Readers Preference Reviews

Whether you call it “word of mouth”, “buzz”, “trusted voice”, or “conversational capital” the ability to get people to talk about your product can be the single biggest factor in the success of your business. You can have the best product, organization, or service available but if people are not aware of it then they will not be using it. And if they were not telling others about it then you are losing a lot of potential revenue. It’s that simple. And that is what this book is about…. how people determine what they will talk about, what they will say, and why they will share their experience.

Although it is predominantly a book about understanding why people talk about something it does not have much information on specific techniques. The authors include several examples where people sharing their experience made a tremendous difference in a product as well as explanations of why it worked. The book is very informative and helpful in understanding why things happened but you are still left to sort out how to apply that information to your situation. This will take some creative thinking and application on the part of the reader.

The most critical part of the book is understanding the need to move the way we think from being the provider of a product or service to being the provider of a complete consumer experience. If the experience is positive then people tend to talk about it. If it is just another purchase then you are just another provider among many others.

The Engines of Conversational Capital section was probably the most valuable section for me. I found it particularly interesting and in my opinion it is right on target. Although in many ways it is not new information it is presented well and in a manner that allows an average reader to understand what is going on and how conversational capital has been created in various situations. Conversational Capital is highly recommended for those who want to market their product or service in a manner that creates clients who come to you instead of having to chase them down and convince them of your value.

Author: Bertrand Cesvet
Publisher: FT Press
1 Lake Street
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Copyright: 2008
ISBN: 9780137145508
Pages: 208
Price: $22.99