UPCOMING:

• THE CEO CLUB; The New York Harvard Club; Jan 8, 2009
• THE CEO CLUB; Three Forks, Dallas, TX; March 19, 2009

RECENT:

• Byline article / NATIONAL UNDERWRITER MAGAZINE May 26, 2008
• Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, May 28, 2008
• VIRGIN AIR/VIRGIN ATLANTIC; Soho House 29-35 Ninth Avenue; June 12, 2008
• American Chamber of Commerce Executives 2008 July 31, 2008
• Fox Business Network TV's "Money For Breakfast", May 16, 2008
• Bloomberg TV's "Evening Editon", May 15 2008
• North Carolina-Gastonia Chamber of Commerce, May 15, 2008
• North Carolina-Catawba Chamber of Commerce, May 14, 2008
• North Carolina-Statesville Chamber of Commerce, May 13, 2008
• Legal Sales Service Organization/Rain Dance Conference; Boston; May 7, 2008
• Business News Network TV "Squeeze Play with Amanda Lang and Kevin O'Leary," ; Canada; April 30, 2008
• METRO ROUNDTABLE, Friars Club, NYC April 29, 2008
• American Chamber of Commerce Executives / Alexandria, VA April 23, 2008
• WJBC RADIO Ron Ross Mid-Morning Show / Bloomington, IL, NYC April 21, 2008
• Michael Dresser's Authors, Experts and Answers Show April 15, 2008
• Jim Parisi Show / Tucson, AZ April 14, 2008
• Don Dubuc's Show wwl radio / New Orleans, LA April 12, 2008
• VIRGIN ATLANTIC, April 2, 2008
• WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE, March 26, 2008
• METLIFE, January 17, 2008 Westchester, NY
• FOCUS ON SERVICE CONFERENCE 2008, March 13th 2008, Hyatt Regency Port of Spain
• SIEMENS IT SOLUTIONS AND SERVICES Ascent 2007 executive conference on October 18, 2007 in Berlin, Germany.
• PR NEWS Platinum PR Awards October 16, 2007 in New York City.

“I listened to your book on my I-pod while I was biking - FANTASTIC!!! I learned of your book from Tom Peters praise of it on his site. Can't wait to get 'Your Management Sucks'. Keep up the great work.”

—Todd S

“The truth is a constant - not moments. That's why anything built on the truth is on a solid foundation. You want a house built on sand - start with a foundation built on lies and false assumptions. The truth is, or should be our "polar north" or our "equator" - a measuring stick of our integrity. Does it slide depending on where we are in life - I don’t think so. I believe we choose to look through the frame or lens that makes our lives bearable or manageable.

In ‘Your Marketing Sucks,’ you give examples of why marketing and business is ineffective - isn't it because the actual truth has been given a hard candy shell that is made to taste good to managers that have feasted on the fact that mediocrity is rewarded in today’s world? Sorry - I'm feeling inspired and the caffeine in my coffee has taken flight.”

P.S. - Mr. Stevens, your book is the premise of every one of my decisions - this is HUGE since I was just promoted to the Director of Marketing for my company. Thank you for speaking the truth.”

— Michael

“I've just finished reading ‘Your Marketing Sucks’ and I'm completely amazed. It's really given me a new lens to view my work through. As a designer and principal of a start-up that is in the very early stages of formation, I needed this book. Thank you - thank you - thank you for this book! I look forward to sharing OUR extreme marketing success stories with you one day!”

— David

”I wanted to personally send you an e-mail to say how great ‘Your Marketing Sucks’ book is. I have read it several times and I am in the implementation stages of doing extreme marketing for my work here and my own businesses.

I have a question? Have you thought about selling a taped live conference of one of your speaking engagements? It could be offered online via the internet for marketing groups to watch, listen and use as training/instruction. I know I would purchase it and watch. I would even sign up for a yearly subscription like a magazine subscription to be able to watch speaking engagements and to get updated information on extreme marketing ideas from MSCO.

