The Mirror Test: Is Your Business Really Breathing?

by Jeffrey W. Hayzlett

Book Overview

Jeff Hayzlett is a big, boisterous guy who has the guts to get in your face and tell you exactly why your business isn't doing well. In short, he asks the questions that most business managers are afraid to ask. And as Jeff points out, if you aren't willing to look at what's working and what isn't - and then take the necessary steps to fix them -- well, you and your colleagues and employees are in for a tough ride. Known for his outspoken appearances...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446559822
• ISBN13: 9780446559829
• Release Date: May 2010
• Publisher: Business Plus
• Length: 244 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

The businessperson's checklist

What happens (not literally) when advicemeister Dale Carnegie and marketing guru Seth Godin meet coaching terror Bobby Knight? This book by Hayzlett & Eber. It covers the essentials of successful business relationships and mindsets in the digital age, and motivates the reader to do what's necessary to win. While the subtitle of the book implies that the mirror test is used to see if your business is alive enough to survive, the real mirror test is this: Can you take a good long look at YOURSELF and honestly say you're doing everything you can to succeed? This is not some thin, one-idea, cheese-oriented concept that can be conveyed in two sentences and then takes 150 pages to do it. It's a rapid ride of a book that covers a lot of ground in a short space. Hold on tight. There's no single magic box, no secret sauce, no silver bullet. But there is an abundance of the kind of need-to-know and already-know-but-need-to-do pearls that most of us in business can benefit from. It almost has a checklist quality to it; whether it's literally wearing one's loyalties on his sleeve (or shirt, or tuxedo), knowing why to fire people, or standing to the right in every group photo (what a simple and smart tip this is!), as a business person I often found myself thinking: I've got to remember this, and, I need to do more things like this.

It will leave you....well, breathless!

This book is a business classic. It is written in a refreshing style with, believe it or not, an in-your-face attitude, but an attitude that pairs well with the no nonsense, practical business advice offered. It is about scaling from small business to Fortune 500 and back again. It is about real ideas that have been tested, tried and applied. It is written in an engaging story telling format. I read the book on a flight from Dulles to Vancouver and by the time I was finished my mind was spinning off the pages with thoughts on how I could impact my business by applying some of Hayzlett's concepts. In short, "The Mirror Test: Is your Business Really Breathing?" left me breathless just thinking of all of the possibilities that this creative and authoritative writer has shared. Now I'm going back to read it again and create a list of to do's to get done.

AN OUTSTANDING BOOK FOR BUSINESSES THAT WANT TO SURVIVE

This is a terrific book for any businessperson...or anyone who works for a living. This review is short because I'm not here to promote it. I'm here because I've read the book from cover to cover, and it's a refreshing change from the "Look How Great I Am And Here's How I Became Great" fare that typically clutters a bookstore's business section. It's smart, easy to read, no-nonsense, and -- best of all -- not a rehash of other people's platitudes.`

Finally a business book that all entrepreneurs can benefit from

I read the book on my flight to Miami earlier this week, then yesterday on a flight I re-read the sections I highlighted. Congratulations, you wrote a business book that is fun to read, provides scalable real-world advice for any size entrepreneur and struck the perfect balance between layman and businessman voice. I literally wrote notes on pages that correspond to my start-up projects and will be putting the businesses and my co-founders through those tests and metrics. I read a ton of books on the road and most business books are the opposite, they either have very little advice that is scalable, state the obvious but take 200 pages to do it, are filled with MBA vocabulary or are just plain boring. I'll be buying lots of copies for birthday and holiday gifts in the future, and I'm going to give it to my Little Brother for his high school graduation gift. He's gone from a 1.8 GPA to a 3.65 and headed for college in the fall - a complete turnaround in the 4 years we've been matched in the program. He's got a craving to start a business and I know he'll love the book.

Secrets From A Top Notch Business Promoter and Marketer

Jeffrey Hayzlett is person overflowing with enthusiasm, energy, confidence and self-determination. This book reflects those characteristics. This is not a technical business book, but one filled with interesting stories from his personal experiences which bring to life many good ideas, both practical and theoretical, that will help anyone in business become more successful. Reading about how he dealt with a particular car salesman, reinforced what I already knew; Jeff is a man of integrity and his actions follow what he preaches. I met Jeff once and took his picture with a Canon camera. I quickly reminded him that the camera used Kodak technology. Being a true living icon of his employer, Eastman Kodak, my explanation didn't do much to sway him that I should be using any camera other than one made by Kodak. Jeff is a top notch promoter, one of the best around. And, his message is one that everyone will benefit from. The Mirror Test is a book worth reading, whether you use Kodak products or not.