Cover for SALES FIRST!: Growing Our Company the Old-Fashioned Way

The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for SALES FIRST!: Growing Our Company the Old-Fashioned Way: The ColorMatrix Story

Because SALES FIRST!: Growing Our Company the Old-Fashioned Way was Book of the Day, some of our most trusted members have carefully looked over the cover, the description, and other aspects of this book as a part of purchase-intent focus group. We then asked each participant in the focus group if they planned to buy and read the book, and why they planned to buy and read the book or not. Their answer to that question and reasons are displayed below. We call this awesome feature The First Ten Focus Group.

Keep in mind, the responses from the members are not reviews. This is purchase-intent focus group which means the participants are people who have NOT yet bought or read your book. A purchase-intent focus group is an important and extremely useful marketing tool for any product, not just books. For other products, you might walk on the street and show people an item in a package and poll them about whether they would buy if or $X or not. These kind of focus groups are one of the ways big marketing companies find the ideal price points for products and test the effectiveness of different packaging. The focus group can help you identify your market so you how to target ads of your book, and it can (but may not) provide you new useful info about your "packaging" (e.g. your book cover, your book synopsis on Amazon, etc.). The point of the focus group comments is to give you information from people who have not bought or read your book about why they plan to buy your book which will help you in marketing the book. These are not reviews or critiques of your book because they are not from people have read the book. This is a marketing tool, not reviews. The trick of book marketing and book advertising is that you have to convince people who have not read your book yet that your book is worth buying and reading. For marketing, it doesn't matter much if people love your book after reading it if you cannot convince potential buyers before they read it that they will love it.

IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable. This is because we only poll about 20 or so readers, and all readers have to say "no" to almost all books. Over a million books are published each year. Even a very active reader cannot come close to even reading 1% of books out there.

This is also why publishing books is such a tough industry.

Vickie Noel

I would have read this book outside the program based on its title; I'm quite keen on starting and growing a business and need all the help I can get. My opinion didn't change after sampling the first few pages. In fact, I immediately learnt something: what to do/suggest if someone is in need of my services but can't pay me much, "“The problem is,” one of them added, “we’re a very small business and can’t pay you much, if anything.” Being scrappy and opportunistic, we agreed to a classic start-up compensation structure that involved equity ownership. We would establish a new entity, Rosemar Industries of Ohio (“Rosemar of Ohio”). We would own a controlling stake in that entity, and the three Chicago businessmen would own a significant minority stake. John and I now had two businesses: Chemiplast, our repping business through which we sold the Synpro line, and Rosemar of Ohio, our new liquid colorants company, a business that would generate precious little near-term revenue." I'm so eager to discover more valuable tips from this excellent pair. The book is professionally edited. I saw only a misspelling of the word "hardworking" written as "hard-working" on page 12. I have no recommendations for improvement. I saw an OBC review that contributed to my interest in the book.

First Ten review added on January 29, 2022, at 4:56 am by Vickie Noel.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Asma Aisha Ansari

I liked the cover and the title of this book. The blurb and the Amazon reviews are encouraging. I was very impressed with the OBC review because it mentioned that according to this book new entrepreneurs can succeed in their ventures even if they offer an ordinary product or service instead of some revolutionary one. As for the sample, I liked Mike and John's straightforward approach in which they have told their story. Even though I know little about liquid colourants, I understood reading about the industrial process. This is only possible when the writers know what they are writing about. There's nothing that I disliked about the sample.

The book seems professionally edited, as I found only a few minor punctuation errors in the bit I read. For example, in the sentence, '... of an investor-run company rather than decision makers in ...', the compound word 'decision makers' should be hyphenated. I suggest that the book be edited once for these minor errors. And, I'm going to read the rest of the book because I liked the sample and because I'm interested in knowing Mike and John's complete success story.

First Ten review added on January 29, 2022, at 4:54 am by Asma Aisha Ansari.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Jeremie Mondejar

I will read this book even if without the First Ten Program for the sake of my business. I like the sales first idea, though I'm not familiar with the company, ColorMatrix. I'm happy for the two owners who run this business with only a little knowledge without giving up beyond difficulties. I want to read this book to fuel up my courage in running my business. The book has an insightful OBC review. The review rekindles my joy in trying to focus on my business. On the other side, I don't see typos, so I assume this book has been professionally edited. I don't see anything that needs improvement.

First Ten review added on January 29, 2022, at 4:51 am by Jeremie Mondejar.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

va2016

The title "Sales First!" conveys clearly that the book is about sales. The cover looks very professional. There are 11 Amazon customer ratings, which is good enough for me to decide to sample the book. The Amazon summary clearly states that the book describes the approach of selling products as a means of growing a company instead of getting venture capital. As I am very interested in this topic, I would have sampled the book even if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found the narration describing how the authors found their company in Cleveland and built it successfully in spite of not having any contacts or venture capital. As I am deeply interested in this topic, I am going to read this book in full. I found the sample professionally edited. I didn't find any grammatical or mechanical errors in the sample. What I liked most about the book is the theme of the book. I don't have any recommendations for the improvement of the book. Although I found one OBC review of the book, my decision to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.

