Simply Put: Why Clear Messages Win-and How to Design Them

by Ben Guttmann

Overview

Stop complicating everything! Create simple messages that are more powerful, more memorable, and win people over.

Simply Put is a modern exploration of the simplicity principle for anybody who needs to sell stuff or persuade others. This book is a splash of cold water, designed to wake up entrepreneurs, C-suite executives, and marketing pros who have something they need to tell the world but just can’t quite connect the dots. With this book, we’re all better marketers.

So why does simple win? And how do we get simple? The award-winning marketing entrepreneur behind New York Times best-selling authors and notable campaigns such as I Love NY provides answers and tools to simplify messages in this practical guide.

From “Yes We Can” to “Just Do It”, regardless of if they’re trying to get your dollars, your votes, or just your thoughts, effective messages share one thing – they’re simple. Being able to tell your story clearly and effectively is the winning skill for the next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781523004683
Publisher:	Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Publication date:	10/10/2023
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	370,453
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Ben Guttmann is a marketing entrepreneur and educator who has helped hundreds of clients, ranging from the NFL to Nobel Laureates, from I Love NY to #1 New York Times best-selling authors. He is co-founder of Digital Natives Group, which has worked with more than 60 authors. Since 2014, he has taught at Baruch College and has been a fulltime community leader in New York City, active in Long Island City Partnership, Queens Economic Development Corporation, Queens Community Board and Queens Tech Night.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Simple can be hard. But Ben Guttmann’s lucid and valuable book makes it much easier.”
—William Ury, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Getting to Yes and Getting to Yes with Yourself
 
“Ben has an uncanny ability to distill the complex into clear-eyed, empathic communication. With Simply Put, he helps us to connect with ideas in ways that are at once practical and energizing. If you need to communicate your work more effectively, this is your book.”
—Michael Ventura, author of Applied Empathy and founder and former CEO, Sub Rosa
 
“My review of Ben Guttmann’s excellent book Simply Put . . . is simple. An excellent read. Buy it. Learn from it. Adopt it. It’s that simple.”
—Martin Lindstrom, New York Times bestselling author of Buyology and Small Data
 
“Simply Put gifts us new approaches and techniques to amplify our voices and share our ideas. How we craft our message is fundamental to our success, and these lessons make us more impactful and influential communicators.”
—David Perlmutter, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Grain Brain, Brain Wash, and other titles
 
“Simply Put is a brilliant and necessary road map for all business leaders to learn how to become more effective communicators. This is a useful book that invites you to see things differently and craft clear messages.”
—Jessalin Lam, coauthor of The Visibility Mindset and cofounder of Asians in Advertising
 
“It is so refreshing to read Ben’s words about keeping things simple. It’s interesting that all the entrepreneurs I have talked to seem to have one thing in common: they started out with a very simple idea—one that was easy to understand and even easier to scale. To be successful, these are words to live by!”
—Ken Rusk, entrepreneur and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Blue Collar Cash
 
“Ben Guttmann shares lessons typically learned through years of failure. Read this book and skip the failure. Clear and simple wins. Here’s how to get there.”
—David S. Pottruck, former CEO, Charles Schwab, and New York Times bestselling author of Stacking the Deck
 
“One of my core beliefs has always been that boiling complex messages into simple maxims is one of the best ways to benevolently brainwash anyone. The question is, How do you do it? Ben Guttmann’s new book finally gives us the answer in a big way. We finally have the definitive text on how to execute radical simplicity in the real world and get anything you want as a result.”
—Michael Schein, author of The Hype Handbook
 
“Every entrepreneur and brand leader should read this book. So many marketers struggle with how to communicate clearly, and Simply Put is an essential how-to guide to crafting messages that stick.”
—Alexandra Watkins, author of Hello, My Name Is Awesome and founder of Eat My Words
 
“My team and I were bedazzled by the clear, impactful messaging that Ben helped us craft. And now with Simply Put, Ben’s skills are available to all of us in an easy-to-use, straightforward road map.”
—Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, author of Younger You
 
“You’ve heard the quote before: ‘Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.’ Ben has succeeded at creating clear guidelines that bring this age-old adage into action for the modern marketer.”
—Maria Vorovich, founder and Chief Strategy Officer, GoodQues
 
“We live in an age of mass, perpetual distraction. Simply Put is the straightforward guide to getting noticed, getting heard, and getting traction.”
—Dr. Parag Khanna, international bestselling author of Connectography and Move
 
