John Locke Shares His Strategies for Selling a Million Books on Amazon

John LockeIn 2011 I wrote a few business book reviews based on a couple of Kindle purchases.  In addition to the business books, I picked up one of those  $.99 Kindle Singles written by John Locke about a savvy CIA assassin named Donovan Creed.  I got hooked on his engaging and entertaining stories and before I knew it, I had read through all nine of them and there were no more! (sniff).  When I check bed a few months later, at the end of the list of nine was How I Sold a Million Books on Amazon in Five Months.”  I picked it up without even thinking about it.

Now that it’s a nominated best business book for 2012, I asked John Locke to share some of his secrets for writing, promoting and selling ebooks.

Ivana Taylor:  What was the tipping point that took your novels to the 1 million mark?

John Locke:  This is a very difficult question to answer and had you asked it six months ago I would have given you a different response. Back then I would have said it was a combination of the blog posts I’d written, emails I’d answered, Twitter contacts I’d made, and the Amazon sales engine that links similar books and identifies the categories readers search, such as Movers and Shakers, Top 100, and so forth.

But today I have a different answer because, while my last two books were best sellers, neither did as well as my flagship books, Saving Rachel and Wish List. Those books drove my sales into the stratosphere. These days my blog is still effective, I have ten times as many subscribers as I did when Saving Rachel came out, four times as many contacts, and twice as many Twitter followers. And the Amazon sales engine is as effective as ever.

My recent book, Call Me! got no higher than #20 overall. I look around and see other authors setting all sorts of sales records with a first book, and realize there are many roads to the top. But the tipping point to that top level of sales seems to be the book itself. Saving Rachel and Wish List caught the public’s imagination, and the sales were breathtaking.

For an entire month I sold more than 12,000 units a day. At one point Saving Rachel and Wish List were #1 and #2 overall. On my best day I sold 30,000 ebooks. All the marketing methods helped, and the Amazon sales engine was a huge factor. But these days I’m convinced the major factor, or tipping point, is the book itself. Writing that type of book is like catching lightning in a bottle. And when you write one of those, you know it. But everything you write is not going to have that type of effect on the public.

Ivana Taylor:  You said, “Don’t let the things you don’t have prevent you from using what you do have.” Do you have an example of this principle in action around marketing your books?

John Locke:  Here’s one: I had no formal training as a writer. I never took a writing course, never attended a seminar or workshop. In other words, I had no experience. But I didn’t let that prevent me from using what I did have: imagination, drive, determination. As for marketing, I did have money to spend on ads and so forth, but the money I spent didn’t help. Cost-free marketing is the only type that generated sales for me. So if you don’t have money to invest, don’t let that stop you from using what you do have: enthusiasm, empathy, people skills.

What I’m saying, there’s always a way to compensate for what you don’t have. If I’m not as smart as you, I’ll have to work harder. If another woman is prettier than you, you might have to be more charming. There’s always a way to compensate.

Ivana Taylor:  What do you mean when you say you don’t set sales goals, you set project goals.  How does that work? What’s a project goal that a small business author might set and how would they track it?

John Locke:  I always tell people that goals should be low enough to hit and high enough to matter. A wonderful project goal for a starting author would be to get five, 5-star reviews for his or her book. That’s a significant goal when you’re starting out. Without a specific goal like this, you won’t do the necessary things it takes to achieve it. In other words, if you set a goal to get five 5-star reviews, you’ll be able to create a plan for hitting it. You’ll ask friends to review your book. You’ll read reviews others have gotten and it will dawn on you to contact the reviewers and see if they’ll review your book.

These are simple things, but without the goal, you’ll never draw up the plan. Without the plan, you’ll never take the action.

Ivana Taylor:  You say that you should have a quotable quote for each encounter and interview.  Why? How does this help your marketing?

