Everytime I tell someone about this great book I’m always corrected: “No, it’s underpromise…” Or so goes the old saying. Well, not anymore, says Rick Barrera. His latest book, Overpromise and Overdeliver is a smart look at how companies have used their TouchPoints to achieve “unshakable customer loyalty.” So what are TouchPoints? They’re what they sound like, they’re points where you touch your customer. Well, no, you’re not really ‘touching’ anyone, I’m sure there are laws against it. But you do touch your customer through your website (System), your sales people (People), or your latest widget (Product). By optimizing your TouchPoints you can and will fulfill your brand promise. Through case studies, Rick illustrates how brand promises at companies like Washington Mutual and Lexus have seperated them from the pack and led themselves to worlds of success… all thanks to TouchPoint branding.

I found this to be a fun read because Rick uses dozens of products and companies. I’ve never enjoyed reading books that tell you, hypothetically, how you should market your product or build your business or solve x, y, and z. Rick has provided numerous examples with some very interesting facts about companies you normally wouldn’t think twice about. Take Progressive Auto, for example. They created a credit-card-sized card that breaks in two. Give one half to the person you had an accident with (information all filled out) and use the other half to get in touch with Progressive. At Ritz-Carlton the employees are permitted to spend up to $2,000 to satisfy a customer. There’s a company that has exceeded their brand’s promise and overdelivered through their human TouchPoint. See? You can do both.

I also found Rick’s book to be interesting becuase it, too, exceeded my expectations. One of the companies he talks about in the book (BrainX) has provided it’s software and license on the CD included with the book (among many other things). In short, this book overdelivers and is highly recommended for anyone looking to build a brand, product or service.