“Being clear with our ideas is central to being effective. Ben is a wonderful partner in this process, and his new book, Simply Put, captures the essences of his effective framework.”
—Drew Ramsey, MD, author of Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety
 
“Simply Put is a revelation! Bursting with clear, actionable insights, it’s required reading for anyone with something to say, solve, or sell.”
—Jonathan Fields, host of the Good Life Project podcast and bestselling author of Sparked
 
“Drawing from a wealth of experience, Ben Guttmann provides tested techniques to leverage the most critical quality of effective communication: Simplicity. Using this insightful book as a North Star, readers will learn how to communicate decisively and effectively. I highly recommend Simply Put for anyone who wants to get to the point!”
—Joel Schwartzberg, author of Get to the Point and The Language of Leadership

Editorial Reviews

Simple can be hard. But Ben Guttmann’s lucid and valuable book makes it much easier.”
—William Ury, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Getting to Yes and Getting to Yes with Yourself
 
“Ben has an uncanny ability to distill the complex into clear-eyed, empathic communication. With Simply Put, he helps us to connect with ideas in ways that are at once practical and energizing. If you need to communicate your work more effectively, this is your book.”
—Michael Ventura, author of Applied Empathy and founder and former CEO, Sub Rosa
 
“My review of Ben Guttmann’s excellent book Simply Put . . . is simple. An excellent read. Buy it. Learn from it. Adopt it. It’s that simple.”
—Martin Lindstrom, New York Times bestselling author of Buyology and Small Data
 
“Simply Put gifts us new approaches and techniques to amplify our voices and share our ideas. How we craft our message is fundamental to our success, and these lessons make us more impactful and influential communicators.”
—David Perlmutter, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Grain Brain, Brain Wash, and other titles
 
“Simply Put is a brilliant and necessary road map for all business leaders to learn how to become more effective communicators. This is a useful book that invites you to see things differently and craft clear messages.”
—Jessalin Lam, coauthor of The Visibility Mindset and cofounder of Asians in Advertising
 
“It is so refreshing to read Ben’s words about keeping things simple. It’s interesting that all the entrepreneurs I have talked to seem to have one thing in common: they started out with a very simple idea—one that was easy to understand and even easier to scale. To be successful, these are words to live by!”
—Ken Rusk, entrepreneur and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Blue Collar Cash
 
“Ben Guttmann shares lessons typically learned through years of failure. Read this book and skip the failure. Clear and simple wins. Here’s how to get there.”
—David S. Pottruck, former CEO, Charles Schwab, and New York Times bestselling author of Stacking the Deck
 
“One of my core beliefs has always been that boiling complex messages into simple maxims is one of the best ways to benevolently brainwash anyone. The question is, How do you do it? Ben Guttmann’s new book finally gives us the answer in a big way. We finally have the definitive text on how to execute radical simplicity in the real world and get anything you want as a result.”
—Michael Schein, author of The Hype Handbook
 
“Every entrepreneur and brand leader should read this book. So many marketers struggle with how to communicate clearly, and Simply Put is an essential how-to guide to crafting messages that stick.”
—Alexandra Watkins, author of Hello, My Name Is Awesome and founder of Eat My Words
 
“My team and I were bedazzled by the clear, impactful messaging that Ben helped us craft. And now with Simply Put, Ben’s skills are available to all of us in an easy-to-use, straightforward road map.”
—Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, author of Younger You
 
“You’ve heard the quote before: ‘Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.’ Ben has succeeded at creating clear guidelines that bring this age-old adage into action for the modern marketer.”
—Maria Vorovich, founder and Chief Strategy Officer, GoodQues
 
“We live in an age of mass, perpetual distraction. Simply Put is the straightforward guide to getting noticed, getting heard, and getting traction.”
—Dr. Parag Khanna, international bestselling author of Connectography and Move
 
“Being clear with our ideas is central to being effective. Ben is a wonderful partner in this process, and his new book, Simply Put, captures the essences of his effective framework.”
—Drew Ramsey, MD, author of Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety
 
“Simply Put is a revelation! Bursting with clear, actionable insights, it’s required reading for anyone with something to say, solve, or sell.”
—Jonathan Fields, host of the Good Life Project podcast and bestselling author of Sparked
 
“Drawing from a wealth of experience, Ben Guttmann provides tested techniques to leverage the most critical quality of effective communication: Simplicity. Using this insightful book as a North Star, readers will learn how to communicate decisively and effectively. I highly recommend Simply Put for anyone who wants to get to the point!”
—Joel Schwartzberg, author of Get to the Point and The Language of Leadership

From the Publisher