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Do It! Marketing: 77 Instant-Action Ideas to Boost Sales, Maximize Profits, and Crush Your Competition
Kick your business into high gear with this fast, fun, pull-no-punches guide.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 21, 2013
98 people are currently reading
418 people want to read
About the author
David Newman
2 books2 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
David Newman is a nationally acclaimed marketing speaker who presents to groups of entrepreneurs and executives who want to generate MORE leads, BETTER prospects, and BIGGER sales.
David has been working at the intersection of marketing, technology, and professional services since 1992. His past clients and audiences include Accenture, KPMG, Oracle, IBM, Microsoft, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and 44 of the Fortune 500. He is an experienced professional services marketer, professional speaker, and strategic business coach. David has presented marketing keynotes, seminars, and strategic work sessions for over 600 groups, including state and national associations, nonprofit organizations, and companies of every size.
David's career as a corporate insider included stints at a boutique technology consulting firm in Delaware, the prestigious Professional Development Institute at management consulting powerhouse Towers Perrin, and Global Professional Services for PeopleSoft (back when they were ranked sixth on Fortune's list of 100 Best Places to Work in America).
David has been featured and quoted in The New York Times, Investors Business Daily, FastCompany.com, Sales & Marketing Management, Selling Power, Business 2.0, Business2Business, NBC-TV, and Entrepreneur magazine. David is married to the number one most amazing woman on the planet, has two great kids and the world's sweetest Labrador retriever named Woofie (who has her own website at www.whereswoofie.com).
David Newman is a nationally acclaimed marketing speaker who presents to groups of entrepreneurs and executives who want to generate MORE leads, BETTER prospects, and BIGGER sales.
David has been working at the intersection of marketing, technology, and professional services since 1992. His past clients and audiences include Accenture, KPMG, Oracle, IBM, Microsoft, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and 44 of the Fortune 500. He is an experienced professional services marketer, professional speaker, and strategic business coach. David has presented marketing keynotes, seminars, and strategic work sessions for over 600 groups, including state and national associations, nonprofit organizations, and companies of every size.
David's career as a corporate insider included stints at a boutique technology consulting firm in Delaware, the prestigious Professional Development Institute at management consulting powerhouse Towers Perrin, and Global Professional Services for PeopleSoft (back when they were ranked sixth on Fortune's list of 100 Best Places to Work in America).
David has been featured and quoted in The New York Times, Investors Business Daily, FastCompany.com, Sales & Marketing Management, Selling Power, Business 2.0, Business2Business, NBC-TV, and Entrepreneur magazine. David is married to the number one most amazing woman on the planet, has two great kids and the world's sweetest Labrador retriever named Woofie (who has her own website at www.whereswoofie.com).
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 10, 2021
This is an actionable, motivating guide to small business marketing. It instantly became one of my favorite marketing books. I agree with Newman’s approach; it fits the way I like to market services. He recommends content marketing (what he calls "trusted advisor marketing") over cold-calling and aimless networking. He advises not wasting much time following up with prospects who aren't ready to buy. He recommends a combination of company branding and personal branding.
I liked Newman’s ingredients for a credible website (see Part 13 below). The book is full of other marketing advice that you can use in marketing your small business.
Part 1: Marketing Rocks
Ask yourself, "What value have I added to my prospect’s world to earn the right to invite them to the conversation and offer my solutions to their problems and challenges?"
Do you want to make more sales to strangers? Or do you really want more people to recognize, respect, and request you by name when they have a need? If that's your goal, then trusted advisor marketing (content marketing) is for you.
Part 2: It’s About Them, Really
• How does your product/service compare to competitors based on the criteria that your customers use to make decisions?
• Ask prospects, "What are your priorities when looking at products/services like mine?"
• Don't talk about your "how" (methods, inputs, approaches); talk about their "why" (meets, outcomes, desires).
• Good marketing is not about your business. It's about how your business is different, valuable, and meaningful to customers. It's about why people should do business with you, and only you, because you're the expert in your field.
