Zero Waste Enthusiastic
Get inspired by Shel Horowitz and his insights on how caring for the environment can be profitable.
How many books about opening up a business whilst highlighting the effects that would come after it which would disturb the environment’s condition including different ways how to address such matter have you already read? With millions of writers and authors around the world, there must be several of these books which discuss the same thing over and over again. Some may be relevant and have a direct bearing on issues that must be addressed but take note that not all of them are effective. Some can even be misleading.
On that note, young entrepreneurs and small businesses would always consult experts and books for recommendations and suggestions on how to flourish their growing business. Good for those who have colleagues that are experts and provides consultation for free. However, growing a business can be compared to blowing hot and cold on certain days. There will always be different opinions and recommendations. A different perspective from different people. Hence, it always carries our feet back to the question, “Whose, among all recommendations, is suitable for my business?”. With that, I just have the perfect book recommendation for you. And I am not bluffing, because you’ll see how an intricate conundrum can be fixed and ironed out by a single book.
Shel Horowitz’ Guerilla Marketing To Heal The World
Guerilla Marketing to Heal the World by Jay Conrad Levinson and Shel Horowitz is the kind of book that you MUST look into. It has fresh insights and impactful points which can change the paradigm towards greater business marketing without compromising the sustainability and environment’s condition.
Upon stumbling on the review section of the book from the second to its sixth page, I’ve gathered similar answers and complements from experts; ethical approach, bringing someone out of poverty, it resonates with the people, and socially beneficial. Simple words but with great impacts. I can summarize the whole review of this book by using those three statements as it definitely resonates with the gravity that this book hails. With that, I will be highlighting important and noteworthy points from the book. I will try my hardest though to not spoil you with all the details because this is a must-read, hence, I will try to be transparent yet comprehensible still as much as possible.
What I like best in this book is how you can relate it with academic books we use in high school, wherein the objectives were divided into different units which the students will encounter and which slowly enforces the amount of learning they need to learn at the end of the school year. That’s how I would place an illustration of the book. The authors did a fine job in dividing the objectives depending on the kind of reader they are targeting. The book is divided into 4 Parts excluding the Introduction, Preface, and References.
Levinson and Horowitz are commendable for starting their book with discussions about ethical values and slowly leveling up the different parts from the values to mindset, to the Green Marketing going towards the downside of business and still with inclusion of tips and solutions. Nothing is compromised in the book, which is why I enjoyed it so much. As we all know, reading can be tiring especially when it contains dozens of pages. It can be time-consuming even. But apart from that, you are quite concerned about what you may gain out of it. Hence, your laziness always gets the best of you as you already presumed that the details in the book can be overwhelming.
But trust me, Levinson and Horowitz’s book, although lengthy, but is highly relevant and brings out noteworthy points that we need to learn. Just like what Levinson mentioned in the introduction, “What we say in this book is not theory. It is a call to action. It is a mandate from nature.”
Ethical Approach
Let me begin this review by highlighting how the entire book screams ethics in its entirety. It is notable how not all the time we get to encounter emphasis on ethical values and principles in academic books. Because usually, they all manifest a more straightforward and erudite culture. But in Guerilla Marketing to Heal the World by Jay Conrad Levinson and Shel Horowitz, ethical values are not compromised, but rather, emphasized.
Treat others the way you want to be treated. Isn’t this a familiar saying we often hear from our elders? Well, yes and this has been highlighted by Levinson and Horowitz in their book. And according to them, this principle should be a cornerstone of one’s business which will eventually lead to your business’ success. Given now that several businesses from local to international are paving their way towards a flourishing business. However, not everyone gets to be successful as much as different businesses that we already know of these days.
Most especially if we talk about marketing. Levinson and Horowitz would like to label this as “a weapon of war” in the field of business. Why? Because this helps determine the success of your growing business. As competitors would slowly climb up the ladder with the kind of marketing that they are ding and advertising. What’s nice with this book is how the authors did not fail to put importance on ethical values. Apparently, all businesses aim for one thing – to preserve and improve the world. This is a normal ideal that one is aiming for. Success strategies can go beyond the limits as we are empowered individuals who are capable of doing such things.
But what saddens us the most is when ethical principles and values are no longer considered. Thus, Levinson and Horowitz highlight its importance. They illustrated marketing as series of partnerships – courtship to be exact. It’s also similar to marriage and deep relationships where the goal of the people involved is to stay committed and ensure the structure of the relationship. Hence, wooing and mutual understanding struts firm in this case. In accounts of that, marketing works this way.
Business owners would woo their customers and constantly assuring them of good quality products and whatnot. But just like marriage, we do not only consider what we want but also the wants and needs of our spouse. Hence, marketing should work in the same sense where consideration is not only limited within the board of investors, but rather, including the people, the employees, suppliers, and even investors. With that establishment, trust will soon come after.
