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Oversubscribed: How to Get People Lining Up to Do Business with You
Don't fight for customers, let them fight over you! Have you ever queued for a restaurant? Pre-ordered something months in advance? Fought for tickets that sell out in a day? Had a hairdresser with a six-month waiting list? There are people who don't chase clients, clients chase them. In a world of endless choices, why does this happen? Why do people queue up? Why do they pay more? Why will they book months in advance? Why are these people and products in such high demand? And how can you get a slice of that action?
In Oversubscribed, entrepreneur and bestselling author Daniel Priestley explains why…and, most importantly, how. This book is a recipe for ensuring demand outstrips supply for your product or service, and you have scores of customers lining up to give you money.
Shows leaders, marketers, and entrepreneurs how they can get customers queuing up to use their services and products while competitors are forced to fight for business Explains how to become oversubscribed, even in a crowded marketplace Is full of practical tips alongside inspiring examples to alter our mindsets and get us bursting with ideas Is written by a successful entrepreneur who's used these ideas to excel in the ventures he has launched
In Oversubscribed, entrepreneur and bestselling author Daniel Priestley explains why…and, most importantly, how. This book is a recipe for ensuring demand outstrips supply for your product or service, and you have scores of customers lining up to give you money.
Shows leaders, marketers, and entrepreneurs how they can get customers queuing up to use their services and products while competitors are forced to fight for business Explains how to become oversubscribed, even in a crowded marketplace Is full of practical tips alongside inspiring examples to alter our mindsets and get us bursting with ideas Is written by a successful entrepreneur who's used these ideas to excel in the ventures he has launched
241 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 9, 2015
570 people are currently reading
7130 people want to read
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January 4, 2019
To say this is the best book I've read in 2019 is an understatement..
How?
Build your own market by cultivating a tribe of people who are loyal to your business, your products, your personality and your philosophy. Rally your own troops. Break those people away from the industry, separate them one by one from the market and make them part of something special.
You know these people better than they know themselves when it comes to being able to surprise and delight them. You care about these people almost to a fault.
What are the ingredients?
1. Consistent and repetitive message - ala StoryBrand
2. Content - articles, blogs, books, case studies, reports, videos, podcasts, or updates for people to read
3. Commercial ecosystem - products for every price range $20, $200, $1500, $10,000, etc. Product-for-prospects to generate lots of customers and a core offering for client relationships that evolve over time.
4. Continuity - having an online profile that shows what you've been doing over the last few years and future years (YT, FB, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.)
5. Collaboration - opportunities to do deals with other people who are famous to a similar group. Refer to your Mission to know what to say yes to and what to turn down.
Gold nuggets:
1. Take the time to make sure your clients feel good about their purchase and they are given more than they expected.
2. Oversubscribed businesses understand that if you treat your clients as inspirational individuals, many more people will aspire to be like them too.
3. Oversubscribed businesses spend money on existing customers before they spend money on prospective ones. Do this right and your existing marketers will market for you.
4. Focus on people who like your philosophy. Your philosophy is made up of your strongly held beliefs and opinions. It's your take on life and it doesn't nee to appeal to everyone. If you have no philosophy you appear to be bland and like every other commodity in your market. You're back competing on price.
What's your philosophy? What are your strongly held beliefs about what you do? What do you stand for? What do you stand against? What is the change you want to see in the world? The clearer you are when answering these questions, the closer you will be to being oversubscribed.
5. There's something very powerful about being "unable to cope with demand", yet most people and companies try to hide it. Rather than pretending you're superhuman when you get too busy, tell people that you're current;y fully booked and physically unable to cope with the demand. Be polite, be cheerful but be honest about it. Expose this fact to your clients. Tell them that you'd love to work with them but right now there's not enough room in your office to hire more staff, or you keep running out of the supplies you need. Tell people there's a problem caused by too much demand. Let them know you are working on having it fixed as a soon as you can and they should try again soon. You;ll be surprised at the response this generates. Yes, people will be frustrated and annoyed that you're not able to take their business, but they'll be curious and intrigues by it too.
6. You need to treat your business the same way - as an exclusive club. And just like Studio 54, you must be willing to turn away people at the door if they aren't a good fit. "No" is powerful. It's a word that is said by people and businesses that are sure of what they do and who they are for. Only the best business consultants will say no to a potential client. Only the best will say no to a person who wants to discount or to bend your rules. In my business we interview people before they become clients. And we turn people away all the tie that aren't a good fit. We know that we have to spend time and energy on every client. We also know that some people or business would be either too much hard work or we would struggle to deliver to them a remarkable result. Saying no to someone who's not right for the business creates the space for perfect clients to show up.
7. Businesses that struggle don't make people wait for quality. Ie. quality, speed, price: pick 2 and I get the other
8. It's the ecosystem as a whole that creates the value, NOT any one product, service, system or person. Today's high-performing businesses are ecosystems of people, product and services that are all working in harmony. They are complex, paradoxical and hard to mimic. You must give away information freely or cheaply and then charge for the implementation work.
9. It's easier to climb small stairs than to jump big walls. Asking people jump over the wall freezes people into inaction. People gate making big commitments or taking any action that's hard to back out from. Giving people a low risk first step is a powerful way to move people in the right direction (opt in, expressions of interest)
10. Your goal isn't to tell people why they should be delighted; your goal is to watch and see if people ARE delighted after doing business with you. If they aren't, then you have a problem.
11. Oversubscribed businesses more often talk about something bigger than what they do. They talk about the lifestyle of their customers, they talk about philosophy, they talk about a big problem they want to solve or they talk about the transformation they want to see in the world. You must look for the bigger game your business is playing for and beat the drum for it in your campaigns. Every business, yours included, is up to something big in the world and you need to be bold enough to share it. It takes courage to stop shouting about your products and to start talking about your big ideas but it's worth it. The reason you began business isn't only about the money. You're doing what you do because you believe there's more to it than just the cash. If you can get other people to believe what you believe they will want to be part of what you do too. The key is to talk about something bigger than what you do.
12. Signalling is about telling people what's going to happen before it happens. It's about explaining your process and your terms in advance so that the market can prepare itself. It is also about getting your market to signal their intentions back to you before they act, rather than asking people to take action. Signalling is a big part of getting yourself oversubscribed. Companies that are not oversubscribed don't do much of it, and din;t ask their clients to do it either. If they want to sell a new product they simply put a product up for sale on their website and hope people buy it (SNT lol).
A CDE won't do that. They will signal their intention to release a new product. They will let people know that there's a limited capacity available and ask their market to signal in kind if the want to know more or buy the product when it's available. A CDE isn't hoping to sell some products; it's strategically ensuring that the product will be oversubscribed. A big part of becoming oversubscribed involves having the courage to signal your intentions before you act and to name the terms under which you will be doing business in the future.
Naming your terms sends a powerful signal: "If you want to work with us, you need to behave a certain way." You'll need to state openly who you want to work with, how many people you can serve and on what terms you'll work with them. When you see a business naming their terms, you know they are on track to be oversubscribed. My belief is that you'll never become oversubscribed if you're not willing to name your terms. Signalling is all about - telling people when something will be made available and how to get it, when they have to register their interest by, when they will have to pay, and on what grounds they will be accepted or rejected. You're setting time limits, performance standards and prerequisites.