Developing Your Thought Leadership Platform
1. Go with what you know: your education, background, experience, passions, skills.
2. Tie into a common problem, evergreen challenge, or growing trend. Examples: improving sales, improving performance and productivity.
3. Figure out what your prospects are already buying, and position your solutions in the same category.
4. Market-test your new messages, principles, and angles informally with business partners.
5. Call or meet with actual buyers (industry contacts, clients, prospects) to get their reactions. Don’t sell, just run ideas by them.
Why People Buy from Me Worksheet, with example answers from a marketer
Why should I buy your product/service?
• Because you're terrible at marketing.
• Because you don't make time for marketing.
• Because without proactive marketing, you're the best kept secret at what you do.
Why should I buy from you?
• Because of powerful testimonials.
• Because we're selective in who we work with.
Why should I buy at your price?
• If you're not comfortable spending big money with me, why would you expect your prospects to spend big money with you?
• You shouldn't work with me if marketing and growing your business is not a serious priority for you.
• You can spend less, and you'll get less. And you can spend more, and you’ll still get less, because I overdeliver (read the testimonials).
Why should I buy now?
• Because it's rare that I have openings in my client roster. You can get in now or typically wait 3 to 6 months.
• Because the longer you delay getting your marketing house in order, the longer you'll stay in a state of confusion, inaction, and being overwhelmed.
• What would be like if your next year’s revenues were much like your last year’s? If you're okay with that, there's probably no reason for us to work together.
• Because the money you're not making week after week, month after month, is a larger number than the money you'd be investing to bring your revenues to where you'd like them to be.
• Because you want to stop the feast or famine revenue cycle and get a proactive handling your marketing process before you hit your next dip.
• Because someone you know and respect recommended we chat.
Part 3: Learn to Speak Prospect
• Read your marketing copy. If you wouldn't say it out loud, replace it with what you would say.
• Prove to them you understand what they're up against. Take your positive features and benefits, flip them around to become negative conditions they’re suffering with right now. Then you flip back again with specific pain relief statements that make each of those negatives go away.
• Talk to clients and prospects and record their complaints.
• Position your offering not in terms of saved money or earned money, not in terms of less wasted time or more free time, but simply in terms of more control and less chaos. More time: great; more money: exciting; more control: priceless.
Identifying Your Best Buyers
1. Think about your best clients and customers. What makes them your best?
2. What are their job titles? Industries? Affiliations? Traits? Values?
3. What problems do they have? What solutions do they seek? (State this in their own words)
4. Where else have they looked to solve this problem?
5. Why hasn't that worked for them?
6. What do they hate about your category of product/service or your industry?
7. How can you position yourself as the "Ahh, at last!" solution?
Part 4: Expert Positioning
Top 3 sources of new business
1. Warm calls to existing clients.
2. Speaking at conferences and trade shows.
3. Running seminars and events.
Part 8: Get Better Prospects
• Network with people who already know you, like you, or have done business with you.
• Networking isn't about telling more people what you do; it's about getting people who already know you to share opportunities where you can be helpful to each other.
• Create list of advocates (5 to 25 people who can make positive connections for you) and communicate or connect with them in a simple way every 30 days (ideally; but 60 to 90 days works too).
• To maximize sales, follow up on leads within 15 minutes. These leads are much more likely to stop looking at competitors.
Network smarter
• Have one-to-one coffee or lunch, aiming to befriend. They may become a business connection, but that's not the focus.
• If you network with strangers, make 2-3 coffee or lunch dates with interesting people.
• Ask every happy client for just one referral, then contact that person and use the client’s name.
• Create a list of the exact types of target prospects. Focus networking only on those people (or those who can refer you to them).
Part 9: Eliminate Roadblocks
• Address the question, "aren't we already doing this?" Show that they aren't, or aren't doing it enough, with credible research, stats, quotes.
• To filter quickly on cold calls, ask if they plan to shop for the service you offer within the next year. If no, it's not worth talking to them this year since you won't convince them. Check back in a year.
• Every marketing piece you send out should be too good to delete/throwaway, even if prospects don't do business with you. Make each piece educational, shareable, referenceable.