First Ten review added on January 29, 2022, at 4:41 am by va2016.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

xsquare

The subject of the book didn’t really interest me, so I wouldn’t have sampled the book if it hadn’t been part of the First Ten program. The official OBC review did not convince me. I liked the candid writing style, and I found the explanation of different technical processes such as ‘injection molding’ to be interesting. I did not see any typos, and I don’t think that there was anything that the authors could’ve done better. Unfortunately, I did not find the first ten pages compelling enough to change my mind – the subject of entrepreneurship just isn’t one that interests me. I won’t be reading the rest of the book.

First Ten review added on January 29, 2022, at 4:34 am by xsquare.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Manang Muyang

Let me say that I have great respect for salespeople; I have no talent for selling. Thus, with just one look at the title and cover, I knew I wouldn't have sampled the book on my own. The bit I read did not change my mind. The first chapters included technical stuff about how to color plastic products. I am sorry to say the topic did not excite me at all, and I failed to note anything to like in what I read. I will not venture to suggest any improvement, though, because the book was meant to document the story of these two great salesmen. I must mention that I was impressed with the editing. I found no errors. The official OBC reviewer confirms the exceptional editing of the book. I do like that the cover is in keeping with the "old-fashioned" theme.

First Ten review added on January 29, 2022, at 4:30 am by Manang Muyang.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Justine Ocsebio

I never would’ve sampled this book had it not been for this program. I’m not interested in successful entrepreneurial stories, so I’m not inclined to read this book. In the sample, I like the idea of the two authors switching perspectives every chapter. They were degree-holders in chemistry who decided to do a business venture. They wanted to share the idea of aggressive selling and marketing to generate sales. I’m not interested in the premise, so I’m not going to read the book. The OBC review helped with my decision. There was nothing I disliked. I did not notice any errors, so I thought the book was thoroughly edited.

First Ten review added on January 29, 2022, at 4:03 am by Justine Ocsebio.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Mutai Marshal

I would have read this book outside the First Ten program based on the cover page and the title. It hinted at business growth, a theme I find enthralling. From the sample, I liked the author’s story. It informs the reader that it's possible to start from scratch and end up successful. Having read the OBC review, I will complete reading this book to nudge my entrepreneurial skills. I only recommend incorporating page numbers in the table of contents since some chapters can be independently read. It seems exceptionally edited as I didn't notice any grammatical errors.

First Ten review added on January 29, 2022, at 3:58 am by Mutai Marshal.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Sanju Lali

It was clear to me from the cover and title of this book that it is for enterprenors. I read the OBC official review to know about the takeaways from this book. I came to know from the OBC official review that this book follows two chemical sales people who created the colossal company. I was motivated by this idea to read the sample of this book before deciding to buy it. After reading the first ten pages, I found that this book was not professionally edited because I found some grammatical errors in the sample. For example, the sentence, "Still other processors purchased pre-mixed color (“pre-color”) resins, which had to be kept in inventory. Pallets of different-colored resins, instead of just one clear resin, usurped warehouse space." The sentence could have been as follows. "Still, other processors purchased pre-mixed color (“pre-color”) resins, which had to be kept in inventory. Pallets of different-colored resins, instead of just one clear resin, usurped warehouse space." The thing I liked the most is the decision of these two chemical professionals to start their own company inspite of having multiple obstacles to start a new company. Sadly, I could not find some key information in their story, which could have motivated me to read further. The required information was more details regarding plastic coloring technique. My suggestion to the author is to go for a round of professional editing and to consider my requirements as stated above. Considering all these factors, I decided not to purchase this book today. I will wait until the authors consider my suggestion to make this book useful to me.

First Ten review added on January 29, 2022, at 3:54 am by Sanju Lali.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Eunice Geres

I wouldn't have read the sample of this book if it wasn't on BOTD because I'm not a fan of the genre. I'm really not interested in non-fiction books like this. The official review mentioned things like how the authors created job openings for their community, and I appreciate that. But, I still don't want to read this book. I didn't notice any grammatical mistakes in the sample I've read. What I like most in what I've read is that it's easy to understand, unlike those non-fiction books that I have to search for a definition for every paragraph. The main topic introduced in the beginning is not that significant in my country, the Philippines. We don't have many companies that invest in products. So, we usually grow our business by sales. I wouldn't continue reading this book, and I don't have anything to recommend.

First Ten review added on January 29, 2022, at 3:53 am by Eunice Geres.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Dzejn_Crvena

Outside this program, I wouldn't have sampled this book based on the cover and genre. The book reminds me of all the business books I read in college, so I was expecting redundant topics from the contents. The OBC review didn't convince me to read it, but I changed my mind when I read the sample. The authors were chemists who didn't have a background in financial management, but they created a product they knew how to process. They found an efficient way to add color to plastics. I like the authors' passion for sharing what they know with people who want to learn the secret to their success. I believe their knowledge of chemistry helped them to be more familiarized with the quality of their products. I'm interested in reading more about how they helped the community with their business. The book seems professionally edited, so I don't have suggestions for improvements.

