Book Presentation

Selling The Dream by Guy Kawasaki

Book Abstract

MAIN IDEA

Evangelism combines passion and an almost religous strength zeal into the overall process of convincing other people to believe in a product or service as much as you do. In effect, evangelism is the ultimate sales technique, as you convert your offering from a consumer product to a community cause.

Evangelism means to convert other people to share your own passion. The same principles that can be used to establish a viable community pressure group can also be structured around your own product or service. Your sales process then becomes more like a conversion than a demonstration.

Some of the most successful products in history (like the Apple Macintosh) have been sold this way.

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This is a summary and not a critique or a review of the book. It does not offer judgment or opinion on the content of the book. This summary may not be organized chapter-wise but is an overview of the main ideas, viewpoints and arguments from the book as a whole. This means that the organization of this summary is not a representation of the book.

Summary of Selling The Dream (Guy Kawasaki)

1. AN INTRODUCTION TO EVANGELISM

Main Idea

Definition Of Evangelism

Evangelism is the process of convincing people to believe in your company, product, service or idea as strongly as you do. It combines passion with the transformation of a vision into a cause that becomes self sustaining.

Supporting Ideas

Evangelism can mean the difference between success and failure for any product or service because:

• People aren’t stupid - they don’t automatically buy whatever is advertised.
• Social consciousness and a respect for consumer power are increasing.
• Word-of-mouth advertising (which must be earned rather than bought) actually works.

Evangelism is an extension of a worthy cause. The starting point for all evangelism is a cause - a strong, passionate belief in an idea, product, company or concept.

The characteristics of a good cause are:

1. A cause embodies a vision.
   Causes are built on insights that have the potential to change the world but are not yet acknowledged by the public at large.
2. Causes motivate people to greater activity.
   When people become zealous and passionate about whatever they are doing, they will work harder, longer and with less concern for what they personally get out of it than ever before.
3. Causes generate big results.
   The strongest causes either affect almost everybody in society or they affect a small group in a major way. Drama and passion come together in a cause.
4. Causes create selfless actions.
   A true cause will motivate people to action with no ulterior motives such as the traditional “What’s in it for me?” attitude.
5. Causes generate intense positive and negative reaction. The strongest causes generate strong feelings. There will be absolutely fanatical and strong believers or equally passionate disbelievers. Nobody sits on the fence.

Examples of successful commercial causes: