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The Pumpkin Plan: A Simple Strategy to Grow a Remarkable Business in Any Field
Each year Americans start one million new businesses, nearly 80 percent of which fail within the first five years. Under such pressure to stay alive—let alone grow—it’s easy for entrepreneurs to get caught up in a never-ending cycle of “sell it—do it, sell it—do it” that leaves them exhausted, frustrated, and unable to get ahead no matter how hard they try.
This is the exact situation Mike Michalowicz found himself in when he was trying to grow his first company. Although it was making steady money, there was never very much left over and he was chasing customers left and right, putting in twenty-eight-hour days, eight days a week. The punishing grind never let up. His company was alive but stunted, and he was barely breathing. That’s when he discovered an unlikely source of inspiration—pumpkin farmers.
After reading an article about a local farmer who had dedicated his life to growing giant pumpkins, Michalowicz realized the same process could apply to growing a business. He tested the Pumpkin Plan on his own company and transformed it into a remarkable, multimillion-dollar industry leader. First he did it for himself. Then for others. And now you. So what is the Pumpkin Plan?
Plant the right Don’t waste time doing a bunch of different things just to please your customers. Instead, identify the thing you do better than anyone else and focus all of your attention, money, and time on figuring out how to grow your company doing it. Weed out the In a pumpkin patch small, rotten pumpkins stunt the growth of the robust, healthy ones. The same is true of customers. Figure out which customers add the most value and provide the best opportunities for sustained growth. Then ditch the worst of the worst. Nurture the Once you figure out who your best customers are, blow their minds with care. Discover their unfulfilled needs, innovate to make their wishes come true, and overdeliver on every single promise.
Full of stories of other successful entrepreneurs, The Pumpkin Plan guides you through unconventional strategies to help you build a truly profitable blue-ribbon company that is the best in its field.
This is the exact situation Mike Michalowicz found himself in when he was trying to grow his first company. Although it was making steady money, there was never very much left over and he was chasing customers left and right, putting in twenty-eight-hour days, eight days a week. The punishing grind never let up. His company was alive but stunted, and he was barely breathing. That’s when he discovered an unlikely source of inspiration—pumpkin farmers.
After reading an article about a local farmer who had dedicated his life to growing giant pumpkins, Michalowicz realized the same process could apply to growing a business. He tested the Pumpkin Plan on his own company and transformed it into a remarkable, multimillion-dollar industry leader. First he did it for himself. Then for others. And now you. So what is the Pumpkin Plan?
Plant the right Don’t waste time doing a bunch of different things just to please your customers. Instead, identify the thing you do better than anyone else and focus all of your attention, money, and time on figuring out how to grow your company doing it. Weed out the In a pumpkin patch small, rotten pumpkins stunt the growth of the robust, healthy ones. The same is true of customers. Figure out which customers add the most value and provide the best opportunities for sustained growth. Then ditch the worst of the worst. Nurture the Once you figure out who your best customers are, blow their minds with care. Discover their unfulfilled needs, innovate to make their wishes come true, and overdeliver on every single promise.
Full of stories of other successful entrepreneurs, The Pumpkin Plan guides you through unconventional strategies to help you build a truly profitable blue-ribbon company that is the best in its field.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
979 people are currently reading
5898 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 289 reviews
November 12, 2020
This book is useful for entrepreneurs. The concepts aren't new but the author provides good examples of how different types of businesses can grow. First, you should be doing something that is better, faster, or cheaper than your competitors. You can't grow a business unless you have a competitive advantage. The next step is focusing on the best clients and getting rid of the bad clients. Analogous to growing a prize-winning giant pumpkin, you need to be an expert on growing large pumpkins, focus on the few big pumpkins in your patch, and prune away the other pumpkins that are taking resources away from the best.
September 20, 2015
Mike Michalowicz has a knack for putting things in a certain way - and The Pumpkin Plan is one of those examples. I first came to this author through his latest work (Profit First). And I am paying serious attention to The Pumpkin Plan as a result of the fact that Profit First radically changed my business.
It's a simple work, one that you can read quickly and easily. While, like a lot of business books there are exercises to do before you go to the next piece, I don't work that way. I read it once, absorb it, think on it, and reflect. Then I go back to the beginning and start again, and then do the pieces once I know the big picture.
Currently working through the Plan for my own business, I can verify that the no-bullshit nature of the Planreally does work. It's a long process, and I'm not yet finished - but take this as an indication that you should read this book and apply its principles, if in fact you haven't done either.
So then why only three stars? It's very American, which grates sometimes. Also, I haven't totally verified it. If the Plan turns out to rock things the way it appears to be doing so, then the rating will change.
Either way, highly recommended.
It's a simple work, one that you can read quickly and easily. While, like a lot of business books there are exercises to do before you go to the next piece, I don't work that way. I read it once, absorb it, think on it, and reflect. Then I go back to the beginning and start again, and then do the pieces once I know the big picture.
Currently working through the Plan for my own business, I can verify that the no-bullshit nature of the Planreally does work. It's a long process, and I'm not yet finished - but take this as an indication that you should read this book and apply its principles, if in fact you haven't done either.
So then why only three stars? It's very American, which grates sometimes. Also, I haven't totally verified it. If the Plan turns out to rock things the way it appears to be doing so, then the rating will change.
Either way, highly recommended.
April 24, 2013
1. Книга будет явно послабее чем "Стартап без бюджета..." :(
2. Основная идея проста: оптимизируйте свою клиентскую базу; избавьтесь от низкоприбыльных и неудобных клиентов; работайте с теми 20%, которые приносят вам 80% прибыли.
Идея дофига оригинальна :( , она есть в любом учебнике по менеджменту/маркетингу торговли.
3. "Плюсы" книги:
- написано задорно и весло, мотивирует на подвиги :) , легко читается
- много кейсов по оптимизации этой самой клиентской базы, причём на примерах очень разнопланового малого бизнеса
- есть оригинальные идеи/советы о том, как именно эту самую оптимизацию проводить (кстати, если отжать из книги всю "воду", этих самых советов страниц на 5 наберется).
4. Главный "минус" книги: автор много писал про свой опыт и свои идеи, но как-то немного за скобками оказалось понимание правильного контекста для применения "метода тыквы".
Во-первых, метод актуален только для зрелого бизнеса. Есть кривая ЖЦФ (жизненного цикла фирмы); вот как только мы преодолели плато, и наметился спад, то тогда чистка клиентской базы - оч.эффективная штука.
Во всех остальных случаях, пока издержки на новых клиентов остаются допустимо низкими, то почему бы не продолжать наращивать (а не сокращать) клиентскую базу?
Во-вторых, автор описывает банальную маркетинговую стратегию фокусировки - концентрации на предельно узком и прибыльном сегменте. Но забывает сделать важные замечания: сегмент должен быть растущим и потенциально большим.
Т.е. в стране с относительно низким уровнем потребления (угу, это мы) такие сегменты ещё крепко поискать надо :( Разумеется, в стране с высочайшим в мире уровнем потребления (в США, откуда сам автор), можно и дифференцироваться, и концентрироваться до посинения :), зарабатывая свои миллионы. У нас особо не порезвишься; особенно в малом бизнесе.
PS Книга неплохая, но применять без фанатизма ;)
January 1, 2013
Kill your darlings and streamline success with The Pumpkin Plan
The writers out there will understand the reference to killing your darlings. We've all had to do it. We spend hours, days sometimes, lovingly crafting the perfect scene, or the perfect line, only to have to delete it in revision. Sometimes we kill it because it is overly purple, sometimes because it just doesn't fit the book anymore no matter how much we try to round the edges - it's still a square peg and we've written a round hole.
The Pumpkin Plan is a blueprint for killing your real world darlings and streamlining your business (or life, as I'll demonstrate.)
Mike Michalowicz takes a "bro" tone, puts his arm around your shoulder, buys you a drink at the bar and dishes the secret to living the good life, the easy way.
As we enter this new year, it's a book well worth taking a look at, here's why.
First - Mike doesn't just tell you what to do, he gives you practical steps for actually doing it. Every chapter ends with a 30 minute action plan - how to put that piece of the plan to work on 30 minutes or less. As a business owner who is always overwhelmed, underwater and trying to catch a break, or at least a breath - being able to take action in under 30 minutes and get that rush of accomplishment is absolutely critical. It builds confidence and lets us know right away that yes, we can do this.
