A few weeks ago, I was invited a book launch event. Several things struck me as a little odd.
We were all sitting around a conference table, but the author used PPT slides as a crutch when talking about the book even though there was no “presentation” per se, and certainly no projector. The slides were provided to attendees, but it also made me wonder: are we now so dependent on PPT that we can’t be trusted to take notes without it? That’s a shame.
Also, I was clearly the lowest person on the totem pole in the room, which was otherwise full of lots of CEOs with lots of experience in the topic the book was addressing, and yet it was viewed as a SALES opportunity by the author. Not including me, many of the people in the room seemed pretty senior and pretty experienced in the topic at hand. So what could have been the chance to get the book into hands of people whose influence is wide was reduced to an opportunity to sell maybe 10 books (I didn’t buy one).
Really?
Now I realize that it’s possible that ASAE paid for them, but did you notice that we all got free copies of the books of the two keynote speakers at the recent Annual? I’m not saying I loved either of their talks and I may not like their books very much either, but those two got their books into the hands of THOUSANDS of people who directly and indirectly influence MILLIONS.
Which seems like the better investment?