Four arrows diagram
• With your prospect’s products, services, and process in one color, and your service in third position in contrasting color. This shows that what you're offering closes a gap and is the perfect fit.
• Their 1st process > Their 2nd process > Your product/service > Their final process
Stop Wasting Your Time Following Up
• If you’re focused on prospects who are actively seeking to solve their problem, you'll get their attention the first or second attempt.
• "Checking in" gets annoying fast, and can hurt chances at future sales.
Part 13: Your 21-Day Marketing Launch Plan
To search for places to speak, use a query with these keywords: [profession] [annual] [convention] [conference] [state] [conference] [city] [state] [year].
Website ingredients
Here's the ingredient list for a credible website for any business owner, entrepreneur, or independent professional:
• About: information about your credentials and experience.
• Contact: email, phone, physical street address.
• Services/Products: list of your services, products, types of projects.
• Resources/Articles: articles, tips, tools, downloads, videos, audio, etc.
• News/Blog
• Service/Product: Individual page for each service, or single service/product page with descriptions of each.
• Clients/Customers/Sample Projects: List of past and present clients/projects to lend credibility.
Misc. notes
• In your email signature, put call to action focused on value to them. Example: free ideas on your blog or Twitter.
• 69% of commercial customers leave suppliers because of lack of contact or poor quality contact.
• For small business, "old media" (non-Internet) isn’t worth using, with possible exception of laser-targeted industry-specific publications.
• Diversify while still specializing. Develop parallel offerings or brands that tap into your expertise but that appeal to different populations, industries, needs, or audiences.
• Use the “Money Pass” on email: reply only to messages that will make you money. Leave all others for non-peak time.
I liked Newman’s ingredients for a credible website (see Part 13 below). The book is full of other marketing advice that you can use in marketing your small business.
Part 1: Marketing Rocks
Ask yourself, "What value have I added to my prospect’s world to earn the right to invite them to the conversation and offer my solutions to their problems and challenges?"
Do you want to make more sales to strangers? Or do you really want more people to recognize, respect, and request you by name when they have a need? If that's your goal, then trusted advisor marketing (content marketing) is for you.
Part 2: It’s About Them, Really
• How does your product/service compare to competitors based on the criteria that your customers use to make decisions?
• Ask prospects, "What are your priorities when looking at products/services like mine?"
• Don't talk about your "how" (methods, inputs, approaches); talk about their "why" (meets, outcomes, desires).
• Good marketing is not about your business. It's about how your business is different, valuable, and meaningful to customers. It's about why people should do business with you, and only you, because you're the expert in your field.
Developing Your Thought Leadership Platform
1. Go with what you know: your education, background, experience, passions, skills.
2. Tie into a common problem, evergreen challenge, or growing trend. Examples: improving sales, improving performance and productivity.
3. Figure out what your prospects are already buying, and position your solutions in the same category.
4. Market-test your new messages, principles, and angles informally with business partners.
5. Call or meet with actual buyers (industry contacts, clients, prospects) to get their reactions. Don’t sell, just run ideas by them.
Why People Buy from Me Worksheet, with example answers from a marketer
Why should I buy your product/service?
• Because you're terrible at marketing.
• Because you don't make time for marketing.
• Because without proactive marketing, you're the best kept secret at what you do.
Why should I buy from you?
• Because of powerful testimonials.
• Because we're selective in who we work with.
Why should I buy at your price?
• If you're not comfortable spending big money with me, why would you expect your prospects to spend big money with you?
• You shouldn't work with me if marketing and growing your business is not a serious priority for you.
• You can spend less, and you'll get less. And you can spend more, and you’ll still get less, because I overdeliver (read the testimonials).
Why should I buy now?
• Because it's rare that I have openings in my client roster. You can get in now or typically wait 3 to 6 months.
• Because the longer you delay getting your marketing house in order, the longer you'll stay in a state of confusion, inaction, and being overwhelmed.
• What would be like if your next year’s revenues were much like your last year’s? If you're okay with that, there's probably no reason for us to work together.
• Because the money you're not making week after week, month after month, is a larger number than the money you'd be investing to bring your revenues to where you'd like them to be.
