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…Stelzner’s Elevation Principle illustrated
The basic premise of Michael Stelzner’s new book Launch* (click to buy) is that companies have to shift from telling customers “buy this” to asking “how can we help you?” He goes on to advocate giving away your content (knowledge) or sampling to create familiarity, trust and eventually demand.
If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you’ll know that I’ve been preaching that gospel for years.
Stelzer has created an nifty little equation that he calls the Elevation Principle. (see the graphic to the right)
GC + OP – MM = G
Great Content (plus) Other People (minus) Marketing Messages (equals) Growth.
The principle basically suggests that you provide great content, get other people involved and subdue your hard core sales pitch. Up to this point…I would argue that the book is covering well tred ground. (despite the fact that most companies still follow the old school rules and hard sell whenever possible.)
But much like Stelzner and his fellow authors at Social Media Examiner do every day — he shares relevant ways to bring the principle to life. That’s the real value of the book — the tangible examples. One of Mike’s greatest talents is using analogies to teach. This book is full of good ones and stories that will bring his “how to” tips to life.
The book deals mostly with the assumption that you have an online presence that you use to showcase your content/knowledge. But of course the ideas work off line too.
Overall, I thought the book was a good read. I took away a few ideas and for me, if I invest an hour or so reading a book and get a few new things to try — it’s well worth my time. I wouldn’t expect this book to be a game changer for you, if you’re a regular reader. Call it a refresher course with some really strong examples to emulate.
*As you might imagine, this is an Amazon affiliate link. I was also sent a copy of Mike’s book by his publisher.