Second - Mike takes the time to give both real world examples of people and businesses who have rocked each step of the plan, as well as craft industry specific examples of the Pumpkin Plan in action to demonstrate not only that the plan can work for any type of business, but also ways that it might work. He flexes his imagination in a way that shows us multiple paths that we could take to grow our own giant pumpkin of a business (or life).
Third - And this is where Mike's book, for me, went from "just another business book" to the business book I'll be recommending to everyone who could use a little boost, nudge or step up in life this year - Mike does the one thing that no one else I've read has been brave enough to do - he gives us a detailed, direct plan for killing your darlings.
Darlings are those customers, clients, people (or in writing - sections of prose) who are sucking your time, energy, brain power, money or other resources and not delivering any return on that investment.
As an entrepreneur from a long line of entrepreneurs this is something I know we all need. Again, in business and in life and in writing. To be successful by any measure we have to get rid of the "drainbows" as my husband calls them. But how? How do we know who to keep and who to cut? And... How do we cut the soul-suckers without burning the bridge completely or pissing them off and having them turn on us? This is the small business owner's dilemma. We know we can't be all things to everyone, but how do we say no to money?
I'm not going to tell you Mike's plan - I'm only going to tell you that I am implementing it actively right now. I started with Facebook - culling that crazy herd. Now I'm going through my client list. His steps not only make sense, they are a validation of everything I believed when I started my business, but started to neglect in the quest to say yes and serve more people. As Mike reminded me - "More isn't better. Better is better." Don't understand? Get the book. And then get started killing your darlings and streamlining success.
Ostensibly a book about growing your business - there is much more to be gained in the Pumpkin Plan than just a successful business and more time and money on your hands.
Disclaimer - Mike gifted me a copy of this book after he read my review of The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. Because I'm in the middle of a re-branding and re-structuring of my business, I accepted the gift but warned him I'd be brutally honest in my review. So... Here's the brutal piece of the review - While the bro-down tone might work for some, I found it a little overly chummy and grating. I don't know this guy from Adam and I kind of resented him thinking we were pals. However, after a while it kind of clicked - that's just who this guy is. The Pumpkin Plan is written in his voice, and he just happens to be one of those outgoing nice guys who really would buy you a drink at the bar and tell you how you too could be living the good life, because after all, shouldn't everyone be happy?
The writers out there will understand the reference to killing your darlings. We've all had to do it. We spend hours, days sometimes, lovingly crafting the perfect scene, or the perfect line, only to have to delete it in revision. Sometimes we kill it because it is overly purple, sometimes because it just doesn't fit the book anymore no matter how much we try to round the edges - it's still a square peg and we've written a round hole.
The Pumpkin Plan is a blueprint for killing your real world darlings and streamlining your business (or life, as I'll demonstrate.)
Mike Michalowicz takes a "bro" tone, puts his arm around your shoulder, buys you a drink at the bar and dishes the secret to living the good life, the easy way.
As we enter this new year, it's a book well worth taking a look at, here's why.
First - Mike doesn't just tell you what to do, he gives you practical steps for actually doing it. Every chapter ends with a 30 minute action plan - how to put that piece of the plan to work on 30 minutes or less. As a business owner who is always overwhelmed, underwater and trying to catch a break, or at least a breath - being able to take action in under 30 minutes and get that rush of accomplishment is absolutely critical. It builds confidence and lets us know right away that yes, we can do this.
Second - Mike takes the time to give both real world examples of people and businesses who have rocked each step of the plan, as well as craft industry specific examples of the Pumpkin Plan in action to demonstrate not only that the plan can work for any type of business, but also ways that it might work. He flexes his imagination in a way that shows us multiple paths that we could take to grow our own giant pumpkin of a business (or life).
Third - And this is where Mike's book, for me, went from "just another business book" to the business book I'll be recommending to everyone who could use a little boost, nudge or step up in life this year - Mike does the one thing that no one else I've read has been brave enough to do - he gives us a detailed, direct plan for killing your darlings.
Darlings are those customers, clients, people (or in writing - sections of prose) who are sucking your time, energy, brain power, money or other resources and not delivering any return on that investment.
As an entrepreneur from a long line of entrepreneurs this is something I know we all need. Again, in business and in life and in writing. To be successful by any measure we have to get rid of the "drainbows" as my husband calls them. But how? How do we know who to keep and who to cut? And... How do we cut the soul-suckers without burning the bridge completely or pissing them off and having them turn on us? This is the small business owner's dilemma. We know we can't be all things to everyone, but how do we say no to money?
I'm not going to tell you Mike's plan - I'm only going to tell you that I am implementing it actively right now. I started with Facebook - culling that crazy herd. Now I'm going through my client list. His steps not only make sense, they are a validation of everything I believed when I started my business, but started to neglect in the quest to say yes and serve more people. As Mike reminded me - "More isn't better. Better is better." Don't understand? Get the book. And then get started killing your darlings and streamlining success.
Ostensibly a book about growing your business - there is much more to be gained in the Pumpkin Plan than just a successful business and more time and money on your hands.
Disclaimer - Mike gifted me a copy of this book after he read my review of The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. Because I'm in the middle of a re-branding and re-structuring of my business, I accepted the gift but warned him I'd be brutally honest in my review. So... Here's the brutal piece of the review - While the bro-down tone might work for some, I found it a little overly chummy and grating. I don't know this guy from Adam and I kind of resented him thinking we were pals. However, after a while it kind of clicked - that's just who this guy is. The Pumpkin Plan is written in his voice, and he just happens to be one of those outgoing nice guys who really would buy you a drink at the bar and tell you how you too could be living the good life, because after all, shouldn't everyone be happy?
January 19, 2022
Am really lovin' this book! This author is a fave of mine. He has a previous book, writes for the Wall Street Journal as well as other pub's, and has several great videos on YouTube. I was asked to read and critique this book before it's July 5 release.
Oh NO! Haven't finished the book and it's already July 5th! Well, it's just too "meaty"! Why read a great book if you're not going to implement what you learn from it? www.ThePumpkinPlan.com
The Pumpkin Plan is a well written and fun read. The content was extraordinary, reminiscent of Good to Great and Great by Choice (Jim Collins) without all of the empirical mumbo jumbo that can bog a reader down. The author has distilled entrepreneurial skills down to a simple to understand brew. My husband and I have started 5 businesses from scratch, not every one successful. "If only" we had The Pumpkin Plan BEFORE or during some of them, we'd be better off. C'est la vie!
You don't need a degree from Princeton to be an entrepreneur. Many others have gone before us and we have the opportunity to learn from them! Mike Michalowicz has definitely given a simple plan to help us out. Remember, just because it's simple doesn't necessarily mean it's easy. If it was easy, everybody would be able to do it. Learning from Mike can improve your advance toward success.
Oh NO! Haven't finished the book and it's already July 5th! Well, it's just too "meaty"! Why read a great book if you're not going to implement what you learn from it? www.ThePumpkinPlan.com
The Pumpkin Plan is a well written and fun read. The content was extraordinary, reminiscent of Good to Great and Great by Choice (Jim Collins) without all of the empirical mumbo jumbo that can bog a reader down. The author has distilled entrepreneurial skills down to a simple to understand brew. My husband and I have started 5 businesses from scratch, not every one successful. "If only" we had The Pumpkin Plan BEFORE or during some of them, we'd be better off. C'est la vie!
You don't need a degree from Princeton to be an entrepreneur. Many others have gone before us and we have the opportunity to learn from them! Mike Michalowicz has definitely given a simple plan to help us out. Remember, just because it's simple doesn't necessarily mean it's easy. If it was easy, everybody would be able to do it. Learning from Mike can improve your advance toward success.
September 4, 2021
I read this as part of the book club of a business group that I am in.
Halfway through, I wasn't sure about it as it seemed to repeat the same idea (albeit a good one but one that I have already put into practice), of dropping bad customers (rotten pumpkins) to concentrate on the best ones (prize pumpkins). The second half contained a whole lot of other great ideas though - I particularly like the one of finding out who your dream customer's other favourite suppliers are and then getting in touch with them and speaking to their other customers who may also be dream customers for you.
I messaged Mike Michalowicz and told him that we were reading the book and loved his response:
"Awesome. I hope it truly serves you. Rock on!"
Bettered only by his response when I thanked him for the video that he sent our group:
"My joy! I'm glad it worked out. I appreciate you."
What a cool guy!
