The Mirror Test: Is Your Business Really Breathing? Paperback – Bargain Price, May 16, 2011

Jeffrey Hayzlett has managed to distill down his many years of hard-earned wisdom into a highly-readable, no-holds-barred book that proves the need for both common sense and fearless innovation. As the creator and owner of numerous highly successful (and, as he often points out, some not-so-successful) businesses of all sizes, Jeff has pretty much seen and done it all. His recent triumph as Kodak's most high-profile CMO ever is only the latest evidence of his ability to cut through the typical corporate-speak and get to the true heart of any business matter (and if you need more proof, check out the hilarious Jeff-inspired Kodak corporate video "Winds of Change" on YouTube; this gutsy Dakota cowboy has obviously never met a "sacred cow" that he couldn't rope).The Mirror Test is chock full of the sort of insightful real-world marketing observations and down-to-earth useful business thinking that we can all use, and it's delivered in a humorous and self-deprecating style that I found highly appealing. I especially enjoyed reading about the valuable lessons he learned growing up on a military base in South Dakota as the son of a tough-as-nails Air Force Senior Master Sergeant, a man who was feared and respected by his over-eager and inexperienced "by-the-book" junior officers (who reminded me somewhat of a number of officious fresh-faced MBA's I've met in the corporate world, blindly pushing the latest and greatest theory for creating useless marketing "buzz"). In Jeff's practical world of bottom-line reality, "Buzz is not sales." (or as he also puts it so well on page 56: "And so with images of drowning pheasants in my head -- (note: hilarious inside joke... read the book!) -- I did what I always do when people talk to me about buzz: I told them to buzz their way right out the door.")In the end, I believe that Chapter 4 (The Liver and Onions Principle: Winning Before You Begin) was alone worth the price of the whole book, because it's an amazing example of the need to ask and answer the RIGHT QUESTIONS before jumping off on any new initiative or project. But what are the right questions?.. Well, your first one ought to be: "How soon can I get my hands on this guy's book?"!!

This is an awesome book as it really helps to decide what & where to set your Sales vision for your company irrespective of the fact if you are small or a big company.Truly inspirational and a useful guide towards achieving your goal.

I first Heard Jeffrey Hayzlett on a Jay Abraham Audio track and I knew right away I have to get his book. The book is fantastic. Straight answers from a successful entrepreneur.My favorite section was the section on the 118 (pages 16-17) Where the author tells the reader that we have 118 seconds to pitch our business / idea to a prospect. Very true. 118 seconds may even be too long sometimes with some prospects.Just a great read cover to cover. Enjoyed every section. Would recommend this book to anyone in business on their own or that are in sales.

I first became aware of Jeffery Hayzlett when I saw this video -[...].This was a kind of CMO I'd never encountered before - and frankly was just exactly what a company in as dire straits as Kodak needed. Because Hayzlett is nothing if not a salesman. And you know what makes a really great salesman? Content. Substance. Something important to say that matches one's skill in saying it. And that's what, in the end, makes this video so compelling.And while his book "The Mirror Test: Is Your Business Really Breathing?" has some valuable advice about being a salesman, one wishes it had a little bit more of the substance that makes a great salesman like Hayzlett great. Or at least, more than it does.Unlike me, you may know Hayzlett from his time on "The Celebrity Apprentice", and so may be less surprised than I was that he drew so sparingly from his time at Kodak, and instead focused more on lessons learned [to read the rest of this review, please visit [...]]

Not worth a read

If anything, Jeffrey Hayzlett is practical. His advice hits the mark for usefulness. Sure, some it has been said before, but we forget. We are reminded of the simple business axioms that distinguish our business and ourselves.In addition, Jeffrey helps business leaders get honest. The biggest challenge is business isn't the competition or products, its the lack of honesty within leaders. Jeff puts the mirror in your face so you can realistically see where you are and what you can do about creating success.I heartily recommend this book to anyone interested in business success.

Jeffrey Hayzlett tells it like it is and also has been there, done it and bought the t-shirt. What I really enjoyed about this book was that anything he recommends can be applied to your small business or as a leader in a large corporation.Originally from American cowboy country and successful entrepreneur with his own businesses, Jeffrey applies those lessons of hard work and street smarts to the rapidly changing face of marketing, advertising and branding today. He has not been caught up in the 'social media' is the answer to everything in terms of engaging and selling to customers - yes it is a very useful and exciting tool, but it's just another option - he is still a huge advocate of the benefits of targetted direct mail and print.In fact while many people might know him from the Celebrity Apprentice or a red carpet appearance or two, my interactions with him have been via social media, where is is reputed to be one of the top 10 C-level tweeters. He was responsive, engaging and enetertaining and he walked the talk, resulting in my decision to make a purchase from his company. An almost larger than life character, but authentic and honest, he is the real deal and a stronger personal brand for it.A good read, some great enetertaining stories and quotes, with real life examples and solutions, this book should certainly be on the shelf of any good marketing person and certainly one for the small business owner to heed.Just my toonies worth.