13. Don't ask for the sale - ask for the signal. Rather than asking people to buy, ask them to signal interest. Let them know that there will be a widget for sale soon and if they are interested in more information, can they please email a request or fill in an expression of interest form. This is a much lower commitment for people. Rather than having to get their credit card out right there and then, all they have to doc is fill in a form, click "like" or reply to an email.
When you ask people to buy straight away they only have two choices: they buy or they don't. It's a binary decision. But people aren't binary.
You'll get a better picture if you ask people to signal their interest. A person who is only 25% interested in what you have might still signal their interest to you. Once they've done so, you can make sure they have all the information they need.
14. 7 hour rule: Big purchasing decisions will take about seven hours. Whether you are buying a new car, making a career move, engaging a consultant or choosing a holiday destination, when you add up all the time you spend thinking about it, you can be fairly sure it totals about seven hours. If you sell something to which a purchaser is required to have an emotional connection, develop trust or gain a new understanding - and if he/she must make a significant decision - you would be silly to try to force the deal to complete sooner than seven hours.
Japanese businessmen know this. They will rarely talk business until after a round of golf or two. Also consider whether they would be morel likely to choose you if you provided them with seven hours of content, ideas, conversation and connection. Or 11 touches which can be found online as digital content.
Two great things happen after you have a seven-hour relationship. Firstly, you don't feel uneasy offering something of value; and secondly, you are less likely to blow the relationship by offering something you don't fully believe in.
15. Being oversubscribed and running powerful campaigns doesn't remove the need to sell. It gives you more opportunities to sell and better qualified people to sell to.
16. Today, your job is to "cook great steak" and let your customers create the "sizzle" for you. Your marketing team is comprised of your clients, and your long-term lead generation strategy is being brilliant.
Look at every touchpoint in your business - your website, brochures, people, products, premises, ads, staff handbook, uniforms, packaging - ask ask yourself the question, "Is this touchpoint positively remarkable?" You can list off every touchpoint in a spreadsheet, not only for the customer/client but also for the team and suppliers too. Then identify one or two things a month to improve and invest in them.
17. The key to leaving people uplifted is to keep quiet about some of the good stuff you know you can deliver. Don't talk about it, keep your moth shut, and leave it as a surprise.
When you sell, only talk about 70% of what you intent on doing.
18. Tell your stories. In the world of business, many people become so close to their own story that the excitement fades and they stop telling people. They simply take their story for granted.
19. The "vital people" who organize things, act as industry spokespeople, are well connected and well known will increase in their value. A lot of very smart people have now figured this out.
The key point: every day you spend in your office doing functional things is a day you slip behind in terms of your real value.
On the flip side, every day you are out building your network, connecting with thought leaders, positioning yourself as a key person of influence in your industry is a day that your value is on the rise.
You must do your best in this critical moment to stay on the "surfing" side of the big wave of change. Every campaign you run, every idea you implement, every remarkable product you create and sell, every partnership you forge is you padding hard.
Merely working isn't hard enough, especially if the work you are doing is functional, replaceable, average, and unremarkable. You need to be creating, storytelling, leading, team building, partnering, deal making, innovating, refining, investing and systemizing what you do.
Goal: a lifestyle game -
20. Future entrepreneurs will solve problems of contribution. They will create ways for people to contribute more. My business really took off when we focused on helping people to develop and achieve a deeper personal mission.
I believe the entrepreneurs who can unlock the value of contribution will be rewarded greatly now and in the future. These are the individuals who will have influence, travel, adventure and wealth beyond measure. They will be the ones who look back at their life with a smile on their face rather than the pain of regret.
Rather than focusing on creating new things for people to buy, make it about creating new things for people to get involved in and contribute to.
Misc: organizations that make social change desirable, interesting, cool and fun will win ala Charity: Water
"There's no scarcity in the world for people who share abundantly. One of the ways I keep myself oversubscribed today is by the very process of sharing big ideas. I've come to discover that the more I share, the more people demand."
How?
Build your own market by cultivating a tribe of people who are loyal to your business, your products, your personality and your philosophy. Rally your own troops. Break those people away from the industry, separate them one by one from the market and make them part of something special.
You know these people better than they know themselves when it comes to being able to surprise and delight them. You care about these people almost to a fault.
What are the ingredients?
1. Consistent and repetitive message - ala StoryBrand
2. Content - articles, blogs, books, case studies, reports, videos, podcasts, or updates for people to read
3. Commercial ecosystem - products for every price range $20, $200, $1500, $10,000, etc. Product-for-prospects to generate lots of customers and a core offering for client relationships that evolve over time.
4. Continuity - having an online profile that shows what you've been doing over the last few years and future years (YT, FB, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.)
5. Collaboration - opportunities to do deals with other people who are famous to a similar group. Refer to your Mission to know what to say yes to and what to turn down.
Gold nuggets:
1. Take the time to make sure your clients feel good about their purchase and they are given more than they expected.
2. Oversubscribed businesses understand that if you treat your clients as inspirational individuals, many more people will aspire to be like them too.
3. Oversubscribed businesses spend money on existing customers before they spend money on prospective ones. Do this right and your existing marketers will market for you.
4. Focus on people who like your philosophy. Your philosophy is made up of your strongly held beliefs and opinions. It's your take on life and it doesn't nee to appeal to everyone. If you have no philosophy you appear to be bland and like every other commodity in your market. You're back competing on price.
What's your philosophy? What are your strongly held beliefs about what you do? What do you stand for? What do you stand against? What is the change you want to see in the world? The clearer you are when answering these questions, the closer you will be to being oversubscribed.
5. There's something very powerful about being "unable to cope with demand", yet most people and companies try to hide it. Rather than pretending you're superhuman when you get too busy, tell people that you're current;y fully booked and physically unable to cope with the demand. Be polite, be cheerful but be honest about it. Expose this fact to your clients. Tell them that you'd love to work with them but right now there's not enough room in your office to hire more staff, or you keep running out of the supplies you need. Tell people there's a problem caused by too much demand. Let them know you are working on having it fixed as a soon as you can and they should try again soon. You;ll be surprised at the response this generates. Yes, people will be frustrated and annoyed that you're not able to take their business, but they'll be curious and intrigues by it too.
6. You need to treat your business the same way - as an exclusive club. And just like Studio 54, you must be willing to turn away people at the door if they aren't a good fit. "No" is powerful. It's a word that is said by people and businesses that are sure of what they do and who they are for. Only the best business consultants will say no to a potential client. Only the best will say no to a person who wants to discount or to bend your rules. In my business we interview people before they become clients. And we turn people away all the tie that aren't a good fit. We know that we have to spend time and energy on every client. We also know that some people or business would be either too much hard work or we would struggle to deliver to them a remarkable result. Saying no to someone who's not right for the business creates the space for perfect clients to show up.
7. Businesses that struggle don't make people wait for quality. Ie. quality, speed, price: pick 2 and I get the other
8. It's the ecosystem as a whole that creates the value, NOT any one product, service, system or person. Today's high-performing businesses are ecosystems of people, product and services that are all working in harmony. They are complex, paradoxical and hard to mimic. You must give away information freely or cheaply and then charge for the implementation work.
9. It's easier to climb small stairs than to jump big walls. Asking people jump over the wall freezes people into inaction. People gate making big commitments or taking any action that's hard to back out from. Giving people a low risk first step is a powerful way to move people in the right direction (opt in, expressions of interest)
10. Your goal isn't to tell people why they should be delighted; your goal is to watch and see if people ARE delighted after doing business with you. If they aren't, then you have a problem.