John Locke:  Quotes are sound bites. People remember sound bites. If you listen to the evening news, it’s all sound bites. When someone tells you about a movie or TV show or comedy act they enjoyed, they’ll quote dialog or jokes, which are nothing more than sound bites. Monday I did an interview and got this quote in: “Wish List is half rocket ship, half roller coaster.” I spoke to the interviewer a full hour, but that’s the comment she remembered. Yesterday I got this quote in:

“It’s amazing how everything comes together when you put the reader first.”

I could have pontificated on the subject for an hour, but people appreciate the economy of words a sound bite offers. I believe authors should set a plan for each interview. In the past three days I’ve done five interviews, and had a specific plan for each. I went to each site and became familiar with the type of interviews they’ve done in the past. I tried to figure out the best way to approach the upcoming interview. I’ve heard authors say they’ve done so many interviews they could do one in their sleep.

Don’t worry, they say, they’re good on their feet, they’ll just wing it. “Just winging it” is another way of saying you didn’t bother to prepare (that’s my sound bite for you!)

Ivana Taylor:  This quote was a whack on the side of the head for me, “My work isn’t 10x worse and theirs isn’t 10x better for the price.” How did you set the pricing for your book? What advice would you give other business authors about pricing their book?

John Locke:  You should always have a reason for your actions. I set my prices low because I wanted to make buying my books an afterthought. Also, I was writing day and night at the time, so I figured to make volume sales. So those were my reasons for the 99-cent price point. But circumstances change.

On February 1st, Wish List will be available in mass-market paperback in every bookstore and retail outlet in America. I set the price extremely low for a paperback book: $4.99, because I’m trying to get noticed in a new market. But I don’t want to self-compete against my ebooks, so for the first time, I’m raising the prices of my Donovan Creed series.

Am I abandoning my core readers? No. All future Creed books will still debut at 99 cents for a period of time that allows my loyal readers to download them at my “friendship” price of 99 cents. After that, I’ll raise the price so as not to hurt sales of the paperback versions. My Emmett Love and Dani Ripper series will continue to be sold for 99 cents unless the circumstances for those books change. So my advice is to have a reason for your pricing. It can be based on experimenting with different price points, or some other factor that makes sense to you.

From Small Business Trends

John Locke Shares His Strategies for Selling a Million Books on Amazon

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Three Small Biz Books Worth Reading

If you’re looking for a business book to read on a holiday flight (or even one to read to get away from the chaos of family), here are some great ones to look at. Here we give you just a taste of three fantastic business books. It’s your job to read them!

Engagement from Scratch!

Engagement from ScratchEngagement from Scratch! is written by Danny Iny (@DannyIny) of Firepole Marketing. The book is one part marketing, one part blogging and one part social media, all of which adds up to community,  the theme of the book. Or rather, how to create and continue to engage your community through content. The book teaches readers how to build an audience that will rally around you and your cause, be that through your blog or a social channel.

The author, Iny, trains and coaches small business owners on marketing through his Firepole Marketing platform. He also blogs prolifically on sites like LifeHack, Problogger and Freelance Switch.

The book is a collection of essays from top marketing and small business experts (including Small Business Trends‘ CEO, Anita Campbell), who provide actionable tips you can actually use. In his review, blogger Steve Hill found it to be not just another internet marketing book:

“Engagement from Scratch provides ideas about getting started and generating results for readers who recognize the importance of building online communities. Also, most of the writers present their ideas in such a way that comes across as transparent and genuine rather than an attempt to get a few more Twitter followers or generate some leads (although I’m sure none of them would complain if that did happen).”

Managing with a Conscience: How to Improve Performance Through Integrity, Trust and Commitment

Managing With a ConscienceFrank Sonnenberg’s book, Managing with a Conscience, originally published in 1996, got an update with its second edition, released this November. The management book looks at  nine factors critical to success for managers, such as “building an organization with passion that focuses on major priorities, reinvents itself every day, devotes itself to service excellence, adapts well to change, responds with speed, maintains a flexible structure, taps unlimited resources through networking, and puts integrity back where it belongs, right beside the bottom line.”

