Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/58060
"RESEARCH SUGGESTS…THAT ADDING 10 PHONES PER 100 PEOPLE ADDS .06 PERCENT TO THE GDP OF A DEVELOPING COUNTRY. GIVEN 4 BILLION PEOPLE IN POVERTY, THAT MEANS THAT WITH EVERY 10 NEW PHONES PER 100 PEOPLE, 48 MILLION GRADUATE FROM POVERTY." –Nicholas P. Sullivan, You Can Hear Me Now the rural poor. Because, as he says, "connectivity is productivity," the existence of Internet-enabled cell phones allows village entrepreneurs to start businesses, search for the best markets, stay in touch with suppliers, and turn better profits. Sullivan is convinced that it takes three components to generate economic growth in developing nations—"information technology imported by native entrepreneurs backed by foreign investors"—and he analyzes how all three of these factors have played a part in GrameenPhone's success. If the figures he offers are correct, then the impact could be astonishing. "Research suggests…that adding 10 phones per 100 people adds .06 percent to the GDP of a developing country," he writes. "Given 4 bil- lion people in poverty, that means that with every 10 new phones per 100 people, 48 million graduate from poverty." Impressive results, indeed. (Jossey-Bass, $29.95) It might seem like a daunting task to write a basic book that comprehensively answers the question "What is busi- ness?" Sasha Galbraith, however, has done an excellent job with Anatomy of a Business. Chapter by chapter, she boils down everything from the history of commerce to the concepts of supply chain manage- ment, detouring now and then to provide interesting sidebars about the evolution of money or a list of the top global brands. The sec- tion on strategy summarizes various classic approaches, from Michael Porter's competitiveness model to the Balanced Scorecard management system. Many chapters end with nar- ratives from international executives describing their typical days. While keeping the prose mostly clear-cut and straightfor- ward, Galbraith does allow her personality to show through, as when she discuss- es how leadership began to change when a more educated workforce emerged: "This meant…you can't just manage a thinking human being as if she were a stupid monkey. Or if you did, she would leave to go work for your competi- tor." The book is certainly intended for business begin- ners, but it does an excellent job of introducing them to the business world. (Green- wood Press, $75) Perhaps you know a couple who lavish all their time and money on their only child, making sure he has every advantage in life, from a private school education to the cell phone that means he never has to lose touch with Mom and Dad. They could be considered Parentocrats, one of the nine distinct cus- tomer groups, or C-Types, profiled in Karma Queens, Geek Gods, and Innerpre- neurs. Written by Ron Rentel with Joe Zellnik, the book presents entertaining and instantly recogniz- able portraits of current societal archetypes—and how to market to them. Denim Dads, for instance, want the technology that allows them to work from home and the gadgets that help the household run smoothly. E-litists look for environ- mentally friendly products that also offer luxury. "The better you know the C-Types that make up your target, the more effectively you'll be able to create breakthrough marketing strategies and tactics," the authors write. It's a fun— and useful—read for any- one crafting a marketing strategy for new products. (McGraw Hill, $24.95) You don't improve your business by implementing 4,000 new ideas, says Chet Holmes. You improve it by learning a handful of new techniques and practicing them 4,000 times. In The Ultimate Sales Machine, he outlines 12 strategies designed to help "turbocharge your business with relentless focus." The key is the part about relentless focus, or what he later terms "pigheaded discipline and determination." Holmes offers tried-and- true ideas—make a list, prioritize tasks, invest in training—but his real point is follow-through. Don't just train the salespeople to sell up, he insists; train them over and over on the same specific ways to coun- ter customer objections. He describes how one of his cli- ents obtained dramatic results after months of effort: "With consistent, relentless, and organized training on just this specific concept, we raised the standard dramatically and then policed it throughout the organization," Holmes writes. His method sounds labor-intensive but geared toward results. (Portfolio, $24.95) ■ z BizEd JULY/AUGUST 2007 71