20 Press Reviews
Publisher’s WeeklyMarketing consultant Horowitz (Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World) offers the latest addition to the deluge of morally-centered business tomes. In one way, it’s an overturning of traditional corporate wisdom-see your competitors as your allies, not your adversaries, Horowitz suggests…The arguments are all sound and illustrated with the customer-obsessed success stories of ventures like Saturn and Nordstrom. Horowitz is at his best when displaying his canny understanding of the media world, advising how to fit your business’s message with the media’s need to produce timely, relevant stories…A bountiful source of marketing tips.
Cindy Kryszak, Foreword MagazineA fresh approach based on a code of ethics that has withstood the test of time, inspired by “the old Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would like others to do unto you.” Horowitz’s approach is one of achieving profit without deceiving or cheating customers. He uses the analogy of courtship and marriage to illustrate that building trust and loyalty can work just as well with cultivating successful business partnerships as with developing personal relationships. “Quality, integrity, and honesty” are the hallmarks of success, and truthfulness is preferable to deception, even if it means turning away business if it’s not right for the client or the company… Cites examples from companies such as Saturn and Nordstrom that are well-known and respected for their successful application of these concepts to win business and engender loyalty. Forming alliances, partnerships, or joint ventures are ways of “turning competitors into allies.” Even smaller companies can do this, as illustrated by the example of the eleven local florists who teamed up to advertise together to compete against a major grocery chain… Traditional marketers may cringe when they read about the “death of market share,” but the author’s point is that the focus should be more on the target profit rather than how it relates to competitors’ share of the market… Endorsed by a variety of business owners and marketing pros, Principled Profit challenges traditional marketing methodology and suggests a more socially conscious approach. Horowitz, author of four other marketing books as well as thousands of articles, walks the talk by also giving free advice in his websites.
Nick Usborne, Excess VoiceThe terms ‘business ethics’ and ‘ethical marketing’ may sound like oxymorons to many people. But they needn’t and shouldn’t. Shel Horowitz’s book shows how honest, ethical marketing can lead to big profits.
Principled Profit promotes effective ways of marketing that are founded on honesty and integrity.
I think this is a wonderful thing. Too many people in business think that just because it’s ‘business’ they can do whatever they want in order to succeed. It’s a strange image: people kiss their kids goodbye in the morning, hug their spouses and then, once at work, throw away all the individual values and principles they hold so dear in their homes and in their communities.
The excuse? “It’s just business.”
That’s not good enough. What happened within companies like Enron and WorldCom has illustrated how badly things go wrong when we hide under the protection of, “It’s just business.”
Shel’s book shows us a different path. He shows us how to make money while still standing by our personal values. He demonstrates how honesty and decency can be the foundations of marketing success.
Here’s how he puts it in his introduction:
“Too many businesses see marketing as a weapon of war. They think that to succeed, they have to climb over their competitors, fool their customers, and herd their employees into constricted conformity. I think that’s just plain wrong.”
He uses numerous examples, case histories and quotations to illustrate and demonstrate how effectively one can market by putting aside all notions of ‘war’ and ‘winning’. You’ll find examples drawn from large businesses and small, with everything in between.
That’s the beauty of this book and Shel’s thinking: he stands on honesty and integrity, while at the same time offering practical, proven ways in which to market effectively.
Towards the end of the book, here’s how he sums things up:
This is a book about effective marketing. About profits. About success. But all based on honesty.
