In my first post on Guy Kawasaki’s book, Enchantment, I gave an introduction on why his book is a “must read” for anyone wanting to be successful in this new millennium.  As I related, Guy’s unique journey at Apple at the time of their early innovative breakthroughs was the genesis for the idea of enchantment–the art of changing hearts, minds, and actions by delighting people with a product, service, organization, or idea.  In this second post, I will discuss some of the elements of  Guy’s work that make it a valuable resource.  The essence of Guy’s work to me is that he writes about the art of being successful in whatever you do in life.  He explains that this occurs by enchanting others–not only by what you provide to them but just as importantly by how you provide your service, product, or idea to them.  When it is all done well, people are enchanted with what you have provided.  You have changed the hearts, minds and actions of others by delighting them.

The term enchantment might make some reluctant to buy the book as it might seem like a philosophical, self-improvement work.  This would be a mistake, however, as this is a very practical book that  covers a wealth of business topics in clear how-to language including the following:

• establishing meaningful relationships;
• acting ethically;
• influencing others;
• making the sale;
• positioning yourself;
• presenting information effectively;
• marketing your product or service;
• launching a product or service effectively;
• enchanting your boss;
• enchanting your employees; and
• leveraging social media effectively.

Guy covers these and many more topics in his book. What I particularly liked about his book is that it is rich with real-world examples of  individuals and companies that regularly enchant their customers with the products and services they provide.  While many of the concepts he discusses are from existing business theories, it is Guy’s packaging of all of this information and his storytelling that bring it to life that make this book valuable.

Guy brings everyone to his cause to tell the story of how to delight people with a product, service, organization or idea.  He talks about Apple, Nintendo, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Foundation, Zappos, small business owners, his daughter, a local yogurt shop, and even George Clooney!  Anyone and everyone is a potential lesson in his book and the stories he applies really explain the concepts he is discussing.  They also make his book an interesting read!

Guy Kawasaki’s Enchantment is a valuable book that I am sure you will revisit again as you undertake different ventures.  I have certainly added it to my personal business library.  If you are still on the fence about buying the book, I urge you to hop off the fence and get your copy now.