Johnnie L. Roberts - The Big Book of Business Quotations: Over 1,400 of the Smartest Things Ever Said about Making Money

Skyhorse and Skyhorse Publishing are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation. Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file. Cover design by Rain Saukas Print ISBN: 978-1-63220-591-9 Ebook ISBN: 978-1-63450-021-0 Printed in the United States of America To my anchors: Wife Adrienne, daughters Lily and Ava, and mother Susie Jackson. Table of Contents Introduction The Wall Street Journal , which was first published on July 8, 1889, is one of the oldest and most famous publications devoted to daily reporting on business, finance, and the economy. It also is arguably the worlds most authoritative source on the art of the business quote.

Having reported for the Journal for fifteen years, I have firsthand knowledge of the deep wisdom about and reverence for the business quotes inside that august daily business newspaper. And because I share that reverence, I was honored to compile The Big Book of Business Quotations. Until I joined the Journal s reporting staff in 1981, I couldnt have imagined that business quotes were viewed as a kind of literary gemstone. Nor had I realized that business quotes were so widely coveted. Writers, thinkers, businesspeople, speechwriters, sloganeers, essayists, spiritualists, executive coaches, a broad cross-section of civic leaders, clergy, lawyers, students, and carnival barkers alike all find need at one time or another to brandish a business quote. Like all gemstones, however, business quotes vary widely in quality.

As a result, the quotes in these pages made the cut only after the most discriminating consideration. Predictable utterancesIf at first you dont succeed, try againwere routinely banished. I evaluated the sharpness and forcefulness of the quotes and included a wide range of voices and authors. I provided the source of the quotes where possible, though the true origin of many is unknown. Quotes from unknown sources had to be unusually incisive or insightful to be included. The quotes that follow provoke deep thought, buttress credibility, convey scope, and even tug on emotions.

I hope they spark your creativity and prove to be useful in your endeavors. Advertising Among the many ruins of Pompeii were dainty perfume bottles, a statuette of Alexander the Great, and, of course, advertising. The New World Encyclopedia, in fact, informs us that the origins of commercial messaging is prehistoric, and advertising was among the earliest forms of human communication. While civilizations have come and gone, the prevalence of come-ons to consumers is ubiquitous. GroupM, the global media investment group, says that nearly $1 trillion a year (as of 2016) is poured into drawing consumers attention worldwide, prompting their purchase of goods and services. And advertising has advanced toward the realm of science fiction.

Advertisers can now target and geographically trail mobile-phone users in order to deliver ads tailored for that individual. In advertising not to be different is virtually suicidal. William Bernbach, advertising legend and cofounder of the Doyle Dane Bernbach agency When business is good it pays to advertise; when it is bad you have got to advertise. Red Auerbach, legendary coach of the Boston Celtics The real axis of evil in America is the genius of our marketing and the gullibility of our people. Bill Maher, comedian and television host (from When You Ride Alone You Ride with bin Laden , 2002) The essence of trust building is to emphasize the similarities between you and the customer. Thomas J.

Watson, chairman and CEO of IBM Dont blame the marketing department. The buck stops with the chief executive. John D. Rockefeller, industrialist, cofounder of Standard Oil Co., and philanthropist (from John D. Rockefeller on Making Money: Advice and Words of Wisdom on Building , 2015) The joy of music should never be interrupted by a commercial. Leonard Bernstein, composer/conductor Advertising works most effectively when its in line with what people are already trying to do.

Mark Zuckerberg, cofounder and CEO of Facebook (from Time magazine, July 17, 2007) It is true that you may fool all of the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all the time; but you cant fool all of the people all the time. Abraham Lincoln, US president Its just called The Bible nowwe dropped the word Holy to give it a more mass-market appeal. Hodder & Stoughton, publisher/editor (from The Daily Telegraph, December 30, 1989) Transforming a brand into a socially responsible leader doesnt happen overnight by simply writing new marketing and advertising strategies. It takes effort to identify a vision that your customers will find credible and aligned with their values. Simon Mainwaring, advertising creative director and social media specialist (from website Mashable, April 22, 2011) Advertisers in general bear a large part of the responsibility for the deep feelings of inadequacy that drive women to psychiatrists, pills, or the bottle. Marya Mannes, author and critic (from But Will It Sell?, 1964) People dont believe what you tell them.

They rarely believe what you show them. They often believe what their friends tell them. They always believe what they tell themselves. Seth Godin, author, entrepreneur, and public speaker In day-to-day commerce, television is not so much interested in the business of communications as in the business of delivering audiences to advertisers. People are the merchandise, not the shows. The shows are merely the bait.

Les Brown, songwriter, orchestra leader, and author (from Television: The Business Behind the Box, 1971) I have had a disturbing dream in which I break through a cave wall near Nag Hammadi and discover urns full of ancient Coptic scrolls. As I unfurl the first scroll, a subscription card to some Gnostic exercise magazine flutters out. Colin McEnroe, columnist and radio host Advertising is the greatest art form of the 20th century. Marshall McLuhan, Canadian philosopher, futurist, and communications theorist (from Advertising Age , September 3, 1976) Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing but nobody else does. Steuart Henderson Britt, marketing consultant, psychologist, and author (quoted in the New York Herald Tribune , October 30, 1956)