A Book is Always Judged by its Cover
Yes.. Its True !!
Do you really think everyone has the time to look deeper and understand each and every person they meet! Philosophically " Never judge a book by its cover " sounds like the right thing to do. But even the publishers of this and many such beautiful lines know that a book is always judged by its cover else why would they take time to print a fancy cover for each book. We might as well have files containing white A4 sheets with the script.
In personal life people might take time to understand a person, know each other and give someone a second chance even after a not so impressive first impression.... even that happens very rarely. In professional life things are different. I don't think anyone would go the extra mile to understand each company, try and test each product or service. Honestly speaking there's no time and definitely no money to spend for trial and error specially when it comes to taking services from a start up.
Start ups are like books from an unknown author. If the cover looks interesting one might consider reading the summary if not the whole book. Avid book lovers who read each and every book that comes in their hand might give it a shot provided it reaches their hands and the topic suits their taste.
Now lets see some of the instances of first interaction with a prospective client
1. Cold call - This is like a book without a cover displaying its content page that too in small fonts. The monotony and illegible fonts itself sets off the mood of the reader. The approach can be modified to include some color to attract the attention first and format the content in such a way that the reader can relate to it. There are many tips on the internet for cold calling so being the lazy person that I am.. am not going to repeat the same here. But remember not all may suit your purpose.You cannot put the same cover on all the books.
2. Your website - Now you've put up your book on the stands for everyone to see. Mind you there are other books too. You have to do something to make yours stand out. It is a mistake which many start ups make. They do not lay emphasis on creating a proper website. Due to monetary constraints if professional help cannot be engaged, at least the free templates available should be used properly to serve the purpose.The ROI ( Investment here is time ) will definitely be more than expected. Proper content with proper alignment should be good enough for a start.
3. Personal Interaction - The book is delivered in the hands of the prospective reader. This is the most effective way of getting the book read. It can be completely spoiled if the cover is dirty..Gosh!! Trash !! The least you can do is to spend 5 mins to look presentable, carry a pleasant smile and be comfortable. One big mistake which people generally make is to put on a fake appearance, portray a fake personality. A fake cover wears off very quickly and it leaves an impression of being cheated which is worse than a bad impression. So always be your best self.
4. Referral - This is one case where irrespective of the cover the reader is sure to read the book or at least buy the book because its got a good review or someone has recommended it. But don't stretch your luck too far or don't make the mistake of taking it for granted. An individual may be biased by someone's opinion but will always take a decision based on his personal experience. If the cover of the book is not to his liking it may remain in the shelf for a very long time till he has nothing more to do than check it out once... which may take ages. So when you get the opportunity make the best of it.
All said and done if the book lacks content nothing....not even the most attractive cover will be able to keep it away from the trash can and in case it is an ebook....the recycle bin :)
Signing off for now...
Sony
http://www.adwize.in
Do you really think everyone has the time to look deeper and understand each and every person they meet! Philosophically " Never judge a book by its cover " sounds like the right thing to do. But even the publishers of this and many such beautiful lines know that a book is always judged by its cover else why would they take time to print a fancy cover for each book. We might as well have files containing white A4 sheets with the script.
In personal life people might take time to understand a person, know each other and give someone a second chance even after a not so impressive first impression.... even that happens very rarely. In professional life things are different. I don't think anyone would go the extra mile to understand each company, try and test each product or service. Honestly speaking there's no time and definitely no money to spend for trial and error specially when it comes to taking services from a start up.
Start ups are like books from an unknown author. If the cover looks interesting one might consider reading the summary if not the whole book. Avid book lovers who read each and every book that comes in their hand might give it a shot provided it reaches their hands and the topic suits their taste.
Now lets see some of the instances of first interaction with a prospective client
1. Cold call - This is like a book without a cover displaying its content page that too in small fonts. The monotony and illegible fonts itself sets off the mood of the reader. The approach can be modified to include some color to attract the attention first and format the content in such a way that the reader can relate to it. There are many tips on the internet for cold calling so being the lazy person that I am.. am not going to repeat the same here. But remember not all may suit your purpose.You cannot put the same cover on all the books.
2. Your website - Now you've put up your book on the stands for everyone to see. Mind you there are other books too. You have to do something to make yours stand out. It is a mistake which many start ups make. They do not lay emphasis on creating a proper website. Due to monetary constraints if professional help cannot be engaged, at least the free templates available should be used properly to serve the purpose.The ROI ( Investment here is time ) will definitely be more than expected. Proper content with proper alignment should be good enough for a start.
3. Personal Interaction - The book is delivered in the hands of the prospective reader. This is the most effective way of getting the book read. It can be completely spoiled if the cover is dirty..Gosh!! Trash !! The least you can do is to spend 5 mins to look presentable, carry a pleasant smile and be comfortable. One big mistake which people generally make is to put on a fake appearance, portray a fake personality. A fake cover wears off very quickly and it leaves an impression of being cheated which is worse than a bad impression. So always be your best self.
4. Referral - This is one case where irrespective of the cover the reader is sure to read the book or at least buy the book because its got a good review or someone has recommended it. But don't stretch your luck too far or don't make the mistake of taking it for granted. An individual may be biased by someone's opinion but will always take a decision based on his personal experience. If the cover of the book is not to his liking it may remain in the shelf for a very long time till he has nothing more to do than check it out once... which may take ages. So when you get the opportunity make the best of it.
All said and done if the book lacks content nothing....not even the most attractive cover will be able to keep it away from the trash can and in case it is an ebook....the recycle bin :)
Signing off for now...
Sony
http://www.adwize.in
posted by Sony Joseph @ 3:11 PM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
Nice!
Thanks Shuchir
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