The "10-80-10" List Building Secret

Just shared this framework with a client stuck in list-building hell...

The 10-80-10 Method:

1. First 10%: YOU create the criteria

• Define ideal client profile

• Set clear parameters

• Document your "must-haves"

2. Middle 80%: DELEGATE the heavy lifting

• Have assistant pull data

• Use tools like Apollo

• Build initial list

3. Final 10%: YOU refine and validate

• Quick scan for obvious misses

• Verify high-value targets

• Green light final list

This turns a 10-hour job into a 2-hour involvement.

Your time is better spent closing deals than building spreadsheets.

CQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do activity metrics fail even when the team hits their numbers?

Because activity without accountability turns into activities for activities' sake. One agency hit their activity numbers consistently and still got terrible results, because there were no real consequences tied to the quality behind those numbers.

What's the actual comparison being made about standards and consequences?

A speed limit with no police. Without enforcement, a standard is just a suggestion, something people can quietly ignore without ever facing an actual consequence for doing so.

How does a team's performance relate to enforcement?

The team rises or falls to the level of enforcement. Loose enforcement produces loose results, while consistently held standards tend to produce a team that actually meets them.

What happens the moment mediocrity gets accepted, even once?

It gets guaranteed going forward. Letting one instance slide sets the real standard, regardless of what's written down or said out loud.

What's the actual fix for standards that aren't producing results?

Creating a hard line that can't be crossed, with real consequences attached. Standards without teeth function as wishes, not as something the team is actually accountable to.