Halfway through, I wasn't sure about it as it seemed to repeat the same idea (albeit a good one but one that I have already put into practice), of dropping bad customers (rotten pumpkins) to concentrate on the best ones (prize pumpkins). The second half contained a whole lot of other great ideas though - I particularly like the one of finding out who your dream customer's other favourite suppliers are and then getting in touch with them and speaking to their other customers who may also be dream customers for you.
I messaged Mike Michalowicz and told him that we were reading the book and loved his response:
"Awesome. I hope it truly serves you. Rock on!"
Bettered only by his response when I thanked him for the video that he sent our group:
"My joy! I'm glad it worked out. I appreciate you."
What a cool guy!
August 23, 2017
Hilarious book and very applicable to all businesses, believe it or not. This one teaches you to "fire your worst customers so that the best ones get the most attention." It's a simple business strategy but has proven effective.
March 8, 2013
Очевидная идея концентрации внимания и усилий на максимально прибыльных и минимально "напряжных" для предпринимателя направлениях. Основную мысль можно изложить в нескольких предл��жениях. Ценных материалов на пару-тройку страниц. Остальное - живописные примеры, размышления и убеждения, что методы работают. Стиль изложения традиционен.
Я не любитель подобной бизнес-литературы, но время от времени обращаю внимание на хвалебные отзывы и некоторые книги даже читаю. Тем не менее, думаю, что ценителям жанра книга придётся по вкусу.
Я не любитель подобной бизнес-литературы, но время от времени обращаю внимание на хвалебные отзывы и некоторые книги даже читаю. Тем не менее, думаю, что ценителям жанра книга придётся по вкусу.
November 9, 2019
เล่มฟักทองยักษ์ เพิ่งจบตะกี้ อ่านแล้วเฉยๆ น่าเบื่อ อาจจะไกลตัวสายงานของผม แต่บางประเด็นก็หยิบมาใช้ได้
.
รีวิวเล่มฟักทอง 🎃🎃🎃
.
รู้สึกว่าไม่มีอะไรต่างจากเล่ม ทำน้อยได้มาก(Less is more)หรือ สิ่งเดียว(One thing) แนวคิดเหมือนๆกัน
.
สิ่งที่ได้จากในเล่มฟักทองคือ
1. จงตัดสิ่งที่ไม่จำเป็นออกไป โฟกัสสิ่งที่สำคัญ(ลูกค้าอันดับต้นๆ)และสิ่งนั้นมีผลกระทบต่อเรา(ในที่นี้คือรายได้)จริงๆ
.
2.วิธีการจัดการลูกค้าให้อยู่หมัด ตัดลูกค้าพวกเรื่องมาก(และไม่ส่งผลต่อรายได้หลัก)ออกไป สรุปเป็นข้อในส่วน ลงมือทำใน30นาที
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จบการรีวิว #อ่านHardThingต่อ(กำลังอ่านเล่ม Hard thing ฯ อ่านไปห้าสิบหน้า สนุกมากๆ)
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รีวิวเล่มฟักทอง 🎃🎃🎃
.
รู้สึกว่าไม่มีอะไรต่างจากเล่ม ทำน้อยได้มาก(Less is more)หรือ สิ่งเดียว(One thing) แนวคิดเหมือนๆกัน
.
สิ่งที่ได้จากในเล่มฟักทองคือ
1. จงตัดสิ่งที่ไม่จำเป็นออกไป โฟกัสสิ่งที่สำคัญ(ลูกค้าอันดับต้นๆ)และสิ่งนั้นมีผลกระทบต่อเรา(ในที่นี้คือรายได้)จริงๆ
.
2.วิธีการจัดการลูกค้าให้อยู่หมัด ตัดลูกค้าพวกเรื่องมาก(และไม่ส่งผลต่อรายได้หลัก)ออกไป สรุปเป็นข้อในส่วน ลงมือทำใน30นาที
.
จบการรีวิว #อ่านHardThingต่อ(กำลังอ่านเล่ม Hard thing ฯ อ่านไปห้าสิบหน้า สนุกมากๆ)
April 11, 2021
Một cuốn sách hay, vừa đọc vừa sợ hết.
October 3, 2012
The Pumpkin Plan: A Simple Strategy to Grow a Remarkable Business in Any Field
by Mike Michalowicz (author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur) is an excellent book about achieving success as an entrepreneur in any field.
*Full disclosure, I was given a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.*
Now, this book is definitely aimed primarily at entrepreneurs, secondarily at everyone else in charge of running a business. However, there's still a lot of great points that are valuable to the rest of us.
The main idea behind The Pumpkin Plan, is that we ought to focus on our top clients - i.e., our giant pumpkin. The way a farmer grows a huge, prize-winning giant pumpkin, is by carefully selecting a premium seed (i.e., the idea for a business), then weeding everything else away (including all the small, diseased pumpkin and even "ordinary" pumpkins) focusing only on the pumpkin with the most potential, continuing with watering and tending to the pumpkin until it has grown to huge proportions - then reaping the benefits.
Too often we run ourselves ragged, trying to please everyone instead of playing to our strengths. By focusing on our strong suits - and on doing great work for the customers most suited to us, it is much easier to distinguish yourself from the competition and make your work easier and of a higher quality.
This is a lesson I believe is incredibly valuable to all of us, to leverage our strengths rather than trying to please everyone (which is impossible anyway.
Even more so, the following quote is incredibly thought-provoking and useful in all areas of life:
In conclusion, I greatly recommend this to everyone, but especially to those who are running - or thinking about running a business.
by Mike Michalowicz (author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur) is an excellent book about achieving success as an entrepreneur in any field.
*Full disclosure, I was given a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.*
Now, this book is definitely aimed primarily at entrepreneurs, secondarily at everyone else in charge of running a business. However, there's still a lot of great points that are valuable to the rest of us.
The main idea behind The Pumpkin Plan
, is that we ought to focus on our top clients - i.e., our giant pumpkin. The way a farmer grows a huge, prize-winning giant pumpkin, is by carefully selecting a premium seed (i.e., the idea for a business), then weeding everything else away (including all the small, diseased pumpkin and even "ordinary" pumpkins) focusing only on the pumpkin with the most potential, continuing with watering and tending to the pumpkin until it has grown to huge proportions - then reaping the benefits.There is something extremely irresistible, something magnetic about being the extreme. Be it the strongest, or the fastest, or the most unique. The farmer with the most extraordinary pumpkin in the field wins. Ever. Single. Time.
The same is true for entrepreneurs. Yet most entrepreneurs work their tails off, only to end up with small, ordinary, unremarkable pumpkins. Compared to the giant pumpkin, the companies these struggling entrepreneurs grow are insignificant, so insignificant that customers often don't see them, or squash them, or leave them to rot in the field without a second thought.
Too often we run ourselves ragged, trying to please everyone instead of playing to our strengths. By focusing on our strong suits - and on doing great work for the customers most suited to us, it is much easier to distinguish yourself from the competition and make your work easier and of a higher quality.
More is not better, people. Better is better.
You need to shift your mindset away from the quantity game. You need to stop killing yourself for scraps. I want you to kick your fears in the teeth and start focusing on the clients who, when you love them (and others just like them), will make your wildest revenue dreams possible.
This is a lesson I believe is incredibly valuable to all of us, to leverage our strengths rather than trying to please everyone (which is impossible anyway.
Even more so, the following quote is incredibly thought-provoking and useful in all areas of life:
The key here is that your brain goes to work on any question you ask it. Good, bad or indifferent... your brain keeps plugging away. You need to be very aware of the questions you ask yourself, because the quality of your question will directly influence the quality of your answer.
If you ask, "Why do I always struggle?" your brain will answer: "Because you suck." Okay, usually your brain comes up with specific answers, like "Because you're not well-educated," or "Because you don't have enough money," or "Because you're not good at sales."
Conversely, if you ask, "How do I achieve success?" your brain will come back with an answer: "Try this, do that..." If you consistently ask enabling questions, your brain will find enabling answers - solutions toward progress. Pumpkin Planners consistently ask better questions, get better answers and, ultimately, get better results.
In conclusion, I greatly recommend this to everyone, but especially to those who are running - or thinking about running a business.
October 17, 2021
Every entrepreneur NEEDS to read this. There is some truth telling that will scare you and you’ll disagree with, but it’s absolutely vital to follow this advice. Michalowicz uses his humor wisely and it’s even more fun to hear him talk about it live. I bet this is even better on audio.