11. Oversubscribed businesses more often talk about something bigger than what they do. They talk about the lifestyle of their customers, they talk about philosophy, they talk about a big problem they want to solve or they talk about the transformation they want to see in the world. You must look for the bigger game your business is playing for and beat the drum for it in your campaigns. Every business, yours included, is up to something big in the world and you need to be bold enough to share it. It takes courage to stop shouting about your products and to start talking about your big ideas but it's worth it. The reason you began business isn't only about the money. You're doing what you do because you believe there's more to it than just the cash. If you can get other people to believe what you believe they will want to be part of what you do too. The key is to talk about something bigger than what you do.
12. Signalling is about telling people what's going to happen before it happens. It's about explaining your process and your terms in advance so that the market can prepare itself. It is also about getting your market to signal their intentions back to you before they act, rather than asking people to take action. Signalling is a big part of getting yourself oversubscribed. Companies that are not oversubscribed don't do much of it, and din;t ask their clients to do it either. If they want to sell a new product they simply put a product up for sale on their website and hope people buy it (SNT lol).
A CDE won't do that. They will signal their intention to release a new product. They will let people know that there's a limited capacity available and ask their market to signal in kind if the want to know more or buy the product when it's available. A CDE isn't hoping to sell some products; it's strategically ensuring that the product will be oversubscribed. A big part of becoming oversubscribed involves having the courage to signal your intentions before you act and to name the terms under which you will be doing business in the future.
Naming your terms sends a powerful signal: "If you want to work with us, you need to behave a certain way." You'll need to state openly who you want to work with, how many people you can serve and on what terms you'll work with them. When you see a business naming their terms, you know they are on track to be oversubscribed. My belief is that you'll never become oversubscribed if you're not willing to name your terms. Signalling is all about - telling people when something will be made available and how to get it, when they have to register their interest by, when they will have to pay, and on what grounds they will be accepted or rejected. You're setting time limits, performance standards and prerequisites.
13. Don't ask for the sale - ask for the signal. Rather than asking people to buy, ask them to signal interest. Let them know that there will be a widget for sale soon and if they are interested in more information, can they please email a request or fill in an expression of interest form. This is a much lower commitment for people. Rather than having to get their credit card out right there and then, all they have to doc is fill in a form, click "like" or reply to an email.
When you ask people to buy straight away they only have two choices: they buy or they don't. It's a binary decision. But people aren't binary.
You'll get a better picture if you ask people to signal their interest. A person who is only 25% interested in what you have might still signal their interest to you. Once they've done so, you can make sure they have all the information they need.
14. 7 hour rule: Big purchasing decisions will take about seven hours. Whether you are buying a new car, making a career move, engaging a consultant or choosing a holiday destination, when you add up all the time you spend thinking about it, you can be fairly sure it totals about seven hours. If you sell something to which a purchaser is required to have an emotional connection, develop trust or gain a new understanding - and if he/she must make a significant decision - you would be silly to try to force the deal to complete sooner than seven hours.
Japanese businessmen know this. They will rarely talk business until after a round of golf or two. Also consider whether they would be morel likely to choose you if you provided them with seven hours of content, ideas, conversation and connection. Or 11 touches which can be found online as digital content.
Two great things happen after you have a seven-hour relationship. Firstly, you don't feel uneasy offering something of value; and secondly, you are less likely to blow the relationship by offering something you don't fully believe in.
15. Being oversubscribed and running powerful campaigns doesn't remove the need to sell. It gives you more opportunities to sell and better qualified people to sell to.
16. Today, your job is to "cook great steak" and let your customers create the "sizzle" for you. Your marketing team is comprised of your clients, and your long-term lead generation strategy is being brilliant.
Look at every touchpoint in your business - your website, brochures, people, products, premises, ads, staff handbook, uniforms, packaging - ask ask yourself the question, "Is this touchpoint positively remarkable?" You can list off every touchpoint in a spreadsheet, not only for the customer/client but also for the team and suppliers too. Then identify one or two things a month to improve and invest in them.
17. The key to leaving people uplifted is to keep quiet about some of the good stuff you know you can deliver. Don't talk about it, keep your moth shut, and leave it as a surprise.
When you sell, only talk about 70% of what you intent on doing.
18. Tell your stories. In the world of business, many people become so close to their own story that the excitement fades and they stop telling people. They simply take their story for granted.
19. The "vital people" who organize things, act as industry spokespeople, are well connected and well known will increase in their value. A lot of very smart people have now figured this out.
The key point: every day you spend in your office doing functional things is a day you slip behind in terms of your real value.
On the flip side, every day you are out building your network, connecting with thought leaders, positioning yourself as a key person of influence in your industry is a day that your value is on the rise.
You must do your best in this critical moment to stay on the "surfing" side of the big wave of change. Every campaign you run, every idea you implement, every remarkable product you create and sell, every partnership you forge is you padding hard.
Merely working isn't hard enough, especially if the work you are doing is functional, replaceable, average, and unremarkable. You need to be creating, storytelling, leading, team building, partnering, deal making, innovating, refining, investing and systemizing what you do.
Goal: a lifestyle game -
the lifestyle business use the Campaign Driven Enterprise method to generate all the clients they want in short space of time. They often run 2-4 campaigns per year and enjoy downtime in between. Focus on getting oversubscribed on your capacity and earning good money without working crazy hours.
Most importantly, surround yourself with other people who want to surf those waves too - and who are also using the CDE method.
Your goal is to be oversubscribed, not necessarily to be big. Both lifestyle and performance businesses require you to work with others - a surefire way to struggle is to try and do everything on your own. Whether you're building a lifestyle business with four people or high-performance business of 150, you'll need a team of talented people around you (Key Person of Influence, Head of sales and marketing, Head of operations and product, Head of finance, logistics and reporting) to implement ideas with you. You'll need mentors to guide you and a peer group that inspires you.
20. Future entrepreneurs will solve problems of contribution. They will create ways for people to contribute more. My business really took off when we focused on helping people to develop and achieve a deeper personal mission.
I believe the entrepreneurs who can unlock the value of contribution will be rewarded greatly now and in the future. These are the individuals who will have influence, travel, adventure and wealth beyond measure. They will be the ones who look back at their life with a smile on their face rather than the pain of regret.
Rather than focusing on creating new things for people to buy, make it about creating new things for people to get involved in and contribute to.
Sometimes being a good friends, sending a thoughtful letter, showing compassion to a stranger or sharing an authentic moment can spark a chain of events that impacts the world.
Our lives are barely a second in the grand scheme of things. Yet in that time we are afforded an opportunity to do the best we can with what we have and trust the process that something good will of it all. In any case, if you go out to create something of value you will barely fathom the ways you impact the world just by being here for those precious few laps around the sun.
Misc: organizations that make social change desirable, interesting, cool and fun will win ala Charity: Water
June 15, 2015
The book revolves around the concept of creating exclusivity/scarcity around your product and/or service.
None of what the author has put in this book is original, which is why I gave it 2 stars.
He talks about the Net Promoter Score (NPS) and never talks about where it comes from, almost as if he wants the reader to think he came up with the concept.
To find out about NPS, read "Answering the Ultimate Question" by Richard Owen and Dr. Laura Brooks of Satmetrix here they describe the Net Promoter Operating Model that captures the elements necessary for a successful customer-focused program. It provides a best practice framework for how companies collect, evaluate, and act on customer feedback to optimize financial benefits.
