The Influentials:One American in Ten Tells the Other Nine How to Vote, Where to Eat, and What to Buy

To persuade the mass market of customers to buy your products and services, you first have to win over the Influentials. The Influentials are the most influential Americans -- the 10 percent of the population who tell their neighbors what to buy, which politicians to support, and where to vacation.

Their opinions often make the difference between success and failure for ideas, marketing campaigns, and entire companies. However, they are not necessarily the people you'd expect. They're not America's richest 10 percent, or the most educated 10 percent, or the 10 percent with the best jobs.

They are, however, the 10 percent of Americans most engaged in their local communities. They not only wield an enormous amount of influence within those communities, but they also shape the opinions and trends throughout our country.

The Influentials have long been tracked by RoperASW, the global marketing research and consulting firm which has been monitoring trends for 30 years for many Fortune 500 companies.

Ed Keller is the CEO of RoperASW, and Jon Berry is a vice president of the firm. In our summary of their book, you'll learn the answers to important questions like these:

• Who are these people who are leading the major trends in American society, culture, and the marketplace?
• How can I better understand them, and what makes them tick?
• How can I apply their insights and ideas to my company? And
• How can I persuade them to spread the word for my product, service, organization, or idea?