Many business professionals are seeking new ways to connect with their target market because they realize the traditional marketing techniques are not as effective. Consumers are spending less and companies are encountering difficulty in getting recognition for their brand because they (consumers) “…have become more wary of where the information they receive comes from, and with good reason.” The only way to truly bridge the gap between companies and consumers is to establish trust. Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith equips their readers with six characteristics that one must possess in order to successfully conduct business over the Web.
One of my favorite characteristics is to “make your own game.” I believe a lot of professionals starting their own business or trying to rejuvenate a dying one, fall into the trap of unintentionally “cloning” their competitors because they feel that this is the only way to “catch up.” Many feel compelled to accept the barriers that their competitors have created instead of finding ways to destroy or work around them. Brogan and Smith state that the best way to accomplish this feat is to use the web to “gatejump.” The authors do a fantastic job in motivating their readers to seek out alternative methods to get recognition for their product or service.
Although the authors mention a variety of ways to do so, they are quick to stress the importance of not focusing on the tools and to remember “…a very important lesson: Be human.” I especially appreciated this point because I believe a lot of people fail to realize that in order for the tools to work, you have to master the art of being a person someone would want to interact with so they feel comfortable conducting business with you. Once you have mastered the “human part” then you can effectively navigate your way through the web by identifying what differentiates you from the competition, learn the rules and then create shortcuts that will help you reach the goal you wish to achieve (i.e. closing a business deal).
The authors offer a variety of tips in how to further reiterate trust on the web by bringing up features that vary from those in real life (i.e. poorly designed website is deemed less trustworthy). I believe that readers will be impressed and relieved to have a solid list of signals that will guide them into building a community worthy of persuading other people to join. It is imperative to be mindful and address these signals if you hope to gain people’s attention because “…attention is the scarcest resource of all.” The authors then provide information in how to keep your audience engaged whereby they will feel compelled to share your business with others—without being asked to do so.
This book does a fantastic job in making readers feel as if they were engaging in conversation with the authors. Throughout the book there are action steps and plenty of examples demonstrating how and why it is one’s best interest to become a Trust Agent. I was impressed with the level and depth the authors went to in explaining why companies cannot win by adhering to the old “business as usual mindset.” The authors demonstrate how important it is for companies to be transparent in how they conduct business which is something many business books fail to address. I highly recommend you do your part to fill the “trust deficit” by implementing the advice given in this book. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
This book was published in 2008 and contains 288 pages. The price of this book is $24.95 and can be purchased on Amazon.
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BOOK REVIEW - Trust Agents
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