Author: Seth Godin
Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover
Year Published: 2005
Rating: 
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I admit that as a marketer, my first reaction to this book’s title was to defend myself and my profession. Liars = unethical, right? So it was with great skepticism that I picked up this book.
While the title may be a bit gimmicky, it is a common belief shared by many people – just like other stereotypes such as all politicians are crooks, all lawyers are greedy, and all used car salesmen are pushy. But that common belief emphasizes a key point.
We all view life from a particular worldview that we’ve constructed from our own experiences, beliefs, and knowledge. This worldview acts as a bias or filter for how we interpret what’s going on around us right now. You and I might hear the same set of facts, but because of these biases and filters, we might come to opposite conclusions – both conclusions will fit neatly into each of our worldview and align themselves with what each of us wants.
Yet, not all our beliefs are based on facts. Many are based on our gut reactions, our emotions, or things we’ve heard from friends, family, or others whose opinion we value. Take, for instance, the Riedel wine glass, about which wine guru Robert Parker said, “The finest glasses for both technical and hedonistic purposes are those made by Riedel. The effect of these glasses on fine wine is profound. I cannot emphasize enough what a difference they make.” Many other wine experts share this opinion as well, and in turn, Reidel glasses cost $20 vs your typical $1 glass.
Which leads one to wonder – in a scientific, double-blind study where there was no way people could tell one glass from another, could people really taste the difference? It’s doubtful. Yet, wine enthusiasts that insist that wine taste better in a Reidel glass continue to pay top dollar for this luxury because they buy into the story that their wine tastes better in this type of glass. The facts are irrelevant here. It’s the experience that matters.
The point is that we tell ourselves stories all the time to justify our wants. How many times have you procrastinated doing something until the following day, splurged on a shopping trip because something you wanted was on sale, or bought magazines you didn’t want to support a fundraiser because you felt bad saying no? In each case, you told yourself a story to justify your actions.
This isn’t just about hype but about crafting an authentic story about a remarkable product or service that a target audience will relate to and believe in. If your product or services isn’t remarkable, people won’t talk.
With the example of the Reidel wine glass, the marketers told the story of superb craftsmanship, people bought into the story, and suddenly, the notion that the Reidel glass is the best of the best became true. People continue to believe the story, buy the glasses, and spread the word. As Godin states, “Successful marketers are just the providers of stories that consumers choose to believe.”
Think about it – how often do you tell your family and friends about a mediocre experience you just had? Now, how much more do you proclaim the wonders of something you love or warn how terrible of an experience you just had? It’s the extremes that make an impression, not that your product or service was just good enough or your price was just reasonable enough.
Of course, there are problems with storytelling. Some people use it to make up stuff about impossible things their product or service can do and in the end, people become the victim of fraud or can even be harmed. Godin uses Nestle as an example. Some time ago, UNICEF accused Nestle of contributing to the death of more than a million babies by telling moms of third world countries that bottle feeding was better than breast feeding. Initially, they provided free samples, but later, people had to buy the formula. Often, however, because families were too poor to keep buying enough formula, they’d water down the powered mix. As a result, many babies got sick.
Nestle could have prevented this by specifically targeting moms who couldn’t breast feed or with AIDS, but instead, they told the story to everyone who’d listen, people believed the lie, and babies died because if it. Godin stresses that as a marketer, it is your job to tell authentic stories.
Marketers are wrong when they insist that “all we do is offer options – it’s up to consumers to decide for themselves.” Marketing is now so well developed and so embedded in our culture that consumers no longer make decisions based on a rational analysis of facts. Instead they decide based on the stories they’re told. To disclaim responsibility for a fraud is cowardly.
Storytelling isn’t a new concept in marketing. One of the fundamental principles of marketing is crafting a marketing message that will be relevant to your target audience. Storytelling takes that one step further – instead of bombarding people with endless facts and trying to remain unbiased, you show them how your product or service fits into their worldview. Stories make concepts simpler to process and remember in a world overloaded with too much information.
Godin’s book is a quick read at 173 pages. His writing style is casual using stories about successful companies – big and small – to support many of his ideas. However, if you haven’t read any of Godin’s previous works, I’d recommend at least reading Purple Cow and Free Prize Inside before tackling this one. His previous works focus on what he considers to be a truly remarkable product or service and how to create one. If your product or service isn’t remarkable, you won’t be able to craft an authentic story that people talk about. This isn’t about selling mediocre products and services for higher prices. It’s about creating products and services that your clients and customers will find meaningful.
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