• Because you want to stop the feast or famine revenue cycle and get a proactive handling your marketing process before you hit your next dip.
• Because someone you know and respect recommended we chat.
Part 3: Learn to Speak Prospect
• Read your marketing copy. If you wouldn't say it out loud, replace it with what you would say.
• Prove to them you understand what they're up against. Take your positive features and benefits, flip them around to become negative conditions they’re suffering with right now. Then you flip back again with specific pain relief statements that make each of those negatives go away.
• Talk to clients and prospects and record their complaints.
• Position your offering not in terms of saved money or earned money, not in terms of less wasted time or more free time, but simply in terms of more control and less chaos. More time: great; more money: exciting; more control: priceless.
Identifying Your Best Buyers
1. Think about your best clients and customers. What makes them your best?
2. What are their job titles? Industries? Affiliations? Traits? Values?
3. What problems do they have? What solutions do they seek? (State this in their own words)
4. Where else have they looked to solve this problem?
5. Why hasn't that worked for them?
6. What do they hate about your category of product/service or your industry?
7. How can you position yourself as the "Ahh, at last!" solution?
Part 4: Expert Positioning
Top 3 sources of new business
1. Warm calls to existing clients.
2. Speaking at conferences and trade shows.
3. Running seminars and events.
Part 8: Get Better Prospects
• Network with people who already know you, like you, or have done business with you.
• Networking isn't about telling more people what you do; it's about getting people who already know you to share opportunities where you can be helpful to each other.
• Create list of advocates (5 to 25 people who can make positive connections for you) and communicate or connect with them in a simple way every 30 days (ideally; but 60 to 90 days works too).
• To maximize sales, follow up on leads within 15 minutes. These leads are much more likely to stop looking at competitors.
Network smarter
• Have one-to-one coffee or lunch, aiming to befriend. They may become a business connection, but that's not the focus.
• If you network with strangers, make 2-3 coffee or lunch dates with interesting people.
• Ask every happy client for just one referral, then contact that person and use the client’s name.
• Create a list of the exact types of target prospects. Focus networking only on those people (or those who can refer you to them).
Part 9: Eliminate Roadblocks
• Address the question, "aren't we already doing this?" Show that they aren't, or aren't doing it enough, with credible research, stats, quotes.
• To filter quickly on cold calls, ask if they plan to shop for the service you offer within the next year. If no, it's not worth talking to them this year since you won't convince them. Check back in a year.
• Every marketing piece you send out should be too good to delete/throwaway, even if prospects don't do business with you. Make each piece educational, shareable, referenceable.
Four arrows diagram
• With your prospect’s products, services, and process in one color, and your service in third position in contrasting color. This shows that what you're offering closes a gap and is the perfect fit.
• Their 1st process > Their 2nd process > Your product/service > Their final process
Stop Wasting Your Time Following Up
• If you’re focused on prospects who are actively seeking to solve their problem, you'll get their attention the first or second attempt.
• "Checking in" gets annoying fast, and can hurt chances at future sales.
Part 13: Your 21-Day Marketing Launch Plan
To search for places to speak, use a query with these keywords: [profession] [annual] [convention] [conference] [state] [conference] [city] [state] [year].
Website ingredients
Here's the ingredient list for a credible website for any business owner, entrepreneur, or independent professional:
• About: information about your credentials and experience.
• Contact: email, phone, physical street address.
• Services/Products: list of your services, products, types of projects.
• Resources/Articles: articles, tips, tools, downloads, videos, audio, etc.
• News/Blog
• Service/Product: Individual page for each service, or single service/product page with descriptions of each.
• Clients/Customers/Sample Projects: List of past and present clients/projects to lend credibility.
Misc. notes
• In your email signature, put call to action focused on value to them. Example: free ideas on your blog or Twitter.
• 69% of commercial customers leave suppliers because of lack of contact or poor quality contact.
• For small business, "old media" (non-Internet) isn’t worth using, with possible exception of laser-targeted industry-specific publications.
• Diversify while still specializing. Develop parallel offerings or brands that tap into your expertise but that appeal to different populations, industries, needs, or audiences.
