Seven Second Marketing: : How to Use Memory Hooks to Make You Instantly Stand Out in a Crowd

Citation

Martel, M. (1998), "Seven Second Marketing: : How to Use Memory Hooks to Make You Instantly Stand Out in a Crowd", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 15 No. 3, pp. 303-305. https://doi.org/10.1108/jcm.1998.15.3.303.5

Seven Second Marketing by Ivan R. Misner, PhD promotes the age‐old marketing technique of word‐of‐mouth advertising. This book expands upon Dr Misner’s previous bestseller, The World’s Best Known Marketing Secret: Building Your Business with Word‐of‐Mouth Marketing, in which he shows that the most effective way to market one’s product or service is by word of mouth. According to the inside cover flap, “The key to great word‐of‐mouth marketing is to be remembered.” Dr Misner’s “device” for making an immediate, memorable impression, which is the focus of this second book, is a concept he calls “the memory hook”.

The central idea of this publication is that a first impression of you or your business sets up a bias that has a lasting effect on all later interactions with you. So the opening moments of a meeting between new acquaintances often determines whether or not he or she is interested in learning about your business. “A memory hook is something you can use within the first seven seconds to ensure that you will be remembered favorably. A good memory hook is a brief, memorable introduction that engages the other party’s interest positively and creates an unbreakable connection between you and your product or service” (p. 16). This summarizes the concept of “seven second marketing”.

The book is broken out into three parts, each with its own set of chapters. Part I, “Getting Their Attention: Using Memory Hooks to Turbocharge Your Referrals”, describes how personal recommendations and referrals are still important to us today even though our everyday lives have changed since the days that everyone relied on the small “mom & pop” shops in the center of town. In Chapter 2 of Part I, “The More Things Change … ”, Dr Misner shows how increased competition on regional, national and global scales has increased the need for small businesses to stand out on a personal or local level. “There are two key elements in distinguishing yourself from the crowd of competitors. The first is to build and maintain a reputation for good work and integrity that becomes a topic of conversation when people talk about you. The other key element is to make it as easy as possible for people to remember your name…” (p. 26).

Chapters 3 and 4 finish off Part I with “The Art of the Introduction, How to Meet Prospects Individually and in Groups” and “How to Make a Memory Hook, A Mix & Match Guide to the Key Ingredients” respectively. Chapter Three reviews the nature of and differences between personal and group introductions and describes how the first impression you make affects the outcome of personal contacts, networking and word‐of‐mouth marketing. Chapter 4 introduces examples of memory hooks and gives tips on how to begin to create your own.

Part II, “Memory Hook Themes, A Potpourri of Ways to Hook Your Prospect”, is the biggest section of the book and contains eight chapters that continue to expand upon how to create your own memory hook. The following chapters make up Part II:

• Chapter 5: “Draw Attention To Your Name”

• Chapter 6: “Highlight Your Company Name”

• Chapter 7: “Communicate Your Profession”

• Chapter 8: “Tell Them Quality is Important to You”

• Chapter 9: “Educate as You Sell”

• Chapter 10: “Rhyme It or Sing It”

• Chapter 11: “Play with the Words”

• Chapter 12: “Take the Next Step”Each chapter ends with examples of memory hooks that coincide with the chapter’s theme along with short testimonials from business people who used their memory hooks and got results. Chapter 12 (“Take the Next Step”) encourages the reader to use what they’ve learned and come up with a memory hook for themselves. Dr Misner offers six guidelines when inventing your own memory hook (p. 145):

(1) Make it short and vivid.

(2) Appeal to the senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch.

(3) Make it funny ‐ or make it touching.

(4) Make it rhyme (or make it a song).

(5) Parody something familiar.

(6) Make a two‐part statement.

Part III concludes the book with a collection of notes and worksheets as well as an index of memory hooks by profession. Misner includes a worksheet called “Anatomy of a 60‐second Presentation” and gives the reader an opportunity to send in their own memory hook for future editions of his books.

My impression of the book and of word‐of‐mouth marketing is that it pertains mostly to small business owners and salespeople. However, the ideas behind the concept of word‐of‐mouth marketing could be applied to mid‐size and large corporations as well. A memory hook could be used in the form of a jingle, slogan or tagline in advertising, direct mail campaigns, and the like.

I found the book to be light and easy to read. A large chunk of the book contains examples of memory hooks and the stories behind them. Many of the memory hooks used from “real life situations” are humorous; some were corny. It was interesting to read about the successes that individuals have had after using their own memory hook.

I would recommend this book to salespeople, small business owners and entrepreneurs just starting out.