December 2, 2018
Great simple to follow plan. Love the analogy of growing pumpkins. I have been doing something like this for years. Great, advise to refocus and implement the strategies.
November 1, 2021
Maravilloso en su simplicidad y aplicabilidad. Algunos consejos ya los había empezado a aplicar hace poco, pero ahora tengo muchas más herramientas para mi negocio. Fue una lectura rápida y enriquecedora.
March 20, 2019
This book, as well as being entertaining, cuts right to the core of what you can do to improve your company's effectiveness in the world by implementing The Pumpkin Plan.
This guy is so much fun to read that you can put down the book, and you can't help but learn very important concepts along the way. Mike is energetic and down to earth and such a cool dude, that he gives you his email address in the book and says to email him. He promises to respond (eventually) and I'm pretty certain it's actually him who responds back. I've done it and I've struck up a short conversation with him, and his energy pervades even his short email replies. It's hard to mimic that! Really hard.
At any rate, the info delivered in this book on improving your business is indeed invaluable. In it he breaks down key steps (not in a dorky overused 12-step plan style) to improve your business by reshaping the way you think about and do things.
I highly recommend this as a small business owner who has lots to learn and little time for the tedium of textbook style "how tos"! Great work Mike! Now get busy with another book!
This guy is so much fun to read that you can put down the book, and you can't help but learn very important concepts along the way. Mike is energetic and down to earth and such a cool dude, that he gives you his email address in the book and says to email him. He promises to respond (eventually) and I'm pretty certain it's actually him who responds back. I've done it and I've struck up a short conversation with him, and his energy pervades even his short email replies. It's hard to mimic that! Really hard.
At any rate, the info delivered in this book on improving your business is indeed invaluable. In it he breaks down key steps (not in a dorky overused 12-step plan style) to improve your business by reshaping the way you think about and do things.
I highly recommend this as a small business owner who has lots to learn and little time for the tedium of textbook style "how tos"! Great work Mike! Now get busy with another book!
October 1, 2016
A must-read for any small business owner or entrepreneur. The Pumpkin Plan is also a great resource for freelancers like myself. I found many of his tips about clients (i.e. attracting the right clients, weeding out the bad clients) to be applicable to my work as a freelance writer. Michalowicz outlines The Pumpkin Plan in clear, actionable steps. He also gives lots of industry-specific tips and backs up all of his points with concise, relevant stories from his own experience as a business owner and stories of other real businesses and how they've become so successful.
Many people write books of this nature without any real experience, which leaves you wondering about the credibility of their advice. Michalowicz has built several extremely successful businesses from the ground up. He's not afraid to share his failures and successes alike and clearly has a passion for helping other entrepreneurs and business owners achieve the same level of success.
Many people write books of this nature without any real experience, which leaves you wondering about the credibility of their advice. Michalowicz has built several extremely successful businesses from the ground up. He's not afraid to share his failures and successes alike and clearly has a passion for helping other entrepreneurs and business owners achieve the same level of success.
November 7, 2018
I picked this up after reading Michalowicz’s other book, Profit First. In Pumpkin Plan, Mike draws on the process for growing a large pumpkin and extends that process to growing a large business. The steps (paraphrased) are:
1. Identify your top clients
2. Weed out all of the other clients
3. Focus all of your effort on nurturing the top clients
I enjoyed the read and came away with a handful of earmarked pages to return to later. A few strategies really stuck with me like taking your top clients out for coffee and the idea that business is not a popularity contest (“Don’t worry about having the most clients. Worry about having the best clients...).
1. Identify your top clients
2. Weed out all of the other clients
3. Focus all of your effort on nurturing the top clients
I enjoyed the read and came away with a handful of earmarked pages to return to later. A few strategies really stuck with me like taking your top clients out for coffee and the idea that business is not a popularity contest (“Don’t worry about having the most clients. Worry about having the best clients...).
May 14, 2016
I grabbed this one when it was the daily deal at audible, thought it sounded interesting. When I first started listening to it I thought it was odd that the author narrated it, didn't expect him to be good, but he did a great job. You could tell he truly believed what he was talking about.
The concepts in this book were good ones, easy, yet I can see where people would have a hard time to "firing" clients, it does seem counter productive.
I think if you are an entrepreneur this would be a good book to read.
The concepts in this book were good ones, easy, yet I can see where people would have a hard time to "firing" clients, it does seem counter productive.
I think if you are an entrepreneur this would be a good book to read.
July 29, 2020
Good book for people with struggling established businesses looking to succeed. The basic plan is to cut off the bad pumpkins(clients) and nurture the really big ones until you become a hyper specialized niche that can charge top dollar for your service to your lookalike top clients.
Before making a decision he encourages his employees to think about these three questions:
Here are the Three Questions, in order:
1. Does this decision better serve our top clients?
2. Does this decision improve or maintain our Area of Innovation?
3. Does this decision grow or maintain our profitability?
Before making a decision he encourages his employees to think about these three questions:
Here are the Three Questions, in order:
1. Does this decision better serve our top clients?
2. Does this decision improve or maintain our Area of Innovation?
3. Does this decision grow or maintain our profitability?
May 31, 2023
Learn how to grow your business with the Pumpkin Plan.
Have you ever felt stuck in your business, unsure how to grow and reach new heights? Are you curious about what it takes to turn a struggling enterprise into a thriving, successful one? Imagine if there was a simple, step-by-step process to help guide you on your path to business success. Well, you're in luck! There is.
In this book, you’ll discover the power of the Pumpkin Plan, a transformative business strategy inspired by the process of growing giant pumpkins. Along the way, you'll learn how to apply these principles to your own business, making you better at identifying and nurturing your most valuable clients, cutting out distractions, and focusing on what truly matters. Ultimately, this will help you grow your business as impressively as a prize-winning pumpkin.
-
The seven stages of the pumpkin plan
It may seem odd that some entrepreneurs manage to turn struggling businesses into successful ventures, while others seem to be stuck in a rut. But actually, the secret to their success could be as simple as growing a pumpkin. That's right, a pumpkin.
Let’s start by meeting Mike Michalowicz, the author – a once struggling entrepreneur who turned his business around with the help of his mentor, Frank. Frank advised Michalowicz to change his business strategy if he wanted to avoid ending up as a bitter man with nothing to show for his years of hard work. In particular, Michalowicz struggled with the "if only" disease, thinking that if only he could work harder, he could make his business successful. But he found that this mindset only led to more stress and burnout.
Luck had it that one day, Michalowicz stumbled across a newspaper article that changed his life – and his business philosophy – forever. It was the story of a gigantic pumpkin and, in the article, the farmer explained how he managed to make it grow so very large. Michalowicz immediately realized that these steps could be applied to the world of business, too.
This was how he came up with the Pumpkin Plan and its seven stages.
First, you've got to plant promising seeds by identifying and leveraging your biggest strengths. Next, keep your business flourishing with constant promotion and finding new customers, just like how watering keeps the pumpkins alive.
As the pumpkins grow, remove the diseased or damaged ones. That's like cutting off rotten clients in business so you can focus on the best ones. Weed out distractions and keep your eyes on the prize, just like how a mad dog weeds the pumpkin patch.
When the pumpkins get bigger, identify the stronger, faster-growing ones, and remove the less-promising ones. In business, this means focusing all your attention on your top clients. Give them what they want and replicate that success with similar clients.
Lastly, watch your business grow like a giant pumpkin by following all those steps. That’s what Michalowicz did, and it wasn’t long before he sold his business for millions to a Fortune 500 firm.
But before you can begin growing your pumpkin, you might need to take stock of where your business is at right now. And if you’re struggling with growing your business, the next section is for you.
-
Revive your entrepreneurial spirit in tough times
Sometimes, entrepreneurs get seriously bogged down when their businesses start to struggle. Perhaps you too have been overwhelmed at some point during your entrepreneurial quest. It's a tough journey, and it’s easy to lose sight of the dream that got you started in the first place.
Have no fear! You’re not alone. Virtually all entrepreneurs go through these struggles at some point or other. These struggles often consist of three stages: denial, acceptance, and giving up. If you’re at stage one, you might be feeling the stress build up inside, but when someone asks how your business is doing, you say everything's great. Admitting you're struggling can be tough because you worry about how others perceive you or if it will affect future prospects and your team's faith in you.