None of what the author has put in this book is original, which is why I gave it 2 stars.
He talks about the Net Promoter Score (NPS) and never talks about where it comes from, almost as if he wants the reader to think he came up with the concept.
To find out about NPS, read "Answering the Ultimate Question" by Richard Owen and Dr. Laura Brooks of Satmetrix here they describe the Net Promoter Operating Model that captures the elements necessary for a successful customer-focused program. It provides a best practice framework for how companies collect, evaluate, and act on customer feedback to optimize financial benefits.
August 1, 2022
7 years on since I read it last and I enjoyed going back to it. Re-read so I could think about something specific at the same time. I still love the oversubscribed model and I know it works. It’s a choice - to continue to chase after sales one person or opportunity at a time, or run campaigns so you can build up to a lot more people wanting to buy from you than you have capacity for. This is a book that should get any entrepreneur excited about what they can change about their sales and marketing so they can build a business that’s more reliable and scalable.
July 1, 2015
Decent enough book essentially on making your business unique so that you've defined your market.
I think some of this has been said better by Seth Godin and others. It's a light easy read but he does seem to fall into the trap of thinking that freelancers and entrepreneurs can behave the same way / are the same thing.
As a (mainly) freelancer I am not in a position to employ or partner with three others as he suggests is vital to grow the business.
It does have some useful reminders and is a light pithy read.
I think some of this has been said better by Seth Godin and others. It's a light easy read but he does seem to fall into the trap of thinking that freelancers and entrepreneurs can behave the same way / are the same thing.
As a (mainly) freelancer I am not in a position to employ or partner with three others as he suggests is vital to grow the business.
It does have some useful reminders and is a light pithy read.
September 23, 2016
What a read
This is probably the most inspiring and yet down to earth and practical business book I've ever read. There is no BS, no bragging, a simple bag of gold that you can use to your daily business life. Can't recommend it highly enough
This is probably the most inspiring and yet down to earth and practical business book I've ever read. There is no BS, no bragging, a simple bag of gold that you can use to your daily business life. Can't recommend it highly enough
February 22, 2021
Unlike other business/how-to books, Priestly has trimmed the fat and provided incredibly useful and actionable advice on business growth. Principles on creating your own market and campaigns were particularly impressive.
May 13, 2019
کتاب ارزشمندی است
به روشنی میآموزید چطور بهتر بفروشید و چطور مشتری را برای محصول خود هیجانزده کنید
به روشنی میآموزید چطور بهتر بفروشید و چطور مشتری را برای محصول خود هیجانزده کنید
February 14, 2022
You don’t need everyone. Don’t be afraid of FOMO (fear of missing out) on anyone. Be all things to a small group of people. If you’re a personal trainer, consider appealing to unfit male who are always on the go and who have an income over 400k, instead of blindly selling to the general public. Your market should be made up of people who really care about what you do. They place a high value on the results you bring in on them. Here are key ingredients for being famous.
Consistent and repetitive message
Content
Commercial ecosystem
Continuity and visibility
Collaboration.
There are four drivers of market imbalances which you can use to create more buyers than sellers.
Innovation (innovate in terms of product, services, internal systems and your brand)
Relationships (do your best work and spend time with your current clients)
Convenience (find a unique distribution channel, automation and market information)
Price (invest, refine and systemize to lower costs).
People don’t buy what others want to sell. They buy what others want to buy. Never go to the great lengths of showing how badly you want to sell something. Your job is to celebrate the people who are already buying from you and hold them in the highest esteem. If you do so, they’ll tell others what they bought from you, and eventually you’ll be on your way to oversubscribed.
“Treat your clients like they’re celebrities and let them pull a crowd.”
When you develop your clear philosophy and put it out to the world, you’ll begin to create your own market. You’ll also realize not everyone will agree with you but if 1,000 people feel strongly about it, you’ll have 1,000 people who are your market. If you have no philosophy on why you do what you do, you’ll end up blending in with the rest of the crowd and become another commodity.
Warren Buffet has a philosophy when it comes to investing. Oprah has a philosophy on television content. Richard BRanson has a philosophy when it comes to building his team and his brand. Elon Musk has a philosophy about why it’s important to go to other planets
Finally, it’s okay to uck the truend. If everyone in your industry charges by the hour, try selling at a fixed cost. If everyone else sells components, sell bundles. If everyone is showing off their heritage, be a thought leader and a disruptive brand.
Don’t be afraid of giving away ideas. Focus on charging for implementation. If you’re a yoga apparel brand, consider building a blog or social media profile where your market can read, listen to or watch free tutorials. Better yet, you can even invite them to a free yoga class.
“In the information age, you must remain conscious of the value shift from information into implementation.”
Nothing beats being positively remarkable.
Cut your marketing budget. Replace it with a remarkable budget. Imagine an electronics company takes out an ad that says “Take Amazing Photos with our New DSLR!”. You read the ad and remember holiday season is around the corner. Your next move is to splash out on advertising and instead, open a browser and start looking at DSLR reviews. The company paid advertising fees to get you consider their DSLR but it ended up driving sales to the other companies. Daniel suggests you take at least fifty percent of your marketing budget and transfer it to a ‘remarkable’ budget.
“Being remarkable is not about offering stupid gimmicks or pointless stunts. It’s about being the best in your niche or micro-niche.”
Gone are the days when a company of any size could survive as a faceless corporation that exists as a set of logos, colors, symbols and sounds. Today, people want to know who the founder is, the CEO’s background and what sort of beliefs the founding team holds. Companies that become oversubscribed leverage the personal brands of the people inside the organization.
11 Build Ups to Being Oversubscribed
Signal the power (use the power of authority)
Name your terms (be willing to disqualify prospects and fire bad customers)
Don’t ask for the sale (ask for the signal of purchase)
Be transparent
Think mobile and media first (harness the power of visuals and simplicity)
Educate and entertain (if your focus is on education, throw in a bit of entertainment too and vice versa)
Wait for 7-hour before you talk business (Japanese businessmen rarely talk business until after a round of glass or two. It can actually blow the deal to bring up the topic of business too soon.)
Be visible offline and online (brains can hardly tell it’s digital).
Start at the end (build products for prospects, not the other way around).
Underpromise and overdeliver (keep quiet about some of the good stuff you know you can deliver).
Up your energy (enthusiasm and excitement drives loyalty, trust, connection and purchase decisions more than anything else).
Consistent and repetitive message
Content
Commercial ecosystem
Continuity and visibility
Collaboration.
There are four drivers of market imbalances which you can use to create more buyers than sellers.
Innovation (innovate in terms of product, services, internal systems and your brand)
Relationships (do your best work and spend time with your current clients)
Convenience (find a unique distribution channel, automation and market information)
Price (invest, refine and systemize to lower costs).
People don’t buy what others want to sell. They buy what others want to buy. Never go to the great lengths of showing how badly you want to sell something. Your job is to celebrate the people who are already buying from you and hold them in the highest esteem. If you do so, they’ll tell others what they bought from you, and eventually you’ll be on your way to oversubscribed.
“Treat your clients like they’re celebrities and let them pull a crowd.”
When you develop your clear philosophy and put it out to the world, you’ll begin to create your own market. You’ll also realize not everyone will agree with you but if 1,000 people feel strongly about it, you’ll have 1,000 people who are your market. If you have no philosophy on why you do what you do, you’ll end up blending in with the rest of the crowd and become another commodity.