Sonnenberg (@FSonnenberg) is the author of four books, and often appears on CNN as an expert in marketing. He acted as National Director of Marketing for Ernst & Young’s Management Consulting Group  for ten years.

Reviews of the second edition are as positive as they were for the original version. On Amazon, reader Barbara Kimmel, Executive Director, Trust Across America had this to say:

“Managing With A Conscience should be read by every CEO who wants to build a long-term sustainable business strategy, and placed on the “required reading” list in all MBA programs.”

Become a Franchise Owner

Become a Franchise OwnerFranchise expert Joel Libava just released his book, Become a Franchise Owner. This book is full of the resources you need if you are seriously considering buying a franchise, including a self-evaluation to see if you’re cut out to become a franchise owner. As Libava says, most people aren’t cut out for franchises, so this book is an affordable tool to help you figure out if you should move forward.

Libava (@FranchiseKing), also known as “the Franchise King,” says he was a lousy franchise owner. But through his experience both owning franchises and consulting with franchise owners, he’s learned a great deal about what to consider when looking at a franchise.

Business consultant Jim Kukral recommends the book to anyone considering a franchise as a business investment:

“Bottom line, if you EVER thought about purchasing your own franchise, you must read Joel’s book. Joel will give you tips on how to locate information about franchises, current industry trends, interviews with franchisors, and hot franchise opportunities.”

Have you read any of these books, or do you plan to? Let us know what you like about them!

From Small Business Trends

Three Small Biz Books Worth Reading

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Best StartUp Books

What is it that drives people to start their own business? An economy that isn’t hiring; the desire for flexibility in your schedule; or the drive to achieve a long-held dream of building a business that’s bigger than us personally — these and many more reasons drive us into startup mode.

Whatever your reason for starting a new business, you’ll need to do your homework — before you start and while you are growing your business. A good place to start is to read some books about what you need to know when starting a business.  The following books are a good start on your reading list, to guide you through the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial journey (in no particular order).



Become Your Own Boss“Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months: A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business that Works” by Melinda F. Emerson and Michael C. Critelli

A good start-up book needs to have more than just motivational advice about following your dreams. After you’ve made the big step to go out on your own, the myriad lists of things to do and pay attention to can get overwhelming. This is when you’ll want to read Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months . This start-up book is written using a month-to-month timeline that includes specific action items that you can use to get your successful business off the ground.  Don’t miss the companion workbook!

Read our review of “Become Your Own Boss”



Lean Startup“The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses“ by Eric Ries

Author Eric Ries shares applies the principles of lean manufacturing to software startups. This start-up book contains many stories and case studies from Ries’ experience during the dot com boom as well as with dozens of other companies. It’s an ideal choice for someone who is starting a software or technology-based business and doesn’t have a lot of experience in creating and measuring processes. This book is valuable for anyone looking to drive innovation inside of their new business.

Check out “The Lean Startup” at fine booksellers.



Escape from Cubicle Nation“Escape from Cubicle Nation” by Pamela Slim

The target market for this book is clear.  If you are currently employed in a corporation somewhere, silently wishing as you sat in endless meetings that you could be your own boss but are not sure how or where to get started, then get this book.  If you’ve recently left the corporate world to start a business you also will enjoy it because it will reinforce your commitment and re-energize you. This book explains things that those who are used to being employes need to know about starting a business — everything from how to get health insurance, to how to get clients.

Read our review of “Escape from Cubicle Nation.”



Flying Without A Net“Flying Without a Net: Turn Fear of Change into Fuel for Success” by Thomas J. DeLong

Business owners tend to be high-achieving professionals. And with that, comes a series of personality traits that can often sabotage the very success you are looking for. Flying Without a Net isn’t a book about how to start a business. It’s a book about how you “BE”. Thomas DeLong explains how to draw strength from vulnerability. First, understand the forces that escalate anxiety in high achievers and the unproductive behaviors you turn to for relief. Then adopt practices that give you the courage to “do the right things poorly” before “doing the right things well.”

