I was advised to “watch informercials to learn how to market your business,” by my friend who wants me to start making real money. I was more than happy to read a book to expand my knowledge.
However, I really wasn’t prepared for the first book I decided to read, “But Wait…There’s More! Tighten Your Abs, Make Millions, and Learn How the $100 Billion Informercial Industry Sold Us Everything but the Kitchen Sink” by Remy Stern. This is a great book!
The only real expectations I had were: 1) a chronological history of the industry and 2) the strategies and words used to get people to buy obvious crap. What I got was an entertaining, in-depth view of the “pitch” business. Stern provided more detail than I ever imaged. Did you know that the pitch began at carnivals and street festivals? Some of the industry pioneers sold things on Chicago’s famous Maxwell Street.
Other interesting facts divulged include:
- How it was determined to sell to people at night
- The lack of integrity and questionable backgrounds of the people behind many of the products we see. Many of these people have served jail time, lost their professional licenses and make crappy products on purpose
- One informercial writer charges $15,000 for a half-hour segment
- The network’s roles in the longevity of the industry
- How much industry makes annually
What I really enjoyed about the book, though, was the way Stern intertwined information about how the industry works with the people of the industry. Instead of separating historical facts, the people, the networks, etc. by individual chapters, he just made it a well-organized story that was amazingly entertaining and easy to follow.
This book is an accidental blessing and highly recommended. Have you read, “But Wait…There’s More”? What are your thoughts?
Image: usatoday
Tags: Book Review, But Wait...There's More, Chicago, Infomercial, Marcie Hill, Maxwell Street, pitch business, Remy Stern
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