As things get worse, you might finally admit to yourself that you're struggling. This is stage two. Stress becomes a constant companion, from the moment you wake up to when you go to bed. Oddly enough, you may even start to feel a sense of pride in how stressed you are. But no corrective action happens because you're too busy venting and sharing your sob stories. It's still your ego getting in the way.
Stage three is where defeatism sets in. You throw your hands up and declare, "Life sucks," as if success or failure is entirely out of your control. You may feel like you're being punished and can't catch a break. At this point, most people give up and keep working, or rather, slaving away, thinking that it’ll never get better.
It's clear that sometimes, entrepreneurs forget their dreams and become trapped, resisting advice and thinking their businesses are too unique to systematize. But don't worry – if you can relate to these three stages, there are some exercises you can do to get back on track.
First, take a moment to visualize your dream and set achievable goals toward it. Remember why you started your business in the first place and let that passion fuel your motivation. Grab a pen and paper, spend 30 minutes breaking down your dream into smaller, achievable goals, and then start ticking them off! For instance, if you own a clothing store and dream of expanding to multiple locations, set a goal to open a second store within the next year. By researching potential locations, developing a business plan, and securing funding, you're well on your way to making that dream a reality!
Once you’ve done this, set aside time every week to review the progress you’re making toward your goals. Thirty minutes a week will work wonders in keeping you on track and adjusting your strategy as needed. Let's say you own a fitness studio and want to increase membership by 20 percent in the next six months. Regular check-ins will help you stay on track, and you can make adjustments to your marketing strategy or introduce new classes to attract more members.
Remember, it's normal for entrepreneurs to face tough times, but recognizing the stages and taking action can help you turn things around. By reconnecting with your dreams and setting achievable goals, you can help yourself avoid getting trapped in your business.
-
Revamp your clientele
You know that feeling when your business is going well but you can't shake the nagging thought that something's missing? Maybe it's time to take a closer look at the clients you're working with and how you're positioning yourself in the market. Doing so will help you level up your business game.
Here's the thing – it's not about having the most clients. It's about having the best clients, the ones who are the right fit for you and your business. Meet Abbie. Before she met Michalowicz at a conference, she’d just turned down a $15,000-a-month client because she was swamped with her $2,000-a-month clients. Michalowicz helped her realize she was holding on to clients that were preventing her from taking on more valuable opportunities.
So, take a moment to make a list of all your clients. Which ones are the best fit for your business? You don't have to get rid of everyone who isn't at the top of your list, but definitely consider letting go of those at the very bottom. It might sound harsh, but every time you clean house, you create room for new, better clients. After doing so, watch how your business transforms.
Next, find your unique selling point, something that makes you stand out from the competition. Imagine you're a freelance financial planner. Your clients love that you make house calls and know them intimately. You find out that they wish you had more advice on dealing with debt, and they want something different from the typical future-focused financial planning. So you decide to become a "financial resuscitator," showing up at their doorstep with a strategic plan to help them navigate their financial challenges.
To make this idea a reality, you start writing free articles and columns, set up a "financial resuscitation day," and even get a van with your new logo painted on it. People love your unique service and start referring to you as the "financial resuscitator" instead of just another "financial planning guy." Before you know it, you're expanding your business and even considering a franchise.
At the end of the day, remember that business isn’t a popularity contest. Focus on having the best clients and finding your unique selling point. When you do that, you'll see your business thrive and, who knows, you might even discover a whole new direction to take it in.
-
The power of the organizational chart
Have you ever thought about how your company's structure impacts its overall success? Or perhaps you’re struggling to figure out who's responsible for what, and how different roles and departments work together. Well, it could be that you need to revisit your organizational chart and, by doing so, transform your business.
First, let's quickly go over what an organizational chart is. In simple terms, it's a visual representation of your company's structure, showing the hierarchy of roles and responsibilities and how they all fit together.
So why is an organizational chart crucial for every business? It helps you understand how your company functions, who's responsible for what, and how different roles and departments communicate and collaborate. This clarity is vital for streamlining operations and fostering teamwork.
Luke runs a small business and was struggling to handle the workload. Michalowicz sat down with him and they compared Luke’s ideal organizational chart with his current one. It turned out that one of his project managers was unproductive and distracting, while his office manager was actually capable of taking on some project management tasks. By letting go of the dead-weight project manager, Luke's office manager could handle the workload and the business became more efficient.
So, what can you take away from Luke's story?
First off, start by creating your ideal organizational chart. Think about the roles and responsibilities that would best serve your top clients. Once you've visualized the perfect structure, start plugging your current staff into the roles they should be filling. You might find that some people are wearing too many hats and others might not fit into your ideal organizational chart at all. Be open to making changes for the betterment of your business.
Next up, don’t be afraid to review your expenses – and cut those that don't serve your top clients. For example, if you've just let go of some clients or eliminated certain services, get rid of the related expenses, such as pricey software or part-time staff. Focus on expenses that’ll help you serve your top clients better.
Imagine you’re a member of a rock band – and trying to grow your fanbase. By applying these principles, you could create exclusive content for your most dedicated fans, such as behind-the-scenes videos, live-tweeting from studio sessions, or embedding secret passwords in your songs for access to special material. By catering to your top fans, you'll create more buzz, attract new followers, and grow your business – or in this case, your band.
-
The three questions technique
Do you often find yourself wondering how you can equip your team to deal with all the curveballs that the business world throws at them? You might think it's impossible, but there’s actually a pretty effective framework that might change the way you think about decision-making in your company.
It’s called the Three Questions technique, and it can help your staff think like you and act appropriately in unexpected circumstances. It's like cloning yourself, but way less creepy.
The questions go like this: First, "Does this decision better serve our top clients?" Second, "Does this decision improve or maintain our Area of Innovation – or, in other words, the unique element that distinguishes us from our competitors?" And third, "Does this decision grow or maintain our profitability?" By asking these questions, your employees will be empowered to make decisions that align with your company's best interests. And if they can answer yes to all three questions, they know they're on the right track.
Imagine that you've finally made your lifelong dream come true and opened a restaurant. You're known for your culinary artistry and specialize in gourmet comfort food – the kind grandma used to whip up. But instead of being the talk of the town, you're struggling to compete with ten other restaurants in just a two-block radius. You're working crazy hours and barely scraping by. So what do you do?
You start by identifying your top customers. In this case, you decide to focus on professional clients, so you change your hours, get rid of the kids' menu, and ban strollers. You also cater to the specific needs of your top clients, like Bill and Steve, who wish your restaurant was a cell-phone-free zone. By applying the Three Questions, you make decisions that better serve these clients, improve your unique offering, and grow your profitability. And just like that, you've turned your struggling restaurant into a go-to spot for professionals – all thanks to the power of the Three Questions!
So how can you put this into action? First, make sure your employees know who your top clients are and why they matter. Teach them about your Area of Innovation and how it sets you apart from competitors. And finally, help them understand how your business makes money.
Second, stick to the Three Questions like glue. When employees come to you for guidance, walk them through the questions to ensure they're making the right call. It might not be perfect for every situation, but it's a solid foundation to build on.
And finally, consider posting the Three Questions somewhere visible so that employees see it regularly. That way, they won’t always have to come to you for guidance in the future.
All in all, the Three Questions are a game-changer for empowering you and your team to handle the unpredictable world of business. Start using them today, and watch your employees become decision-making superstars.
-
The Pumpkin Plan is a business strategy inspired by growing gigantic pumpkins. It's got seven stages, starting with planting promising seeds – identifying your strengths – and moving on to constantly promoting your business. As your business grows, get rid of the bad clients like rotten pumpkins and focus on the best ones. Keep distractions at bay and concentrate on top clients, giving them what they want and replicating success with similar clients.
You’ve also discovered that entrepreneurs go through struggles, like denial, acceptance, and giving up. But, by visualizing your dream, setting achievable goals, and checking progress regularly, you can avoid getting trapped. Focus on having the best clients instead of the most clients, and find your unique selling point to stand out from competitors.
Organizational charts are essential to streamline operations and foster teamwork. Create an ideal chart, plug in your current staff, and make changes to improve your business.
Additionally, consider the Three Questions technique to empower your staff in decision-making.
By following these strategies, you'll see your business thrive like a giant pumpkin.
Have you ever felt stuck in your business, unsure how to grow and reach new heights? Are you curious about what it takes to turn a struggling enterprise into a thriving, successful one? Imagine if there was a simple, step-by-step process to help guide you on your path to business success. Well, you're in luck! There is.
