Most business books take an entire 200-300 pages to make a single point.  Oftentimes, the book’s length helps make the point with examples, case studies, explorations of different components of the primary point, etc.  But sometimes, what you really needed was something short – just 2-3 pages perhaps to get the gist.

That might be why I liked David Meerman Scott’s new book World Wide Rave so much.  It’s a relatively short book, with a focus on how to get our customers – your fans – to spread your ideas and share your stories with those they know.  It’s an excellent treatise on how to create and drive word-of-mouth for your business or brand.

And what makes it even better is that you don’t have to read it.

Pick up the book and flip to a random page.  You’re likely to landing on the start of a new, short topic that will spark your creativity.  This book is full of short but powerful ideas, examples and inspirations related to spreading the word about your products and services virally.

When I first picked up a copy, I didn’t have time to dig in and read it right away.  And thank goodness.  Over the next couple days, I literally would pick it up every once in awhile and just flip to a page.  Tons of great content and ideas in a short, easy to follow, quick-hit format.

For marketers especially, I highly recommend this book.  Just don’t read it (at least not like that).

Just heard a radio ad for an online university that offered a white paper to listeners as a lead generation tool.  The content of the white paper, given the ad’s intent and intended audience, was pretty good.  The fact that they called it a white paper, however, was off the mark.

The concept of white papers is more often seen in B2B marketing, but the idea of giving consumer product customers access to free, educational information isn’t exactly new.  It’s just that smart marketers never refer to those offers using industry lingo.  Instead, you’ll more often hear things like “special report”, “free money-saving tips”, and the like. 

Even with some B2B buyers, the term “white paper” isn’t exactly going to resonate.  For some audiences, IT buyers for example, an explicit white paper offer might work.  For retail managers or small business owners, probably not.

Reminds me of a Subway radio ad a few years ago that literally referred to its customers as “consumers.”  For internal planning, fine.  For creative, never.

This post from Matt at SmallBizBee was humbling.

But my first reaction after reading it was actually, "Gee, my handwriting really is awful!" , followed by a re-read of how he had both interpreted and shared our communication exchange from earlier in the week.

Everything we do, say and write can come back to help us or to haunt us.  Every element of our communication reflects and shapes who we are, and how others perceive us.  This goes for communication outside your company - to customers, prospects, vendors and partners - as well as those you work with inside your organization.

It speaks to the importance of consistency and respect as much as anything.

Jim Collins has written extensively about who you should take into battle with you each day in your organization. He's written mostly about finding the right people, but his rules equally apply to ejecting the wrong people.

Take his list of criteria for the right people below, for instance. Think about the people in your organization right now who exhibit the exact opposite characteristics. Can you afford to keep them around? Isn't their drain on the organization exacerbated in this economy?

• The right people fit the company's core values
• The right people don't need to be tightly managed
• The right people understand that they do not have "jobs" - they have responsibilities
• The right people fulfill their commitments
• The right people are passionate about the company and its work
• The right people display window-and-mirror maturity (i.e. they give credit when credit's due, and take responsibility when things go awry)

Going the extra mile for customers is a hallmark of great brands worldwide.  The Ritz Carlton has become famous for it.  More recently, so has Zappos.com.

Last week, Hyatt Hotels announced they'd really like to be known for doing extraordinary things for their customers as well.  CEO Mark Hoplamazian announced a program called "random acts of generosity", in which the hotel chain will randomly pick up the tab for various amenities and services during your stay.

The concept is good, but Hyatt's trying a bit too hard.  And it probably won't work.

Why is the Ritz Carlton known worldwide for exceptional, above-and-beyond service?  Because it's core to their brand DNA, it's something they practice daily with every single employee, and it's something they've been doing for years.

Zappos.com has less of a history, but is equally committed to an organization-wide customer focus.  Read anything from their CEO (or even their employees) and it's clear this is not a random or new initiative.  It's just how they do business.

These are enviable positions, but they didn't come easy.  They were earned.

Hyatt's not there.  This program, ironically, could work the opposite of how they intended.  Say you're sitting at a Hyatt bar, and the guy next to you has his tab picked up by the hotel as part of the program.  You, however, are still paying.  How does that make you feel?  What are you going to tell your friends?

Even the guy who had his tab picked up can't guarantee his friends the same service when they next visit a Hyatt.

Stay at the Ritz, or buy shoes from Zappos, and the same high bar for customer service applies to everyone.