Reading, and the subtle art of doing things!
Mehta Rajesh
Providing value to build businesses across the globe. With more than 25 years of experience in India and Africa. Software, digital marketing, FMCG, construction chemicals, adhesives, sealants and tyres.
Since I have read enough self-help books, management theories, and other gyan riddled books from Bill Bryson's encyclopedic writing to Gene (Siddhartha Mukherjee) to Sapiens, and have not yet morphed into an intellectual giant, I am qualified to write this.
It is is not a critique or review of a specific book, but the thought of publishing this came up when I finished Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini. A remarkable, influential, insightful book that is also a best seller. While all the principles mentioned in the book are valid, the question which haunts me at the end of each of these books was more pronounced than ever. "Where the fuck do I find the talent for implementing this?"
While I do believe that I am talented and creative, I have, in most circumstances, not been able to derive a to-do out of this. For example, the book on Influence has a principle - Scarcity or Social Influence or Authority, will it be fair to conceive and plan to implement these principles in marketing. And if so, how? The superficial versions of these are one a plenty, and we see it in all walks of life, but never have they transformed an organization. A campaign here or there, yes, but organizations and marketing strategies are not built around these.
Yes, this is my opinion, but even if I assume that each campaign needs to be built around a combination of principles in this book, it will need amazing creative talent and risk-taking ability to work on this. Can I risk a mediocre and generic campaign just because it applies these principles? Say, I would like to use these principles in BTL (Frontline sales promotion activities for the uninitiated), so should I give this book to read for the in-store promotion executive or to the area sales manager? Or should I lie and design the promotion in a way that there is a constant scarcity?
It is very challenging to implement a theory without a high level of talent. The combination of thinking, experience, and creativity necessary for success far exceeds the lucid and simple presentation in the book
Directly opposite these books are the Dale Carnegie's and even Mark Mccormack of the world.
Experience and thinking with output in operating principles and To-do? Where will you and I get more results to make things work?
Just some food for thought. No answers here. Only tough questions.