In this book, you’ll discover the power of the Pumpkin Plan, a transformative business strategy inspired by the process of growing giant pumpkins. Along the way, you'll learn how to apply these principles to your own business, making you better at identifying and nurturing your most valuable clients, cutting out distractions, and focusing on what truly matters. Ultimately, this will help you grow your business as impressively as a prize-winning pumpkin.
-
The seven stages of the pumpkin plan
It may seem odd that some entrepreneurs manage to turn struggling businesses into successful ventures, while others seem to be stuck in a rut. But actually, the secret to their success could be as simple as growing a pumpkin. That's right, a pumpkin.
Let’s start by meeting Mike Michalowicz, the author – a once struggling entrepreneur who turned his business around with the help of his mentor, Frank. Frank advised Michalowicz to change his business strategy if he wanted to avoid ending up as a bitter man with nothing to show for his years of hard work. In particular, Michalowicz struggled with the "if only" disease, thinking that if only he could work harder, he could make his business successful. But he found that this mindset only led to more stress and burnout.
Luck had it that one day, Michalowicz stumbled across a newspaper article that changed his life – and his business philosophy – forever. It was the story of a gigantic pumpkin and, in the article, the farmer explained how he managed to make it grow so very large. Michalowicz immediately realized that these steps could be applied to the world of business, too.
This was how he came up with the Pumpkin Plan and its seven stages.
First, you've got to plant promising seeds by identifying and leveraging your biggest strengths. Next, keep your business flourishing with constant promotion and finding new customers, just like how watering keeps the pumpkins alive.
As the pumpkins grow, remove the diseased or damaged ones. That's like cutting off rotten clients in business so you can focus on the best ones. Weed out distractions and keep your eyes on the prize, just like how a mad dog weeds the pumpkin patch.
When the pumpkins get bigger, identify the stronger, faster-growing ones, and remove the less-promising ones. In business, this means focusing all your attention on your top clients. Give them what they want and replicate that success with similar clients.
Lastly, watch your business grow like a giant pumpkin by following all those steps. That’s what Michalowicz did, and it wasn’t long before he sold his business for millions to a Fortune 500 firm.
But before you can begin growing your pumpkin, you might need to take stock of where your business is at right now. And if you’re struggling with growing your business, the next section is for you.
-
Revive your entrepreneurial spirit in tough times
Sometimes, entrepreneurs get seriously bogged down when their businesses start to struggle. Perhaps you too have been overwhelmed at some point during your entrepreneurial quest. It's a tough journey, and it’s easy to lose sight of the dream that got you started in the first place.
Have no fear! You’re not alone. Virtually all entrepreneurs go through these struggles at some point or other. These struggles often consist of three stages: denial, acceptance, and giving up. If you’re at stage one, you might be feeling the stress build up inside, but when someone asks how your business is doing, you say everything's great. Admitting you're struggling can be tough because you worry about how others perceive you or if it will affect future prospects and your team's faith in you.
As things get worse, you might finally admit to yourself that you're struggling. This is stage two. Stress becomes a constant companion, from the moment you wake up to when you go to bed. Oddly enough, you may even start to feel a sense of pride in how stressed you are. But no corrective action happens because you're too busy venting and sharing your sob stories. It's still your ego getting in the way.
Stage three is where defeatism sets in. You throw your hands up and declare, "Life sucks," as if success or failure is entirely out of your control. You may feel like you're being punished and can't catch a break. At this point, most people give up and keep working, or rather, slaving away, thinking that it’ll never get better.
It's clear that sometimes, entrepreneurs forget their dreams and become trapped, resisting advice and thinking their businesses are too unique to systematize. But don't worry – if you can relate to these three stages, there are some exercises you can do to get back on track.
First, take a moment to visualize your dream and set achievable goals toward it. Remember why you started your business in the first place and let that passion fuel your motivation. Grab a pen and paper, spend 30 minutes breaking down your dream into smaller, achievable goals, and then start ticking them off! For instance, if you own a clothing store and dream of expanding to multiple locations, set a goal to open a second store within the next year. By researching potential locations, developing a business plan, and securing funding, you're well on your way to making that dream a reality!
Once you’ve done this, set aside time every week to review the progress you’re making toward your goals. Thirty minutes a week will work wonders in keeping you on track and adjusting your strategy as needed. Let's say you own a fitness studio and want to increase membership by 20 percent in the next six months. Regular check-ins will help you stay on track, and you can make adjustments to your marketing strategy or introduce new classes to attract more members.
Remember, it's normal for entrepreneurs to face tough times, but recognizing the stages and taking action can help you turn things around. By reconnecting with your dreams and setting achievable goals, you can help yourself avoid getting trapped in your business.
-
Revamp your clientele
You know that feeling when your business is going well but you can't shake the nagging thought that something's missing? Maybe it's time to take a closer look at the clients you're working with and how you're positioning yourself in the market. Doing so will help you level up your business game.
Here's the thing – it's not about having the most clients. It's about having the best clients, the ones who are the right fit for you and your business. Meet Abbie. Before she met Michalowicz at a conference, she’d just turned down a $15,000-a-month client because she was swamped with her $2,000-a-month clients. Michalowicz helped her realize she was holding on to clients that were preventing her from taking on more valuable opportunities.
So, take a moment to make a list of all your clients. Which ones are the best fit for your business? You don't have to get rid of everyone who isn't at the top of your list, but definitely consider letting go of those at the very bottom. It might sound harsh, but every time you clean house, you create room for new, better clients. After doing so, watch how your business transforms.
Next, find your unique selling point, something that makes you stand out from the competition. Imagine you're a freelance financial planner. Your clients love that you make house calls and know them intimately. You find out that they wish you had more advice on dealing with debt, and they want something different from the typical future-focused financial planning. So you decide to become a "financial resuscitator," showing up at their doorstep with a strategic plan to help them navigate their financial challenges.
To make this idea a reality, you start writing free articles and columns, set up a "financial resuscitation day," and even get a van with your new logo painted on it. People love your unique service and start referring to you as the "financial resuscitator" instead of just another "financial planning guy." Before you know it, you're expanding your business and even considering a franchise.
At the end of the day, remember that business isn’t a popularity contest. Focus on having the best clients and finding your unique selling point. When you do that, you'll see your business thrive and, who knows, you might even discover a whole new direction to take it in.
-
The power of the organizational chart
Have you ever thought about how your company's structure impacts its overall success? Or perhaps you’re struggling to figure out who's responsible for what, and how different roles and departments work together. Well, it could be that you need to revisit your organizational chart and, by doing so, transform your business.
First, let's quickly go over what an organizational chart is. In simple terms, it's a visual representation of your company's structure, showing the hierarchy of roles and responsibilities and how they all fit together.
So why is an organizational chart crucial for every business? It helps you understand how your company functions, who's responsible for what, and how different roles and departments communicate and collaborate. This clarity is vital for streamlining operations and fostering teamwork.
Luke runs a small business and was struggling to handle the workload. Michalowicz sat down with him and they compared Luke’s ideal organizational chart with his current one. It turned out that one of his project managers was unproductive and distracting, while his office manager was actually capable of taking on some project management tasks. By letting go of the dead-weight project manager, Luke's office manager could handle the workload and the business became more efficient.
So, what can you take away from Luke's story?
First off, start by creating your ideal organizational chart. Think about the roles and responsibilities that would best serve your top clients. Once you've visualized the perfect structure, start plugging your current staff into the roles they should be filling. You might find that some people are wearing too many hats and others might not fit into your ideal organizational chart at all. Be open to making changes for the betterment of your business.
Next up, don’t be afraid to review your expenses – and cut those that don't serve your top clients. For example, if you've just let go of some clients or eliminated certain services, get rid of the related expenses, such as pricey software or part-time staff. Focus on expenses that’ll help you serve your top clients better.
Imagine you’re a member of a rock band – and trying to grow your fanbase. By applying these principles, you could create exclusive content for your most dedicated fans, such as behind-the-scenes videos, live-tweeting from studio sessions, or embedding secret passwords in your songs for access to special material. By catering to your top fans, you'll create more buzz, attract new followers, and grow your business – or in this case, your band.
-
The three questions technique
Do you often find yourself wondering how you can equip your team to deal with all the curveballs that the business world throws at them? You might think it's impossible, but there’s actually a pretty effective framework that might change the way you think about decision-making in your company.
It’s called the Three Questions technique, and it can help your staff think like you and act appropriately in unexpected circumstances. It's like cloning yourself, but way less creepy.
