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The Twenty Percenter

Weekly advice for top business professionals.

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May 19, 2023

Seek First to Understand – Hanlon’s Razor | Vol. 47

In college, I read Jean-Paul Sartre's celebrated play, No Exit. It’s the story of three people consigned to hell. But instead of flames or torture, they find themselves locked in a room together for eternity. This play is where Sartre famously wrote, L'enfer, c'est les autres... “Hell, is other people.” As a committed introvert, I thought Sartre summed up things nicely.

Read Article →Seek First to Understand – Hanlon’s Razor | Vol. 47
May 12, 2023

Spring Cleaning for Workflows – Addition by Subtraction | Vol. 46

At a recent mastermind, Jason Abrams shared that more and more top teams are bogged down by bloated workflows. It’s tough enough to navigate this high-interest rate, low-inventory market, why are we letting our workflows make it even harder? Some workflows have more steps than the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Unless you’re playing the Rocky theme song while preparing your listing packet, 72 steps is overkill.

Read Article →Spring Cleaning for Workflows – Addition by Subtraction | Vol. 46
May 5, 2023

Unpopular Opinion – Zero Tolerance for Inbox Zero | Vol. 45

Happy Cinco de Mayo, Twenty Percenters. You deserve a margarita after weathering all the “May the 4th be with you” Facebook posts yesterday. 

According to a 2019 CampaignMonitor report, the average office worker receives 121 emails a day. McKinsey reported in 2012 that business professionals spend 28% of their time managing email. If you work 50 weeks a year, that’s 14 weeks dedicated to email alone. We all know it’s only gotten worse. What would you do if you could reclaim even half that lost time? Reinvest it in quality lead generation? Go on a vacation? Spend more time with friends and family? It’s up to you. But you have to reclaim it first.

Read Article →Unpopular Opinion – Zero Tolerance for Inbox Zero | Vol. 45
View the full-size chart at the Library of Congress
Apr 28, 2023

The People Leverage Audit | Vol. 44

Possibly the greatest investment you can make is in people. When you invest right, talent can amplify your impact and profit. When you get it wrong and there is not much that can make you poor and miserable faster. Just like financial leverage, people leverage cuts both ways.

Read Article →The People Leverage Audit | Vol. 44
Apr 21, 2023

Game Sees Game | Vol. 43

Last week we celebrated the inaugural “411 Day” appropriately on April 11th. We hosted a webinar for over 1,400 and shared ahas on a decade of lessons we’ve learned since The ONE Thing was published. We also discussed a podcast I recorded with Gary Keller on the same subject. My favorite part of both conversations was the idea that “game sees game.”* 

Read Article →Game Sees Game | Vol. 43
Apr 14, 2023

The Pot Roast Principle and Inflation | Vol. 42

The tale goes like this. A new bride is preparing a pot roast for dinner. She carefully crops a few inches from each end before putting the roast in the pan to brown. Her husband asks why she is trimming away so much. “It’s grandma’s famous recipe,” she replies. “I don’t really know why.”

Read Article →The Pot Roast Principle and Inflation | Vol. 42
Apr 7, 2023

Moving from “No” to “Yes” | Vol. 41

When something you want is within your control, you must act. When something you want is controlled by someone else, you must ask. Sometimes, the difference between a “no” and a “yes” is what you’re willing and able to do. To find out which, you have to be willing to ask. 

Read Article →Moving from “No” to “Yes” | Vol. 41
This graphic from EconLife puts things in perspective
Mar 31, 2023

Five Ways to Protect Your Bank Deposits | Vol. 40

Bank runs used to be called “panics,” and they were a heck of a lot more common than they are today. The recent collapse of SVB (Silicon Valley Bank) makes this topic relevant again. In this edition of The TwentyPercenter, we’ll break down what bank runs are, why they happen, and how you can keep your money safe. 

Read Article →Five Ways to Protect Your Bank Deposits | Vol. 40
Mar 24, 2023

The Timeless Truths of the Database | Vol. 39

My big break in publishing came when HarperCollins hired the former deputy editor of Esquire, David Hirshey. One editor gushed, “He has the ‘Golden ROLODEX®.’ He knows everybody!” When Hirshey hired me to be his editorial assistant, one of my many tasks was to keep his ROLODEX® up-to-date. When Hirshey’d return from a networking lunch, he’d dump receipts and business cards on my desk on his way to his office. From each business card, I’d type a ROLODEX® card (with a manual typewriter no less.) If it was someone cool, I’d make two. One for David and one for Jay.

Read Article →The Timeless Truths of the Database | Vol. 39
Mar 17, 2023

Accelerate Sphere Conversations with Text Replacement | Vol. 38

Texting is one of the few mediums where we can have quality sales conversations at scale. I’m not talking about impersonal mass text blasts. With one simple hack, you can host dozens of personal conversations concurrently. That hack is text replacement. 

Read Article →Accelerate Sphere Conversations with Text Replacement | Vol. 38
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