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Recently I read one of Jeffrey Gitomer’s books, Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching: 32.5 Strategies to Ring Your Own (Cash) Register in Business and Personal Success. I found it an interesting read, and definitely came away with some ideas to improve myself. That’s the great thing about reading… you almost always discover something new!
Throughout the book, Gitomer discusses 32.5 principles (yes, there is a 32.5th principle too) for achieving the “cha-ching” in your business. That is, completing the sale. Sometimes we get so caught up in getting the phone to ring, and getting the prospective client to stay interested, that we forget about the ultimate measure of success — the money that goes into the cash register. If we can’t achieve that end result, all our goal tracking and advertising success measurements become useless.
Gitomer discusses each principle in detail, providing us with a consistent structure throughout the book:
- Quotes to emphasize the principle.
- Discussion and evaluation of the principle.
- “Think! and Do” — A process to help you discover real world applications for the principle.
- “@BAT” — Described by Gitomer as “Business Achievement/Action Triggers;” your opportunity to take action.
The principles covered in Gitomer’s book touch on a wide range of topics, including self-belief, positive mental attitude, studying, planning, listening, completing the sale, referrals, testimonials, and loyalty. What’s the 32.5th principle all about? Well, Gitomer says it’s the one “that glues the others together.”
Gitomer’s Principle 32.5: “If it has been working for 100 years or more, don’t even think about changing it.” I love this principle. Yet, despite the truth it holds, I know I’m sometimes guilty of changing things that don’t need to be changed. If something is working… and working well… why worry about changing one of the “strengths” of your business? Wouldn’t be better to concentrate on improving your business’s weaknesses? Principle 32.5 deserves to be plastered in the forefront of our minds, or above our computer monitor, to help keep us on track and “stay the course.”
The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching retails for $19.99, and can be found at Amazon.com, any bookstore, or even your local library. So don’t use the price of the book as an excuse not to start hearing the sound of “cha-ching” in your own business!
