Sales First!: Growing Our Company the Old-Fashioned Way, the ColorMatrix Story

"Sales First!: Growing Our Company the Old-Fashioned Way, the ColorMatrix Story" by John Haugh and Michael Shaughnessy reveals the remarkable journey of two Midwestern chemical salesmen who built a $400 million business without venture capital.

In the 1980s, Haugh and Shaughnessy discovered a novel way to add color to plastics, an incremental innovation with enormous potential in the global plastics industry. Lacking the connections and experience to secure venture capital, they turned to a straightforward, old-fashioned strategy: focusing on sales.

Driving their beat-up cars around the Ohio River Valley, they committed to a single guiding principle for every decision about customers, capital, or human resources: “Will it generate sales quickly?” This relentless sales-first mindset allowed them to grow their company, ColorMatrix, to over $100 million in revenues. Their dedication paid off when they eventually recapitalized the company and sold it for over $400 million, creating hundreds of jobs in Rust Belt Cleveland along the way.

"Sales First!" not only chronicles the business strategies and entrepreneurial spirit that propelled ColorMatrix to success but also highlights the importance of maintaining strong personal relationships in business. John and Mike managed their partnership so well that they never had a significant disagreement, showcasing the power of mutual respect and shared vision.

This inspiring narrative offers valuable lessons for entrepreneurs and business leaders on achieving growth through sheer determination and a focus on immediate sales, making it a must-read for anyone looking to build a successful company without relying on external funding.

“Sales First!” is part of the Braun Collection, a suite of business education resources that includes bestsellers such as “Billion or Bust!” by former Rackspace CEO Lanham Napier.