That’s a pretty neat thing: make money and still stand by your own principles – and the values you would like your children and community to share.
https://www.excessvoice.com/business-ethics.htm Harold McFarland, Readers PreferenceThere is an alternative method of marketing, one that does not depend on an adversarial approach. This is the point of “Principled Profit”–marketing can be done in a manner that creates a win-win relationship with the customer…details multiple examples of cooperative marketing, community focused marketing, and how to turn suppliers and customers into evangelists for your products or services. The back of the book contains an extensive list of resources including copywriters, websites, and magazines…it does cover what most marketing courses leave out–commitment to the customer in a long-term sustainable relationship via ethical and honest treatment. Justin Hitt, Inside Strategic Relations(Note: Mr. Hitt wrote two different reviews for two of his publications. Both are quoted here.) (first review) You can be both profitable and ethical in practice. In fact, Shel Horowitz says “the businesses … that stake their marketing strategy on building positive long-term relationships … will be around for the long term.” I agree whole-heartedly in what Shel has to say. By putting honesty, integrity, and quality in the forefront of the actions you take in business, you can be profitable. Your business relationships with customers, employees, suppliers, and even competitors will grow. In fact, you can position your company to be well respected in your field of business… (second review) Practical marketing and sales strategies that are people oriented, truthful, respectful, and in each customer’s best interest… The depth of content and value of information surprised me. Horowitz uses an informal but authoritative style to present tested strategies with relevant facts… provides real-world applications in an inspirational nature that make it enjoyable to read, even for companies deadly concerned about economic and competitive pressures… Horowitz packed Principled Profit with detailed strategies and examples you can use–no filler like other books on the topic. It was refreshing to read a book that provided cost effective methods to increase profits, but did not rely on heavy-handed cutthroat tactics found in other recent releases… I highly recommend Shel Horowitz’s Principled Profits… It can help your team gain positive relationships with customers that will serve your bottom line for years to come, while providing customers exactly what they want and need.
Peter Hupalo, Midwest Book Review
Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First by Shel Horowitz advocates that companies should market ethically and honestly, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because it creates the most long-term success for a company by building customer loyalty.
Horowitz says companies should follow the principles of quality, honesty, and integrity. He writes, “Create value for others in everything you do. … You help yourself best when you’re helping others.”…
Horowitz writes: “I never make cold calls. I create marketing that has the prospect calling me. When I get the phone call…they’re already convinced that I can help them.” Horowitz owns Accurate Writing & More (www.accuratewriting.com) which creates publicity releases and other documents for clients. (Horowitz writes press releases for many authors and small book publishers and is highly respected in the small press community.)…
Horowitz says knowing when to say “No” to business is important. If the job would compromise quality, integrity, or honesty, you should turn it down.
For example, Horowitz points out you should turn down business if:
* You don’t offer an appropriate solution (honesty).
* You don’t have enough time to do the job well (quality).
* You find the job morally distasteful (integrity).
Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First by Shel Horowitz is a great marketing book for small business owners who are looking for a better way to build a long-term business.
(The full review is available at https://www.midwestbookreview.com/rbw/aug_03.htm )
Lois Carter Fay, Brainy Tidbits
Shel Horowitz has a terrific new book available. If you haven’t heard of Shel, I suggest you take a look at his website, https://www.frugalmarketing.com and sign up for his ezine. Anyway, Shel is the author of several books on marketing, including his latest, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First. The book shows how ethical, cooperative businesses can not just succeed, but thrive. It gives examples from solo entrepreneurs through Fortune 100 corporations. With all the accounting and PR scandals we’ve had recently, I think this is a book that should be on every PR professional’s bookshelf. Shel makes a strong case for all businesses to use this win-win approach. He also discusses how it has worked for him and for many other businesses, including such giants as Saturn, Nordstrom and Johnson & Johnson. Shel’s practical tips for generating new business, marketing a company and making the world a better place are invaluable.
https://www.marketingideashop.com
Al Erisman, Ethix magazine
This remarkable little book offers radical, creative ideas for business and marketing, for a business world that will be unfamiliar to many. Horowitz looks for an alternative to the dog-eat-dog world of winners and losers by promoting a strategy of win-win.
He takes the position that market share is not the key issue (I win, they lose). Rather, the business should set goals for business, revenue, and customers that can make it successful regardless of what competitors do. He thus develops marketing strategies for teaming with customers, partners, even competitors.
