This might be the shortest book I’ve read in recent memory… so naturally, I was wondering what to say about it, considering I’m not in sales or marketing, and professionally, I don’t get to interact with customers. I guess a good place to start would be to ask myself: why did I pick up this book in the first place?
Well, I would like to be in sales, but not in the traditional sense. I’d like to sell a few things to people from time to time, and so I occasionally pick up a book on the subject or something related.
This time around, I came across Obviously Awesome, which has glowing reviews. I can’t tell whether its ideas and methodology actually work in practice, but the book is certainly concise, which tells me a few things: the author isn’t padding it with fluff and doesn’t seem interested in wasting your time. So, if you give it a go and find that none of it is useful or applicable, at least you haven’t wasted much time.
The book consists of short examples, discussions, and, most importantly, a methodology that explains what product positioning is, how it works, and the steps you should follow. I have to admit that I wish I could attend one of author’s workshops or, better yet, an actual working session at a real company. I’d love to see the methodology in action and observe the dynamics.
The magic recipe isn’t complicated, but then again, once someone shows you the trick, all of a sudden you can’t believe you never thought about it that way. I guess we’re all wise in hindsight. So while I don’t know whether April’s methodology actually works, it sure makes sense and does offer quite a different perspective once you shift your positioning.
I feel like I should answer a question I should not really be answering, but somehow I have to for my own sake. Should this book be read? Or better yet, would I read it again? Considering there is interest in the subject matter, I say yes. The book is short, concise, and effectively written in my favourite style: a recipe. If nothing else, perhaps it will help you look at a familiar problem from a different perspective.
In a nutshell:
+: Easy to read
+: Short, with examples and discussions
+: A clear recipe to follow
+/-: The methodology makes a lot of sense, but I don’t know whether it works in practice
-: I feel the author could have included more extensive case studies
=: A short, easy-to-read recipe book that may help you sell by changing how you understand and position your own product.
Title: Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It
Author: April Dunford
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