Generating Buy-In
For such a deceptively small book, Mark S. Walton’s Generating Buy-In had plenty of useful content. The main thrust of the book was to explain to the reader how to sell an idea, a message, and their very selves. The point is that, as a leader, you have to be able to deliver a vision that those around you will able to identify with and support. If you can get people to buy into what you stand for, then there’s no telling what you can accomplish.
Walton begins the book by placing the reader in a very familiar environment: sitting at home, relaxing, just watching a little television. He goes on to explain how this unspectacular activity is made possible by the “Masters of Television” trying to decide in what fashion that they wish to generate buy-in (Walton 4). In this instance, Walton is referring to commercials and the science of advertisement that goes on behind the scenes, trying to divine what would make the watchers of a particular program “buy-in” to needing a new car, or a sweater, or a different kind of insurance. Using this device, Walton is able to convey to the reader just how pervasive the notion of generating buy-in really is.
Walton does well to provide clear and easy to read examples to illustrate the different circumstances in which people may find themselves faced with generating buy-in. As evidenced in the first chapter, Walton presents examples of normal people dealing with everyday situations. However, as a former CNN reporter, Walton has had the opportunity to witness, firsthand, the strategies and methods of a number of executives and business leaders and the book benefits from it.