As you can see, Levinson and Horowitz highlighted an ethical approach in the marketing business, not only for the sake of being ethical but because, it really contributes to the growth of the business and its owners. It doesn’t only make a business more successful, but it also motivates and provides a standard on how marketing should work in the business world.
Doing the right things and doing things right are two different statements with different gravity. With that, Levinson and Horowitz have this to say, “Always remember that, like successful romance, successful marketing is about how you can add value for the other person.” (Levinson & Horowitz, n.d.)
Marketing Strategies Applicable to ALL
It is commonly known for authors to provide suggestions and ideas to their readers – perhaps at the end of the book or a chapter dedicated to such. Nevertheless, the effectivity is rare. Thus, Guerilla Marketing to Heal the World by Jay Conrad Levinson and Shel Horowitz stand out for their effectiveness. Apart from the ethical values they consistently emphasized in the book, the marginalized were not compromised, rather, they are prioritized.
Providing us with strategic marketing and networking techniques, Levinson and Horowitz made sure that these techniques apply to all; Pull vs Push – a traditional marketing strategy “Focused heavily on advertising, push marketers shoves their marketing at prospects.” (Levinson & Horowitz, pp. 71, n.d.)
According to them, it can be interruptive and forceful as marketers would often shove, not literally or can be, to your face about their products. Having to stop you from what you are doing because the product is important and there is no need for delay. On the contrary, Levinson and Horowitz believe that this marketing strategy is violating the golden rule – and yet again, we are back with the ethical values which they highlighted in the first part of the book.
Can see you see how the consistency between ethical values is still emphasized? Right! Hence, Levinson and Horowitz do not only care about providing their readers with the right and proper marketing strategies. Furthermore, they always make sure that every suggestions and idea enforced are still about their ethical approach.
In summary, here are the proposed strategies for marketing given by Levinson and Horowitz that is open to all kinds of businesses:
- Incorporate top-quality customer service into every aspect of your business.
- Always present information from the perspective of those who will benefit the product.
- Target your marketing towards your target audience.
- Treat your prospects as intelligent, thinking, feeling people.
- Be honest with your claims of the products.
- Be wary with sensitive culture or traditional nuances.
- Build your reputation.
- Understand your customers.
The attack of marketing strategies provided by Levinson and Horowitz are timely and very open to all kinds of businesses. Even local and small businesses can incorporate these tips and suggestions. Thus, the book they created is a masterpiece that does not aim to attack the needs of big companies and businesses, but the business world in general.
It resonates with the people
The kind of attack this book is flaring is not limited to the bigger readers. Instead, it aims to resonate with everyone; whether you are just planning to start a small business or you are planning to expand your business throughout the country, this book is for you.
Hence, the points and parts stated in this book are of high importance as it talks about the general view in business and not only focusing on the top leagues. Consequently, the way they communicate with the readers through this book is commendable. You may think that reading a book can squeeze all the juices in your brain.
However, this one is different. Reading its contents is just like talking to your neighbor. It is as if Levinson and Horowitz are just sipping coffee with you on your lanai and discussing business, still in the formal track but with a friendly and homey touch. They provide you with real examples which really happens or had to happen in the past. “…find—and fill—customers’ desires and needs, assuage their pain points, and further their goals.” (Levinson & Horowitz, pp. 79, n.d.) With that, you can already the picture of the reality in business and how to flourish in and with it.
Socially Beneficial
It is socially beneficial because it highlights realities and not about information about what you want to hear. Something that is presently occurring in society is being handled in this book. It talks about failures and successes respectively.
The focus of their book is not only limited to “How to become successful in the business world?” or, “How to improve our marketing strategies?”. Yes, the authors still tackled that, but they did not only dwell on those questions. “THE LEARNING POSSIBILITIES OF FAILURE” on page 54 tells us the essence of failure and why it happens.
“Don’t be afraid to fail. Have a good laugh whenever you hear that famous phrase, “failure is not an option.”
You would encounter this line at the very beginning of “The Learning Possibilities of Failure” on page 54. And it left me awing from how they have handled the relationship of the society and bring about realities in their book. Getting real was like one of their aim in this book and trust me, it works.
Conclusion
In accounts of all of these, Guerilla Marketing to Heal the World by Jay Conrad Levinson and Shel Horowitz is one of the several books you shouldn’t be sleeping on. It discusses matters with a huge touch of ethical approach. The consistency in emphasizing values and principles is evident in the book and it provides a brighter and wider perspective on the society and economy and not just simply on how to flourish and compete with other businesses.