The book is filled with illustrations of companies finding ways to be heard on the Internet, connecting with potential clients in a cost effective manner, and creating unusual and effective partnerships. Most of the focus is on small companies, though the book is sprinkled with some big company examples (e.g. Saturn, Ben & Jerry’s). True to his word, the book is filled with ideas and resource references for his own work (both free and fee-based) and for his competitors.
This is a very personal book. Horowitz’s lifestyle, training in journalism, and passion for a frugal life of abundance come through every page. Yet he is very willing to consider ideas that differ from his own, bringing in points from competitors and critiques to challenge his own argument…
I believe the ideas are very broadly applicable (though I would not go as far as Horowitz), and every business person should be confronted with this other way of doing business. I highly recommend this book.
Full review at https://www.ethix.org/reviews.php3
Karon Thackston, Business Essentials EzineAn exceptional book that plays to the theme: “Honesty, integrity, and quality are far more important than quick profits.”… You’ll want to check out Shel’s book. It’s quite unique and makes some exceptional points about marketing today.
Cathy Stucker, Bright Ideas newsletterDo you believe that marketing means doing anything to get the sale and do in your competition? Shel Horowitz would disagree, and he has written a book about how putting people first can make you a marketing success.
In his new book, “Principled Profit,” Shel Horowitz says that nice guys don’t finish last. Honesty, integrity and quality are keys to building a successful business with repeat customers. According to Shel, “Too many businesses see marketing as a weapon of war. They think that to succeed, they have to climb over their competitors, fool their customers, and herd their employees into constricted conformity. I think that’s just plain wrong.”
According to Shel, you can create value in your own business by creating value for others. Form partnerships with customers, employees, suppliers and even your competitors. You will succeed by helping others to succeed. In an atmosphere of trust and cooperation, they will become a marketing force for you, spreading the word to others who will want to do business with you.
You can put the ideas in “Principled Profit” to work for you by only taking on customers you can serve well, networking and forming alliances with complementary companies and competitors, being honest in your copywriting and advertising, and treating those you deal with the way you would like to be treated.
Shel wants to change the way the world sees business and marketing.
Visit Cathy Stucker’s site at https://idealady.com M. Polonsky, Fearless Reviews“Create value for others in everything you do,” states marketing guru Shel Horowitz. “You help yourself best when you’re helping others.” This entire book-pithy, conversational, anecdotal, and incisive – explains why and how this guiding principle works. Much of what Horowitz advises is straightforward business smarts, such as networking with complementary businesses, using customer testimonials in advertising, and bundling together complementary products or services. But all his prescriptions are firmly rooted in what he calls the “magic triangle” of Quality (“Provide the best value you can”), Integrity (“Run your business in alignment with your core values”) and Honesty (“Value the truth and be eager to share it with your prospects and customers – even if it means that your solution is not the best for them right now”). Horowitz recommends turning your competitors into allies by getting acquainted with them, marketing together with them, referring business to each other, subcontracting with each other, and more. Even in a very narrow niche market, Horowitz points out that “there are a number of ways to cooperate with competitors for mutual benefit,” including diversifying and working together to develop new markets. Horowitz provides many real-life examples of how these strategies have played out successfully in a rich variety of career fields. The author also makes a thoughtful distinction between the new-agey notion of “prosperity consciousness” and his own more practical and grounded paradigm of “abundance consciousness.” This book is chock-full of heartful common sense and excellent specific ideas that can apply to a wide array of circumstances. On top of that, it’s a pleasant read.
Bob Spear, Heartland Reviews, In a BookSense 76 RecommendationShel Horowitz is the Grandmaster of Win-Win marketing. He’s also a very nice, generous guy. His new book, Principled Profit, explains how to effectively market one’s products and services while not only getting along with one’s competitors, but by using them in a principled, positive way. His focus is on high ethics and demonstrates these and his willingness to cooperate with any and all through his examples and the freely sharing of competitor contact information. This book makes a good case study resource for those who want to do business in a better manner and end up doing better business. We rated it a perfect five hearts.
