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POW! Right Between the Eyes!
CONFESSION
I ate a pound of turkey at the grocery store while shopping yesterday and instead of paying for it I hid the package behind the Fruit Loops.
In truth the tour is not canceled. I did my homework and read the book like a good boy, though I initially thought of hiring a hit cougar to maul Andy Nulman, author of POW! Right Between the Eyes! Profiting From The Power of Surprise only because I was being a lazy dork and spending too much time socializing with gangstas (see picture of me as gangsta below).
WARNING: THIS BOOK WILL LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT PHYSICAL DISCOMFORT & POTENTIALLY FACIAL PARALYSIS
Once I actually picked up the book I experienced extreme pain in my facial muscles as I never stopped smiling. Andy's ideas about the power of Surprise and his storytelling make him the Ali of business writing with a deadly POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!
As someone who teaches Creative Strategy I & II, advertising classes at Florida State University, Andy's concepts are so dead on and essential I'm considering it as required (beatings for those who do not) reading for next semester.
Nulman believes, "Surprise is the most important aspect in contemporary marketing." And through POW! he's very convincing. He even convinces the reader that it is the reason we buy clothes, watch tv, movies and watch sports.
One of the greatest accomplishments of the book is that all of his ideas can be implemented by an individual, a Fortune 500 company, a mom and pop bakery or a local non-profit. Surprise can be budget line item or it can be completely budget free.
Nulman defines Surprise as, "the constant expansion of the boundaries of delightful extremes." It's about going beyond what people expect (not service), zagging when you're expected to zig, or being unexpected but relevant.
Nulman's theory is stronger because he argues the downside of Surprise. He says, "Surprise is not invulnerable, it's main weakness is itself." If people begin to expect your surprises, it no longer is, like M. Night Shymalan movies. It's by being aware of this weakness which actually makes his argument stronger.
For me, the concepts in POW! are ones I've not expressed or heard expressed before but lived by, unwittingly in many ways as individual. What I haven't done is implemented the concepts into my professional life. The timing of this book in my life is quite significant as lately I've been thinking a lot on why I haven't been able to merge these two worlds.
After defining Surprise and explaining it's physical, mental and emotional effect Nulman spends some well used time explaining mindsets for creating and embracing Surprise as a strategy.
My favorite lesson from Nulman's book:
"Suppress the need to ask why instead embrace the idea of doing things just because."
As an individual, I'm most often described as "random" and "out there." Most of the things I've done in my life that I'm most proud of have been without an answer to the "why." Nulman's recommendation of incorporating that into business is bold and genius in a world obsessed with metrics, statistics and market research.
My second favorite lesson in POW!
"Silliness and irreverence can have an exponentially positive effect on "social" Surprise."
It goes like Milk and Oreos with the previous lesson but to me it seems like one of the concepts people and the business world have trouble embracing. It's the assumption of our world that silliness can't be very serious business. It can. As the lesson before instructs there doesn't always have to be a why. In fact if there isn't it may be even more surprising.
After reading POW! I've decided to make a significant change in my life. I'm going to purchase the peacock I've been wanting for years. Further, I'm going to embrace Surprise as a strategy at work and in my personal life to a greater degree than I've done naturally. It is going to make me wildly successful and more important insanely happy.
I do not suggest anyone else read this book.
To follow the rest of the Post2Post Virtual Book Tour check Idea Sandbox where Paul Williams will give you directions on where the tour stops next.
7 comments:
You look like a cross between Heavy D and Captain Jack Sparrow.
Jeff! Thanks so much for a truly Surprising review/rant/philosophical reflection where you only misspelled my name twice! This was as much fun to read as Pow! was to write, and lemme tell you, I had a BLAST writing Pow! As for your fashion sense, all I gotta say is that we need to go shopping together. Next time in Florida, outlet malls beware!
Many thanks again for a most inspired look at my book.
First to Andy - Love your comment. Can't wait to read your book. And, as you probably knew - Jeff misspells his own name now and then ... sometimes he even changes it ... depends on the time of day.
Now to Jeff -
Jeff, what I love most about you is that you do know how to combine silly and smart, shocking and sensitive, depth and shallowness ... you're a very complex character. And, you're constantly reinventing the surprise factor to keep yourself interested which is great for those of us who have the privelage of working and playing with you every day. And, I agree with Kyle.
Hey Andy,
We can go shopping at the outlets as long as we can stop at the Dollar Tree and get some flair for when we feel like dressing up like idiots.
I really did LOVE POW. It's my new rule book for life.
Melissa,
thanks for the nice words. you know people like me love to hear how wonderful they are so please don't stop. And you're right I do misspell my own name.
I don't understand what all the fuss is about. How else do you spell Andy? Is it Anddy? Andee? What? I just don't get it? Are you all joking? Is this a surprise. Are you ganging up on me?
By the way, Anddy, I stole your book from Jeff. He doesn't know it, but I grilled it tonight for dinner. It was surprisingly delicious.
You guys drink too much. For the record Jeff, you were 100% on Andy...it was the Nulman where you screwed up. No "h," no extra "l," no silent "K," just phonetically spelled-as-it-sounds...as long as you pronounce it right.
That said, Melissa, you're a hottie. If you read my book you will probably be the cutest person ever to do so (other than my wife...who is reading this over my shoulder as I type it). Please send me a picture of you reading it. Preferably late at night.
And Tom, you are obviously a man of taste. But then again, so are cannibals. Happy you were nourished by my writing. By the way, Pow! goes great with some shredded Godin or Gladwell sprinkled on top.
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