S H A M ?

Just picked up a book with this title! It’s by Steve Salerno, about the “Self Help & Actualization Movement” - that’s where the S H A M comes from.

I’m still partway through the book, but he’s bringing up an interesting thesis - that most of the books and related products here aren’t effective - except for the authors. This arises out of one bit of information from market surveys :

The most likely customer for any book on any given topic was someone who had bought a similar book within the preceding eighteen months.

…

In a way that finding should not have surprised me. People read what interests them ; …

But the Eighteen-Month Rule struck me as counterintuitive - and discomfiting - in a self-help setting……. Many of our books proposed to solve, or at least ameliorate, a problem. If what we sold worked, one would expect lives to improve. One would not expect people to need further help from us - at least, not in that same problem area, and certainly not time and time again.

And the bit about benefiting the authors?

Ah, the ancillaries. All major seminarists reap a substantial added windfall from their so-called ancillary products: the $10 workbooks, the $19 videos and DVDs, the $49 series of CDs and cassetes for the car, to give you that all important motivational jolt during the commute to work.

…

“You have to have something for all the market segments. You can’t afford to ignore the folks who can only afford a quick dose of inspiration.”

What struck me, reading his opinions on the offerings from Stephen Covey / Anthony Robbins and others, was that we see the same in two other areas.

Personal finance and investment - Rich Dad being a classic example. And the Internet Marketing / Internet Business area.

A book, or a report. Tools and training. CD’s, audio versions, workbooks, seminars, bootcamps, advanced camps. Perhaps they’re worthwhile - or perhaps not. It’s upto each person who buys.

What’s more important, is the insight into the business model. To help decide whether you want to participate, or not, or how much.

Written by 2cworth on May 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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