Recommended Reading
My Blog Administration service from GoDaddy-Quick BlogCast tells me I have not published an entry in a very long time........So I thought I would jump back in with some book recommendations for all those interested in sales, marketing and human behavior. I enjoyed the following books and also learned quite a bit from them. In fact in one case, Nudge, I wish I had read it BEFORE implementing some new practices.
Here we go:
By Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein
Among other things, this is a good book for any HR or Finance professional designing 401k programs or anyone considering their own retirement needs. It is also an important read for online marketeers presenting options to customers. The authors cover the irrational decisions individuals make and the importance of guidance, their "nudges." They have some interesting thoughts on the marriage process. You will also enjoy the urinal story from Schipol airport in Amsterdam. I'm going to check out the urinals the next time I am there!
By Martin Lindstrom
Lindstrom used MRIs on a few thousand people to observe their reactions to certain ads and buying habits. He looked at the notion that sex sells, at "anti" campaigns and other advertising strategies including product placement. For those of you wondering, the book came out more than 3 years after GoDaddy released its first, and now famous, Super Bowl commercial.
One of the interesting findings....anti-smoking billboards and commercials can actually drive sales of the products they are warning against. You can check out an interview with the author here. And that lime you stick in your bottle of Corona...I've had people tell me it was a practice intended to keep flies away. Look for the REAL answer in Buyology.
by Dan Ariely
A really compelling read on why we do what we do-even when it is not in our best interest. Ever wonder why a $4.00 cup of coffee seems entirely reasonable these days? Or the power of a "Free" offer ? How about bundles--print and online versions of a magazine for example. Like Nudge, this has real world practical insights for marketeers.
Ariely also covers social behaviors, sex, procrastination and choice
Ariely, now a professor at MIT, also shares his heart-wrenching personal story in the book's introduction.
I suggest you read them all. And if I see a lot of referrer traffic to Amazon I guess I should think about joining their affiliate program 
Posted by Warren Adelman at 5/17/2009 11:34 AM 
Categories: Human behavior
Tags: ecommerce godaddy advertising marketing
Categories: Human behavior
Tags: ecommerce godaddy advertising marketing
Predictably Irrational is pretty much a must read, whether you are interested in sales or not.
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I think you should sell these books in your market place. Like a Warren's recommendation section.
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I'm currently reading Cyberpower and National Security. Not sure that would be a big hit
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Just finished Predictably Irrational this week. Thought it was very interesting, looking forward to applying some of the concepts. Ordered the other 2, hope they read well.
Have you read "The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement " by Eliyahu M. Goldratt?
If you haven't I highly recommend
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Have not read that one. Will look it up. Thanks for the suggestion.
Warren
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