First Ten review added on January 29, 2022, at 3:46 am by Dzejn_Crvena.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Alice Heritage

Although I am interested in some aspects of sales, I probably wouldn't have sampled this book on the basis of the Amazon blurb because detailed business books don't represent my main interest. That's also why I won't read the rest of it (though I'm grateful for the free book). Plus, I feel uncomfortable reading so much about plastics and driving in these times of confronting environmental damage.

This book seems well edited, though I saw some minor issues that could be corrected. For example, in "Having Chemiplast as our ATM ...", I assume this means "automated teller machine". Although this common abbreviation doesn't necessarily need to be spelled out, "ATM" should preferably be in quotes since it's figurative.

The explanation of how the authors retained this "ATM" while growing a new business without investment capital was my favourite aspect. I was inspired by their desire to be independent rather than answering to a board: this is vital information for entrepreneurs without resources. This book could be improved through more emphasis on the transferability of the author's experience. While the descriptions of the coloured plastic boom were fascinating and mesh with my memories of the 1970s, an acknowledgement of how dated this is in view of today's environmental catastrophe would enhance this book.

The official OBC review seemed to miss this point as well as the authors' motivation to tackle competition from Asia. In general, it seemed to lack substance and so wasn't helpful; my decision was based on the Amazon blurb and sample.

First Ten review added on January 29, 2022, at 3:15 am by Alice Heritage.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Sou Hi

If it's not for this program, I wouldn't read this. The official review from OnlineBookClub and the cover look alright, but the book is not my cup of tea. The sample talks about how John and Mike found their company, ColorMatrix, without venture capitalists.

I like the authors' mindsets. I found no countable errors, so the editing is excellent. I have no suggestions for improvement. However, I don't really need this book, so I won't buy it.

First Ten review added on January 29, 2022, at 2:42 am by Sou Hi.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Mercy Bolo

This book's cover didn't entice me to read it. The OBC review dissuaded me when it mentioned that the authors dish out business advice from experience accumulated growing their company to $100 million in revenue. That topic doesn't appeal to me, so I won't read the rest of the book. When I read the first ten pages, I liked that the authors revealed that when they started ColorMatrix, they were chemistry graduates who knew nothing about finance or how to raise money. I spotted no errors in the text, so I will conclude that it underwent professional editing. There's nothing I disliked about the bit I read, so I wouldn't change anything about it.

First Ten review added on January 29, 2022, at 2:11 am by Mercy Bolo.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Shrabastee Chakraborty

Despite the official OBC review's highest rating, I did not intend to read this book because this was not my preferred genre. I could not find any error in the first ten pages. In the introduction, the author duo talked about their venture as entrepreneurs with no contacts or capital money. They explained the "sales first" approach and discussed the scope of the book. I found their story captivating, yet soon got bored reading the first chapter. I had no suggestions for improvement and believed that this book would help its intended audience. However, this was not my cup of tea, hence I would not read the entire book.

First Ten review added on January 29, 2022, at 1:25 am by Shrabastee Chakraborty.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

evraealtana

I don't have a business and am not interested in sales, so I would never have chosen this book for myself. I liked the relationship between Mike and John; they claimed to have become like brothers through their business dealings with one another, and in what I know about them so far, that seems to be true. It felt very wholesome to have these two men working so closely together and eventually developing a true bond. I didn't really like the ins and outs of their business decisions, like choosing to turn down venture capitalists to avoid building a board of directors for their fledgling company. They claimed that Chemiplast was the "cash cow" that funded Rosemar, but they haven't (at this point) discussed how Chemiplast became so successful in the first place; having a successful company to fund your start-up, to me, seems no different than having a wealthy parent or a gung-ho investor to fund it. Overall, the content doesn't appeal to me, so I won't read any more of the book. I didn't find any errors in the first ten pages, which agrees with the official OBC review's assessment that the book was well edited.

First Ten review added on January 28, 2022, at 11:07 pm by evraealtana.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Annelore Trujillo

I would not have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb, OBC review, cover and title. I don't usually read non-fiction books, and this one by two entrepreneurs didn't seem to be for me. After reading the first ten pages, I won't be finishing this book. I thought some of the language was too technical. They talked about the colorant, how they found it, and how it worked. The "how it worked" part contained a lot of vocabulary that was a little advanced for most general readers. I think this could use improvement. I also am not into their story. I have a really difficult time reading "rags to riches" stories like this. There wasn't anything specific that I liked so far. The book did seem to be professionally edited.

First Ten review added on January 28, 2022, at 10:23 pm by Annelore Trujillo.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

brooke oakes

This book's cover didn't entice me to read it, and the OBC review dissuaded me when it mentions that it’s about to people who work in sales for a chemical company. That storyline doesn't appeal to me, so I won't read the rest of the book. I liked that they were able to create jobs for a community in Cleveland through their work. I spotted no errors in the text, so I will conclude that it underwent professional editing. There's nothing I disliked about the bit I read, so I wouldn't change anything about it.

First Ten review added on January 28, 2022, at 10:02 pm by brooke oakes.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Jennifer Garcia 555

I would not pick this book to read based on the cover and title. It looks boring. I do not usually read non-fiction. I read and official Online Book Club review and the sample and I am even more certain that this book is not for me. I saw no editing errors, so this book seems professionally edited. I like how the author states that anyone can be successful. You don’t need a new invention, you just need to work hard and offer something people need. This book could be improved with a more eye-catching and attractive cover. This book seems easy to understand and could probably help business owners. I am not a business owner so I will pass on this book.

