1/1: Interview with Guy Kawasaki – Author, Speaker, Entrepreneur

There are few people in the marketing, business and social media world that need no introductions, and Guy Kawasaki is certainly one of them. I was lucky enough to be contacted by Guy to receive an advance copy of his new book to review, and when he offered an interview opportunity I jumped on it. Instead of reviewing the book which Im sure many will, I decided to catch him before I received my copy to answer a few questions for us. As always Guy was informative, thought provoking and yes, enchanting.

DC: Who is Guy Kawasaki and what does he do?

GK: Guy Kawasaki is a former Apple employee who did one thing right (evangelize Macintosh) and has been living off his reputation for twenty-five years. He’s living proof that if you do one thing right in your career, you can coast for a long time. Now he’s an author, speaker, and entrepreneur. He’s also a firehose of a tweeter.

DC: Your tenth book Enchantment, The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions comes out on March 8th. Proposing for a moment you weren’t the author, please review the book for us.

GK: Tactical, practical, no bull shiitake. Lovely cover. Overlaps with some of his previous writing about evangelism. One of the few business books that explains the what, why, and how.

DC: What is the difference between persuasion and enchantment?

GK: Persuasion focuses on a transaction–for example, getting people to buy something. Enchantment describes a relationship, not simply a transaction, and it’s usually mutually beneficial.

DC: What are the key components of an enchanting elevator speech?

GK: The key components of an enchanting elevator pitch are brevity–like thirty seconds, lack of industry jargon, and a focus on communicating what the company does and what its magic sauce/competitive advantage.

DC: On your Wikipedia page under Quotations it says: Although he’s been described as a business legend, Kawasaki says that being a legend shouldn’t be your goal in life, “What you should do is create a great product or service… the goal is to change the world… if you do that, maybe you’ll be a legend.” Based upon that philosophy, whom do you consider legendary?

GK: That’s easy: Steve Jobs and Richard Branson. It’s a short list.

DC: There is so much information about you on the Internet, including a recipe for “Guy Kawasaki’s Famous Teriyaki Sauce.” What are 5 things we don’t know that will make your response a PrintMediaCentr exclusive?

GK: I really am an open book, so there aren’t any deep, dark secrets. Here are a few things that most people don’t know:

First, I hardly ever read business books. But I love novels by authors like David Baldacci, Tom Clancy, Brad Thor, Frederick Forsyth, and Daniel Silva.

Second, I have Meniere’s disease. This means I suffer from tinnitus, hearing lost, and vertigo. My theory is that I got Meniere’s because I’ve listened to so many crappy pitches.

Third, I hardly ever read blogs. It takes every ounce of energy that I have to create content, so that I have have nothing left to consume content other than aforementioned novels.

Fourth, I don’t consider myself successful as an entrepreneur or venture capitalist because I haven’t founded or funded a mega-hit company.

Fifth, the person who influences, persuades, and enchants me the most is my daughter.

DC: How does a boy from Hawaii grow up to list The Hockey Handbook as one of his all time favorite books?

GK: The Hockey Handbook is one of my favorite books because I took up hockey at the late age of 48. This means I had a lot of catching up to do. I took up hockey because my kids took it up, and my wife told me not to be one of those husbands who show up at his kids games late and works on a Blackberry the whole time. She wanted me involved with my kids, so she told me to take up hockey too. And now I play more than my kids.

DC: How do you think Social Media has changed the world – and are we persuaded by it or enchanted by it?

GK: Social media has further flattened the world. The A-listers, oracles, and power brokers have lost control of marketing. Random people on Twitter and Facebook, together, wield more power than the “somebodies.” What I’m saying is that social media means that nobodies are the new somebodies.

Social media can persuade or enchant. Amateurs use social media simply for persuasion–again, for specific, often one-time transactions.”To make a buck” if you will. Professionals use of social media to create enchanted relationships–a good example of this is how Starbucks uses Facebook. These relationships are deeper, stronger, and more powerful.

DC: I recently wrote a blog post on my Bucket List for Print Projects that included printing the in-flight magazine for Virgin Galactic – can you help me with that?

GK: Do you mean could I introduce you to Richard Branson? I could, but I would be surprised if he makes that kind of decision. The way to do this is find out who designs the magazine and who prints it. Then it’s a matter of enchanting those vendors until you get your foot in the door.

DC: Lastly, if you were to give the commencement speech at the University of California, Los Angeles where you received your MBA, what would your advice be regarding how to prepare and enchant during a job interview?

GK: I have four pieces of advice for a job applicant going to an interview: First, they should dress “for a tie” meaning that you have to gauge the dress standards of a company and the department within the company. For example, if you’re applying for a programming job at Apple, you shouldn’t wear a three-piece suit. Second, they should have a great smile, and I mean a world-class, crows-feet-so-deep they can hold water smile. Third, they need the perfect handshake: firm, moderate length, eye contact, smooth and dry hand. Finally, they need to truly understand, and even better, use the company’s product. Given the choice between equally qualified candidates in terms of education and work experience, most companies will pick the one who clearly knows and loves what the company does.

Author’s Note:

Guy Kawasaki is the co-founder of Alltop.com, an “online magazine rack” of popular topics on the web, and a founding partner at Garage Technology Ventures. Previously, he was the chief evangelist of Apple. Kawasaki is the author of ten books including Enchantment, Reality Check, The Art of the Start, Rules for Revolutionaries, How to Drive Your Competition Crazy, Selling the Dream, and The Macintosh Way. Kawasaki has a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from UCLA as well as an honorary doctorate from Babson College.

http://www.guykawasaki.com/enchantment/resources/

If you’d like to stay on top of Guy’s writing, the best places are the American Express Open Forum and his Twitter account. You can also follow Guy’s adventures on his Facebook fan page.

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See the full 1/1: Interview series here

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