Anyway, thanks for your help with my marketing efforts, the book has already been a tremendous help and I am just getting started.”

— Nick K

Let us guide you through this challenging process with our Management Manifesto:

1. Wash your brain of Consensus Building. It is for elementary school teachers. Every time someone tells you they want to engage in consensus building, walk out the door and tell them you have real work to do.

2. Reject everything that comes to you packaged as Conventional Wisdom. The fact is, Conventional Wisdom is an oxymoron. Once it is conventional, it is yesterday's fish.

3. Unless you are recruited by the NFL, forget about Team Building. The really successful business people -- think Steve Jobs, Phil Knight, and Bill Gates -- develop The Big Bang ideas and then pass them off to a team to do work.

4. Never accept No for an answer. 100% of the time when people tell you something can't be done, it is because they are too passive or too lazy to do it.  Go out and prove them wrong. Imagine what the Naysayer said when Walt Disney said he was going to build the most popular resort in the world on swampland in Florida.

5. Never fool yourself into thinking that hard work alone brings success. Maybe for donkeys but not for humans. To race past your peers, you will need a set of traits that MSCO’s proprietary methodology describes as:
   1. Combat Eyes
   2. Serial Skepticism
   3. Cartoon Imagination
   4. Monster Ambition

6. If you think about someone else's motives too much, you are in their heads to such a great extent, they have a right to charge you rent.

Once you liberate yourself from the shackles of what others may think of you, you will be free to soar as a manager and leader. You'll be able to utilize the full potential of your intellect, drive and creativity.

But you know something? People rarely do this, because they're afraid of what others may say or think.

7. You need a Killer App.

A Killer App is the stuff that warriors MSCO has worked with have honed to a science. It is their differentiator. It is Teddy Roosevelt's "big stick" and Ronald Reagan's skill as "the Great Communicator." It is why they win. It is how you can win. (No, you may not have all of the traits of the legendary leaders in your DNA, but you can begin to understand where you fall short and make a conscious effort to raise the bar.)

8. The bigger the company or business unit, the longer it can postpone the inevitable (because it can marshal a greater financial cushion to camouflage and delay the doomsday scenario it is careening toward). But this only disguises the fact that the company is spiraling downward, the victim of its own:
   1. COMPLACENCY
   2. DECEPTION
   3. FEAR OF A BAD DAY
   4. FAILURE TO ACT

This takes us back to our mission. To prevent this - and to achieve perpetual growth - you have to declare constructive war. "Why?" you ask again.

If you are really serious about growing your business, you have to don your battle jacket and attack these obstacles/roadblocks/gremlins because everyday you play Mr. Rogers, they are attacking you and they are winning!

9. Strong leaders (and, in turn, exceptional managers) establish a compass for their people to pursue in the course of their work and provide the motivation to exceed established goals.

Can you honestly say you do this? Are you proud of the way your people take the hill? Are you confident that they can get the job done - in a way that elevates your business unit to new levels of success? Or is it just the opposite? If so, you cannot take it out on them. You have just looked in the virtual mirror and come to the realization (perhaps grudgingly) that you are not as good a leader as you can be.

The time has come to change that. To declare war on yourself. The question is, if you are not a born leader, how can you develop the skills that are essential for extraordinary management?

10. Get out of the office and take a hike. Allow yourself to think how you can raise the bar on your personal performance. Be prepared to declare constructive war on everything you do that is fine, good and mediocre. Unless it's great, it sucks!

THE 10 DEADLY MYTHS of MANAGEMENT

And What You Must Ignore If You Want To Succeed!

MYTH #1: Be A Good Team Member!
TRUTH: This is a lie you’re told on day one of your first job, and you’ll be reminded of regularly. Management tells this lie to keep you in line and maintain the ranks of the worker bees.

MYTH #2: Be The Consensus Builder in Your Organization.
TRUTH: Consensus is death in an organization. Consensus is for those who don’t want to lead, and are afraid to take risks.