• Use the “Money Pass” on email: reply only to messages that will make you money. Leave all others for non-peak time.
August 29, 2013
At last! Something that works under the marketing sun! This book shows you play-by-play how to speak your clients' language so you become the obvious choice. Its super relevant recommendations about what to do and what not to do will give you clear action steps. It even gives you cheat sheets you can model your own efforts after. Its humorous tone makes it a fun read, too. Very far from all the other general, superficial and boring marketing books collecting dust on my shelf.
July 22, 2018
Too 'markety' for me.
June 3, 2018
This might be one of the very best marketing books.. cream of the crop. Excelent, crystal clear content... all well put together. Recommended.
February 11, 2019
Very fast paced with extremely actionable tasks. Also, exercises that bring direction into focus.
June 5, 2023
Mostly sales tactics, not marketing. Below average execution for the genre (marketing/sales advice).
September 29, 2018
I don't think I have ever given a book a 1-star, because I usually don't complete books that didn't give me a good experience. But I felt that I have read 4/5 of the book and skimmed through enough of the remaining 1/5 to give a fair assessment.
I think more than 70% of the book is focused on SALES, and not MARKETING. And hence, I felt that the book's title is misleading (although it did have a BOOST SALES part to it). If you are solely interested in marketing only, don't consider this book. If you primary objective is to improve your business, and I think this book is still fairly ok.
PS: My 1-star rating is given because I felt the title was misleading, and I am warning marketers not pick this book up.
I think more than 70% of the book is focused on SALES, and not MARKETING. And hence, I felt that the book's title is misleading (although it did have a BOOST SALES part to it). If you are solely interested in marketing only, don't consider this book. If you primary objective is to improve your business, and I think this book is still fairly ok.
PS: My 1-star rating is given because I felt the title was misleading, and I am warning marketers not pick this book up.
August 23, 2017
Not one of my favourite guide style/mastering a skill books.
I would not recommend it for someone who's already established in marketing.
Newman is trying not to be broad yet is too broad. He should have been totally broad or totally focused. I felt like most of the book was a sales pitch for various services.
I would not recommend it for someone who's already established in marketing.
Newman is trying not to be broad yet is too broad. He should have been totally broad or totally focused. I felt like most of the book was a sales pitch for various services.
February 19, 2024
Newman provides a good checklist of practical marketing advice. However, because the book was published in 2013, some of the information regarding social media marketing may have changed due to algorithm changes.
November 15, 2018
It's a good book if you are just starting to learn marketing. The content is easy to comprehend and the ideas are priceless (again, for beginners).
September 22, 2013
“Do It! Marketing: 77 Instant-Action Ideas to Boost Sales, Maximize Profits, and Crush Your Competition” by David Newman is an outstanding book for anyone that needs a boost in their marketing efforts. I met Newman a couple of years ago at a workshop he was giving and found him to be a dynamic and energetic speaker with a tremendous amount of great ideas and practical advice on marketing. This book is just as energetic and contains a tremendous wealth of information.
How is a book energetic? First, just the formatting, fonts, and even color included in the text makes it stand out from many books in the genre. Second, Newman's personality and sincere desire to help others succeed comes through. It was in no way a dry and boring book to read.
Some of the marketing advice presented here can be found elsewhere, and that is because there are some marketing truths you will find everywhere. But there are other sections where the advice is unique, and may even go against some traditional marketing theories. This is definitely a book to have on the short list of marketing resources.
I think one of the strengths of this book is the applicability of the material presented. Newman really wants you to follow the title and get out there and Do It! His advice, and the exercises, are geared toward just that. And it even concludes with a 21-day marketing action plan to help launch a marketing campaign regardless of where you might be starting from.
Obviously some of the advice and strategies will have to be modified depending on your particular business and goals, but Newman does a great job of presenting the ideas so a person can adapt them to his or her own business.
I also want to mention the bonus marketing tools Newman promotes throughout the book. This goes right in line with one of Newman's key points about providing value. I went on-line to these bonuses and found a lot there. I have not gone through them all yet, but they are definitely worth checking out and will help you better implement the ideas presented in the book.
