Fifty lessons for excelling at B2B marketing
Edited by Mark A. Spaulding
John Thome, who spent more than 30 years working in the
converting and package-printing industry with key players such as Graymills and Pro Mark Technologies/BST
International/BST eltromat, has written and published a sales & marketing book. "Marketing With Exceptional Results: 50
Lessons On How To Excel At Business-To-Business Marketing" was edited by former PFFC Publisher Yolanda
Simonsis and is now available on Amazon
worldwide. The book is dedicated to Norm and
Jean Provan, and Jerry and Linda Shields, for
whom the author worked for many years.
The book details — among many other subjects — the development of print-inspection systems for package-printing applications from approximately 1992 to 2015 and provides great insight and a "behind the scenes look" at development, marketing and selling of
these products. During his career, John was a globally recognized expert on print
inspection and spoke on the subject all over North, Central and South America, Australia,
India, and Europe.
Why is this "marketing" book different? Here are a few key traits.
- The book brings marketing to life and explains why
effective, engaging marketing is so challenging...and yet so much fun.
- The book is filled with stories and anecdotes of interesting things that
happened throughout John's career. For example: Why the Europeans did NOT want a product named "Eagle," and the role Sara Lee apple pie played in his choice of marketing as a career.
- It contains only real activities that were used,
and real products that were sold and marketed in
over 70 countries.
- Every chapter is filled with example after example of actual marketing
strategies and tactics used, and how and why they worked...or did not.
- Every chapter also contains many references to marketing techniques that
should NOT be used — ever — and why.
My Thoughts: I've known John Thome for nearly 30 years and could always count on him at "the drop of a hat" for a thorough case-history article with one of his customers. I can't recall how many times he'd phone to say, "I'm flying to Brazil (or Canada or Peru or Belgium) and can bring back a story. Do you want it?" John's press kits were always more than complete and, as anyone who ever saw a BST Pro Mark booth knows, he made his trade-show stands a pleasure to visit.
Marketing professionals are bound to learn about successful techniques and strategies that can help improve and further their careers. And if you're currently working in the converting and package-printing industries, you'll see how other companies in the field market their products. Invaluable lessons, indeed.