First Ten review added on January 28, 2022, at 7:34 pm by Jennifer Garcia 555.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Kira Bonita Reece

What I liked most about this book was how well the author explained how color is added to plastics. This book had an amazing online book club review and some good customer reviews. However, I would not choose to read this book based on the cover, blurb, and genre. The sample was professionally edited and I don't think the book needs any improvements. I won't be reading this one because I don't particularly like reading business books.

First Ten review added on January 28, 2022, at 4:37 pm by Kira Bonita Reece.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Jorge Leon Salazar

The cover and title go straight to the point with the content, but I consider it would look better with a bit of color. I think this title-cover combination should appeal to the target audience. Entrepreneurship books capture my attention, especially if they are based on success stories. The blurb comments the book tells about the experience of John Haugh and Michael Shaughnessy. They managed to build up a business to $100 million in revenue without venture capital. In the 1980s, they found a new way to add color to plastics. In addition, they handled their relationship without having a significant disagreement. The customer reviews are favorable. Based on these aspects, I could give this book a try. I like that from the Introduction the book already conveys some lessons. For example, you can succeed in entrepreneurship despite facing adverse situations, for instance, having limited capital, few contacts, and lack of training in entrepreneurship. It is striking to read the story told by both authors simultaneously. The meeting with the men from Chicago that gave rise to Rosemary of Ohio seems like a great fluke that set them on a good deal. Although there are many words regarding the plastic and colorant industry, I believe the ideas are transmitted in an understandable way. I find it appealing what the authors narrate about the revolution of liquid colorants. They took advantage of this situation by offering the product to companies that hadn't yet been using it. The official OnlineBookClub review indicates that John and Michael tell their story of how they started their business despite having many factors against them. Plus, the OBC review mentions that the book can be useful for anyone who is starting or running a business. The editing looks outstanding as I didn't see any details to comment on. Apart from the comment on the cover, I did not see anything else that I believe could be improved. The story of how John and Mike successfully went into business is interesting. However, at this moment I have no immediate plans to undertake a business, so I'd rather not read the rest of the book for now.

First Ten review added on January 28, 2022, at 4:23 pm by Jorge Leon Salazar.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Mariana Figueira

Before reading the book's first pages, I wasn't interested in it because nothing on the cover or the title got my attention. After sampling the book, I don't want to continue reading it because non-fiction isn't really my favorite genre. I like how the book was described as a "how to manual dressed as a timeless story," that sounded nice. This book seems professionally edited and has an official Online BookClub review. There was nothing I saw that needed improvement. Neither the blurb, customer reviews, nor editorial reviews affect my decision not to read the book.

First Ten review added on January 28, 2022, at 1:21 pm by Mariana Figueira.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Sarah_Khan

The cover and title of this book are average. I would not have sampled this without the First Ten program because I do not read non-fiction. The first few pages were well edited. I could relate to Mike and John thinking that getting a bank loan of 250k would be no problem. The OBC review was positive, but it did not change my mind. Overall, the subject of this book is not interesting to me, so I will not be reading the rest. I do not have any suggestions for the author.

First Ten review added on January 28, 2022, at 11:41 am by Sarah_Khan.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

gen_g

Just from the title alone, it is very clear that the book is a piece of non-fiction, more specifically a self-help business manual. I am not in the market for business-related books, so I would not have sampled it. I did come across a glowing OBC review of the book; however, as I am not part of the target audience nor in the market for such books, the presence of said OBC review does not influence my decision regarding sampling: I still would not have sampled it. However, I did spot a couple of grammar errors. At 5%, the word "we" in "...a preview: We knew something..." is wrongly capitalised – the colon is not a period, so words that follow a colon should not be capitalised as it is not the start of a new sentence. I suggest more rigorous editing to improve book quality. However, what I appreciate is the authors' wise decision to include a bit of background into colouring plastic – it is not a process that everyone is familiar with, so more information provided goes a long way. For example, we learn that liquid colourant is cheaper, safer, and more efficient to use, compared to the three powder and pellet types mentioned. The liquid colourant can be dispensed in process, and as liquid colourant had higher pigment ratios compared to its powder and pellet counterparts, manufacturers can save on storage space (in essence, lowering costs). Other than the need for more editing, I do not have further suggestions for improvement. However, I will not be reading the rest of the book as I am not in the market for books about business.

First Ten review added on January 28, 2022, at 10:35 am by gen_g.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Diana Lowery

I thought the subtitle shown on the blurb was too long, but it didn't look that bad on the cover because it was broken up. I was surprised that a book about a company named ColorMatrix had a mostly black and white cover. The photos of the two authors on the front were dated. The OBC review was positive, but neither the blurb nor the review convinced me to read this book. I liked how the chapters shifted between the two authors. I did not like the chemical diagrams at the beginning of each chapter because I did not know what they were. There was an error at 38% in this phrase, "likely to take share from..." I am not going to finish reading the book because I don't want to be a successful entrepreneur. I do not have any suggestions for the author.