Warren Buffet has a philosophy when it comes to investing. Oprah has a philosophy on television content. Richard BRanson has a philosophy when it comes to building his team and his brand. Elon Musk has a philosophy about why it’s important to go to other planets
Finally, it’s okay to uck the truend. If everyone in your industry charges by the hour, try selling at a fixed cost. If everyone else sells components, sell bundles. If everyone is showing off their heritage, be a thought leader and a disruptive brand.
Don’t be afraid of giving away ideas. Focus on charging for implementation. If you’re a yoga apparel brand, consider building a blog or social media profile where your market can read, listen to or watch free tutorials. Better yet, you can even invite them to a free yoga class.
“In the information age, you must remain conscious of the value shift from information into implementation.”
Nothing beats being positively remarkable.
Cut your marketing budget. Replace it with a remarkable budget. Imagine an electronics company takes out an ad that says “Take Amazing Photos with our New DSLR!”. You read the ad and remember holiday season is around the corner. Your next move is to splash out on advertising and instead, open a browser and start looking at DSLR reviews. The company paid advertising fees to get you consider their DSLR but it ended up driving sales to the other companies. Daniel suggests you take at least fifty percent of your marketing budget and transfer it to a ‘remarkable’ budget.
“Being remarkable is not about offering stupid gimmicks or pointless stunts. It’s about being the best in your niche or micro-niche.”
Gone are the days when a company of any size could survive as a faceless corporation that exists as a set of logos, colors, symbols and sounds. Today, people want to know who the founder is, the CEO’s background and what sort of beliefs the founding team holds. Companies that become oversubscribed leverage the personal brands of the people inside the organization.
11 Build Ups to Being Oversubscribed
Signal the power (use the power of authority)
Name your terms (be willing to disqualify prospects and fire bad customers)
Don’t ask for the sale (ask for the signal of purchase)
Be transparent
Think mobile and media first (harness the power of visuals and simplicity)
Educate and entertain (if your focus is on education, throw in a bit of entertainment too and vice versa)
Wait for 7-hour before you talk business (Japanese businessmen rarely talk business until after a round of glass or two. It can actually blow the deal to bring up the topic of business too soon.)
Be visible offline and online (brains can hardly tell it’s digital).
Start at the end (build products for prospects, not the other way around).
Underpromise and overdeliver (keep quiet about some of the good stuff you know you can deliver).
Up your energy (enthusiasm and excitement drives loyalty, trust, connection and purchase decisions more than anything else).
July 19, 2020
Being oversubscribed is about having more customers than you could possibly serve. Why would you want to be in that position? Don’t you want to be able to serve every possible client and make every $?
.
Not necessarily. Being oversubscribed allow you focus on the clients you already have and spend less time hunting new ones — freeing up valuable time for you to innovate your business.
.
Happy clients will rave about you and the limited supply of your product will make it more desirable; People will line up to do business with you!
.
This book goes through both the theoretical and practical aspects for setting up oversubscribed business.
.
📝 “It’s the tension of high demand and limited supply that creates the opportunity for profit.”
.
📝 “Your value is much higher than you think to a small number of people.”
.
📝 “Lean into the discomfort of how much there is to be done.” Business is hard. This is good news for you. It keeps the wannabes and posers away.
.
📝 “Give away ideas, charge for implementation.” Information is cheap these days.
.
📝 Question to consider: How many customers do you need per year and how much do they need to pay?
.
📝 Question to consider: What “special edition” can you make of your product?
.
⭐️ TAKEAWAY:
“Focus on your new paying customers instead of immediately looking for new ones.” Make your current clients happy, beat their drum, share their success stories, and they will sell your product for you.
.
⚖️ VERDICT:
This is now my favorite marketing book and it will be my map and compass going forward in business. I read the book for a book club and the general consensus was a big thumbs up.
.
5/5
.
Not necessarily. Being oversubscribed allow you focus on the clients you already have and spend less time hunting new ones — freeing up valuable time for you to innovate your business.
.
Happy clients will rave about you and the limited supply of your product will make it more desirable; People will line up to do business with you!
.
This book goes through both the theoretical and practical aspects for setting up oversubscribed business.
.
📝 “It’s the tension of high demand and limited supply that creates the opportunity for profit.”
.
📝 “Your value is much higher than you think to a small number of people.”
.
📝 “Lean into the discomfort of how much there is to be done.” Business is hard. This is good news for you. It keeps the wannabes and posers away.
.
📝 “Give away ideas, charge for implementation.” Information is cheap these days.
.
📝 Question to consider: How many customers do you need per year and how much do they need to pay?
.
📝 Question to consider: What “special edition” can you make of your product?
.
⭐️ TAKEAWAY:
“Focus on your new paying customers instead of immediately looking for new ones.” Make your current clients happy, beat their drum, share their success stories, and they will sell your product for you.
.
⚖️ VERDICT:
This is now my favorite marketing book and it will be my map and compass going forward in business. I read the book for a book club and the general consensus was a big thumbs up.
.
5/5
January 14, 2016
Great tips, real life examples and simple concepts to help change the way we look at business and being entrepreneurs. Great to think of capacity and setting limits to ensure a high level of service to clients. The example of a personal trainer who caters to a specific clientele, and how that changed this professional's life and wealth... This book spurred a lot of ideas, which I will try.
December 7, 2015
amazing book! read if you want to think of new ways of developing and promoting your business
Read
January 28, 2016Great principals, great examples. I really enjoyed this book. Absolutely, worth the 5 hours.
July 23, 2018
اطلاعات خوبی در مورد فروش و بازاریابی مدرن و همخوان با عصر دیجیتال داره
August 5, 2022
Pozycja krótka, ale wypełniona po brzegi konkretnymi przykładami jak wygenerować kolejkę klientów ustawiającą się do ciebie.
Wystarczy kilka składników jak:
-Dobrze ułożony i spójny przekaz
-Produkcja treści i dzielenie się wiedzą (blog, podcast, książki)
-Cała gama produktów, od tanich do premium dla klientów na różnych poziomach
-Dokumentowanie swojej drogi, pokazanie ciągłości twojej pracy
-Współpraca z innymi osobami z podobnej grupy odbiorczej
Mamy nawet podany jak na tacy skład zespołu, z którym warto startować projekt, aby wyprzedzić całą konkurencję. Wpływowa osoba w branży, Szef sprzedaży i marketingu, Szef operacji i produktu, Szef działu finansów, logistyki i raportowania. Nie zapomnij jednak o mentorach i rówieśnikach, którzy cię zainspirują.
Wystarczy kilka składników jak:
-Dobrze ułożony i spójny przekaz
-Produkcja treści i dzielenie się wiedzą (blog, podcast, książki)
-Cała gama produktów, od tanich do premium dla klientów na różnych poziomach
-Dokumentowanie swojej drogi, pokazanie ciągłości twojej pracy
-Współpraca z innymi osobami z podobnej grupy odbiorczej
Mamy nawet podany jak na tacy skład zespołu, z którym warto startować projekt, aby wyprzedzić całą konkurencję. Wpływowa osoba w branży, Szef sprzedaży i marketingu, Szef operacji i produktu, Szef działu finansów, logistyki i raportowania. Nie zapomnij jednak o mentorach i rówieśnikach, którzy cię zainspirują.
