The Power of Simplicity: a Management Guide to Cutting Through the Nonsense and Doing Things Right

Renowned marketing expert and best-selling author Jack Trout has a message for managers who are struggling to keep up with today’s ever-changing business climate: “Keep It Simple.” In this paperback edition of The Power of Simplicity, Trout advocates the importance of paying attention to the basics and simplifying processes in order to stay focused on the core business at hand. Through case studies and interviews with successful executives, he shows managers how to cut through jargon, articulate their vision, and regain control of the vital elements of their business in order to make it thrive.According to Trout, the things that propose to streamline companies, like the ubiquitous “mission statements,” often end up bogging down operations by introducing unnecessary complexity where a straightforward approach may be more effective. Trout cites Southwest Airlines, Intel, and Kohl’s department stores among others as successful companies that have rejected showy trappings in favor of simplification.

Jack Trout, one of the most famous names in the world of marketing strategy, is president of Trout & Partners. He is a popular speaker and the coauthor of such best-selling business classics as Positioning, The New Positioning, and Marketing Warfare. Trout's firm consults to such clients as AT&T, IBM, Merck, Southwest Airlines, and Warner-Lambert. He is based in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Steve Rivkin is coauthor of The New Positioning and head of his own communications consulting firm, whose clients include Kraft Foods, Olin Corp., and Horizon Health System. He is based in Glen Rock, New Jersey.