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Double Your Profits: In Six Months or Less (Packaging May Vary) Paperback – March 31, 1995

by Bob Fifer (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 563 ratings
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"An excellent primer for anyone struggling to keep profits ahead of costs. . . . Double Your Profits' 'take no prisoners' approach is refreshing." - William Byham, bestselling coauthor of Zapp!

One of the nation's foremost management consultants shares seventy-eight proven ways to cut costs dramatically, send sales through the roof, and double profits in just six months.

This timeless profit-boosting guide, considered a top management resource by business powerhouse Jack Welch, presents insights that are notable for their aggressive approach and contrarian perspective. Bob Fifer, former chairman and CEO of Kaiser Associates, shows us how to turn the tables on hardball-playing suppliers and competitors. He also challenges outmoded assumptions and explains why:

  • arbitrary budgets are sometimes the best budgets
  • bosses are frequently underpaid
  • customers can often be persuaded to pay more
  • suppliers can often be persuaded to charge less

Whether you're a mid-level manager, senior executive, or Fortune 500 CEO, you'll find this book is required reading for growing your company and improving your bottom line.

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    256 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Harper Business
  4. Publication date
    March 31, 1995
  5. Dimensions
    5.31 x 0.58 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780887307409
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0887307409
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Double Your Profits is terrific ... it's insightful, practical, and comprehensive." -- Larry Bossidy, Chairman and CEO, Allied Signal/Honeywell

A highly readable, eminently common sensical guidepost to success in business. Every chapter is a mini-refresher course on controlling costs, satisfying customers, motivating people, improving profits and building pride. It's a safe bet Double Your Profits will be a high-yield investment. --Norman R. Augustine, Chairman and CEO, Martin Marietta

I've given Double Your Profits to many colleagues and clients over the last few years. Best book my wife ever gave me. Best common sense business book I've ever read. It's a book that needs to be read periodically by any business owner and their associaties. --Ted Fagan, President, Eco Mist Solutions Inc.

I made Double Your Profits required reading for all the up and coming assistants I trained. We increased our sales and nearly tripled our profits in one year! This book is one of my top five "must-have" books on business/life. --Mark W. Shelby, CKMS

Mr. Fifer doesn't hold back anything. His sage advice rolls off of every page. If it's time for you to get a wake-up call about your business, this could be the bell. --The Net Review of Business Books

From the Inside Flap

This peerless profit-boosting guide presents seventy-eight key insights that are notable for their aggressive approach and contrarian perspective. Top consultant Bob Fifer shows how to turn the tables on hardball-playing suppliers and competitors. He also challenges outmoded assumptions and explains why arbitrary budgets are sometimes the best budgets; computers often hinder more than help; bosses are frequently underpaid; customers can often be persuaded to pay more; and suppliers can often be persuaded to charge less. By following Bob Fifer's advice, you'll be able to cut costs to the bone, send productivity through the roof, and double your profits in the space of only six months.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 088730740X
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Business; 40889th edition (March 31, 1995)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780887307409
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0887307409
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 0.58 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 563 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Robert M. Fifer

    Robert M. Fifer

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Bob Fifer is President of Fifer Associates, LLC. We provide advice and support to CEOs and Senior Executives of companies large and small, helping them to achieve their objectives and take their companies to the next level -- learn more at www.fiferassociates.com. Bob graduated from Harvard College in 1977 and from Harvard Business School in 1979. For the past twenty-seven years he has dedicated his career to the question of what it takes to run a company with excellence: as a consultant, author, and CEO of five different companies.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Bob Fifer

    Bob Fifer

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Before his retirement, Bob Fifer was a consultant, CEO mentor, speaker, and writer who helped CEOs and senior executives optimize their businesses and become stronger leaders.

    For almost 40 years, Bob worked with his clients to maximize growth and profitability, design and implement winning strategies, build leadership teams, and achieve operational and human resources excellence.

    Bob’s book, Double Your Profits in 6 Months or Less: 78 Ways to Cut Costs, Increase Sales, and Dramatically Improve the Bottom Line, became required reading for management at hundreds of companies large and small. The book is available in eight languages, and years after its publication leaders all over the world continue to buy it and distribute it to their management teams.

    His more recent book, The Enlightened CEO: How to Succeed at the Toughest Job in Business, co-authored with Gordon Quick, also received strong reviews and has helped CEOs and their companies achieve ever-greater levels of success.

    Bob graduated from Harvard College in 1977 with a degree magna cum laude in economics, and from Harvard Business School in 1979.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
563 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Tom D
5.0 out of 5 stars Some Good, Some Ugly Thoughts
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2014
Verified Purchase
This joins a long list of lightweight books that have more than enough truth and good thoughts to justify the read. I'll go all the way back to Robert Townsend's out-of-print "Up The Organization" Double Your Profits will probably challenge your underlying assumptions and make you think about day-to-day operations and practices that have stagnated into mediocrity.

An example: "Never call a meeting to discuss; call a meeting only to decide. Never, or rarely, accept "Let me think about it and call you back" as an answer. What more are they going to know later to make the decision that they don't already know now? Make the decision now, so that later they can make another decision or achieve something else and therefore be twice as productive."

Good thoughts and probably accurate if you fully address the context. Your choice whether this is a good "meeting" rule, but either way, worth the thought.

Some of it is out-of-date, like the notion "you can work productively in the back of an airplane and the odds are the seat next to you will be empty so you can spread out."

His short "Accounts Payable" chapter is disgusting, though often standard practice. Basically he recommends ignoring contracts and paying people only when you absolutely must to continue in business.