April 17, 2022
Ik hou van business boeken die gewoon straight to the point zijn en mijn brein doen oplichten als een kerstboom. Tienduust ideeën.
Binnenkort bestel ik de papieren versie van dit boek zodat ik het te lijf kan gaan met post its en fluostiften.
Binnenkort bestel ik de papieren versie van dit boek zodat ik het te lijf kan gaan met post its en fluostiften.
April 28, 2021
Fascinating book that is really relevant to how I am running my business now. Copious notes taken throughout which is why it took me a while to read!
April 20, 2018
Marketing of how to create your own market and select only the customer that are willing to be your ideal customers. Similar to the idea of the 20/80 principle: go after only the customer that generate the most revenue.
April 8, 2023
Livre qui tourne autour d’une stratégie pour avoir trop de demandes pour son business.
Souvent un peu bateau, parfois dangereux (voie du refus de vente ou bien à minima conseil de faire poireauter ses clients) il y a quelques idées intéressantes :
- quelles key people pour réussir ?
- l’importance de la brand et notamment du personal branding
- Créer son propre marché
Souvent un peu bateau, parfois dangereux (voie du refus de vente ou bien à minima conseil de faire poireauter ses clients) il y a quelques idées intéressantes :
- quelles key people pour réussir ?
- l’importance de la brand et notamment du personal branding
- Créer son propre marché
December 22, 2024
WHAT WAS THE CHAPTER??
August 13, 2015
An absolutely terrific business book, a real breath of fresh air. I really cannot recommend this startling and inspirational little tome highly enough, especially if you’re a small business looking to renew the spark, wanting to regenerate, or a start up or even a one man/woman band. It is very readable; concise – just 200 pages long and not a trace of fat on the bones. It is full of innovative ideas to really get the imagination spinning and ideas sparking, and at its heart, a truly exciting concept - forget mass-appeal; be exclusive; set yourself apart, ‘building a group of loyal fans, a tribe loyal to your business. Forget aiming to please everyone and aim to please a very few. Be unique - or at least, be special, ‘you only need to be famous for a few 1000 people’. Become your own market. You probably won’t end up with the Malibu beach house, but you might very well achieve a profitable business and a great lifestyle.
Oversubscribed is divided into three parts. The first part explains the concept and philosophy, well peppered by apposite anecdotes and stories of entrepreneurs who used these concepts in their business. Par two is a practical ‘how to’ guide. Part three is al about the digital ecosystem; how to fit it all together to get maximum mileage – in the digital world, the sum is worth a great deal more than each of its parts – Jamie Oliver is a fine example of the latter and Daniel Priestly does a great job of breaking down all of what Jamie does, how each component of what he does works and how it all works together to make Jamie Oliver such a stunningly successful brand.
I don’t know what I expected when I started reading this book, certainly not something as genuinely entertaining and certainly nothing as innovative and *useful*. I finished reading it last night - I read it in 2 days, work-booked it, filled one notebook with ideas, went out, bought a new notebook. My copy is full of scribble and notes; I’m going to start reading it again tonight and start working on how to apply these ideas to my own tiny operation. I have a feeling it could work really well. It’s very exciting.
Oversubscribed is divided into three parts. The first part explains the concept and philosophy, well peppered by apposite anecdotes and stories of entrepreneurs who used these concepts in their business. Par two is a practical ‘how to’ guide. Part three is al about the digital ecosystem; how to fit it all together to get maximum mileage – in the digital world, the sum is worth a great deal more than each of its parts – Jamie Oliver is a fine example of the latter and Daniel Priestly does a great job of breaking down all of what Jamie does, how each component of what he does works and how it all works together to make Jamie Oliver such a stunningly successful brand.
I don’t know what I expected when I started reading this book, certainly not something as genuinely entertaining and certainly nothing as innovative and *useful*. I finished reading it last night - I read it in 2 days, work-booked it, filled one notebook with ideas, went out, bought a new notebook. My copy is full of scribble and notes; I’m going to start reading it again tonight and start working on how to apply these ideas to my own tiny operation. I have a feeling it could work really well. It’s very exciting.
October 9, 2018
If you want to read a pile of bullshit that repeats its title "oversubscribed" for around 500 times than this is your chance.
The book is a total waste of money and time. A book where you'll see the names of famous brands (Apple, Nike etc.) multiple times, without any usefulness and plenty of names from the business world that as well are so ubiquitous already (Jobs, Branson etc.). The book as well will remind you from chapter to chapter how successful was in starting his event organising business and words like Rolex, Ferrari and other cheap attention seeking techniques will be used plenty of times. The author is bravely throwing numbers around expressing the vast amount of money he can count. As well from page to page you'll be presented some primitive caricatures which are supposed to make the reading fun. The author uses all possible techniques to get your attention - how he met his wife and how while writing the book they made their first baby boy.
To be brief reading this book is similar to attending a cheap MLM event presenting to you snake oil or some other "magical" (a word actually used in the book a couple of times) ingredient that will make you live forever by a person who will show you pictures of places where he allegedly is on holiday and how easy it was for him so you can do it as well. As well forget about morality - the important part is to reap off as many people as possible.
In the end, you'll be invited to follow the author on Twitter. As well as a call for you to follow your heart. So trivial...
Don't waste your life on this piece of junk.
The book is a total waste of money and time. A book where you'll see the names of famous brands (Apple, Nike etc.) multiple times, without any usefulness and plenty of names from the business world that as well are so ubiquitous already (Jobs, Branson etc.). The book as well will remind you from chapter to chapter how successful was in starting his event organising business and words like Rolex, Ferrari and other cheap attention seeking techniques will be used plenty of times. The author is bravely throwing numbers around expressing the vast amount of money he can count. As well from page to page you'll be presented some primitive caricatures which are supposed to make the reading fun. The author uses all possible techniques to get your attention - how he met his wife and how while writing the book they made their first baby boy.
To be brief reading this book is similar to attending a cheap MLM event presenting to you snake oil or some other "magical" (a word actually used in the book a couple of times) ingredient that will make you live forever by a person who will show you pictures of places where he allegedly is on holiday and how easy it was for him so you can do it as well. As well forget about morality - the important part is to reap off as many people as possible.
In the end, you'll be invited to follow the author on Twitter. As well as a call for you to follow your heart. So trivial...
Don't waste your life on this piece of junk.
January 15, 2019
I’ve been running my own business for over 18 years, and this is certainly one of the most valuable and inspirational business books I’ve read during that time. I’d read Key Person of Influence back to back while in holiday, and followed it on right away with this book, and simply couldn’t put it down.
Priestley runs through the essential principles in creating more demand than supply. This is a combination of a marketing framework and a framework for running a successful business. From key roles to execution to driving successful campaigns, there’s so much to work with here, but all in a very easy to read and understand format.
Proving that his principles work by using it on his own company, I’m certainly going to be following this up with workshops with Priestley’s company, Dent, and I’ve already downloaded ‘24 Assets’ to my Kindle! Highly recommended.
Priestley runs through the essential principles in creating more demand than supply. This is a combination of a marketing framework and a framework for running a successful business. From key roles to execution to driving successful campaigns, there’s so much to work with here, but all in a very easy to read and understand format.
Proving that his principles work by using it on his own company, I’m certainly going to be following this up with workshops with Priestley’s company, Dent, and I’ve already downloaded ‘24 Assets’ to my Kindle! Highly recommended.
