What Works

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

About the Author :
ROBERT CORNISH is the cofounder and CEO of Richter Group of Companies, a management, acquisition, and venture group that owns Richter10.2 Media Group, SMPK (Social Media Press Kit), and Richter10.2 Video. He has successfully launched and run five companies since 2002, all following a similar formula. Through the combined experience of those companies, Robert has helped implement effective growth methods that have resulted in Richter's consistent success. Richter is currently on track to be one of the fastest growth companies in America with consistent targets being met quarter after quarter. WIL SEABROOK is the cofounder and COO of Richter10.2 Media Group. His strengths lie in identifying how communication and messaging can be improved across new media platforms, whether through branding, honing a message, or creating a video trailer that perfectly captures a client's business model, making it simple to understand.