If you read one book a week, starting at the age of 5, and live to be 80, you will have read a grand total of 3,900 books, a little over one-tenth of 1 percent of the books currently in print. ~Lewis Buzbee, The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop
Motivational speaker, entrepreneur and business coach Brian Tracy says: “Read an hour every day in your chosen field. This works out to about one book per week, 50 books per year, and will guarantee your success.” I don’t know about you, but with work, family, band practice, household chores and my many other obligations, I usually don’t get around to reading an hour per day or a book per week.
That said, I love reading and extracting motivation, inspiration and new ideas from books. My tastes tend toward “history geek”. My family teases me because when I go on vacation my ‘light’ poolside reading usually includes autobiographies of past presidents and accounts of the Civil War.
Lately, however, I’ve been focused on a few of the ‘hot’ current topics in my life: business networking, sales, and parenting. I thought I’d share some of the best reads that have recently graced my nightstand:
Socratic Selling, Kevin Daley with Emmett Wolfe: Although this outdated gem was written in the mid-90’s (not even a mention of the internet!), I think the concepts are timeless. The core sales strategy is to ask simple questions to uncover a prospect’s needs. It emphasizes listening over talking and question-based selling.
The Heart and Art of Netweaving, Bob Littell: A great concept and an excellent book, netweaving is an improved take on networking. When we netweave, we take the focus off “What’s in it for me?” and simply strive to bring people together who can benefit from each other’s expertise. By putting the needs of others first, we gain trust and build greater relationships which ultimately turns into more customers.
I can confirm that Bob Littell “walks the walk” when it comes to the concepts in his book. When I was having trouble with the ordering process on the website, I sent an e-mail requesting help. Within an hour (on a Saturday!), I received an e-mail from Bob offering to send me the book directly. Since then, we have corresponded several times and Bob has always been gracious and helpful. I recently received my copy of Raising your R&R Factor, Bob’s latest book, and I am looking forward to jumping into it.
Buying Customers, Brad Sugars: This book really appeals to my mathematical side. Using ingenious examples, Brad explains how to measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and calculate the return on investment. I came away with some creative selling ideas and the commitment to measuring their effectiveness.
Never Give In: The Extraordinary Character of Winston Churchill, Stephen Mansfield: I love to read about great leaders performing under pressure. It inspires me and also puts my own challenges in perspective!
1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12, Thomas Phelan Ph.D.: This one is for all of the parents of young children. 1-2-3 Magic is by far the most effective technique for discouraging combative behavior and encouraging good behavior I have ever read. I find it has helped not only my relationship with my kids, but also with my spouse!
James Bryce said: “The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it“, and I certainly got my money’s worth with these books! I’m always looking for the next good read, so tell me, what are you reading? Email your recommendations or share them with all of us on Facebook and Twitter.
This weekend, indulge yourself in the need to read,
~Bob