February 20, 2017
I wasn't all that impressed by this book. It lacks in any real substance (I finished it in a couple of hours), mostly about strategy but not much in the way of tactics. I got the impression that it was only published as a lead generator for the author. Definitely better books out there if you're a freelancer like me, 'The Well Fed Writer' by Pete Bowerman for one.
March 26, 2018
Light on substance and originality. Feels like it's written as a gateway for the author to gain reputation and higher speaker fees. The whole premise of the book is to marketing campaigns and provide exclusivity, however no real examples or case studies are given. The concept is good but a disappointing read.
July 31, 2016
I liked this innovative approach of getting "oversubscribed." It pretty much describes the good ol' concept of sales conversions, but looks at it from a different & innovative angle. There are some good & actionable take-aways.
November 27, 2022
A book that doesn't need to exist. I read it on a recommendation, and since the person claimed it would be very useful exactly for my circumstances, I decided to give it a go. I should stop reading such books :D
September 7, 2023
Its a short book with lots of interesting ideas. I ended up liking the concepts and the main points the book presents.
The main points the book presents are:
Principle #1: Demand and Supply Set the Price
- Markets go up when demand rises.
- Your business can be oversubscribed (profits), balanced (wages), or undersubscribed (losses) based on demand and supply.
Principle #2: Separate Yourself from the Market
- Don't try to appeal to everyone; focus on a specific group that values what you offer.
-Key ingredients for being famous include consistent messaging, content, a commercial ecosystem, continuity, and collaboration.
Principle #3: Pay Attention to Market Imbalance Drivers
- Create more buyers than sellers by focusing on innovation, relationships, convenience, and price.
Principle #4: The Buying Environment Creates Buyers
-Celebrate existing customers and treat them like celebrities.
-People buy what they "want," not just what they need.
Principle #5: It's Okay to Be Different
-Develop a clear philosophy to create your own market.
- Embrace failure and consider going against industry trends.
Principle #6: Value Is Created in the Ecosystem
-Give away ideas but charge for implementation.
-Focus on innovation without altering your core strengths.
Principle #7: Nothing Beats Being Positively Remarkable
-Shift your marketing budget to a remarkable budget.
-Personal brands of people within the organization can make a company oversubscribed.
11 Build-Ups to Being Oversubscribed
1. Signal authority.
2. Be willing to disqualify prospects and fire bad customers.
3. Ask for the signal of purchase, not just the sale.
4. Be transparent.
5. Prioritize mobile and media, using visuals and simplicity.
6. Combine education and entertainment.
7. Wait before discussing business.
8. Maintain visibility both offline and online.
9. Start by building products for prospects.
10. Underpromise and overdeliver.
11. Exude enthusiasm and excitement for customer loyalty and trust.
These principles provide a framework for businesses to become oversubscribed and thrive. I think ther e is some overlap in the ideas to the Book "Blue Ocean Strategy", which from my point of view makes sense. The point which stood out most to me was the idea to charge for implementation instead of the knowledge as it used to be. This I think is a logical conclusion in the the day and age of information overload.
Overall the book is short and good, it delivered what it promised but it wasnt phenomenal enough to justify a 5-Star-Review. You should still read it, if you like the ideas it presents.
The main points the book presents are:
Principle #1: Demand and Supply Set the Price
- Markets go up when demand rises.
- Your business can be oversubscribed (profits), balanced (wages), or undersubscribed (losses) based on demand and supply.
Principle #2: Separate Yourself from the Market
- Don't try to appeal to everyone; focus on a specific group that values what you offer.
-Key ingredients for being famous include consistent messaging, content, a commercial ecosystem, continuity, and collaboration.
Principle #3: Pay Attention to Market Imbalance Drivers
- Create more buyers than sellers by focusing on innovation, relationships, convenience, and price.
Principle #4: The Buying Environment Creates Buyers
-Celebrate existing customers and treat them like celebrities.
-People buy what they "want," not just what they need.
Principle #5: It's Okay to Be Different
-Develop a clear philosophy to create your own market.
- Embrace failure and consider going against industry trends.
Principle #6: Value Is Created in the Ecosystem
-Give away ideas but charge for implementation.
-Focus on innovation without altering your core strengths.
Principle #7: Nothing Beats Being Positively Remarkable
-Shift your marketing budget to a remarkable budget.
-Personal brands of people within the organization can make a company oversubscribed.
11 Build-Ups to Being Oversubscribed
1. Signal authority.
2. Be willing to disqualify prospects and fire bad customers.
3. Ask for the signal of purchase, not just the sale.
4. Be transparent.
5. Prioritize mobile and media, using visuals and simplicity.
6. Combine education and entertainment.
7. Wait before discussing business.
8. Maintain visibility both offline and online.
9. Start by building products for prospects.
10. Underpromise and overdeliver.
11. Exude enthusiasm and excitement for customer loyalty and trust.
These principles provide a framework for businesses to become oversubscribed and thrive. I think ther e is some overlap in the ideas to the Book "Blue Ocean Strategy", which from my point of view makes sense. The point which stood out most to me was the idea to charge for implementation instead of the knowledge as it used to be. This I think is a logical conclusion in the the day and age of information overload.
Overall the book is short and good, it delivered what it promised but it wasnt phenomenal enough to justify a 5-Star-Review. You should still read it, if you like the ideas it presents.
October 16, 2024
Oversubscribed: How to Get People Lined Up to Do Business with You by Daniel Priestley offers insights into creating demand for your product or service beyond your capacity to supply.
I read this to gain insight into building my digital business and it did not disappoint. There is so many nuggets of info that are really valuable and applicable. His other book “Key Person of Influence” is also a 5 star gem.
This book focuses on how to make your business desirable and attract more customers than you can handle.
My key points:
1. Create scarcity and value: People want what they can’t easily get. If your business appears exclusive or in high demand, it becomes more attractive. Rather than trying to serve everyone, focus on serving a select group exceptionally well. This is a time tested marketing ploy but is highly effective as it plays into our human nature to want to get something before it disappears.
2. Build a tribe: Establish a community or following around your brand. This creates loyalty and ongoing interest in your offerings. Cultivate relationships with your audience so they feel connected to your business and its mission. This is essential in building a business. The book “Tribes” by Seth Godin really goes deep about tribes and is also a must read and the article “1000 True Fans” by Kevin Kelly will get you informed about leading a small group of dedicated followers.
3. Marketing campaigns and pre-launches: Use strategic marketing to build anticipation before your product or service is available. By creating buzz and exclusivity, you can ensure that when you’re ready to offer it, people are eager to buy. Similar to the way apple or luxury watch manufacturers do. If you can simulate the need for your product you will write your own check.
4. Leverage social proof and authority: Demonstrate that your product or service is valuable by showcasing testimonials, case studies, or endorsements from influential people or satisfied customers.
5. Turn customers into advocates: A business grows when customers are so satisfied that they become ambassadors for your brand. Focus on delivering exceptional experiences that make people want to spread the word.
Priestley’s core message is that by positioning your business as highly desirable and in limited supply, you can generate a steady stream of eager customers, driving growth and profitability. filled with lots of case studies and other stories this is a must read for any business owner or creative who wants to start a business.
I read this to gain insight into building my digital business and it did not disappoint. There is so many nuggets of info that are really valuable and applicable. His other book “Key Person of Influence” is also a 5 star gem.
