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<p>Preface ix</p> <p>1 The Quest to Become the Best 1</p> <p>2 Negotiate Everything 19</p> <p>3 Communicate Your Way to Success 71</p> <p>4 Develop Your Likability 95</p> <p>5 Give Back 113</p> <p>6 Lead Like the Best 131</p> <p>7 Build a Personal Brand 155</p> <p>Notes 177</p> <p>Acknowledgments 181</p> <p>About the Author 183</p> <p>Index 185</p>

“Molly Fletcher is a fierce negotiator, sports business owner, and brilliant business mind. I highly recommend <i>The Business of Being the Best.</i>”<br /> <b>—Roger Staubach</b> <p>“Molly Fletcher is an MVP sports agent, and that's why I trusted her during my Major League Baseball career. Read this book and embrace the advice inside. It will teach you important skills and tactics you need to know to excel—not just at the negotiation tableor in your career, but in other aspects of your life.”<br /> <b>—John Smoltz, former pitcher, Atlanta Braves; winner, Cy Young Award</b></p> <p>“Molly Fletcher breaks down the keys to being the best to their core elements. She then takes it a step further by providing examples and practical tips that anyone can apply to succeed in business and life. There's something for everyone in this book.”<br /> <b>—Arthur M. Blank, owner, Atlanta Falcons; founder, Home Depot</b></p> <p>“Anyone trying to be the best needs all the help they can get. Molly Fletcher and her book can provide just that help. <i>The Business of Being the Best</i> is a must-read for high achievers.”<br /> <b>—Jim Kennedy, chairman, Cox Enterprises, Inc.</b></p> <p>“This is a must-read. It is compelling and destined to be a classic. Molly Fletcher has given you a gift with <i>The Business of Being the Best,</i> and best of all, she practices what she preaches.”<br /> <b>—Tom Izzo, head men's basketball coach, Michigan State University</b></p> <p>“Informative, tactical, and executable, <i>The Business of Being the Best</i> will inspire and enhance you. Buy it, read it, and implement it in your life.”<br /> <b>—Kathy Betty, former owner, Atlanta Dream (WNBA)</b></p> <p>“If there's anybody who knows what it means to be the best, it's Molly Fletcher. In <i>The Business of Being the Best</i> she shares wisdom that inspires, encourages, and empowers readers to be the best professional, best parent, and basically best person they can be. This book is a gift.”<br /> <b>—Ernie Johnson Jr., sportscaster, TNT/TBS</b></p> <p>“<i>The Business of Being the Best</i> unlocks valuable traits for the go-getters and change agents. The stories are compelling, the messages are clear, and passion for business and life comes through in every story. I hope millions read and get inspired!”<br /> <b>— Edie Fraser, senior consultant, Diversified Search</b></p> <p>“<i>The Business of Being The Best</i> is a diamond mine of insight. Filled with gems from the world's most successful leaders, this invaluable guide will make your business glitter and your career shine.”<br /> <b>— Joey Reiman, CEO, BrightHouse; author, <i>Thinking for a Living</i></b></p>

<p><b>Molly Fletcher</b> is a top-rated sports agent, entrepreneur, speaker, author, and business columnist. Her influence as an agent crosses multiple generations, sports categories, and athletes, including Major League Baseball stars, NBA coaches, PGA and LPGA golfers, NCAA basketball and football coaches, and media personalities. She has been featured in <i>Sports Illustrated, USA Today</i>, and the <i>Washington Post</i> and has appeared on ESPN, CNN, Fox, and NBC, among others. <p>For more information, please visit www.mollyfletcher.com or follow her on Twitter via @mollyfletcher.

<p>"Molly Fletcher is a fierce negotiator, sports business owner, and brilliant business mind. I highly recommend <i>The Business of Being the Best</i>."<br> — <b>ROGER STAUBACH</b> <p>FROM THE arenas of professional sports to the boardrooms of major businesses, top performers dominate every field. How do they do it? Is it luck, circumstance, or are there traits and behaviors that propel the highest achievers to the top 1 percent? <p>Few people are better positioned to answer this question than Molly Fletcher. Dubbed by CNN "the female Jerry Maguire," Fletcher rose to the top of a tough, male-dominated field to become a leading sports agent with unique access to hundreds of successful athletes, coaches, and broadcasters in baseball, golf, basketball, and football. Whether at the contract negotiation table with a team's top brass or behind the scenes with her players, Fletcher knows what makes high achievers tick. <p><i>The Business of Being the Best</i> draws on her conversations with legends like Arthur Blank, the founder of Home Depot and the owner of the Atlanta Falcons; John Smoltz, celebrated pitcher and winner of baseball's Cy Young Award; Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach; and basketball National Championship coach Tom Izzo. Their stories create an invaluable playbook, and Fletcher tells us exactly how anyone can put their strategies to work. Peak performers understand that everything is a negotiation and push the bottom line accordingly. Fletcher knows as well as anyone how to drive a hard bargain—she has managed sports contracts worth a cumulative $500 million—and the genuine trust and rapport of her method guarantees top-notch results in any kind of deal. Negotiation is just the beginning, and Fletcher demystifies a wide range of tactics of the top 1 percent, from effective personal branding to likeability, to giving back to your community. <p>No matter what you do, or why you do it, if you want to get better, <i>The Business of Being the Best</i> is the authoritative guide to help you win like a champion.

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