MYTH #3: You’ve Got to Play by the Rules.
TRUTH: In order to be a leader, you must make the rules, not simply play by the existing rulebook!

MYTH #4: Don’t Rock the Boat!
TRUTH: Capsize the boat! Take risks! Be a real leader!

MYTH #5: Follow the Leadership of Business Icons.
TRUTH: Everyone talks about Jack Welsh, but you’re not him! Don’t ape your boss’s style. Develop your own management goals and style—the ones you know will lead to success.

MYTH #6: Employees Should Be Compensated by Seniority.
TRUTH: Wrong! If you have a 24-year-old star in your organization, pay her like a star.

MYTH #7: Being Well-Liked Is Key to Good Management.
TRUTH: Wrong. You must risk being unpopular to become respected and inspirational.

MYTH #8: You Must Work Within Existing Company Systems.
TRUTH: No! You must break through entrenched bureaucracies to avoid management that sucks!

MYTH #9: Know When to Surrender.
TRUTH: Never! Most people are too lazy to take on the curve balls that will come their way. Never surrender your vision! Never be deterred from your goals!

MYTH  #10: You Must Work with the Cards You’ve Been Dealt!
TRUTH: No! If your company is headed in the wrong direction, say so. Terrible employees should be fired. If you need to develop certain skills, go out and get them. The only bad decision is the unwillingness to take the steps needed to achieve your goals.

“Mr. Stevens, I just read “Your Management Sucks.” Absolutely wonderful. I am a Lieutenant Paramedic for a small city in Florida. I have recommended the reading to our Chief, Personnel Director and City Manager. Hope I don’t get fired over that one. Thanks for the book!”

-Jim Jollie

“The title's quite blunt--and so are the messages. I found that page after page contains extremely accurate assessments and business, management, leadership advice, and people situations I face in my organization. It's a brutal look in the mirror as to what we need to start doing, stop doing, and continue doing.”

-J L Wedge, Sacramento CA

“Wanting to keep ahead of the curve in my career, it seems I'm always reading a business book or two. This one didn't waste my time, try too hard to impress me with MBA-speak, or tell me what I already know. What I liked most about ‘Your Management Sucks’ is that the author tells it like it is.

If I had a mentor, one that told me what I really needed to hear to get ahead, one that would kick my [...] to take next steps when I needed confirmation or direction, then I found one in this author. I think I will re-read many sections of this book as a refresher when I ask for a raise, take on a conference room of naysayers or need to push myself to take a few risks at the office.

If you are uncertain what your next steps should be with your boss, concerned that voicing your opinion will make your colleagues think less of you, or want to know how to improve your own management skills and techniques, then this should be the next book you read. It's practical, full of "ah-ha" insights, and really gets your adrenaline pumping.”

-Sam D., Hoboken, NJ

"...the author's blunt truthfulness is welcome in a world of management euphemisms...his anecdote about shaking up the circulation department while in temporary control of  Success Magazine is a star turn, as is his account of Lou Gerstner's unexpected rattling of the entrenched bureaucracy at IBM....Mr. Stevens' suggestion that managers "get real" and confront business problems head-on is the practical heart of this book."

– Publishers Weekly

ABOUT MSCO (Mark Stevens & Company, Inc.)

Frustrated by his inability to find a marketing firm to support his own entrepreneurial interests, Mark Stevens founded MSCO in 1994.

From the start, Stevens' goal was to turn what often passes as marketing - on its head - replacing the traditional focus on creative awards with a relentless drive for profitable business growth for MSCO clients.

To accomplish this - now the firm's signature and trademark - MSCO developed a proprietary methodology that leverages the three key drivers of business
growth:

1. CAPTURING Customers
2. AMPLIFYING Customer Relationships
3. MAINTAINING Customers For Life

This results in Perpetual Growth or C+A+M=PG.

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