Table of Contents
Copyright 2010 by Grant Cardone. All rights reserved.
QuickcloseTM is a registered trademark of Grant Cardone 2009. Information-Assisted SellingTM is a registered trademark of Grant Cardone 1998.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Cardone, Grant.
If youre not first, youre last : sales strategies to dominate your market and beat your competition / Grant Cardone. p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-470-62435-7 (cloth)
1. Success in business. 2. Strategic planning. 3. Organizational learning.
I. Title. II. Title: If you are not first, you are last.
HF5386.C254 2010
658.82dc22 2010004480
Introduction
The Importance of First
Although the concept of first or last may sound unfair and difficult to accept for some, in the real worldregardless of your business or careerfirst place is the only place that matters. Its a position that allows you to weather all storms, gets you extra attention, and has the competition chasing yourather than the other way around. But lets face it: if you didnt compromise on any point, you would certainly rather the position of first than any other, right? Given the choice between first and any other position, we all know whats preferable.
Unlike systems or cultures where everyone gets rewarded for just participating and regardless of their efforts, abilities, or even the scorethe only position that ultimately makes sense in businessand the one that earns the greatest rewardsis, of course, first. If you arent in the dominant position in your market, then you are at risk. When economies are abound with business, the company in first position continues to gain customers and expand its size and presence while the weaker players eke out increasingly smaller gains, helped along solely by the rich nature of the market. However, when these profitable times wane, the dominant company benefits from its first-place position and grabs market share away from all the other contenders while those in every other position pay the price.
Merriam-Websters defines the word first as preceding all others in time, order, or importance. Being first to the market is not as important as being number one in your category; you dont necessarily have to be the company introducing a product to be the best choice in the buyers mind. Order and importance are much more vital here than time. There is also a big difference between being first and third in Google search results, as evidenced by companies like first-place Intel and second-place Advanced Micro. As of December 2009, Intel had earned $32.7 billion in revenue and had $13 billion in cash, whereas Advanced Micro had $4.92 billion in revenues and $2.5 billion in cash. And consider the competition between Barack Obama and John McCain. Only a few points separated a name that has made history. Again, Barack was not first to the market; he actually came 30 years after his opponent and had much less experience. Yet he managed to win not just the number one spot, but the most powerful position in the world.
So quit compromising and being reasonable. Lets get you fightingevery minute of every dayfor the number one spot in your business. You want to be on top when the market is great and take market share when it is not.
The Game-Changing Economy
Businesspeople, salespeople, managers, entrepreneurs, and CEOs fear economic reductionsand understandably so. They reason (correctly) that when the economy moves into a period of major contraction, clients and customers cut back on projects, reduce spending, and worse, sacrifice quality looking for lowest-priced vendors and/or suppliers. It becomes more difficult to raise capital, close transactions, and make accurate projections that affect planning at all levels. People become filled with uncertainty and doubt that negatively impacts their ability to make decisions. These game-changing economic times can occasionally require major transitions in our skill set as well, particularly following periods of extended expansion. It is common for management teams, sales forces, and employees to be improperly equipped to transition in the game-changing economy.
Its fairly easy to observe when peoples motivation and skill sets are crippled from extended periods of economic expansion. Its a lot like a professional fighter who after a series of easy bouts appears to lose his edge, his powereven his sense of the basics. People tend to become dependent on a surplus of opportunities, easy credit, and cheap money and develop an overall unrealistic attitude when the business is good and the wind is at their backs. When the market changes and belts tighten, the forces are no longer at your back but are directly blowing in your face. Every weakness in the organization is greatly magnified when times get tough. Mistakes become more costly, every transaction vital and failure becomes a real possibility for both individuals and companies that arent able to transition within the new economy.
At the time I began writing this book, the world was entering one of the greatest economic contractions since the Great Depression. During periods of major game-changing economic shifts, people immediately find themselves scared, confused, overwhelmed, angry, hopeless about what to do, and unsure about whether there is anything they can do. During times like these, people suddenly realize that their businesses, incomes, and futures are at risk. It abruptly seems as though the world is giving each of us a giant wake-up call by screaming, you are vulnerable and may cease to exist !
