Synopses & Reviews
Businesses these days talk a lot about figuring out what the customer wants. Well, hereand#8217;s your first lesson: the customer doesnand#8217;t know what he wants. This book is going to show you how to convince him he wants the thing youand#8217;re selling. and#160;
Les Gold has been in business since age twelve, when he started selling used golf clubs from his dadand#8217;s basement. Now he owns Detroitand#8217;s biggest pawnshop, American Jewelry and Loan, and is the star of the hit reality TV show Hardcore Pawn.
and#160;
As a third-generation pawnbroker, Gold grew up in the business, dealing with cusand#173;tomers who could be unruly and violent as often as they were friendly. He became good at selling just about anything and at buying items for what they were worth. Although he started at his familyand#8217;s small pawnshop, he has now expanded into a fifty-thousand-square-foot former bowling alley, making a thousand deals a day.
and#160;
On any given day, he could be taking a vinand#173;tage car in to pawn or chasing down a thief whoand#8217;s just stolen a gold chain from the store. No business school in the world can teach you as much about buying, selling, negotiating, managing employees, dealing with customers, advertising, tracking trends, and predicting the economyand#8217;s ups and downs.
and#160;
In this entertaining, honest book, Gold takes you inside some of his weirdest, wackiand#173;est deals and steals. From the monkey his dad once took in to pawn to the deal Gold made for a stripper pole, he has no boundaries for what he considers to be part of his businessand#151;and neither should you.
and#160;
You will learn:
- How to tell an emotional story when youand#8217;re sellingand#151;and take emotion out of the transaction when youand#8217;re buying
- Why judging your customers before you know them can kill a potential deal
- How to deal with risk, both mental and physical
- How to communicate with employees (even if theyand#8217;re your own kids)
- Why investing in relationships with your community is time well spent
- Why your business should never be limited by what others tell you it should be
and#160;
No place in the world prepares you better for the working world than a pawnshop, and Les Gold takes you inside his shop to share what heand#8217;s learned from fifty-five years in the most interesting job in the world.
Review
and#8220;In
For What Itand#8217;s Worth, Les Gold shares business secrets from Americaand#8217;s front line of front linesand#8212; the pawnshop. Itand#8217;s a fascinating read for anyone trying to succeed in business and life.and#8221;
and#8212;JERRY SPRINGER former mayor of Cincinnati, seven-time Emmy Awardand#8211;winning newscaster, and host of The Jerry Springer Show
and#160;
and#8220;The best entrepreneurs are street fightersand#8212;and Les Gold is the ultimate. Heand#8217;s built an incredible business, fought through every possible battle, and reinvented his industry. In ForWhat Itand#8217;s Worth, Les shares his secrets to becoming wildly successful, all told in a captivating and inspirational manner.and#8221;
and#8212;JOSH LINKNER New York Times bestselling author of Disciplined Dreaming and CEO and managing partner, Detroit Venture Partners
and#160;
and#8220;Since his first appearance on Good Afternoon America in the summer of 2012, Les has quickly become one of my favorite guests, in the mornings and the afternoons. I often call him and#8216;our own Santa Claus,and#8217; for the joy he gives people by showing them the wealth they didnand#8217;t know they had. Lesand#8217;s years of experience have given him a business acumen that stretches far beyond the pawnshopand#8212;and this book is a must read for anyone who wants to create their own success in any business.and#8221;
and#8212;JOSH ELLIOTT news anchor, ABCand#8217;s Good Morning America
Review
and#8220;In
For What Itand#8217;s Worth, Les Gold shares business secrets from Americaand#8217;s front line of front linesand#8212; the pawnshop. Itand#8217;s a fascinating read for anyone trying to succeed in business and life.and#8221;
and#8212;JERRY SPRINGER former mayor of Cincinnati, seven-time Emmy Awardand#8211;winning newscaster, and host of The Jerry Springer Show
and#160;
and#8220;The best entrepreneurs are street fightersand#8212;and Les Gold is the ultimate. Heand#8217;s built an incredible business, fought through every possible battle, and reinvented his industry. In ForWhat Itand#8217;s Worth, Les shares his secrets to becoming wildly successful, all told in a captivating and inspirational manner.and#8221;
and#8212;JOSH LINKNER New York Times bestselling author of Disciplined Dreaming and CEO and managing partner, Detroit Venture Partners
and#160;
and#8220;Since his first appearance on Good Afternoon America in the summer of 2012, Les has quickly become one of my favorite guests, in the mornings and the afternoons. I often call him and#8216;our own Santa Claus,and#8217; for the joy he gives people by showing them the wealth they didnand#8217;t know they had. Lesand#8217;s years of experience have given him a business acumen that stretches far beyond the pawnshopand#8212;and this book is a must read for anyone who wants to create their own success in any business.and#8221;
and#8212;JOSH ELLIOTT news anchor, ABCand#8217;s Good Morning America
Synopsis
The average Mafia don knows more about effective leadership than a trunkful of Fortune 500 CEOs. For all the mob's well-deserved reputation for violence and immorality, its most successful members have always been remarkably astute businessmen. Former mobster Louis Ferrante reveals their surprisingly effective management techniques and explains how to apply them in any legitimate business.
As an associate of the Gambino Family, Ferrante pulled off some of the biggest heists in U.S. history before the age of twenty-one, netting millions of dollars. His natural talent for management led bosses like John Gotti to rely on him. Now he offers time-tested Mafia wisdom, such as:
* Three can keep a secret (if two are dead): Build trust with your colleagues.
* You don't always need a gun to hit a target: Lead people without force.
* It's never personal: When circumstances demand it, never hesitate to pull the trigger.
Ferrante brings his real-life experience to the book, offering fascinating insights into Mafia behavior and sharing behind-the-scenes episodes almost as outrageous as those occurring on Wall Street every day.
Synopsis
The star of the reality TV show Hardcore Pawn shares his street-smart, hard-bargaining business skills
Les Gold has been in business since age twelve, when he started selling used golf clubs from his dads basement. Now hes Detroits biggest pawnshop owner and the star of the hit reality TV show Hardcore Pawn.
As a third generation pawnbroker, he grew up dealing with customers who could be unruly and violent as often as they were friendly. He got good at selling just about anything, and at making sure he only bought items for what they were worth. His book reveals his rags to riches journey, as he grew his shop, and how we can all be more successful by thinking like a pawnbroker.
As Gold writes, Businesses these days talk a lot about figuring out what the customer wants. Well, heres your first lesson: The customer doesnt know what he wants. This book is going to show you how to convince him he wants the thing youre selling.”
About the Author
Les Gold owns the fifty-thousand-square-foot American Jewelry and Loan, which serves more than 250 customers every hour. He also stars in the truTV show
Hardcore Pawn, now in its seventh season, with more than 3 million weekly viewers. He lives in Detroit and works alongside his wife, son, and daughter.
Visit pawndetroit.com