The questions go like this: First, "Does this decision better serve our top clients?" Second, "Does this decision improve or maintain our Area of Innovation – or, in other words, the unique element that distinguishes us from our competitors?" And third, "Does this decision grow or maintain our profitability?" By asking these questions, your employees will be empowered to make decisions that align with your company's best interests. And if they can answer yes to all three questions, they know they're on the right track.
Imagine that you've finally made your lifelong dream come true and opened a restaurant. You're known for your culinary artistry and specialize in gourmet comfort food – the kind grandma used to whip up. But instead of being the talk of the town, you're struggling to compete with ten other restaurants in just a two-block radius. You're working crazy hours and barely scraping by. So what do you do?
You start by identifying your top customers. In this case, you decide to focus on professional clients, so you change your hours, get rid of the kids' menu, and ban strollers. You also cater to the specific needs of your top clients, like Bill and Steve, who wish your restaurant was a cell-phone-free zone. By applying the Three Questions, you make decisions that better serve these clients, improve your unique offering, and grow your profitability. And just like that, you've turned your struggling restaurant into a go-to spot for professionals – all thanks to the power of the Three Questions!
So how can you put this into action? First, make sure your employees know who your top clients are and why they matter. Teach them about your Area of Innovation and how it sets you apart from competitors. And finally, help them understand how your business makes money.
Second, stick to the Three Questions like glue. When employees come to you for guidance, walk them through the questions to ensure they're making the right call. It might not be perfect for every situation, but it's a solid foundation to build on.
And finally, consider posting the Three Questions somewhere visible so that employees see it regularly. That way, they won’t always have to come to you for guidance in the future.
All in all, the Three Questions are a game-changer for empowering you and your team to handle the unpredictable world of business. Start using them today, and watch your employees become decision-making superstars.
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The Pumpkin Plan is a business strategy inspired by growing gigantic pumpkins. It's got seven stages, starting with planting promising seeds – identifying your strengths – and moving on to constantly promoting your business. As your business grows, get rid of the bad clients like rotten pumpkins and focus on the best ones. Keep distractions at bay and concentrate on top clients, giving them what they want and replicating success with similar clients.
You’ve also discovered that entrepreneurs go through struggles, like denial, acceptance, and giving up. But, by visualizing your dream, setting achievable goals, and checking progress regularly, you can avoid getting trapped. Focus on having the best clients instead of the most clients, and find your unique selling point to stand out from competitors.
Organizational charts are essential to streamline operations and foster teamwork. Create an ideal chart, plug in your current staff, and make changes to improve your business.
Additionally, consider the Three Questions technique to empower your staff in decision-making.
By following these strategies, you'll see your business thrive like a giant pumpkin.
April 16, 2020
The Pumpkin Plan is a brilliant book based on a powerful analogy that every business leader should read. True to form, Mike Michaolowicz offers pointed and practical advice that will help businesses grow larger and healthier at the same time. I highly endorse this book.
I firmly believe that the way to grow a business is to focus on Ideal Clients. In The Pumpkin Plan, Mike Michalowicz offers clear direction on how to find your best clients and weed out the other clients so you can focus your energy on exceeding their expectations and attracting more clients. In Revenue Growth Engine, I call this building the Ideal Client Experience.
The analogy behind the title, The Pumpkin Plan, is simple: if you want to grow prize-winning pumpkins you must get rid of the small pumpkins so all of the energy from the vine can go to growing the big pumpkins.
My first encounter with Mike's writing was in his book, Profit First. This was a lifesaver for my mindset as a business owner. The book was unconventional and practical. The Pumpkin plan offers that same level of unconventional thinking and practical application. At the end of every chapter, you’ll find applications to specific businesses. I guarantee you will get ideas from this book that will help you focus on your Ideal Client.
I highly recommend every business owner, sales leader, and marketing professional read the whole book. To whet your appetite, here are some of my favorite takeaways.
Find Your Sweet Spot
Every business has a sweet spot. Mike defines this spot in a Venn diagram where three things intersect:
Top Clients--the Ideal Clients you love to work with, spend lots of money, trust you, pay their bills on time, and give references generously.
Unique Offering--Your Area of Innovation (AOI) the place where your business uniquely shines.
Systemetization--the parts of your business that have defined processes.
Every company has a sweet spot. It’s the place where you can uniquely and predictably get results for ideal clients. In the book, Mike walks you through how to identify your sweet spot.
Three Types of Clients
This is where the book starts becoming uncomfortable for most business owners. Mike says that there are three types of clients ranked in order of importance:
Good Clients
Non-Existent Clients
Bad Clients
He argues that bad clients are worse than no clients at all. These clients suck away energy, resources, and passion in exchange for low amounts of revenue, lots of handholding, excessive complaining, and low loyalty. Mike says we should assess all of our clients and get rid of the bad ones. To help, he offers four strategies to gracefully fire bad clients.
Part of defining whether a client is good or bad is based on what Mike calls the “immutable laws.” These are company values on steroids. As an example,, he shares two of his top immutable laws: “give to give and don’t be a dick.” If a client violates these laws, no matter how big they are, they need to go.
Then, you can use the energy, time, and money this frees up to focus on serving your Good Clients. Mike says, “If you could bring one client to a desert island, who would it be?” He then helps you identify these clients.
Not all clients are created equally. It’s the Ideal Clients that deserve your focus. They are the path to growth, happiness, and sustained success. Focus on them.
The Customer Isn’t Always Right
What? That’s not what I’ve been told my entire business career. Mike reframes the statement: “The RIGHT customer is always right”. In other words, you need to pay very close attention to what your Ideal Clients are saying. I love this.
Play Favorites
What we were taught on the playground doesn’t transfer to business. To drive exponential revenue growth, we must play favorites. Who are our favorites? By now, I suspect you’re catching on to the answer: your Ideal Clients.
To be clear, Mike is not saying to ignore your average clients. But he does advocate for developing a different approach for top clients. “Push them to the front of the line. Drop everything for them. Interrupt meetings to deal with their crises. Dream up new and better ways to serve them. Give them first dibs on new products and services. Accommodate their special requests.” Above all, work on finding ways to help them grow their businesses.
With Ideal Clients, Mike says we should always “UPOD--Under Promise, Over Deliver.” We need to become obsessed with what these ideal clients want. This is the key to growing big pumpkins.
You may be thinking, “What about my average clients--won’t this type of focus ignore them?” Mike brilliantly asserts that the opposite is true. “The improvements you make for your best clients will inevitably help the other guys too.” After all, many of your average clients want to become like your best clients.
Wish Lists
How do you determine what your Ideal Clients really want? Ask! Mike calls this the wish list. He recommends that we go talk with our Ideal Clients and ask about their business:
"One of the single most effective strategies I use as part of my own Pumpkin Plan is something I call the ‘Wish List.’ I interview my top clients to find out what they wish they could change about my industry, what they wish I could do for them… what they wish someone could solve for them… Then I play fairy godfather and fulfill every possible wish.”
The key here is good questions about their business. When you talk about yourself, talk at the level of your industry, not your business. In these conversations, you will be handed the keys to explosive growth.
One Pound Heavier Wins the Prize
To win a pumpkin competition your pumpkin only needs to be one pound heavier than your closest competitor. Mike says that the key to explosive growth is “competing reasonably well in every area your competition competes in and then blowing them away in one category.” In the book, he helps you define that category.
I firmly believe that the way to grow a business is to focus on Ideal Clients. In The Pumpkin Plan, Mike Michalowicz offers clear direction on how to find your best clients and weed out the other clients so you can focus your energy on exceeding their expectations and attracting more clients. In Revenue Growth Engine, I call this building the Ideal Client Experience.
The analogy behind the title, The Pumpkin Plan, is simple: if you want to grow prize-winning pumpkins you must get rid of the small pumpkins so all of the energy from the vine can go to growing the big pumpkins.
My first encounter with Mike's writing was in his book, Profit First. This was a lifesaver for my mindset as a business owner. The book was unconventional and practical. The Pumpkin plan offers that same level of unconventional thinking and practical application. At the end of every chapter, you’ll find applications to specific businesses. I guarantee you will get ideas from this book that will help you focus on your Ideal Client.
I highly recommend every business owner, sales leader, and marketing professional read the whole book. To whet your appetite, here are some of my favorite takeaways.
