We’re sharing an amazing manifesto Andy wrote based on his book, and we’ve got 10 autographed copies to give away.
Andy’s manifesto is a poetic ode to the unsung and underutilized power of surprise in modern-day business. Here’s a taste:
In a world without Surprise No more “Can’t believe my eyes!” What you’d see is truly—only—what you’d get Life would plod along as planned All supply and no demand Muffled colors, dreary skies In a world with no Surprise
Download the manifesto and win your own signed copy (and check out Andy’s bonus surprise exam): Click here
Check out the first post and watch this video to see what it’s all about.
It works! Read these great posts from our speakers. Notice how they are writing about the conference in detail instead of just a quick tweet.
Allan Schoenberg
I was intrigued by the box that was delivered to my office last week from GasPedal. Holiday candy? A new tech gadget? No, wait…Andy sent me another copy of his book! No. I unwrapped to my dismay a very large, yellow, personalized t-shirt. Thanks Andy. The obvious idea behind the t-shirt is to promote the “Word of Mouth Supergeniuses” conference taking place right here in Chicago on December 16. And it worked. Read more …
Andy Nulman
The day is a major-league learning opportunity. Case studies from mega-brands like Coke, Starbucks, Domino’s and Maker’s Mark bourbon. Numerous social networking experts. Live “Will It Blend” demos from Blendtec’s George Wright. Timely, too, given the aforementioned network launch. (And any time I can hang with fellow speakers Mitch Joel and Saul Colt, and my Chicago-based buddy Jim Fannin, well…) Read more…
Saul Colt
Now my Mom isn’t the only one who thinks I am a genius. There are bunch of people who do it very well and a big chunk of them will be speaking (with myself) at the World of Mouth Supergenius event in Chicago on December 16. Shameless plug aside this post isn’t bout the conference and more about what the organizers did to promote the event… I love offering discounts to people who read my blog and perhaps like to follow what I am up to. It makes perfect sense that a conference about Word of Mouth marketing would do something Word of Mouth worthy so for that I am getting on the bandwagon and joining folks like Jason Falls and writing a post about my shirt…but unlike Jason I can’t show you a photo cause my shirt is being held at Canadian Customs or something so I just made my own Read more…
Join me at the Word of Mouth Supergenius conference in Chicago on December 16th. I’ll be one of a dozen speakers with case studies too good to miss. Hear from some pretty terrific authors too. Find out how PEMCO tuned in to their customers’ wants and needs to build relationships with their fans. And you can save big if you read the secret (well not really secret) words on the big shirt that I’m wearing. Hint: RODISMYHERO
We’re bringing together an all-star group of word of mouth marketers for Word of Mouth Supergenius: The “How to be Great at Word of Mouth Marketing” Conference on December 16 in Chicago. We’ll feature 12 how-to classes, 12 real-world case studies, and 6 brilliant authors. You’re going to learn practical, hands-on techniques to get people talking about you the next day.
Surprise gets us talking. Surprise creates word of mouth. Surprise makes us happy.
Get your hands on Andy Nulman's new book "Pow! Right Between The Eyes!" It's the first book about how to use the power of surprise to grow your business. I love this book.
When runners jog into the Westin Long Beach, Ricky Bobbit hands them a bottle of water. They are surprised — and they have a story to tell everyone else they see. Listen to Ricky explain it:
{Welcome back to the Damn, I Wish I Thought of That Email
Newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email
subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the
left.}
When it comes to creating remarkable products and their stories, pricing is too often overlooked. Try these strategies to get people excited about buying your stuff:
1> Take bids
2> Ask what it's worth
3> Have a price for everyone
4> Check it out: Showcase Showdown perfect bid
1. Take bids
Taking bids is a great way to get people excited about you as well as to find the real market value of your stuff. Google changed things when they strictly took bids from advertisers for AdWords, and eBay revolutionized the online shopping world with their global public auction. Some businesses have adopted this strategy as well, such as Galatoire's Restaurant in New Orleans which is so popular that they auction off reservations the Fridays before Christmas and Mardi Gras and donate the proceeds to charity. You could try auctioning off the best table in your restaurant, or having a special auction day instead of the same boring sale.
The Lesson: When you take bids, you offer a sense of excitement and create a feeling of urgency.
2. Ask what it's worth
This is flat-out daring, but most great marketing is. Done right, asking your customers to pay what they think it's worth will generate tons of buzz, loyalty, and goodwill. The Little Bay restaurant in London got everyone excited when they asked customers to pay whatever they thought the meal was worth throughout the month of February. In an interview near the end of the month, owner Peter Ilic said customers had already paid 20% over original prices and was confident he would make a profit.
The Lesson: Asking your customers to pay what they want immediately changes your relationship with them, and drastically separates you from competitors.
Offering various packages or tiered pricing gives your customers options and allows you to offer special high-end or discount versions of your stuff. Former Nine Inch Nails drummer Josh Freese has taken tiered pricing to a whole new level with his latest album. Packages begin at $7 for a digital download, on up to a $75,000 package (limited edition of 1) that includes a chance to tour with Josh for a few days, have Josh write and record a 5-song EP about you and your life, and have him be your personal assistant for a month.
The Lesson: Tiered pricing not only gives your customers more options, but also allows you to get creative with different packages of your stuff.
In what is perhaps the most remarkable Showcase Showdown in the history of The Price is Right, on December 12, 2008, contestant Terry Kniess' bid of $23,743 turned out to be exactly right — beating out his opponent who was off by a mere $494. Because he was within $250, Kniess was awarded both showcases. But what is perhaps most remarkable is how nonchalantly host Drew Carey announces the event, calmly mentioning it hadn't happened since the early 70's.
Next up in our Word of Mouth Book Club series is Andy Nulman’s Pow! Right Between the Eyes: Profiting from the Power of Surprise. Andy is a brilliant marketer, entrepreneur, and sole owner of the title, “Prince of Pow!” His book is an eye-opening look at the power and potential of surprise marketing.
In a world without Surprise
Toyota: Social media and crisis management
Clorox: Using gaming strategies to grow community
BlogWell: How Big Brands Use Social Media