First Ten review added on January 28, 2022, at 7:54 am by Diana Lowery.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Kirsi Cultrera

I don’t have much interest in the business world at the moment. The cover, blurb, and other available information make it very obvious that this is a business-related book. Therefore, I would not have sampled it without this program. However, this is a fascinating story of two friends who wanted to be their bosses and actually created a successful company from scratch. They had no money, but they were hard workers and knew their field well enough. In addition, I was fascinated to learn about the colors they used to color plastic. Due to environmental issues, plastic is not such a fashionable material. Regardless, this book sets an example for everyone who wants to start their own business. This book was well-structured and fast enough to read even for the busiest of us. I found absolutely nothing to dislike. I also found no errors and believe this book has been edited professionally. The Official OnlineBookClub review gave positive feedback on this work, but I still decided not to read it further. My only reason for this is that the content is not topical for me at the moment.

First Ten review added on January 28, 2022, at 3:44 am by Kirsi Cultrera.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Vidhi Adhikari

I will surely be finishing this book as it's packed with sound financial advice right from the beginning. While the cover of the book is too bland for my taste, the title and the brief description is what built my interest. I like the fact that the author is not actively advising the reader, but is letting the reader learn the lesson while simply narrating the challenges he faced on starting a new business.

The book has also received several positive comments which further adds to its appeal. I only came across a few errors in the first ten pages. (Example: 'Pallets {should be 'pellets'} of different-coloured resins, instead of just one clear resin'). That said, the book might do better if the cover design is improved.

First Ten review added on January 28, 2022, at 2:37 am by Vidhi Adhikari.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Hazel Arnaiz

The cover, title, and blurb tell the contents of the book. Customer reviews are positive. I seldom read business books. Hence, I will skip this outside the program. What I appreciate from the sample is that it reads more like a memoir than a manual. The business advice weaves into the story. However, business books are not my area of interest, so I will not continue reading. From the pages that I sample, the editing looks neat. For improvement, I suggest reconsidering the book cover for visual impact. Since it is about colorants, some splash of colors or graphics that represent the product might help add an accent. Although it says that they did it the old-fashioned way, I think a little color might make the cover livelier. The official OnlineBookClub review is insightful and helps reconsider keeping this book in mind.

First Ten review added on January 28, 2022, at 1:42 am by Hazel Arnaiz.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Stephanie Runyon

The simple cover with SALES FIRST! is effective at giving me an idea of what the book topic is. I am not much of an entrepreneur and would not have sampled the book. I liked how the authors approached their business by focusing on customers instead of capitalism. No errors appeared in what I read; therefore professional editing appears to have been utilized. I wouldn't change anything about the guide. The OBC review held no influence on my decision to pass on this book. I am just not interested in the topic at this time. I didn't read anything else online to change my mind.

First Ten review added on January 28, 2022, at 1:27 am by Stephanie Runyon.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Rodel Barnachea

Following my going over the book’s Amazon page and official OBC review, I opted not to purchase the title. I do not plan to be an entrepreneur and build my own business, so I believe reading this non-fiction book would serve no purpose to me. I am also not fascinated by the story of how the two authors managed to start a business that is now making over 100 million USD in revenue. Perusing its sample did not change my mind. I would not purchase it because nothing in the text had me wanting to go over the rest of the title. The first ten pages contain an introduction, Chapter 1: Rosemar of Ohio, Chapter 2: Liquid Color, and Chapter 3: Makeshift Lab. My favorite part is when the authors discussed in the first chapter how the new entity “Rosemar of Ohio” was formed. I did not identify any errors in the text; I believe the book is professionally edited. I have nothing to suggest to the author.

First Ten review added on January 28, 2022, at 1:25 am by Rodel Barnachea.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Ari Martinez

If it wasn't for the First Ten program, I wouldn't sample this book based on its title, cover, or Official OnlineBookClub review because I am not interested in starting a business, and I am not a big fan of self-help books. After reading the first ten pages, I will not continue reading because I am simply not in the target audience for this book. From what I read, my favorite part was the mention of the financial benefits of liquid colorant in Chapter 2. I did not think learning about this industry would interest me, but this chapter changed my mind. The book seems professionally edited, and I can't think of any way to improve it.

First Ten review added on January 28, 2022, at 12:18 am by Ari Martinez.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Harsh Soni 3

After looking at the cover and title, the book seems like a fantastic book about sales that I, generally, love reading. Then, I read the Official OBC review of the book (after that I don't need any other blurb or review) where I came to know that the book also discusses how we can develop a startup from scratch, then I decided to read the book. After reading the book, I found that the language is easy to understand in the book. That is my favourite thing about the book. Usually, I like to read books that can add some value in my life. So, I will buy and read this book because of the reasons mentioned above. I found no errors in the book. I have no suggestion for the book.

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 10:54 pm by Harsh Soni 3.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Gabrielle Sigaki

SALES FIRST!: Growing Our Company the Old-Fashioned Way by John Haugh and Michael Shaughnessy is a non-fiction book and it seems great to those readers who want to become successful entrepreneurs. If I didn't sample this book, I wouldn't read it based on its Official OnlineBookClub review and its customer reviews since I'm not interested in books about starting a new business. After sampling it, I didn't change my mind and I won't read the entire book because of the reason I stated before. However, the book seems professionally edited, there's nothing to be improved in it, and my favorite aspect was the authors' writing style since they use a simple vocabulary and short sentences too, which makes the book easier to understand.