Do It Marketing really is a terrific book for anyone wanting some new and fresh ideas to boost their marketing efforts. It's practical, engaging, and easy to read. But more importantly, it is chock full of great marketing ideas to take your business to greater profits.
How is a book energetic? First, just the formatting, fonts, and even color included in the text makes it stand out from many books in the genre. Second, Newman's personality and sincere desire to help others succeed comes through. It was in no way a dry and boring book to read.
Some of the marketing advice presented here can be found elsewhere, and that is because there are some marketing truths you will find everywhere. But there are other sections where the advice is unique, and may even go against some traditional marketing theories. This is definitely a book to have on the short list of marketing resources.
I think one of the strengths of this book is the applicability of the material presented. Newman really wants you to follow the title and get out there and Do It! His advice, and the exercises, are geared toward just that. And it even concludes with a 21-day marketing action plan to help launch a marketing campaign regardless of where you might be starting from.
Obviously some of the advice and strategies will have to be modified depending on your particular business and goals, but Newman does a great job of presenting the ideas so a person can adapt them to his or her own business.
I also want to mention the bonus marketing tools Newman promotes throughout the book. This goes right in line with one of Newman's key points about providing value. I went on-line to these bonuses and found a lot there. I have not gone through them all yet, but they are definitely worth checking out and will help you better implement the ideas presented in the book.
Do It Marketing really is a terrific book for anyone wanting some new and fresh ideas to boost their marketing efforts. It's practical, engaging, and easy to read. But more importantly, it is chock full of great marketing ideas to take your business to greater profits.
September 25, 2013
This is a pretty good Marketing 101 for people who want to get started from scratch and following the 21 day program will surely get you started on a solid footing. A few nuggets in there even if you are established in Marketing, useful for all those new start up product lines that would benefit from the start from scratch mentality rather than trying to adopt ideas from your mature lines
July 24, 2016
Well written book with lots of actionable ideas although it does get repetitive in places. I'd recommend it to others in the B2B space but recommend it even more to people running their own small business or personal consultancy. I did bristle at the one mention of Donald Trump but hey it was written well before he become an unfortunate part of our daily news cycle.
September 5, 2013
Great book! Beyond that there are a lot of resources that you can access and use via his website, making it highly practical. I "read" it via audio book, but am also thinking about getting the actual book because of the detailed step by step reference it provides.
July 14, 2014
كتاب يناول أساسيات التسويق للشركات الصغيرة وأصحاب الأعمال الحرة. يتناول كثير من الموضوعات مثل التسويق من خلال الوسائط الاجتماعية وأساسيات التعامل مع العملاء وكيفية الحصول على إحالات. أسلوبه موجز وسريع مع خطوات يومية لتنشيط العملية التسويقية.
July 10, 2019
This was a great read. If you're into marketing your business, there are some awesome strategies to help you get some leverage in your market.
The trick is to cherry pick 10 of David's ideas that resonate with where you're at and action them.
I loved the book.
The trick is to cherry pick 10 of David's ideas that resonate with where you're at and action them.
I loved the book.
November 5, 2013
Awesome book with practice advice on marketing.
July 19, 2015
A few good ideas worth implementing immediately.
May 16, 2016
Not interesting
Normal book ,,nothing up normal ,not bad , not good , not the essential book to read , little boring
Normal book ,,nothing up normal ,not bad , not good , not the essential book to read , little boring
October 8, 2016
Nothing special
Nothing really special, got a few good tips, after that its all the same.
so if you are new with marketing, maybe it could help you.
Nothing really special, got a few good tips, after that its all the same.
so if you are new with marketing, maybe it could help you.
January 30, 2015
Practical tips for small businesses
December 31, 2015
Bit too obvious for myself but might be useful to others with less idea.
Read
November 6, 2018I'm not going to rate it. Only about 4 chapter applied to my business type. The rest is mainly for internet based business with services. Still, I did bookmark a few pages and and applying a couple practices to my business. (For anyone reading this that doesn't know men I own a rock climbing guide business and we need to.market to tourists which is a whole different ball game.)
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews