金石堂經營事業就像種南瓜，
與其種一整田賣不出去的小南瓜，
不如專注培植幾顆會得獎的大南瓜！
這本書是為了尋求事業突破成長的主管而寫的……
不管你是自行創業者，身負重任的專業經理人，或者管理一個小部門，
「南瓜計畫」都可作為你今年的年度計畫。
郊區的南瓜田裡，長滿各式南瓜，顧客卻偏愛其中一個瓜農，他的田裡有個南瓜長得異常巨大，面前一張告示牌：「這是得獎南瓜。非賣品。」即便再多錢也無法將這個非賣品買回家，顧客還是拼命圍繞在這裡拍照，甚至將照片透過電話傳給朋友，使得這個瓜農成為最賺錢的一個。
本書作者曾經創立電腦科技公司，營收很快地從零成長到一百萬美元。看起來收入不少，然而實情是，成本也很高，而且工作時間是「朝」五「晚」九，周末也要服務顧客，算下來他的總機小姐賺得錢還比他多，就這樣在損平間痛苦地掙扎求生。直到他認識了一個種南瓜的瓜農，效法他種出大南瓜的祕訣，才把事業搖身變成一間專業又市值數百萬美元的公司。他稱這個成功策略為「南瓜計畫」，並用它幫助了許多人突破困境，找到事業出路。而方法竟然非常簡單：
篩選正確的種子：不要把時間浪費在那些不知能否成功的構思上。
刪去弱勢者：瓜農定期摘掉長不好的弱枝，與長不好的小南瓜，以便將養分都保留給優異的。客戶或產品線(甚至是員工)也一樣，敢於勇敢砍掉90%不力的，健康的業務才會蒸蒸日上。
培育成功者：時間心力全都花在精選的客戶與產品(服務)上，必定做出比別人亮眼的成績！
在「南瓜計畫」的經營法則中，最關鍵的就是要敢狠心砍掉爛客戶。客戶（或者機會）很多看似理所當然，但這卻總是讓你超時工作、疲於奔命。客戶多不一定代表營收多；又或者，營收雖多，卻也不代表利潤高。問題出在，你手中有不少爛客戶，他們能帶來的營收不多，可是卻需要你花很多心力時間去照顧。作者認為，你必須「狠心」砍掉這些效益不高的客戶或者生意機會，把時間轉而「偏心」地花在照顧好客戶，讓他們給你更多生意，以及「複製」更多跟你的好客戶性質相同的優質客戶。經過這樣調整後，事業體質才會提升，利潤才會豐厚。
Each year Americans start one million new businesses, nearly 80 percent of which fail within the first five years. Under such pressure to stay alive — let alone grow — it’s easy for entrepreneurs to get caught up in a never-ending cycle of “sell it — do it, sell it — do it” that leaves them exhausted, frustrated, and unable to get ahead no matter how hard they try.
This is the exact situation Mike Michalowicz found himself in when he was trying to grow his first company. Although it was making steady money, there was never very much left over and he was chasing customers left and right, putting in twenty-eight-hour days, eight days a week. The punishing grind never let up. His company was alive but stunted, and he was barely breathing. That’s when he discovered an unlikely source of inspiration — pumpkin farmers.
After reading an article about a local farmer who had dedicated his life to growing giant pumpkins, Michalowicz realized the same process could apply to growing a business. He tested the Pumpkin Plan on his own company and transformed it into a remarkable, multimillion-dollar industry leader. First he did it for himself. Then for others. And now you. So what is the Pumpkin Plan?
Plant the right seeds: Don’t waste time doing a bunch of different things just to please your customers. Instead, identify the thing you do better than anyone else and focus all of your attention, money, and time on figuring out how to grow your company doing it.
Weed out the losers: In a pumpkin patch small, rotten pumpkins stunt the growth of the robust, healthy ones. The same is true of customers. Figure out which customers add the most value and provide the best opportunities for sustained growth. Then ditch the worst of the worst.
Nurture the winners: Once you figure out who your best customers are, blow their minds with care. Discover their unfulfilled needs, innovate to make their wishes come true, and overdeliver on every single promise.
Full of stories of other successful entrepreneurs, The Pumpkin Plan guides you through unconventional strategies to help you build a truly profitable blue-ribbon company that is the best in its field.
★本書中譯版《南瓜計畫：狠心摘弱枝，才能比人茁壯的經營法則》由三采出版。
作者簡介
麥克．米卡洛維茲（Mike Michalowicz）
美國知名創業家與作家。曾經成功創建兩家數百萬美元的公司，目前正在經營他的第三家公司Obsidian Launch，它是一家行為網路優化公司。他的首本著作《衛生紙創業家》（The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur），深受企業人士喜愛。他並定期為電子版的《華爾街日報》撰寫專欄。
Mike Michalowicz launched and sold two multimillion-dollar companies and currently operates his third, Obsidian Launch, a consulting firm that ignites explosive growth in companies that have plateaued. He is the author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur and is a small business columnist for The Wall Street Journal. Visit www.PumpkinPlan.com
