Make Some Noise

Make Some Noise:  The Unconventional Road to Dominance, by Ken Schmidt, Simon & Schuster 2018 

We all remember the tough times for Harley-Davidson - worldwide competition, a new generation of riders who didn't seem to wear the same Harley passion, a couple bad designs, and whoosh, the company was sliding into oblivion. But just short of the cliff edge, things turned and a new energy started to buzz through Milwaukee - could this be something unexpected?  Or would Harley be experiencing just yet another rough ride?

Ken Schmidt, former Director of Communications, explains all, and he shares just how it happened.  First, despite Harley's supposed dominant position and road warrior cults, the old stories did not always work.  He calls it a "full-throttle approach," and it covers these steps:

*  Make competing to dominate your business's primary objective

*  Create bulletproof positioning and influence marketplace narrative

*  Uncover and promote your business's hidden inimitable strength

*  Harness the power of a work culture that's driven to please

*  Generate tattoo-worthy loyalty among your important publics

*  Convert customers into passionately vocal advocates who will bring you new customers

*  Vastly improve your leadership skills

*  Exploit Ken's failproof "secret ingredient" for improving like-ability

This book is designed not to just tell the latest Harley close-call story - but instead Schmidt's role as consultant provocateur demands that readers answer these three tough questions:

1.  What do the customers your business served yesterday say about your business when they're talking about you to prospective customers?

2.  What do you want them to say?

3.  What are you doing to get them to say it?

How will your team know when any of these recommendations are working?  Schmidt says look at the metrics.