Leann Arndt, Buzz ReviewsShel Horowitz knows his stuff. If I had any issues with marketing, Shel is the only person that I would consult. The man’s knowledge is simply encyclopedic. Shel uses Principled Profit to show companies that they can indeed win by putting people first. In fact, Shel shows everyone how to succeed in today’s business market. Chapter 8; Joint Ventures, Big and Small, was truly remarkable. As a company, you learn to turn what you may see as hindrances, especially competitors, into your most valuable allies. The whole book is simply amazing. 4 stars
Tiffany Jonas, Review Coordinator, Self-Publishing Discussion List
As an advertising major in college turned off from the profession’s focus on selling of products people don’t really need, as a consumer all too often exposed to screaming car dealership commercials and bait-and-switch tactics, and as a new business owner… I was definitely interested in what Shel Horowitz had to say in this book!
The very first sentence, on the very first page, was sheer delight. As it happened, that page (and the five pages following it) contained endorsements and blurbs by the very well-known in the marketing field… and here’s how the author introduced them: “Many of these blurbs are shortened for space reasons… The complete versions are posted at www.principledprofit.com.” My goodness! How many times have I, as a movie and book consumer, been deceived by three words taken completely out of context of a review? Not this time! This first sentence promised an entirely new approach.
The book includes practical advice (“Run your business in alignment with your core values; don’t try to be something you’re not”) as well as practical statistics (i.e. “Gay and lesbian purchasing power is about $400 billion”), both of which a business owner can certainly use. While the practical advice may sometimes seem simple, in reality it is not. Using the example above, how many times, purely in a social setting in which literally nothing is at stake, are people tempted to try to be something they’re not? How much more so when one’s livelihood is on the line? The author’s reminder is both apt and profound, and something to be taped to the top of one’s computer monitor.
The author’s marketing strategy is also both strong and logical. “I create marketing that has the prospect calling me!” is a typical example. Again, on first approach it seems simple—but few marketers take the time to really create the draw or pull that will create action in a consumer who really does need the product or service. Instead, we have announcers shouting to us over the radio that they will not be undersold! What difference does a car dealership’s competitive ambition not to be undersold make to me as a consumer? Nada. On the other hand, last year while I was half-mindedly watching mortgage rates dive even lower, I received a simple, thoughtful letter from a mortgage broker giving me concrete information on how much I could expect to save at a certain interest rate compared to my current interest rate, how I could pay for the refinancing closing costs, and the steps to take to contact him to do it. I did refinance with that mortgage representative.
Some of the advice given in the book is fairly standard, but many other suggestions are both practical and new. And it’s refreshing to see an author writing about turning down a sale when it’s not right for him—and not necessarily for the reasons one might think.
CONS (1) Initially, I wished for less examples from the author’s career and more from other companies. I did get that wish later on in the book (he cites some very interesting examples, in fact, such as Rosenbluth International, which “will go so far as to open a new branch office, just to serve a new account”); it just can take patience to get there. (2) The author extols two techniques which just did not ring right: flattering a prospect/playing into that person’s ego, and putting time pressure on a person when it might not be the right time for the person to buy the product. These stood out all the more because the rest of the book is not like that. (3) One begins to wish the author would stop mentioning his other book, as one begins to feel that one is a sitting duck for a repetitive sales pitch. Enough already!
PROS (1) This book led me to question things I never thought to question, but should have; for example, the sentence “We need to gain market share” (read: we need to take some market share from a competitor). (2) The book serves as a great reminder where to put one’s priorities. Beyond integrity and personal satisfaction (which is, after all, why we live life), for instance, the author quotes the CEO of Southwest Airlines, who reminds us, “Market share has nothing to do with profitability. Market share says we just want to be big; we don’t care if we make money doing it. To get an additional 5 percent of the market, some companies increased their costs by 25 percent.” (3) A balanced approach to many issues; I respect an author who gives both sides of the story or both pros and cons to an approach. (4) The book uses examples with which everyday consumers and readers will be familiar; for instance, a grocery store chain that pioneered the reservation of parking spaces for pregnant customers, and the office supply chain which rearranged its stores to steer its customers to the right technology for what they needed (I believe that’s Office Depot).
