Two weeks into a recession, business partners Robert Cornish and Wil Seabrook started their company with two people, two laptops, a handshake, and an idea. They ignored the conventional wisdom that was burying their industry and forged their own path. Their mantra? "Do What Works." Only three years later, the company, Richter10.2 Media Group, attained million dollar revenues and over 300 percent growth in one year. Today, it is one of the fastest growing small businesses in America with more than fifty employees, and debt-free, having never borrowed a penny. What Works is the blueprint to Richter's success.
Now more than ever, the old models of how to start, promote, and run a successful business are no longer viable. What Works delivers real, applicable knowledge that will help you to grow your business and create the outcomes that you're striving for. What Works offers critical advice such as:
- Know Your Public: Focus all sales and marketing efforts only on companies and people that fit the audience you defined in the profile, which will dramatically drive growth as you direct your efforts to the people most likely to do business with you
- Measure by week and manage by week: Avoid catastrophes that would be hard to correct if you only measure quarterly
- Say No and Walk Away: Focus on distilling the deals that don't fully align with your goals, purposes, and policies
- And much more!
What Works offers the opportunity to learn how a couple of successful entrepreneurs did it themselves. Gain an edge by getting inside information that you can put into action today. No fluff, no filler. Only what works.
Table of Contents:
Preface ix
Introduction xi
Chapter 1 On Sales 1
Care 3
Pipeline Comes before Sales 4
Sales, Selling, and Getting Your People to Sell 5
Saying No and Walking Away 6
The Art of the Follow-up 8
The Sales Team’s Role 9
The Tough Part of Sales 10
Asking 11
Long Sales Pitches 13
If They Were Sold, It Would Be Done 14
Decide for Them 15
Hold Your Position 16
Time to Cut the PR and Hit Them Straight 17
Taking Money Is Good for Them 19
It’s Your Consideration or Theirs 21
Sales Is a Game of Intention 23
Considerations Bog Sales 24
Order Taker versus Salesperson 25
Two Comments on Sales 26
Additional Sales Tips 27
How to Fill Your Day 29
Causative Sales 31
Chapter 2 On Operations 35
A Note on IKEA 37
Fast Decisions Make Time 39
Excitement Fuels a Company 40
Can I? Yes. Should I? No. 42
Time Is Not Your Friend, But Speed Is an Ally 44
Basic Operating Basis Rules 46
Getting into Communication 47
Getting Organized 50
Introductions 51
Speed 53
Client Prediction 55
Chapter 3 On Focus 57
Successful Principles 59
Identifying the Common Denominators 62
Goal Attainment 64
Learn to Hate Butterflies 65
Look 67
Work Ethic (Hustle) 68
Do It Now 70
All Things to All People 71
What Does It Take? 73
Be Focused to Drive Statistics 74
Chapter 4 On Marketing 77
A Lesson from Red Bull 79
Proactive versus Reactive 81
Speaking Human 83
Communicate to Impinge 85
Focus on Help 86
Why Illusions Help Solidify Sales 87
Chapter 5 On Management 89
Increasing Production by Defining What to Do 91
Knowledge and Management 92
Contraction and Expansion 94
Order and Expansion 95
Shed Duties 96
People 97
What Makes a Group 98
Get Rid of Bad Apples 100
Remove Nonproducers off the Line 101
True and Accurate Management 102
Chapter 6 On People 105
Client Needs, Not Wants 107
How to Handle Critical Clients 108
Customers Aren’t Always Right 109
The Best Time to Fire Them Is Before You Hire Them 111
Criticism and Considerations 113
On Being Promoted 114
Chapter 7 On Viewpoint 117
Aim Small, Miss Small 119
Busy or Disorganized 120
Dreams and Goals 123
Focus 124
What You Did Yesterday Doesn’t Matter 125
Second Wind 126
Isn’t It a Sport? 127
Be Honest with Yourself 128
The Buck Stops with You 129
Find Inspiration 130
Staying the Course 130
Dragging Decisions Is Bad Business 132
Adding Time 133
Decision Comes First 134
Doubt 135
Spend More Time Planning 135
Simple Is Smart 136
Write It Down 138
You Have to Love Feeling Causative 139
Pushing Purpose 141
Making Friends 142
Title versus Task 143
Be a Ball Hog 144
Being a Martinet about Neatness 145
Manage Objectives Like LEGO Instructions 146
Why You’re Unique 148
Don’t Get Too Serious 149
Genuine Interest and Care 150
Damn the Torpedoes . . . They’ll Swerve First 151
Money Motivation and Caring about
What You Do with Passion 152
Know Who You Are 155
Push Yourself 156
Conclusion 159
Acknowledgments 163
About the Authors 165
