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Posts Tagged ‘Review’

The average bookstore is awash in self help business books, entire sections are dedicated to the subject. They also tend to have a common theme. How make a better ‘widget’ and more importantly, sell these better and more profitable ‘widgets.’ Sure they may reorder the chapters, change the occasional graphic, but it is the same old tired story! The soporific effect of this genre makes it a good alternative to sleeping pills, and the books certainly are not addictive!

What attracted me to this book though was Daniel Grissom’s client list, few people can brag of working with Google, IBM, Eli Lily, and a host of other household names. His message is global: he has spoken to sales teams in Asia, Africa, Europe and the USA. As an insider into excellence for close to two decades, Grissom has discerned what works (and doesn’t work) in the achievement of superior sales results. Even more interesting is the very different corporate cultures or as it is known in the trade ‘branding’ that these companies have adopted. How could a business plan work within the staid gray suited world of IBM also work in the denim clad, freewheeling, and pizza eating world of Google? With 20 years in the ‘business coaching’ world, if nothing else he might have something new to say, were my thoughts, so I decided to delve in.

Step Up is not the usual ‘corporate’ master plan, but rather it is aimed at a much more personal level, it does not matter if you are part of the sales force, line management, or part of the upper echelon of an organization, there is something to be learned, and that, Daniel argues comes from within yourself, not from external forces.

Step Up is actually an acronym, S-Standards, T-Talent, E-Evaluations, P-preparation, UP-Unleashed Potential.

I found the style of writing to actually be quite readable, which is another first in the Business Book category! The author sprinkles the text with short stories either from his own life, or about the problems and resolutions that actual business and sports figures have faced. These vignettes could form an entertaining book all by themselves. From Tiger Woods and how he made it to the next level, to Daniel himself, not getting his dream job at the first try, they are engaging, entertaining, and thought provoking. To quote from the text, “sometimes you have to slow down to speed up,” meaning that sometimes you have to step back and re-evaluate what you are trying to do, and what your destination is.

Much of the final section of Step Up is geared to ‘Coaching,’ which in itself is not part of the basic Step Up acronym, but is a vital part of personal and corporate success. Coaching in the business world is no different to coaching in the sports world. Essentially it is someone who may be disassociated with you personally, but can evaluate your performance, and help you to the next rung on the success ladder. It could be your boss, it could be a friend, it could be a professional.

Step Up can be ordered through Amazon, he also has a web site at Daniel Grissom dot com.

The one thing that nobody seems to have enough of these days is time. This is especially true when you are building a career. For aspiring musicians, singers and songwriters, learning how to establish, promote and sustain a career is a full time job in and of itself and would leave little time for working on music.  That’s why The Indie Bible is considered one of the most thorough and valuable resources for anyone in the music business but especially newcomers.

Written by David Wimple, The Indie Bible is currently in its 11th printing, which reflects the rapidly changing nature of the music business. What makes The Indie Bible so valuable is the depth of the research to give musicians and songwriters the most up-to-date information possible. It would literally take someone months of intensive research to gather all of the contacts and resources detailed in the book. Even music industry veterans have endorsed The Indie Bible as an invaluable tool.

The resources listed include 3600 radio station and radio show contacts; the names of 4200 publications and periodicals that review music; the names of 500 CD vendors and music promoters; 500 web site where you can post your music for downloading and promotion; 500 miscellaneous resources – all together more than 10,000 contacts are contained within The Indie Bible.

The Indie Bible is written to address a wide range of situations, from seeking representation to selling your son online, across all genres, from Hip Hoop to country. The book is organized into seven sections to make it as user-friendly as possible.

Sections one and two offer tips on how to get your CD reviewed in print publications.

Section three discusses who t contact about doing radio promotion. Radio stations are a particularly accessible area because they have a lot of air time to fill. It’s especially smart to approach home town radio stations; they are usually very open to promoting local talent.

Section four focuses on marketing oriented services.

Section five covers the growing importance of Internet based distribution and cuts through the clutter to list the top sites proven to be most valuable to performers.

Section six is a compilation of miscellaneous resources.

Section seven reprints over 50 articles on various aspects of the business to give a complete and informative overview of the business.

Why did I title this a “biased review”? Because this information is strictly my opinion, assumptions, and reactions to what Jeff has written.

Jeff’s book really made a positive impact on me even though I have read many network marketing, MLM, personal development, and home based business books over the years. This book will challenge your attitudes toward your life, current thinking, and philosophy. Reading this book, it’s really about your life, what you can do for it, and what you can do with it.

With simplistic accuracy, Jeff points out the steps one can take to obtain control of several aspects of one’s life. This includes impacting directly on one’s relationships, spiritual, financial, and health attitudes and beliefs about what one can and can not really control to improve these areas.

