Business Made Simple: 60 Days to Master Leadership, Sales, Marketing, Execution, Management, Personal Productivity and More

Business Made Simple: 60 Days to Master Leadership, Sales, Marketing, Execution, Management, Personal Productivity and More

Donald Miller

4.21(1759 readers)
Is this blue book more valuable than a business degree?

Most people enter their professional careers not understanding how to grow a business. At times, this makes them feel lost, or worse, like a fraud pretending to know what they're doing.

It's hard to be successful without a clear understanding of how business works. These 60 daily readings are crucial for any professional or business owner who wants to take their career to the next level.

New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Donald Miller knows that business is more than just a good idea made profitable - it's a system of unspoken rules, rarely taught by MBA schools. If you are attempting to profitably grow your business or career, you need elite business knowledge--knowledge that creates tangible value.

Even if you had the time, access, or money to attend a Top 20 business school, you would still be missing the practical knowledge that propels the best and brightest forward. However, there is another way to achieve this insider skill development, which can both drastically improve your career earnings and the satisfaction of achieving your goals.

Donald Miller learned how to rise to the top using the principles he shares in this book. He wrote Business Made Simple to teach others what it takes to grow your career and create a company that is healthy and profitable.

These short, daily entries and accompanying videos will add enormous value to your business and the organization you work for. In this sixty-day guide, readers will be introduced to the nine areas where truly successful leaders and their businesses excel:


Character: What kind of person succeeds in business?
Leadership: How do you unite a team around a mission?
Personal Productivity: How can you get more done in less time?
Messaging: Why aren't customers paying more attention?
Marketing: How do I build a sales funnel?
Business Strategy: How does a business really work?
Execution: How can we get things done?
Sales: How do I close more sales?
Management: What does a good manager do?
Business Made Simple is the must-have guide for anyone who feels lost or overwhelmed by the modern business climate, even if they attended business school. Learn what the most successful business leaders have known for years through the simple but effective secrets shared in these pages.

Take things further: If you want to be worth more as a business professional, read each daily entry and follow along with the free videos that will be sent to you after you buy the book.

Publisher

HarperCollins Leadership

Publication Date

1/19/2021

ISBN

9781400203826

Pages

240

Categories

Business

About the Author

Donald Miller

Donald Miller

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Donald Miller grew up in Houston, Texas. Leaving home at the age of twenty-one, he traveled across the country until he ran out of money in Portland, Oregon, where he lives today.

Harvest House Publishers released his first book, Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance, in 2000. Two years later, after having audited classes at Portland’s Reed College, Don wrote Blue Like Jazz, which would slowly become a New York Times Bestseller.

In 2004 Don released Searching for God Knows What a book about how the Gospel of Jesus explains the human personality. Searching has become required reading at numerous colleges across the country. In 2005 he released Through Painted Deserts the story of he and a friends road trip across the country. In 2006, he added another book, To Own A Dragon, which offered Miller's reflections on growing up without a father. This book reflected an interest already present in Donald's life, as he founded the The Mentoring Project (formerly the Belmont Foundation)–a non-profit that partners with local churches to mentor fatherless young men.

Don has teamed up with Steve Taylor and Ben Pearson to write the screenplay for Blue Like Jazz which will be filmed in Portland in the spring of 2008 and released thereafter.

Don is the founder of The Belmont Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation which partners with working to recruit ten-thousand mentors through one-thousand churches as an answer to the crisis of fatherlessness in America.

A sought-after speaker, Don has delivered lectures to a wide-range of audiences including the Women of Faith Conference, the Veritas Forum at Harvard University and the Veritas Forum at Cal Poly. In 2008, Don was asked to deliver the closing prayer on Monday night at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado.

Don’s next book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years humorously and tenderly chronicles Don’s experience with filmmakers as they edit his life for the screen, hoping to make it less boring. When they start fictionalizing Don’s life for film–changing a meandering memoir into a structured narrative–the real-life Don starts a journey to edit his actual life into a better story. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years details that journey and challenges readers to reconsider what they strive for in life. It shows how to get a second chance at life the first time around.

Questions & Answers

The core characteristics of a value-driven professional include:

  1. Character: This involves integrity, strong work ethic, and the ability to de-escalate drama, accept feedback, and remain optimistic.
  2. Leadership: The ability to create a compelling mission statement, define key characteristics, determine critical actions, and articulate the mission's theme.
  3. Productivity: Prioritizing tasks, blocking time, and making wise daily decisions to maximize output and minimize stress.
  4. Business Strategy: Understanding how a business works, focusing on creating and selling the right products, and protecting cash flow.
  5. Messaging: Crafting clear marketing messages and using storytelling to engage customers.
  6. Marketing: Creating a sales funnel to convert potential customers into buyers.
  7. Sales: Developing a sales system, understanding the importance of qualified leads, and overcoming the fear of rejection.
  8. Negotiation: Using a strategic framework and avoiding emotional hooks.
  9. Management: Coaching team members, creating streamlined processes, and celebrating victories.
  10. Execution: Implementing an execution system, holding weekly speed checks, and keeping score.