(A note on the rating: The lack of half-stars on the rating scale didn’t give me a good option for an accurate rating. At the time of this review I have only given 5 stars to one book, and not many four-star reviews, either. This book is above average. If I could have given a rating on a scale from one to ten, I would have given it a 7.)
The author makes a bold statement in Chapter 3: “Does the last chapter mean there’s no place for salespeople anymore? Not at all—but it does mean that some businesses don’t need a sales force if their marketing is properly effective.” Bravo!
Swamy Swarna, www.bookpleasures.com
‘Principled Profit’ by Shel Horowitz is an excellent book on ethical marketing, abundance mindset and other innovative ideas. They are innovative from the typical materialistically oriented, aggressive, ‘If You Win I must have lost’ perspective. It may or may not appeal to the typical A-type (ambitious, aggressive and often angry) pusher, but it will certainly open the mental doors to a different and more efficient ball-game of marketing. Instead of the Win-lose mentality, it talks consistently of win-win situations and gives plenty of examples.
The book is a comprehensive tour of ethical marketing, where the marketer is a partner of the client right through. And where ‘there is enough for everyone’ is the recurring concept. Cooperation is more efficient than competition, and competition should be a friendly ‘I help you – you help me – together let us build a better world for all’ is the key theme in this beautiful book.
Unlike many ‘professional’ reviewers, I do read through the book carefully, though it takes a lot of time and effort, since basically I am a book-lover. So, I can’t but help notice editorial or style problems, spelling and grammatical errors etc. I do make a note of them as I read and make notes in the book margins. I also note down some very good points which strike a resonative Aha in mind. I am happy to say that Shel’s book had very few adverse notes when I finished reading and several ‘good’, ‘excellent’ etc., comments spattered through out.
Chapter 18 is the best chapter in the book and will give you a gist of the whole book. So read that short chapter first apart from this and many other reviews/endorsements in the beginning of the book, so that you can decide whether the book is for you or not. The “Resources’ at the end of the book and the Index add value to the book.
If you are in any way connected with marketing of a product or service, this book is definitely for you. Even if you are not directly involved in marketing of anything, since you need to market yourself, the book will give you several ideas.
My score for this book is 9/10 and rating for this book is ‘Excellent’.
Jim Straw, WorldWide Business Exchange
Hand written on a slip of paper that has been in the top drawer of my desk for nearly 40 years…where it came from, I do not know…who said it originally, I do not know…when I transcribed it and put it in my desk, I do not know…it simply says, “Let him who would be great among you be servant to all.” It has been the foundation of my business life. Well, at last, another entrepreneur of the first order…Shel Horowitz…has voiced the same simple admonition in great depth, in his new book, “Principled Profit: Marketing that puts people first.” This long-overdue book sets forth clear & practical advice on how & why you can succeed by marketing ethically & cooperatively. Tells you how you can turn your customers & even your competitors into marketing evangelists for you…with dozens of examples of large & small businesses that have succeeded by doing the right thing. “Principled Profit” is a powerful antidote to the Enron/WorldCom way of doing business. By the by, Southwest Airlines bought 1,000 copies of “Principled Profit.” – If you had given up on the ethics of business, you need to read this one. Order your personal copy of “Principled Profit” today. It’s only $21.00 ($17.50 + $3.50 s&h). Learn how your business can profit greatest by being servant rather than master.
