Some of the 1st things we look at in someone’s office is their collection of books.  Some of us look to gain some insight into the person’s interests and their style of business. Others look to see so they can learn about the books that made this person who they are.

With that said here is my list of books that I’ve kept on my shelf and why.  And please share some of your favorites on here as well.

My number one all time favorite is “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu. This book was required reading for my high school basketball team.  Our coach considered sports a form of war and regardless of our physical abilities we had to be mentally tough to win.  The Art of War has been adapted into several different versions over the years and there is even a business version of the book. I still have the original version on my shelf and I review the book at least once  a quarter.

My second all time favorite is “How To Master the Art of Selling” by Tom Hopkins.  This book started my successful career in selling insurance products.  I was on the train heading to my retail sales job and reading the book when a HR person from Equitable Life Insurance walked over to me gave me his card and ask that I meet with him.  I met with him was offered a position and I kept growing and mastering my sales techniques.  Of course I still review the book especially if I feel I’m hitting a sales slump.  Great salespeople are not born they master the art of selling.

Number three on my list is “How To Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie.  I also read this book in high school and it changed my life.  I learned that people will not care about you unless you honestly care about people.  I learned people who give, get and I can get everything I want out of life by helping others get their dreams fulfilled.   It’s a great book, a little cheesy but still a great one. This is a book that launched worldwide training courses.

My fourth best is “The Elements of Style” by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White.  This 85 page book has been with me since college English class and it proves invaluable with all of the articles, proposals, RFPs and sales & marketing materials I’ve written over the years. This book is to me the best resource for effective writing of any material.

Number five on my list is a combination of three books by Roger E. Axtell.  The first is “Gestures The Do’s and TABOOS of Body Language Around the World.” I found this book after I began my career at the Equitable and I blew a large sale because I did something with my body that the prospect interpreted as me calling him a liar.  The person was nice enough to explain that my body action offended him and he knew I was ignorant of that but I still didn’t get the sale.

For anyone planning to be successful selling their products/services and growing their business in a multicultural society you need to understand what your common body language actions mean to people of other cultures. I also have “The Do’s and TABOOS of International Trade” and “Do’s and TABOOS Around the World.” 

Even Through I list this book as number six without it I couldn’t have been successful without it. “The Presentation Kit - 10 Steps for Selling Your Ideas” by Claudyne Wilder.  Once I started my first company I knew that my success would rest on my ability to make great presentations.  This book was just what I needed.  It’s an easy read and the techniques work great.

Lucky seven on my list is “Expecting Referrals” by Scott Kramnick. Successful selling becomes a lot easier when you can get your clients to sell for you.  This book helps you do just that.  Follow the techniques in this book to build a powerful referral sales system that will keep you in front of prospects and selling more.

My number eight choice is not a book but a system of audio cassettes and cards that I purchased over 10 years ago. “The Secrets of Power Negotiating” by Roger Dawson assisted me in developing a win-win style of negotiating. I learn the different style of negotiating and how to approach each style. I recently heard a union president say ” You don’t get what you’re worth, you get what you negotiate.”  If you want to get all you deserve then master the art of negotiating you’ve been selling and negotiating since you were a small child you might as well master the art.

The number nine choice on my list is like a cult favorite with it’s own association. “Guerrilla Marketing” by Jay Conrad Levinson was an instant hit with me.  Many of the concepts are ingenious and practical for a small growing business with limited marekting funds.  Today Guerilla Marketing has an association that you can join for $49.00 a year.  You can learn more about the association by clicking HERE.

This is the only book that is related to my profession of video production. “Color For Impact” by Jan V. White explains the effects that color has on our mood.  Color creates feelings and mood swings and by using the proper colors you can create specific moods and feelings in your prospects, target market and audience.  This book will assist you with using the correct color combinations to create better presentation materials.

This is my top 10 list of books that  I’ve relied on for my success in business.  I would like to read about yours so drop me a line.