Tuned In: Uncover the Extraordinary Opportunities that Lead to Business Breakthroughs is a road map to the ultimate in “pull” marketing–creating a great product people instantly know they want. Yes, it takes a little more time upfront, but it pays off by having to spend less time and money on educating the customer as to why they need it or using “push” sales and marketing tactics to sell it.

The opposite is Outside-In thinking, which companies often prey to when they think THEY are the expert. As the authors say, “Your opinion, although interesting, is irrelevant!” Even your current customers’ opinions are not important—only buyers’ opinions—because the BIG opportunities may lie outside your current market.

Tuned-in companies create a resonator—a breakthrough product or service that buyers immediately see the value of having, even if they know nothing about your company.

The best example the authors cite is Zipcar, a membership service that allows you to rent cars by the hour in urban locations. It’s been a huge hit with city dwellers and those who use public transportation to commute into the city. Zipcar resonated to the tune of $60 million in revenue in 2007.

In fact, the authors’ steps to being tuned in are:

Step 1 – Find Unresolved Problems
Step 2 – Understand Buyer Personas
Step 3 – Quantify the Impact
Step 4 – Create Breakthrough Experiences
Step 5 – Articulate Powerful Ideas
Step 6 – Establish Authentic Connections

While some readers will want more detailed how-to’s, the authors do share good, concrete ideas that any entrepreneur can use to speed a business’ path to profitability.

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