Book ~ "Likeable Business: Why Today's Consumers Demand More and How Leaders Can Deliver" (2012) Dave Kerpen

From DaveKerpen.com ~ You can have a rock-solid business strategy, unlimited resources and the most talented people on staff. But only one thing is guaranteed in today’s hyperconnected society: If your business isn’t likeable, it will fail.

Likeable Business lays out 11 strategies for organizations of all sizes to spur growth, profits and overall success.

Dave Kerpen reveals the remarkable returns you’ll get when you gain the trust of your customers and stakeholders. In today’s social media world, it literally pays to be likeable. Likeable Business helps any leader at a small or mid-sized company increase profits and spur growth by applying the eleven principles of business likeability, such as:

• LISTENING - to customers, colleagues, shareholders and competitors 
• AUTHENTICITY - because today’s savvy customer always knows when you’re faking it 
• TRANSPARENCY - honesty builds trust and any deviation can destroy your reputation 
• ADAPTABILITY - managing change and finding new opportunities is critical to success today
• SIMPLICITY - in design, in form and in function 
• GRATEFULNESS - every “thank you” is appreciated ... and generates surprising returns!

Likeability spreads. As a business leader, you set the tone. Be likeable and your staff will be likeable - which in turn creates a more likeable customer experience. The blueprint for everlasting business likeability is in your hands. Apply Kerpen’s basic principles day in and day out, and profits and growth are sure to follow.

I find books about social media and marketing interesting ... and this one is excellent.  It was written in a comfortable manner ... I felt like I was sitting and having a chat with the author.

Leaders in any organization set the tone for the people who work for them, who eventually set the tone for the products and services and customers' experiences.  In today's world, every customer's experience matters more than ever before.  Alas, I find customer service lacking these days and those providing customer service aren't "present" and it's obvious they hate their job.  I fault their managers in letting them get away with it.

This book explores 11 principles of likeable business that together make for more likeable leaders and better, more customer-centric organizations.  It then applies each principle to the use of social media both internally and externally:

1. Listening - to what customers and prospects need and the challenges they face
2. Storytelling - needed to sell their products and ideas
3. Authenticity - have integrity beyond compare
4. Transparency - openness and honesty
5. Team playing - letting others shine and encouraging innovative ideas
6. Responsiveness - shows you care
7. Adaptability - must be flexible in managing changing opportunities
8. Passion - contagious to customers and colleagues
9. Surprise and delight - underpromise and overdeliver
10.  Simplicity - take complex projects and challenges and distill them to their simplest components
11. Gratefulness - being grateful keeps leaders humble, appreciated and well-received

I like that not only was a chapter devoted to each principle but many many real examples were given of companies we all know.  At the end of each chapter are action items to help you put the principles into practice.

I recommend this book!

I received a copy of this ebook at no charge in exchange for my honest review.