Book Review: Appreciation Marketing

Over the next few days, I will review a book that I recently read that was a tremendous gift given to me by one of the authors, Curtis Lewsey of Appreciation Marketing.

We were connected by a post I wrote about the importance of "appreciation". He sent me the book because he felt we were speaking the same language.

It was a gift from him with the following etched in the front, "Maria, I appreciate you. Enjoy! Curtis"

Is that disclosure enough? I hope so. Because even if I hadn't been gifted it, it still would be a gift. I wish I had written it - it's important, timely and "old school" thank yous still rock!

Appreciation Marketing...what is it?

"Appreciation wins out over self promotion every single time" - Kody Bateman

Lewsey and his co-author, Tommy Wyatt, review the importance appreciation and value have on customer loyalty. As young kids, we were all taught - do what you say you were going to do. We also know, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. And, who hasn't been taught - "say please" and "say thank you".

Yet, in business, those three items are the first things we forget.

What would happen in your life if you really spent a moment in sincere and genuine appreciation? What would you do in someone's life if you sent a sincere, heart-felt, handwritten thank you?

I'm amazed in this day of brand gurus and marketing divas - that this one practice is overlooked. From authors contributing to a blog to someone taking a moment to answer your question thoroughly and completely on a forum, to someone who takes a moment to leave some feedback on your Facebook wall, how often I see really smart people go completely dumb about how they say thank you.

A mass email is NOT a sincere thank you. But then, "mejor que nada" which in Tex-Mex is "it's better than nothing".

A text saying "thx Ur the best" is not great either.

When did we all forget that behind every Twitter handle, Facebook ID, phone number and email address IS a person?

According to Lewsey and Wyatt, they quote Tim Sanders from his book "The Likeability Factor" where Sanders shares that being likeable is most important in determining people's success.

So are you likeable or are you just average?

Stay tuned for more on this great book!