Find Your Sweet Spot
Every business has a sweet spot. Mike defines this spot in a Venn diagram where three things intersect:
Top Clients--the Ideal Clients you love to work with, spend lots of money, trust you, pay their bills on time, and give references generously.
Unique Offering--Your Area of Innovation (AOI) the place where your business uniquely shines.
Systemetization--the parts of your business that have defined processes.
Every company has a sweet spot. It’s the place where you can uniquely and predictably get results for ideal clients. In the book, Mike walks you through how to identify your sweet spot.
Three Types of Clients
This is where the book starts becoming uncomfortable for most business owners. Mike says that there are three types of clients ranked in order of importance:
Good Clients
Non-Existent Clients
Bad Clients
He argues that bad clients are worse than no clients at all. These clients suck away energy, resources, and passion in exchange for low amounts of revenue, lots of handholding, excessive complaining, and low loyalty. Mike says we should assess all of our clients and get rid of the bad ones. To help, he offers four strategies to gracefully fire bad clients.
Part of defining whether a client is good or bad is based on what Mike calls the “immutable laws.” These are company values on steroids. As an example,, he shares two of his top immutable laws: “give to give and don’t be a dick.” If a client violates these laws, no matter how big they are, they need to go.
Then, you can use the energy, time, and money this frees up to focus on serving your Good Clients. Mike says, “If you could bring one client to a desert island, who would it be?” He then helps you identify these clients.
Not all clients are created equally. It’s the Ideal Clients that deserve your focus. They are the path to growth, happiness, and sustained success. Focus on them.
The Customer Isn’t Always Right
What? That’s not what I’ve been told my entire business career. Mike reframes the statement: “The RIGHT customer is always right”. In other words, you need to pay very close attention to what your Ideal Clients are saying. I love this.
Play Favorites
What we were taught on the playground doesn’t transfer to business. To drive exponential revenue growth, we must play favorites. Who are our favorites? By now, I suspect you’re catching on to the answer: your Ideal Clients.
To be clear, Mike is not saying to ignore your average clients. But he does advocate for developing a different approach for top clients. “Push them to the front of the line. Drop everything for them. Interrupt meetings to deal with their crises. Dream up new and better ways to serve them. Give them first dibs on new products and services. Accommodate their special requests.” Above all, work on finding ways to help them grow their businesses.
With Ideal Clients, Mike says we should always “UPOD--Under Promise, Over Deliver.” We need to become obsessed with what these ideal clients want. This is the key to growing big pumpkins.
You may be thinking, “What about my average clients--won’t this type of focus ignore them?” Mike brilliantly asserts that the opposite is true. “The improvements you make for your best clients will inevitably help the other guys too.” After all, many of your average clients want to become like your best clients.
Wish Lists
How do you determine what your Ideal Clients really want? Ask! Mike calls this the wish list. He recommends that we go talk with our Ideal Clients and ask about their business:
"One of the single most effective strategies I use as part of my own Pumpkin Plan is something I call the ‘Wish List.’ I interview my top clients to find out what they wish they could change about my industry, what they wish I could do for them… what they wish someone could solve for them… Then I play fairy godfather and fulfill every possible wish.”
The key here is good questions about their business. When you talk about yourself, talk at the level of your industry, not your business. In these conversations, you will be handed the keys to explosive growth.
One Pound Heavier Wins the Prize
To win a pumpkin competition your pumpkin only needs to be one pound heavier than your closest competitor. Mike says that the key to explosive growth is “competing reasonably well in every area your competition competes in and then blowing them away in one category.” In the book, he helps you define that category.
February 6, 2020
The first book by this author I read, PROFIT FIRST, was super simple to implement and required little to no interpersonal interaction. This one might as well be titled: How To Be A People Person (For Entrepreneurs). As a result, I expect it to be a lot trickier to implement, but on the up side, it also provides some actual strategies to cultivate relationships with clients/audiences. (Yeah, when I was a teenager I also had to learn some actual conversational strategies, otherwise I'd have no friends today).
The writing style is annoying. The information, one hopes, will be helpful. Let's see.
The writing style is annoying. The information, one hopes, will be helpful. Let's see.
January 11, 2024
As with all of Mike “Motorbike” books, this has some very practical advice and a center principle that is easily worth a reread and regular reference. I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by the author, and be ads in a bit of updated commentary not found in the text (a bonus).
The only reason I didn’t give this book 5-stars (because it really is incredibly helpful) is that about 40% of the book felt like a regurgitated overlap with his other book Clockwork. If you read both books (and they’re both great) just expect to cover a fair amount of overlap.
The only reason I didn’t give this book 5-stars (because it really is incredibly helpful) is that about 40% of the book felt like a regurgitated overlap with his other book Clockwork. If you read both books (and they’re both great) just expect to cover a fair amount of overlap.
April 19, 2024
هو أية علاقة اليقطين ب ريادة الأعمال ؟
انت المزارع وعملك اليقطين 😅
بذرة اليقطين اللي تقدر تطلع يقطين كبير زي اللي في الصورة دي أغلي من جرام الدهب و عشان تزرع يقطين كبير لازم تهتم بيه تركز مع واحدة بس و تتخلص من اليقطين الفاسد
الكتاب لذيذ كل اللي كنت أعرفه عن اليقطين هو يوم الهلع 😅
الكاتب شارح أزاي تكبر عملك و أفكار لكذا مشروع زي أصحاب الطاقة الشمسية ، شركات الأدوية ، التسويق الالكتروني , مجال السفر
أزاي تتخلص من العملاء السلبيين اللي شبههم باليقطين الفاسد
ازاي تبقا مميز في قطاع عملك وتبقا زي اليقطين الكبير اللي في الصورة دي
Recommended ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
انت المزارع وعملك اليقطين 😅
بذرة اليقطين اللي تقدر تطلع يقطين كبير زي اللي في الصورة دي أغلي من جرام الدهب و عشان تزرع يقطين كبير لازم تهتم بيه تركز مع واحدة بس و تتخلص من اليقطين الفاسد
الكتاب لذيذ كل اللي كنت أعرفه عن اليقطين هو يوم الهلع 😅
الكاتب شارح أزاي تكبر عملك و أفكار لكذا مشروع زي أصحاب الطاقة الشمسية ، شركات الأدوية ، التسويق الالكتروني , مجال السفر
أزاي تتخلص من العملاء السلبيين اللي شبههم باليقطين الفاسد
ازاي تبقا مميز في قطاع عملك وتبقا زي اليقطين الكبير اللي في الصورة دي
Recommended ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
September 6, 2025
So inspired to Pumpkin Plan my Biz!
A colleague that I admire recommended this book and I'm so glad she did! I learned that it's okay to prune the roses, not everyone is a top client, and for the sake of my business it's absolutely necessary. Highly recommend to entrepreneurs in any field. He makes it so relatable regardless of your industry. Seeing all the examples helped me envision the possibilities within my own field. And it's a spunky read that kept me turning the page.
A colleague that I admire recommended this book and I'm so glad she did! I learned that it's okay to prune the roses, not everyone is a top client, and for the sake of my business it's absolutely necessary. Highly recommend to entrepreneurs in any field. He makes it so relatable regardless of your industry. Seeing all the examples helped me envision the possibilities within my own field. And it's a spunky read that kept me turning the page.
May 12, 2024
Good book if you are trying to build a business. Lots of good concepts and practical applications. This is one of those books that you probably want to reread every couple of years to stay sharp. If you found this book helpful, probably helpful to read $100M Offer by Hormozi. It was helpful for me to hear a similar message to different ways to reinforce it.
June 7, 2018
Read this is one sitting tonight, loved so many points in this book. I read a library copy but I’m headed out to buy my own copy tomorrow. Worth the read if you’re an entrepreneur trying to learn growth strategies!
April 28, 2022
I really enjoy Mike’s books. They are usually an easy read, fun audiobook, and have helpful practical advice for smaller niche businesses.
This book reminded me of the strategies in Blue Ocean Shift that have helped me up level in business but with a different twist and style of learning.
This book reminded me of the strategies in Blue Ocean Shift that have helped me up level in business but with a different twist and style of learning.
August 12, 2018
very nice book for people that start up business, every chapter has its own lesson that need to be taken off!
February 4, 2020
Wow
Easy to follow, love the combo of stories and instructions. Also love the fact it’s strategic and tactical at the same time.
Easy to follow, love the combo of stories and instructions. Also love the fact it’s strategic and tactical at the same time.
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