Klaus Dahl, Direct Marketing Review (Denmark)According to Shel Horowitz, author of “Principled Profit”…the aim of the typical kind of marketing is to cause the customer to buy your product or service—whether your customer actually needs it or not. Often this is equivalent to taking advantage of the customer. No one dares to say it, but that’s the truth. The focus is on what the company will get—namely the customer’s money. Not on the customer. If just the company gets the customer’s money, everything is okay. That seems to be the measure of success which many companies follow. Instead of this self-centered focus, Shel Horowitz suggests a complete new way of looking at Marketing. What he suggests is actually a complete change of paradigm. The basis of the new Marketing is The Golden Rule from the Bible: “Do unto others what you want them to do unto you”. Instead of looking upon your customers as just a way of getting money, consider them as cooperators—yes, even as your friends. According to Shel Horowitz the paradox is that the more you leave your egoism and selfisness behind and instead focus on your customers’ wishes and needs, the more they’ll want to buy from you. Now, in theory a lot of marketers have said something along this line, but in the ‘real’ world very few marketers have actually applied this principle to their business. In “Principled Profits” Shel Horowitz shows you how to actually build your business on the Golden Rule. It’s obvious that Shel Horowitz has given this subject a lot of thought. This isn’t just another who’s paying lip-service to serving the customer and then has decided to earn some extra money by writing a book on service. Shel Horowitz knows what he’s talking about. And from my own—and many others’—experience with him he practises what he preaches. Shel Horowitz gives you all the details you need to go ahead and change your overall business focus. His argumentation is strong and compelling, and he shows you how to actually change your focus. He shows you what a different focus will actually mean for you and your business. Shel Horowitz doesn’t keep it at a theoretical level. In the last part of his book (from chapter 14) he covers several effective ways of applying his general philosophy and strategy to your everyday business life… “Principled Profit” is a very, very important and valuable book in my opinion. When you’ve read all the pure step-by-step marketing books and still wonder why you don’t succeed, I suggest that you take a long and thoughtful look at this book. (Original unedited review is at https://www.klausdahl.com/Shel-Horowitz-Principled-Profit-review.htm)
Spirit In Business NetworkDo you believe that marketing means doing anything to get the sale and do in your competition? Shel Horowitz disagrees, and in this book he shows how putting people first can make you a marketing success. In (his book) “Principled Profit,” Shel Horowitz says that nice guys don’t finish last. Honesty, integrity and quality are keys to building a successful business with repeat customers. According to Shel, “Too many businesses see marketing as a weapon of war. They think that to succeed, they have to climb over their competitors, fool their customers, and herd their employees into constricted conformity. I think that’s just plain wrong.” According to Shel, you can create value in your own business by creating value for others. Form partnerships with customers, employees, suppliers and even your competitors. You will succeed by helping others to succeed. In an atmosphere of trust and cooperation, they will become a marketing force for you, spreading the word to others who will want to do business with you. You can put the ideas in “Principled Profit” to work for you by only taking on customers you can serve well, networking and forming alliances with complementary companies and competitors, being honest in your copywriting and advertising, and treating those you deal with the way you would like to be treated. Shel Horowitz is a highly-respected copywriter and marketing expert, and both the “how-to” and the philosophy in this book make it clear why. (original review is at https://www.spiritinbusinessnetwork.com/book_principledprofit.htm)
Joanne Benham, Reader ViewsIn this era of cut-throat competition, greedy shareholders wanting more and more return on their investment and small companies being swallowed up by their larger competition, is there any way a company can grow and prosper while at the same time they adhere to a strict code of ethics? While many people would answer that question with a resounding “NO,” Shel Horowitz disagrees. In this guideline for ethical marketing practices, Horowitz breaks his reasoning into three categories:
Each of these broad categories is broken down in smaller subsets, illustrating different principles along with written documentation showing how these ideas have been successfully implemented in the real world. One point that he makes, and one with which I’m sure almost everyone agrees, is that while the average consumer wants competitive prices, they are willing to pay a little more for service and personal attention. Service means different things to different people, but one thing on which almost everyone agrees it that navigating the telephone voice-mail maze is frustrating to say the very least. Big business, are you listening? Chapter 19 is devoted to resources for the reader, listing books, magazines and web sites where you can get more information about the points set out in the book. This book should be read by anyone who owns a business, no matter what size. Perhaps it could help avert another catastrophe as business’ jockey for profits. https://www.readerviews.com/ReviewHorowitzPrincipledProfit.html