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 8:38 pm by Gabrielle Sigaki.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Kelyn

If I had not been a member of this program, it is unlikely that I would have encountered this book. My favored genres are sci-fi and fantasy. This book is neither. Given this, even if I had run across it, nothing about the title, cover, or author would have caught my attention. The blurb gives a great synopsis of what the book is about but failed to stir my interest given the subject. There were several customer reviews, all of which were positive. I did not see an OBC review on the Amazon site. If I had, I would have been slightly interested in the reviewer's opinion of the book. The official OBC review on this site was complimentary. Unfortunately, again given the subject covered in the book, the review also failed to interest me in reading it. I admire the determination and hard work it took by Mr. Haugh and Mr. Shaughnessy to start their business on their own with no backers, especially since they were introducing the entirely new process of liquid colorants, and both of them were working another full-time job at that point. That was a truly risky (and courageous) move on their part. Although I'm sure the book will be helpful and educative to those looking into startup businesses, I have no such interest. This book is not one I would be interested in reading. I cannot say that I had a particularly favorite part of the sample, but neither can I pinpoint anything I would change. The book seemed well-edited. I found no 'countable' errors in the sample.

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 7:49 pm by Kelyn.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Kaitlyn Canedy

If SALES FIRST!: Growing Our Company the Old-Fashioned Way hadn't been the OnlineBookClub's book of the day, I would have read the sample of it anyway. The book title caught my attention because I have wanted to have my own business for some time. I read the description, and it encouraged me to read the sample; the customer reviews had no impact. I will say that I did not have much interest in the first couple of chapters because it talks about plastic and coloring; I know nothing about how it works. However, I like the entrepreneurial attitude of these men. Because of this, I will be reading the rest of the book. There were no grammatical errors in the sample, and I cannot think of any improvements that can be done to it. There is an official OnlineBookClub review for this title, but I did not need to read it to make a decision. Readers who have entrepreneurial spirits may want to check this book out.

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 7:31 pm by Kaitlyn Canedy.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

MsH2k

The cover was retro enough to capture my attention. After reading the blurb, and based on the title and genre, I would not have sampled this book if I were not part of this program. It sounded simple and straightforward, but I was not interested in finding out more. After reading the first ten pages, I still feel the same way. These men have good information to share, and I enjoyed their rapport and appreciated their stories, but I’m not interested enough to continue. I will not finish this book. It appeared professionally edited; I did not notice any grammatical errors in the first ten pages, and I have no suggestions for improvement. Neither the featured OnlineBookClub review nor any other editorial reviews and customer reviews influenced my decision.

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 6:39 pm by MsH2k.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

review-specialist

The book called SALES FIRST!: Growing Our Company the Old-Fashioned Way by John Haugh and Michael Shaughnessy caught my interest into reading the book by the title and the genre. I am quite intrigued by non-fictional books that I could learn a thing or two from. Upon further reading, the content page had some very catchy chapters such as "The FBI raid and working smarter". With these chapters, I could not wait to venture even further into the book as I was curious to what these chapters had in store for me.
Additionally, the introduction with its explanation of what the company dealt with and how it started had me glued to the pages, especially when the question of how a company that started on rocky grounds could possibly become successful. This, coupled with the absence of grammatical errors thus coaxed me to be interested in reading the entire book- of which I will definitely do so.

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 4:39 pm by review-specialist.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Sonya Nicolaidis

I was immediately interested when I read the title of this book. It is quite arresting, and as I am interested in good business advice, I though I might enjoy this one. There was an OBC review today, and it praised the book for its content and its correctness and gave it a four star rating. Upon reading the sample, I was not all that impressed. The book launched immediately into the business strategy of the two entrepreneurs without giving much background to the characters involved or the business itself. I felt this was a bit rushed. On the flip side, the technical content looked very sound, and it is clear that the authors of this book are experts in their field. I really like the fact that this book is aimed at highlighting the value of hard work and dogged determination over high skills and financial backing. I didn’t notice any grammatical errors, indicating a professional edit. To improve, I would like to see a clearer introduction and background to the book, setting the stage for the success story that it so clearly becomes. I won’t read much more of this one because I found the content was too technical for me and also too industry-specific with respect to coloration of plastics.

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 4:09 pm by Sonya Nicolaidis.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Soraya Bayah

The first bit was enjoyable. I found no errors which proves the book was well edited. I would pick this book from the genre, reviews, and title, as I am into becoming successful and perhaps have my own business. The book is nicely formatted and I quickly learned a new thing: people need 4 months to turn into customers. I will gladly grab a copy and see this remarkable book for myself.

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 3:15 pm by Soraya Bayah.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Mbrooks2518

I don't often read non-fiction, and I have no intention of starting my own business, so I would not have sampled this book without The First Ten. And I am not going to read the rest of it.

