Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High
By: Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, Ron McMillian, Al Switzler
Book History
Vital Smarts (the group of authors and their parent organization) needed to re-vitalize. As a training and development company, the Vital Smarts authors wanted to ensure that their years of hard work and research that led to the creation of Crucial Conversations received the praise it deserved by making the best sellers lists. The research and material was solid. Client organizations were experiencing positive results. And, the book had the potential of riding straight to the top.
Execution
RSI helped move the book from it’s previous position as a business motivation book to a business management book. Kevin Small personally met with the Barnes and Noble buyer to move the book face-out on store shelves by taking more inventory—increasing awareness and position in the new category. RSI then engineered a strategy to re-organize how Vital Smarts purchased books for their training and development customers which, with precise timing, bolstered rankings, and ultimately- and pushed purchases through reporting retailers through targeted campaigns.
Results
Vital Smarts went from a training organization with a good book backing their premise and tactics to a book revenue generated that profited on both sides—publishing, marketing and selling to the masses, and reaping the benefits on the back side.