Read our review of “Flying Without a Net”



“Startup from the Ground Up: Practical Insights for Transforming an Idea into a Business” by Cynthia Kocialski

If you have a great idea for a business, but aren’t sure where to begin, then listen to Cynthia Kocialski, author of this practical book for startups. This book is for the entrepreneur who is ready to build a business and not just a job. You’ll learn how to take your product or service concept and translate it into a successful business model. Kocialsko also spends time going over how to recruit and hire a great team as well as how to seek funding.

Read our review of “Startup from the Ground Up”



It's Your Biz“It’s Your Biz: The Complete Guide to Becoming Your Own Boss” by Susan Wilson Solovic, Ellen R. Kadin, Edie Weiner

Susan Solovic’s advice is targeted to people who have been thinking about starting a business, but haven’t yet taken the plunge. She gives honest, straight-up advice that includes not getting overly influenced by people trying to convince you to start a business or those trying to dissuade you. She brings up issues that are often ignored or difficult to deal with in the early stages of starting up and then shows you how to deal with them. One example is to build your business with the end in mind and building for being bigger rather than adding on.

Read our review of “It’s Your Biz”.



The Art of the Start“The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything” by Guy Kawasaki

This Guy Kawasaki startup classic will not only prepare you for business ownership, but will give you insider advice on everything from raising money to motivating your staff. Even though this startup book is written from the perspective of a venture capitalist evaluating new businesses, it’s an excellent read for any small business owner or manager. Readers will gain valuable insights into bringing entrepreneurial thinking into their organizations and entrepreneurs will get time-tested ideas for bootstrapping.  But it’s particularly valuable to those who are seeking investors and external financing.

Read our review of “The Art of the Start.”



Barefoot Executive“The Barefoot Executive: The Ultimate Guide for Being Your Own Boss and Achieving Financial Freedom” by Carrie Wilkerson

The author, Carrie Wilkerson, explains how life circumstances practically forced her into working from home. If you are a solo-preneur running a home-based or online business, you will find the business models with tables and charts easy-to-understand and implement. Chapters include such subjects as finding a target markets, developing marketing strategies, and brand development. Especially important are the common pitfalls listed to avoid in starting a business from home.  This book is ideal for those in “soft” services, such as online marketers, professional business service providers or consultants, who plan to work from home.

Read our review of “Barefoot Executive”.



Rework by 37signals Founders“Rework” by Jason Fried, David Heinemeier Hansson

There aren’t too many shortcuts for starting a business, but Fried and Hansson, from 37 Signals have created one. This book distills all the essentials of starting a business and condenses it into a short and comfortable format for any new business owner to read. Rework is the ideal read for small service businesses who are looking to focus more on doing business and less on the paralysis of planning. Rework takes basic business fundamentals like positioning your niche, choosing the right people, doing what works, being more efficient, etc. and spins them in an interesting way.

Read our review of “Rework”.



The Six-Figure Second Income“The Six-Figure Second Income: How To Start and Grow A Successful Online Business Without Quitting Your Day Job” by David Lindahl and Jonathan Rozek

Most of us don’t think of ourselves as being an expert, but if you did an inventory of your life and what you know, you just might be surprised. The Six Figure Second Income is a book about how to start an online information business. Don’t worry, this isn’t a get rich quick book. It’s a roadmap for how you can harvest the expertise you have in a niche area and sell it online. This book is full of simple, easily understood, and easy-to-follow advice on how to get started with little or no cost.

Check out “The Six Figure Income” at fine booksellers.



Million Dollar Consulting“Million Dollar Consulting” by Alan Weiss

This is what many people call the consultant’s bible. Alan Weiss has a global firm specializing in management and organizational development. Known as “The Rock Star of Consulting,” he has written 32 books that have been translated into 9 languages. Million Dollar Consulting is a handbook for any professional who is selling themselves into the C-Suite. Weiss covers the basics of setting up your office, networking, writing proposals, pricing and most importantly, becoming an indispensible resource to your clients.