I did like that the authors make a point of saying in the introduction that they did not start out with money or connections, but they had knowledge of the industry and their customers' needs, and they were determined to succeed. This is something that many people with an interest in starting their own business can relate to. There were no editing mistakes, and no improvements are needed. The official review had no affect on my opinion of this book.

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 2:46 pm by Mbrooks2518.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Laura Ungureanu

I'm not interested in anything business-related, so the book's appearance, blurb, or OBC review didn't change my opinion. All the customer reviews seemed positive. However, because it's not something I would read, the program was the only thing that made me pick this book up. I liked the idea of presenting two perspectives. This is a unique and refreshing thing that I don't often see in non-fiction. It was hard for me to go through the ten pages because I wasn't interested in how the authors developed their company. It gives a lot of details, which could definitely be helpful to people who need this kind of information. I, however, don't need to know this, so I will simply stop reading this book. I can't give any suggestions, as it's not a subject that appeals to me. The editing seemed flawless, so I have no errors to report.

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 2:44 pm by Laura Ungureanu.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Scerakor

After reviewing the title, genre, cover, blurb, and review of this book, I would not have read this book. I'm not an entrepreneur not am I interested in the plastics industry. After reading the first ten pages I didn't change my mind and therefore will not be buying and reading the rest of this book. Although not about the content itself, I really enjoyed that the authors' added in the graphs of chemical structures at the beginning of each chapter. Not only does it catch the eye, but it reminds the reader that this is a highly technical field. That being said, I rarely tackle memoirs or stories like this that outline a person's (or persons') business successes, and this one just didn't intrigue me enough to pick it up. The book looked well written and edited; I didn't see any errors in the sample. The thing I would have improved from the sample I read is how it started. I think that the book would have benefited from an introduction that told the reader the current (present-day) state of the industry we're talking about, and then venture back to the beginning. As is, I was a bit lost as I know nothing about this company or process. There was an official OBC review, but it did not affect my decision at all.

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 2:40 pm by Scerakor.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Timothy Rucinski

This isn't a genre of interest to me, so I probably would have never come across this book other than in this space. I don't like the cover at all. If you are going to write about your business, ColorMatrix, it might make some sense to add some color to your cover. The images of these two guys don't appeal to me in the east. I didn't read any reviews or blurbs other than the Official OBC Review and, although well written, it did nothing to make me want to read this book. What I liked most was learning a little about the plastics business. I wouldn't have thought in a million years that there were options for both dry and liquid coloring options. There was nothing that I disliked other than the genre. I believe the book was professionally edited as I found no errors in the section that I read. But I won't be reading it. My recommendation for improvement is to create a much more appealing, colorful cover, for the reasons stated above.

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 2:22 pm by Timothy Rucinski.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Emy Katherine

To be honest, as I do not read non-fiction books, I would not have read the book without this program. In writing this book, the authors want to help you become a successful entrepreneur by sharing how they built the ColorMatrix company in the 1980s. Neither the OBC review nor the first ten pages convinced me to read the rest of the book, but I liked that the story was told from the perspective of both Michael and John by using a fast-paced, straightforward writing style. I did not find any typos or grammatical errors throughout the first ten pages, and I was also pleased that the chapters were short. From what I have read, those who are interested in reading business books will surely appreciate this one; it has great Amazon ratings. All in all, nothing needs to be improved.

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 2:17 pm by Emy Katherine.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

markodim721

I would choose to read a sample of this book because of the title and cover. I also read the blurb, short reviews, and customer reviews but they did not influence my decision. The title of the book is direct and contains a call to action. The cover of the book is in complete agreement with the title and is neutral in color, which I consider positive in books on this topic. I will read the book because I am interested in learning more about running a business in the traditional way. While reading the sample I did not notice any typos or errors and the book seems like it is professionally edited. Reading the sample did not change my mind from my original guess. I like it because it explains in a simple and easy-to-understand way the technology of adding liquid colorants to plastic and its advantages. I don't think anything needs to be improved in the book. The book has an Official OnlineBookClub review, I read it but it also did not influence my decision.

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 1:49 pm by markodim721.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda

I love the vintage look of the cover, and it's very appropriate to promote an "old-fashioned" way of making business. The blurb is explanatory and engaging enough, but I'm not into business or entrepreneurship so I wouldn't have bought the book based on my first impressions, despite the high ratings.
The opening quote is a brilliant pick for this book. I find there are things that are valuable for most entrepreneurs. For example, how John presents the basic idea behind most businesses of fulfilling a necessity, even if people don't acknowledge it "These companies needed liquid colorant; they just didn’t know it." I also agree that aspiring businessmen should realize that most of the time success is about hustling and not one single "big break": "We never had a breakthrough idea or a moment of clarity when we knew success would be ours." However, some things are either not applicable for most people or outdated. For example, Mike and John were able to surpass investors because they had a steady income flow: Chemiplast. But this is not the case for most startups. I didn't find editing mistakes. My only suggestions would be to acknowledge that this business model is not for everyone or provide a solution for the aspects in which the authors were privileged. Neither the first ten pages nor the official OBC review convinced me to buy the book, simply because I'm not into business so the book doesn't apply to my life.

