The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World's Greatest Salesman

by Carmine Gallo

Overview

The communication and leadership secrets of Jeff Bezos and how to master them, from the bestselling author of Talk Like Ted.

Jeff Bezos is a dreamer who turned a bold idea into the world’s most influential company, a brand that likely touches your life every day. As a student of leadership and communication, he learned to elevate the way Amazonians write, collaborate, innovate, pitch, and present. He created a scalable model that grew from a small team in a Seattle garage to one of the world’s largest employers.

The Bezos Blueprint by Carmine Gallo reveals the communication strategies that Jeff Bezos pioneered to fuel Amazon’s astonishing growth. As one of the most innovative and visionary entrepreneurs of our time, Bezos reimagined the way leaders write, speak, and motivate teams and customers.

The communication tools Bezos created are so effective that former Amazonians who worked directly with Bezos adopted them as blueprints to start their own companies. Now, these tools are available to you.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250278333
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/15/2022
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	292,253
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 6.30(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Carmine Gallo is the bestselling author of Talk Like TED and The Storyteller’s Secret. He is a Harvard instructor, CEO communication coach, and keynote speaker known for transforming leaders into powerful storytellers and communicators. Gallo’s books have been translated into more than forty languages, inspiring leaders at the world’s most admired brands. Gallo is also a senior columnist for Forbes, Inc, and Harvard Business Review. He lives in Northern California with his wife and two daughters.

Table of Contents

Introduction: It’s Always Day One

Part I: Set the Foundation

1: Simple Is the New Superpower

2: A Modern Spin on Ancient Words

3: Writing That Dazzles, Shines, and Sparkles

4: The Logline: Your Big Idea

5: Metaphors That Stick

6: A Communicator’s “Most Formidable” Weapon

Part II: Build the Story Structure

7: Epic Storytelling in Three Acts

8: Origin Stories

9: The Narrative Information Multiplier

10: Working Backwards to Get Ahead

11: Leaders Are Readers

Part III: Deliver the Plan

12: AMP Your Presentations to Inspire Your Audience

13: Make the Mission Your Mantra

14: Symbols Convey Big Ideas

15: Humanize Data

16: The Gallo Method: Sell Your Idea in Fifteen Seconds

Conclusion: Invent and Wander

Coaching Drills at a Glance

Notes

Index

Editorial Reviews

09/05/2022

Gallo, a communications instructor at Harvard University Graduate School of Design, follows up Five Stars with this incisive look at the communication strategies used by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Deemed “the world’s best business communicator” by Gallo, Bezos shocked people when, in 2004, he banned PowerPoint presentations in favor of “memos and narratives.” “He’s the world’s greatest salesman because he sells dreams, not products,” Gallo writes, and to do so, Bezos focuses on “the way Amazonians write, collaborate, innovate, pitch, and present.” To communicate well, Gallo writes, readers should strive to write at an eighth grade level or lower; use regular language to “talk about hard things”; avoid “weasel words” (such as “sort of” and “kind of”); and steer clear of the passive voice. Examinations of Amazon press releases show the tactics in action, and a deep dive into the company’s “working backwards” strategy—starting “from the customer’s perspective” when creating a new product—will be helpful for entrepreneurs and those working in professional communications alike. The result is a rewarding and informative take on how to craft a convincing message. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Jeff Bezos’ first letter to Amazon shareholders should be required reading for every entrepreneur. I keep the letter in a folder on my desk and re-read it at least once a year. In The Bezos Blueprint, Carmine Gallo examines more than two decades of Bezos letters to reveal the writing and communication strategies that should be taught to everyone with a story to tell.”

—Marc Randolph, Co-Founder and First CEO of Netflix.

"When I spoke publicly in my military days as a U.S. Navy Admiral and a NATO Supreme Allied Commander, I would often dive into Carmine Gallo's evocative book on the communication skills of Steve Jobs. Carmine now turns his lens on another visionary business leader, Jeff Bezos, analyzing the Amazon founder's extensive collection of writings and speeches for unique and actionable insights that will help anyone sharpen their communication skills—highly recommended for leaders at every level!"

—Admiral James Stavridis, 16th Supreme Allied Commander at NATO

“Gallo diligently covers Bezos’ way with persuasion, story structure and—central to everything—simplicity.”

—The New York Times Sunday Review

“Communications coach Gallo (Talk Like TED) teaches successful speaking and writing by breaking down the communication style of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Intended for professionals in a business setting, the book draws lessons from real excerpts of speeches and shareholder memos that Bezos has delivered over the past 20-plus years.…An insightful guide to improving communication skills.”

—Library Journal (starred)

“[An] incisive look at the communication strategies used by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. … helpful for entrepreneurs and those working in professional communications alike. The result is a rewarding and informative take on how to craft a convincing message.”

—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

09/01/2022

Communications coach Gallo (Talk Like TED) teaches successful speaking and writing by breaking down the communication style of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Intended for professionals in a business setting, the book draws lessons from real excerpts of speeches and shareholder memos that Bezos has delivered over the past 20-plus years. Gallo also mines the records of other successful entrepreneurs for examples of effective writing. Among the book's basic communication strategies are to write at an eighth-grade level (using words with only one or two syllables, in sentences of varying lengths) and to deploy metaphors and analogies to add interest. Some of the techniques come from screenwriting, such as formulating a logline and developing "three-act" presentations. Key Bezos tactics include replacing PowerPoint presentations with narrative memos in management meetings, working backwards to get ahead (i.e., writing a product's press release at the beginning of the design stage), and treating every day as "day one." Additional examples reveal insights on communication at companies such as Apple, Canva, and Airbnb. VERDICT An insightful guide to improving communication skills.—Rebecca Mugridge

Library Journal