Check out “Million Dollar Consulting.”



If you’ve been dreaming of starting your own business, this list will give you the ins and outs of the process from ground up to growth. Even seasoned entrepreneurs can pick up a few pointers as they get into the process of growing their business or starting out in another industry.

Looking for other business books to read?  Here at Small Business Trends you will find:

225+ business book reviews (a new one every weekend)

Best Motivational Books

Top Technology Books

Best Management Books

Top Marketing Books

Guide to Top Sales Books


From Small Business Trends

Best StartUp Books

View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends

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Best Motivational Books For Small Businesses

Most entrepreneurs want to stay positive and upbeat.  If we don’t we might succumb to defeat, and let down those who are counting on us:  our employees, our customers, and our business partners.

That’s where motivational books come in.  A good inspirational book can be reassuring.  It helps you see that other business owners have encountered the same issues and overcame them.  The right book can also motivate you to tackle the big issues you know you need to tackle, but so far haven’t had the energy or will to.

That’s why we’ve assembled the following list of 10 motivational books (plus one bonus) to inspire you, pump you up, and reinforce your confidence to take on the world! Here they are, in no particular order:



Love- is the Killer App

Love Is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends” by Tim Sanders, Gene Stone

This is the book that set the stage for business culture in the new world of the internet. Tim Sanders, former Chief Solutions officer at Yahoo!, sees love as the killer way to add value to our business and personal lives. He calls it BizLove or “business love” — “the act of intelligently and sensibly sharing your intangibles with your bizpartners.” This is an enthusiastic and practical book that will give you countless examples of exactly HOW to share your knowledge, networks and compassion. Even though this book was written before Twitter and Facebook hit the social media landscape, the principles are sound and easily applicable to today’s social media environment.

Read our review of “Love is the Killer App



Flying Without A Net

Flying Without a Net: Turn Fear of Change into Fuel for Success” by Thomas J. DeLong

In this educational book, DeLong explains how to draw strength from vulnerability. First, understand the forces that escalate anxiety in high achievers and the unproductive behaviors you turn to for relief. Then adopt practices that give you the courage to “do the right things poorly” before “doing the right things well.” The jargon-free book delivers a helpful read that will give you a sophisticated means to accomplish your tasks with grace and aplomb. After reading this book, you’ll be ready to reassess your ambitions, restore your sensibilities be inspired to do more than just checking tasks off a list.

Read our review of “Flying Without a Net



Onward

Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul” by Howard Schultz,  Joanne Gordon

In this inspiring and motivational book, Howard Schultz; the Starbucks CEO tells a personal and engaging story of Starbucks’ roller coaster rise, fall and slow resurgence. This book has plenty of valuable lessons about management and leadership, but you will learn more about the mindset and strategies of Schultz and what defines him as a person and as a leader. Because it’s written in the first person, this book reads more like a business biography, but you’ll find that the stories, and examples teach as well as inspire.

Read our review of “Onward



Innovation Secrets Steve Jobs

“The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs: Insanely Different Principles for Breakthrough Success” by Carmine Gallo

Several books have been written about Steve Jobs since the onset of his illness and recent passing. It’s almost as if authors were trying to grab every ounce of learning, inspiration and motivation from a man that many call a genius but who strived not to let success, fame or fortune alter who he was as a person and as a leader.  If you’re looking for a different approach to coming up with creative ideas, this book offers a gentler way of thinking about how to run your business.

Read our Review of “The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs



Guitar Lessons

Guitar Lessons: A Life’s Journey Turning Passion into Business”, by Bob Taylor

Guitar Lessons is the story of a company that enters a crowded business segment and changes everything. Bob Taylor, cofounder of Taylor Guitars, a world-famous acoustic and electric guitar manufacturer, mixes the details of his experience as a craftsman with philosophical life lessons that have practical application for building a business.  Taylor shows how a small business with an offline product can inject just enough technology to enhance strategy and tactics. Business owners who are ready to dream BIG will find this a compelling, entertaining and engaging story.