The key premise of this entire book is promoting the philosophy and concept of “The Slight Edge” just what it is and how it can affect our lives. Practicing the slight edge in the performance of your everyday activities either has it working for you or against you; brushing your teeth, as an example. If you skip it today is that easy? Yes. Will it make a difference today? No. Over time, will it make a difference? Yes. There in lies the key. Simple daily decisions may either impact you in the long term in a negative, not brushing your teeth, or a positive, any cavities and good gums, manner. The key concept is very simple but can have dramatic effects on one’s life. Agreed? I mean, do you get it?

Jeff presents several situations where you might improve your life and the positive results in easily understood steps and concepts to incorporate into your daily actions. One that particularly struck me was his effective and simplistic way of developing and making obtainable goals in life. His explanation of having a plan to start but not the same plan for the finish, really hits home as I always think of a plan from start to finish without adjustments. It doesn’t exist. Plans are a living entity that must always be reviewed and adjusted, in his words, “plan, do, review.”

His presentations on developing workable goals included the concept of thinking big, envision success, keep the process simple, stick to the basics, and start. Just the starting of a project, being as important if not more important, than the planning. It’s the actions of taking the first step in the direction of your goal that make the difference between “doing” and “deciding to do.” For greater success, double your failure rate. I love this as it is classic grassroots logic. How many times have you heard this or even personally experienced the benefits of “doubling your failure rate?”

All in all, I would highly recommend this book to everybody who is living life today. “The Slight Edge” application of principals and philosophies is far reaching to all people on all levels. Have the personal experience of having Jeff sitting across the table with a cup of coffee and talking only to you as that is the manner in which this book is presented and it’s a fast read. What a positive experience. Take the opportunity to read this book and don’t miss out. It could very well change your life.

Being a music professional is an on-going learning experience. Aspiring musicians need to learn the basics on how the industry works, from how to find an agent and get a record deal to understanding how royalties are calculated and the best way to use the Internet and Social networking groups to promote music.

Once the record deal is secured and the CD recorded an entirely new learning curve is needed – how to promote your CD. Your Successful CD Release by Peter Spellman and Dave Cool is a detailed marketing guide written specifically for songwriters and singers. The guide is a blend of three other Spellman books – The Self-Promoting Musician, INDIE Power and INDIE Marketing Power – plus new material provided by co-author Cool. The book is an easy to read to-the-point guide that is a unique tool is perfect an important tool provides readers with the tools to start marketing a CD immediately.

Written conversationally, Spellman explains the strategies for marketing a CD in an easy to understand style with step by step instructions including how to get sponsored; avoiding marketing mistakes; staying within a budget; creating a marketing and promotional plan. Spellman also stresses the importance of having fun with your promotions because enthusiasm is contagious.

The guide details the ways in which singers and songwriters can generate income through licensing and other opportunities. Spellman includes sample templates to track the campaign’s progress such as a spreadsheet to plot out a marketing budget. Co-author Cool says he was inspired to participate in the book because when he started out he was not great with numbers and financial projections, and didn’t understand spreadsheets. He calls Your Successful CD Release a kind of spreadsheet for dummies because the templates are ready to use, They are also available online.

Your Successful CD Release is more than a how-to manual. It gives personal insight from four professional singer-songwriters who recount what their experiences have been and what it takes to be a full-time indie musician that successfully manages your career and life.

Being a professional means being informed. That is as true for musicians and singers as it is lawyers and doctors. Reading industry trade publications is one way to keep abreast of trends and news. But to study the music business in depth there is not better resource than books. In the first of a three part series, here are reviews of three books about the music business that are must-reads. Each author explores the music business from their unique perspectives, offering readers an honest view of the industry they strive to be part of.

Donald S Pressman’s All You Need to Know about the Music Business: Revised and Updated for the 21st Century is a detailed, frequently humorous look at the business of making music. Now in its eighth edition, the book is considered a bible for anyone wanting to know the ins and outs of the music business. Pressman is a Los Angeles-based music attorney with twenty-five years experience and his clients include everyone from record label executives, singers and songwriters to film companies and publishers. He is widely recognized as one of the most influential people in the entertainment industry.

His book offers many useful tips such as how to hire agents and managers, strategies for marketing one’s music and the steps needed to legally protect intellectual property. Pressman also guides readers through complex contractual issues such as recoupment, royalties, advances, and distribution deals. Being an attorney, Pressman stresses the need to protect oneself against copyright infringement, bad record deals, and unscrupulous business managers and agents.

The most recent edition has up to the minute information on how the Internet is impacting the music business and the performers’ bottom lines. The information is just as important for industry veterans as it is newcomers. Pressman explains how video streaming services work and how royalties are computed for digital distribution services. He also covers podcasting, music downloads, streaming and webcasting.

More than just nuts and bolts of how the business works, Pressman gives readers an insider’s guide that shows how to navigate potential pitfalls and how to establish successful relationship with other music industry professionals.