Joan Friedman, Shalom NewspaperWhen Mensches Market, Ethics Lead to Profits: How Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World) Can Rocket a Business to Greater Success is told with the following: The road to your success is providing value to others. When your business has integrity, you will feel better and your company will do better. According to this book, there are so many wonderful ways to make a profit, and doing it with integrity is the best way to do it. The magic triangle: Apply quality, integrity and honesty and you will help yourself while you help others. This is the author’s fourth marketing book and companies that look for long term success in the 21st century must demand high ethics. Even if they don’t get caught, crooked businesses are making a big mistake. “Doing the right thing is more profitable for the long term. Ethical, profitable businesses can turn their customers—even their competitors—into their champions, and slash their marketing costs up to 80%—so ethical businesses make more money,” consultant and copywriter Shel Horowitz said. Citing as his inspiration the Jewish concept of “Tikkun Olam”, Horowitz points out: * Profitability and success are not about market share, but about making a difference. There is a sweeping social change in much of the business world. Some companies’ ultimate goal is to significantly better the world. The author offers his own three-fold blessing: May you be inspired, ethical and successful, may you find deep satisfaction in the work you do, and may you never lack for abundance in your life. This belongs on your bookshelf.
Award Judge FeedbackShel Horowitz knows marketing–and he knows it well. His premise is a unique one, different from most hardcore business ideas: Marketing is a cooperative process, a series of partnerships, unions, courtships, and they are based in ethics and integrity. That means you have a relationship with everyone involved–from your employees to your competitors. This is not dog-eat-dog, get-out-there and get-’em stuff. herein, says Horowitz, you *are* the nice guy, you make relationships last, and you find success–with principles… Marketing rookies and/or longtime pros could benefit with this sincere and thorough approach to each people and promote products…could be a successful, even breakthrough business book…
Anonymous Judge, Writer’s Digest Self-Publishing Competition
D. Murali, Business Line Daily, Mumbai, IndiaJoining the league of apparently oxymoronic phrases, such as “truth in numbers”, “fairness in justice” and “honesty in politics”, is Ethics in Marketing by Shel Horowitz [this is the Indian edition of Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First, identical to the American version except for the title]. “People do matter!” begins the intro, on a thumping note. “Too many businesses see marketing as a weapon of war. They think that to succeed, they have to climb over their competitors, fool their customers, and herd their employees into constricted conformity. I think that’s just plain wrong,” declares Horowitz. “Marketing is a series of partnerships – of courtships, really,” he entices. Businesses have to woo their customers, and look for “a deep and long-lasting relationship,” as in marriage, based on meeting the needs and wants of all stakeholders. D. Murali, Business Line Daily, Mumbai, India https://www.blonnet.com/catalyst/2007/11/22/stories/2007112250040200.htm
Karen Blotnicky, The Chronicle-Herald…Horowitz’s abundance perspective leads to another premise: there is enough business out there for everybody. If one buys that argument, then clearly the focus on market share is obsolete, because there is simply enough market share to go around. If there is enough market share to go around, one’s marketing strategy focuses on how to get a piece of that market share, without having to compete aggressively to get it. This approach seems reasonable on an intuitive level, and it also sounds like a very comfortable way to expand a business. The notion focuses more on sharing and market sustainability than it does on competition. If the goal of a firm is not to compete for a market, but to share it with others, this change in goals brings about dramatic changes in marketing strategy. Suddenly, co-operative partnerships become more feasible. Why not share the wealth instead of controlling it? Small businesses in the tourism industry have been doing this for years, creating packages by combining goods and services from various businesses in the community. The end result is that the companies reach their goals, the market is sustained and consumers are better served… Karen Blotnicky, The Chronicle-Herald, Halifax, NS |
Shel specializes in affordable, ethical, and effective marketing for authors, publishers, small businesses, nonprofits, and community groups. Copywriter, marketing and publishing consultant, international speaker, and award-winning author of seven books. 