I was lucky enough to be given a preview copy of a great new book by Craig Stull, Phil Myers, and David Meerman Scott called Tuned In. I got the preview, but it is being published today. It was a very interesting experience to read this book, because I feel as though I understand the authors’ perspectives so well already. But even though I know where the authors are coming from, I was still riveted by this book. They tell so many great stories that illustrate their big point, which is that you need to be willing to listen to what’s going on around you to really produce a business breakthrough. I found myself sorry when the book ended, because the stories are so helpful in driving the philosophy home, and each story is interesting on its own merits.

I am a big fan of David’s, and if you read his last book, you would be too. So, I recognized David’s voice in places throughout the book, especially when it explains how to detect the difference between tuned-in and tuned-out marketing.

But I also recognize the voices of Craig and Phil, because I am a certified product manager from their company, Pragmatic Marketing. So when the book differentiates between listening to your customers and listening to your overall market, I hear them. When they tell you that you need to get out and talk to people to identify the ideas that will resonate, I remember hearing in class: “Nothing good ever happens in the office.”

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Warren Buffet’s quiet partner goes by the name of Charlie Munger. Charlie has a 500+ page book full of gems. Before becoming heavily involved in the investment field, Charlie worked at a law firm, where his top tip for attracting clients was:

It’s the work on your desk… It’s the work on your desk. Do well with what you already have and more will come in.

When you look at some of the most successful companies many of them live and die by that. In spite of Microsoft’s monopoly position in many markets Bill Gates still views his product through the eyes of consumers.

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As you know, there are a lot of factors that go into running a small web business successfully, and there are a ton of resources online waiting to be found.

That’s just it though. You have to find them. Sometimes this is fairly easy to do with a simple Google search, but other times, you can search and search, and it seems that you still can’t really find what you are looking for.

Sometimes, it is more than about merely searching. It’s nice to have a channel that can shed light on useful resources to help you run an online business. Resources that you otherwise might not have come across because it hadn’t occurred to you to search for them, but resources just the same that could be just the things you needed to make improvements in certain areas.

WebProNews has just introduced such a channel, in the form of the eBusiness Directory at directory.webpronews.com.

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