To develop these characteristics, one should:

  • Reflect: Regularly assess personal actions and their impact.
  • Learn: Engage in continuous learning through books, courses, and experiences.
  • Practice: Apply learned concepts in real-life situations.
  • Seek Feedback: Actively seek and incorporate feedback from mentors and peers.
  • Set Goals: Establish clear, achievable goals and track progress.

According to the 'airplane' metaphor in "Business Made Simple," effective management and preventing a business crash involves understanding and balancing five key components:

  1. Overhead (Body): Keep overhead low, focusing on essential expenses that directly contribute to solving customer problems.
  2. Products/Services (Wings): Develop products that are in demand and profitable, ensuring they provide the necessary lift for the business.
  3. Marketing (Right Engine): Prioritize marketing efforts to create awareness and demand for products, propelling the business forward.
  4. Sales (Left Engine): Implement a strong sales system to convert leads into customers, providing additional thrust.
  5. Cash Flow (Fuel): Monitor and protect cash flow, ensuring the business has enough fuel to operate and grow.

By maintaining a balance between these components, a business can avoid the pitfalls of overexpansion, inefficient operations, and insufficient revenue, thereby preventing a crash. This approach requires constant vigilance, strategic decision-making, and a focus on efficiency and profitability.

A successful marketing message and sales funnel focus on engaging customers through clear, compelling storytelling. Key elements include:

  1. Storytelling: Use the StoryBrand framework to create a narrative that includes a character (customer), problem, guide (company), plan, and call to action. This engages customers and makes the message memorable.

  2. Clear Call to Action: Define what action you want the audience to take, whether it's visiting a website, signing up for a newsletter, or purchasing a product.

  3. Problem Definition: Clearly articulate the problem your product or service solves, focusing on the customer's perspective.

  4. Stakes and Urgency: Define the potential loss or gain if the customer doesn't engage with your product or service, creating a sense of urgency.

  5. Sales Funnel: Implement a sales funnel that guides customers through stages of awareness, interest, decision, and action. This can include a website, email marketing, and social media.

  6. One-Liner: Craft a concise, curiosity-piquing statement about what you do, making it easy for customers to understand and remember.

  7. Website Wireframe: Design a website that passes the "grunt test," clearly answering what you offer, how it benefits the customer, and how to purchase it.

  8. Email Campaign: Use email marketing to build trust and provide value, gradually leading customers to make a purchase.

By implementing these elements, businesses can create a cohesive marketing strategy that effectively engages customers and drives sales.

To become an exceptional communicator and deliver impactful presentations, follow these steps:

  1. Start with a Problem: Begin your presentation by identifying a problem your audience faces. This hooks their attention and shows the relevance of your talk.
  2. Structure with Plots and Subplots: Organize your content like a story, using a main plot (the problem) and subplots (steps to solve it). This keeps the audience engaged.
  3. Foreshadow a Climactic Scene: Paint a picture of the positive outcome if the audience takes your advice. This inspires them to take action.
  4. Challenge the Audience: Include a clear call to action, encouraging them to participate in the solution.
  5. End with the Theme: Conclude with the main message or theme of your presentation to leave a lasting impression.
  6. Practice Storytelling: Use storytelling elements like characters, problems, guides, and climactic scenes to make your message relatable and memorable.
  7. Prepare Talking Points: Have key messages ready to reinforce your story and guide the audience through the process.
  8. Focus on Value: Ensure your content provides value to the audience, whether it's solving a problem or offering new insights.
  9. Deliver with Confidence: Believe in your message and present it with enthusiasm to engage and inspire your audience.

Effective management and execution involve several key components:

  1. Clear Priorities: Managers must define specific, measurable, profitable, and scalable outputs for their teams. This clarity ensures everyone understands their roles and goals.

  2. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Identify and measure lead indicators that drive the desired outcomes. This helps track progress and identify areas for improvement.

  3. Streamlined Processes: Continuously analyze and improve processes to increase efficiency and productivity. This involves identifying bottlenecks and optimizing workflows.

  4. Valuable Feedback: Provide constructive feedback and praise to encourage growth and development. Focus on the team member's success and well-being.

  5. Execution System: Implement an execution system with steps like launch meetings, one-pagers, weekly speed checks, scoreboards, and celebrating victories. This keeps the team focused and accountable.

  6. Leadership: Be a coach, not just a cheerleader, by teaching frameworks, assessing skills, and offering support. This builds trust and empowers team members.

To implement these within a team:

  • Communicate Clearly: Ensure everyone understands the goals, expectations, and processes.
  • Empower Team Members: Give them the autonomy to make decisions and solve problems.
  • Foster a Collaborative Environment: Encourage open communication and teamwork.
  • Monitor Progress: Regularly review KPIs and adjust strategies as needed.
  • Celebrate Success: Recognize and celebrate achievements to maintain motivation and morale.

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