s been sparking some great ideas for me to use in marketing my home-based business. Highly recommend!
Eunice Coughlin´s last [type] ..Only 4 days left to get a free iPad 2
It looks interesting after reading the contents of this book and really looking forward for this.
Just like the ultimate marketer to convince you to believe the lie is really not a lie, just a story. Get you used to the white lies of varying intensity. Everything is a story. This week it is the Amazon Zero that, guess what, doesn’t seem to exist. Yet, good old Seth and his marketing machine has spread all over the inter webs yet another story.