This book focuses on how to make your business desirable and attract more customers than you can handle.
My key points:
1. Create scarcity and value: People want what they can’t easily get. If your business appears exclusive or in high demand, it becomes more attractive. Rather than trying to serve everyone, focus on serving a select group exceptionally well. This is a time tested marketing ploy but is highly effective as it plays into our human nature to want to get something before it disappears.
2. Build a tribe: Establish a community or following around your brand. This creates loyalty and ongoing interest in your offerings. Cultivate relationships with your audience so they feel connected to your business and its mission. This is essential in building a business. The book “Tribes” by Seth Godin really goes deep about tribes and is also a must read and the article “1000 True Fans” by Kevin Kelly will get you informed about leading a small group of dedicated followers.
3. Marketing campaigns and pre-launches: Use strategic marketing to build anticipation before your product or service is available. By creating buzz and exclusivity, you can ensure that when you’re ready to offer it, people are eager to buy. Similar to the way apple or luxury watch manufacturers do. If you can simulate the need for your product you will write your own check.
4. Leverage social proof and authority: Demonstrate that your product or service is valuable by showcasing testimonials, case studies, or endorsements from influential people or satisfied customers.
5. Turn customers into advocates: A business grows when customers are so satisfied that they become ambassadors for your brand. Focus on delivering exceptional experiences that make people want to spread the word.
Priestley’s core message is that by positioning your business as highly desirable and in limited supply, you can generate a steady stream of eager customers, driving growth and profitability. filled with lots of case studies and other stories this is a must read for any business owner or creative who wants to start a business.
July 31, 2023
In "Oversubscribed: How to Get People Lining Up to Do Business with You", author Daniel Priestley places a spotlight on the significance of a well-structured 'client interest capture strategy' and the art of generating enthusiasm within your target audience. Priestley draws a distinction between the overall market and 'your' market, a differentiation that every entrepreneur or business leader should consider in their strategy. This point alone resonates deeply, making the book a compelling read for anyone aiming to distinguish themselves in their field.
However, the book suffers from repetition and over-elaboration that may test the reader's patience. Priestley's tendency to belabor points and extrapolate unnecessarily frequently caused me to skim through whole pages within seconds. The excessive wordiness not only slows the reader down but also, unfortunately, detracts from the impact of the valuable insights.
Additionally, while a comprehensive guide on running a business may be useful to some readers, the inclusion of such chapters felt out of place and unnecessarily elongated the book. Priestley's digressions into the nuts and bolts of general business operations diluted the book's initial focus on the 'Oversubscribed' approach. These chapters could potentially mislead readers who were initially drawn in by the promise of a unique business strategy, not a broad overview of business operations.
In conclusion, Priestley's "Oversubscribed" offers some excellent points and distinctive insights, making it worth picking up for those intrigued by the idea of creating demand and excitement for their products or services. However, its value seems predominantly concentrated in the first 100 pages, after which it morphs into a more generic business guide.
The recommendation would be to dive into the initial part of the book if you're interested in understanding the 'Oversubscribed' methodology. The latter parts of the book might not appeal to those who were looking for a more focused discussion on this concept. Despite these criticisms, "Oversubscribed" remains a beneficial read for its unique take on how businesses can differentiate themselves and create demand in today's competitive marketplace.
However, the book suffers from repetition and over-elaboration that may test the reader's patience. Priestley's tendency to belabor points and extrapolate unnecessarily frequently caused me to skim through whole pages within seconds. The excessive wordiness not only slows the reader down but also, unfortunately, detracts from the impact of the valuable insights.
Additionally, while a comprehensive guide on running a business may be useful to some readers, the inclusion of such chapters felt out of place and unnecessarily elongated the book. Priestley's digressions into the nuts and bolts of general business operations diluted the book's initial focus on the 'Oversubscribed' approach. These chapters could potentially mislead readers who were initially drawn in by the promise of a unique business strategy, not a broad overview of business operations.
In conclusion, Priestley's "Oversubscribed" offers some excellent points and distinctive insights, making it worth picking up for those intrigued by the idea of creating demand and excitement for their products or services. However, its value seems predominantly concentrated in the first 100 pages, after which it morphs into a more generic business guide.
The recommendation would be to dive into the initial part of the book if you're interested in understanding the 'Oversubscribed' methodology. The latter parts of the book might not appeal to those who were looking for a more focused discussion on this concept. Despite these criticisms, "Oversubscribed" remains a beneficial read for its unique take on how businesses can differentiate themselves and create demand in today's competitive marketplace.
January 27, 2025
Hands down one of the best and most relevant business books I’ve read. About building a business that is oversubscribed by delivering a remarkable product that people line up to buy
Priestly argues that the most successful businesses are businesses that are oversubscribed - that have more demand than they can keep up with. They do not stretch themselves to please everybody but focus on making their product exceptional, their delivery remarkable and that every client leaves feeling uplifted and an ambassador of your brand. While that may sound obvious, I liked his approach that all of this starts with your existing customers, caring for them and getting to know them. That your attention and money should be focused on your current customer instead of chasing prospective customers. It allows you to do your best work and spend more time with current clients rather than chasing new ones.
To achieve that, he urges you to get to know and understand your customer deeply so that you can deliver on their expectations and so that you can surprise and uplift them. Word of mouth spreads like wildfire, so create a product that is worth talking about. He argues we are all technology businesses and need to make sure our online presence presents the quality and values of your business and to avoid/mob up any negative stories online. He outlines tools to create successful campaigns, by careful planning and tracking and by getting your market to signal interest before committing or selling an event.
He encourages you to celebrate your customers and treat them like celebrities to make your product aspirational. To share their testimony and stories, make them brand ambassadors and allow them to market your product for you. Make sure to collect plenty of data and interpret the numbers to shine light on what works and what doesn’t. He gives valuable advice on how to recruit and train the right people in sales, marketing, operations and finance and highlights how hands-on people in each field will elevate, inform and spread your message and business.
I did not feel the book focused particularly on any given industry but that the message is so universal it will translate to any. 5/5 recommend
Priestly argues that the most successful businesses are businesses that are oversubscribed - that have more demand than they can keep up with. They do not stretch themselves to please everybody but focus on making their product exceptional, their delivery remarkable and that every client leaves feeling uplifted and an ambassador of your brand. While that may sound obvious, I liked his approach that all of this starts with your existing customers, caring for them and getting to know them. That your attention and money should be focused on your current customer instead of chasing prospective customers. It allows you to do your best work and spend more time with current clients rather than chasing new ones.
To achieve that, he urges you to get to know and understand your customer deeply so that you can deliver on their expectations and so that you can surprise and uplift them. Word of mouth spreads like wildfire, so create a product that is worth talking about. He argues we are all technology businesses and need to make sure our online presence presents the quality and values of your business and to avoid/mob up any negative stories online. He outlines tools to create successful campaigns, by careful planning and tracking and by getting your market to signal interest before committing or selling an event.
He encourages you to celebrate your customers and treat them like celebrities to make your product aspirational. To share their testimony and stories, make them brand ambassadors and allow them to market your product for you. Make sure to collect plenty of data and interpret the numbers to shine light on what works and what doesn’t. He gives valuable advice on how to recruit and train the right people in sales, marketing, operations and finance and highlights how hands-on people in each field will elevate, inform and spread your message and business.
I did not feel the book focused particularly on any given industry but that the message is so universal it will translate to any. 5/5 recommend
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