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 1:43 pm by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

J_odoyo

SALES FIRST!: Growing Our Company the Old-Fashioned Way by John Haugh and Michael Shaughnessy is seemingly a well-written book that will be handy for aspiring entrepreneurs who have no wealthy families. John and Michael’s narrate how they built the Rosemar industries as partners, taking share of the dry (or powered) colorant with their liquid colorant. The cover page of this book is catchy, and I think the title is also okay. I liked the OnlineBookClub review; it gave insight into what the book was all about. I encountered zero objective errors, and I think the book was professionally edited. The book’s description on the Amazon website also served its purpose well. Reading the sample, however, didn’t change my decision to finally finish reading it; I’m much into entrepreneurial reads. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend anything else for the improvement of this book.

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 1:06 pm by J_odoyo.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Astral Magi

I was instantly attracted by the cover and title. I would have chosen the book based on these if I hadn't read the first ten pages. The first ten pages, as well as the official OBC review, confirmed my initial response. The customer reviews sealed the deal. I loved how these guys started a company from scratch using old-fashioned sales techniques. I look forward to reading the book. There were no errors. Nothing could be improved. This book was professionally edited.

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 12:41 pm by Astral Magi.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Theresa Moffitt

I would have picked this book up based on the cover alone. The cover art focuses on the authors of the book and the title tells me exactly what the book is about. I am always interested in learning more about succeeding in the business world. The authors created a successful business and want to tell their story. I think I could learn a lot from this book. The Online Book Club review also recommended this book and gave it a perfect rating of 4 out of 4 stars. This increased my interest in reading the book. I didn’t read any additional customer reviews. The first ten pages introduce the authors and their successful business. They are both chemists and saw a need in the market for colorants. They started the business called ColorMatrix. Even though their success was in this particular specialty, their advice on creating a successful business is valuable for creating a business in any industry. The focus on the customer is what they believe made them successful. I didn’t see any errors in the first ten pages, so I believe the book was professionally edited. I also didn’t see any area that the authors could improve upon. Based on the first ten pages and the OBC review, I would like to finish reading this book.

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 12:29 pm by Theresa Moffitt.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

AntonelaMaria

This book is not appealing because I have no interest in reading about business. The blurb and cover are not interesting to me. After reading the sample, I haven't changed my mind. I am not an expert, but old school and business don't go together. That is just my opinion. I am sure future entrepreneurs will benefit from reading this book. This book seems like it was professionally edited. I didn't notice any errors. I wouldn't change anything about the book. There is an Official Onlinebookclub review. Before reading the sample, I was doubtful about the cover. However, after reading the sample, I think it fits perfectly. I like that authors talk from their own experience, which is crucial in these types of books.

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 12:11 pm by AntonelaMaria.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

asteel18

Neither the cover nor the title grabbed my interest. There were only 11 reviews on Amazon but they were all positive and the OBC reviewer gave it the highest rating. I was expecting a dry and boring read but the material was actually quite interesting and well-written. In the sample I read I liked that the authors came up with a safer way for workers to do their job. It was also an easier and cost-effective way of coloring plastic, but I'd be more concerned about worker safety. It appeared to be well-edited and there was nothing I disliked about the pages I read. I'm not looking for a book like this right now, but maybe at a later date. I would recommend it to others though.

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 11:39 am by asteel18.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Brenda Creech

I would not have checked this book out based on the cover and title because I have no desire to become an entrepreneur at this point in my life. Since I would do this first ten reviews, I read the OBC review, but I did not read any other reviews or blurbs about this book. As I read the first ten pages, I was impressed with John's and Mike's stories. The majority of the books I've read about being successful in your own business have had one common theme—having someone take a chance on you. I see what happened to John and Mike with their connection to the three Chicago business people they met who owned a struggling company called Rosemar Industries. I am impressed with the authors' dedication to success and their hard work to get there. This book will be an asset to anyone wanting to start their own business. I am not in the market for a book like this so I won't be reading the rest, but I will recommend it to anyone I know who is in the market!

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 10:57 am by Brenda Creech.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Bertha Jackson

I would not have checked this book out based on the cover, genre, and title because I am not interested in the topic of starting my own business. The blurb, customer reviews, and the OnlineBookClub review did not influence my decision not to read this book. There were no editorial reviews to influence my decision. I like the authors' writing style because the first ten pages were easy to understand. I think this would be a good book for someone who wants to start their own business on a small budget because the authors focus on hard work and your relationship with your customers. I did not see any errors or anything I would recommend the authors change in the first ten pages. The book appears to have been edited by a professional editor. I have downloaded the free copy of the book but will not finish reading it because I am not interested in starting my own business.

First Ten review added on January 27, 2022, at 10:56 am by Bertha Jackson.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Total ~ 26%

SALES FIRST!: Growing Our Company the Old-Fashioned Way earned a score of 26%.

In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 26% plan to read the whole book.

IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable.

Over a million books are published each year. Any given person could not even read .0001% of the books out there. This means readers have to be very selective. Even taking the time to look over reviews and blurbs, let alone read samples, is more time than most readers can afford for most books. The First Ten is a powerful focus group that addresses those issues. It creates a helpful tool for authors, publishers, and other readers.

Go to main Bookshelves page for SALES FIRST!: Growing Our Company the Old-Fashioned Way