Short book, big print, a collection of ideas to think about.
4 people found this helpful
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Steven Ulmer
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read which will make you uncomfortable
Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2013
Verified Purchase
This book was written almost 20 years ago. A few parts of the author's advice may appear to be dated, but there is enough content to recommend the book. The author distills his advice into 78 steps taking up less than 250 pages. It is a quick read.

In today's highly competitive business environment, it is important to instill a culture of cost consciousness. In the author's opinion every cost is up for grabs and needs to be justified. There is waste in any organization such as too many layers of management, the amount of time spent in meetings, spending on offsite meetings, and unnecessary reports. However when it comes marketing, the author recommends outspending the competition in both good and bad times.

Some parts of the book will likely make readers uncomfortable including the lack of concern for many of the people who make up a company's workforce and certain suggestions for extracting concessions from suppliers. In the latter case some people will question the ethics of his approach. This book is certainly not "If Aristotle Ran General Motors." It is not about pleasing multiple stakeholder groups. It is a no nonsense book about improving the bottom line.

There is no doubt a company can improve the bottom line following the author's advice especially in the first few years. I would be interested in case studies of some of the author's client companies. What has been the longer term impact on their corporate culture, employee turnover and relations with suppliers? How have their top line and bottom line growth fared over time?

In reading this book I had to work to separate the message from the messenger. I was turned off a bit by the author's tone. It is interesting that the author left Kaiser Associates, Inc. in 2000 and set up his own firm which I believe is just a one person operation. I did some research and found an interesting quote from a May 28, 2007 interview with U.S. News and World Report.

"I ran one company [Kaiser, his consulting firm] for 18 years. The company did very, very well, but we hit a wall. If I knew then what I know now, I would still be there, and the company would be 20 times larger. I would come into the office and, by force of my person and bravado, try to move the company by myself. It worked until we had eight offices on five continents. If I had had more humility and been more principled in how I treated other people, I would have built an organization with depth. No CEO is good at everything, but when people perceive you are selfish and greedy, the holes remain exposed and don't get closed. When you have a strong character, people rally behind you in a way that plugs those holes."
21 people found this helpful
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Trey Parker
5.0 out of 5 stars common sense advice on how to generate profits
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2023
Verified Purchase
Decent, old school way of doing business and generating profits. Enjoyed it. However, keep in mind that it was written years ago. May be a tad bit outdated
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George Karavis
5.0 out of 5 stars Doable results
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2024
Verified Purchase
The book is a must-have for all managers, no matter the industry.
There are parts that when you implement them, results will show up both in short amd and long term goals .
I recommend this as a permanent book in your library, digital or physical.
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AloeVera
5.0 out of 5 stars Managers must read!
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2010
Verified Purchase
Got the indication from a Brazilian business magazine - Exame - issued January 2010. Marcel Telles, one of the greatest Brazilian entrepreneurs, recommended the book, as a must read, and as the book that influenced him the most. You might ask, who is this person...well, he is one of the guys behind AB-Inbev deal!

Although the book dates from 1993 (I don't like much old business books), most principles are very interesting and totally applicable for today's market. The focus on cost reduction is clear, and can generate blunt results. I can clearly understand how inspiring this book were for some successful Brazilian companies in the past decade, specially the ones from GP group. Some of the tips such as giving away your own office (as a CEO) to bring cost down is a true example on how you can demonstrate to your crew how committed you are in order to maximize the company's result. Nice reading.
3 people found this helpful
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Lisa Welch
3.0 out of 5 stars Okay
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2013
Verified Purchase
More in depth business book than the name would imply. More advice than doubling profits, lots of good business principles.
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Ingvi Þór Georgsson
4.0 out of 5 stars nice read
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2023
Verified Purchase
Easy and nice read. Could need some updating to account for chapters on saving money on computers etc. Other than that, mostly a timeless and essential read for entrepreneurs , business owners and managers.
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DDS905
5.0 out of 5 stars Loaded with important basics that every business manager should know!
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2018
Verified Purchase
Very quick read providing practical insights to driving and/or sustaining profitability. Bob describes the "old school" methodology to business management; which has been demonstrated to work time and time again. Even though some of the tactics are antiquated and may not be a good fit in today's millennial rich environment, I strongly recommend the read. A minor update will have this book on the Best Seller's list once again for many years to come!

When you finish this book consider "Welcome to the Big Leagues: Nine Innings of Essential Tips for the Corporate Rookie" by Carmine Del Sordi. Also loaded with tips and writing styles are very similar.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Guilherme Fajardo
5.0 out of 5 stars Simples e direto
Reviewed in Brazil on May 28, 2023
Verified Purchase
Ótimo livro para gestores que querem ir além dos clichés
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Cliente Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars buena relación calidad precio
Reviewed in Spain on March 12, 2019
Verified Purchase
Un buen producto tal y como aparece en la fotografía y lo han enviado muy rápido y en buenas condiciones. Todo perfecto.
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Hertz
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfekt
Reviewed in Germany on May 5, 2019
Verified Purchase
Hat alles super geklappt. Bücher sind in einem top Zustand. Lieferung war pünktlich. Jederzeit gerne wieder.
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Kunal B
5.0 out of 5 stars Practical advice
Reviewed in India on December 16, 2018
Verified Purchase
Practical actionable advice, clearly and precisely laid out. Observations made by Bob about wasteful expenses at large companies are absolutely true in my experience.
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Jacklyn
5.0 out of 5 stars Great advice you already Know!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 30, 2017
Verified Purchase
Easy and excellent read. You know most of it already but great to be reminded again!
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