Read our Review of “Guitar Lessons



The Highest Calling

The Highest Calling” by Lawrence Janesky

This book is an instructional and motivational business novel. Troy Becker (a stand in for any small business owner), owns a home remodeling business that is barely squeaking by. Troy is the proverbial business owner so caught up with working in his business, that he can’t muster enough energy to work on his business.  He feels overwhelmed and stuck in a rut — that is, until gets a visit from Cy, an older businessman who helps him. Troy’s journey to transform his business and become more successful, will inspire you.

Read our review of “The Highest Calling



Living a Richer Life

Living A Richer Life: Getting the Most out of Life’s Gifts and Circumstances”, by Ervin (Earl) Cobb, Charlotte D. Grant-Cobb

Living a Richer Life is written by Earl and Charlotte Cobb. The Cobbs are entrepreneurs having launched CobbCare GNC and Better Life sunrooms. In this introspective book, they explain the Life Continuum Model, a process for discerning value from life events and managing the associated decisions effectively. You will be guided through a personal, insightful and, at times, touching journey of a remarkable and fascinating couple in their search for how we all can improve our ability to respond to life’s unexpected and sometimes painful circumstances.

Read our review of “Living a Richer Life



One Simple Idea

One Simple Idea: Turn Your Dreams into a Licensing Goldmine While Letting Others Do the Work” by Stephen Key

One Simple Idea is a practical, real-world guide that will help you take your ideas and get them to market with minimum investment of time and money. Stephen Key walks you through the steps of taking your idea from birth all the way through getting some company to send you royalty checks every quarter.  You come up with the idea, then follow the steps laid out to getting paid for that idea. You do not need to have really brilliant ideas either. A simple product improvement can be licensed. A manufacturing change can be licensed.

Check out “One Simple Idea” on Amazon



Uncertainty

Uncertainty: Turning Fear and Doubt into Fuel for Brilliance” by Jonathan Fields

If there is anything that recent events have taught us, it’s that the only thing we can count on is uncertainty. In his latest book, Uncertainty, Jonathan fields encourages readers to embrace fear and doubt and use them as a fuel for creativity.  This is a book about learning to manage yourself and your thought processes. You will learn the daily practices such as “attentional training”. These are techniques that include physical activity such as mountain biking, transcendental meditation, mindfulness or hypnosis and can help you make that leap into greater creativity, with more confidence.

Read our review of “Uncertainty



The Accidental Creative

The Accidental Creative: How to Be Brilliant at a Moment’s Notice” by Todd Henry

Author, Todd Henry has transformed his popular podcast into this motivational book. It’s ideal for anyone who has to be creative on demand such as writers, marketers and even business owners. This book will help you uncover what’s at the core of your blocked and frustrating creative moments. And then helps you create workable resolutions.

The book is full of helpful tips such as grouping like tasks so that you can maintain creative rhythm or paying attention to when your creative energy is highest during the day and take advantage of it.

Check out “The Accidental Creative” on Amazon



Bonus Selection!

Business Devotional“The Business Devotional” by Lillian Hayes Martin

This business book is a bit different.  As the title implies, it’s set up like a daily devotional, or prayer book.  But you don’t use it to pray.  Instead, use it as a daily dose of business guidance and motivation.  It is a collection of 365 readings intended to be read one each day, every day of the year.  Each daily reading is no more than one-page long.  Each includes a short quote by a famous person, and then uses some point about that person’s life to teach a business lesson, most of which are inspiring.  Included are people such as Zig Ziglar, Martha Stewart, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey,Warren Buffett and more.

Read our review of “The Business Devotional



Looking for other business books to read?  Here at Small Business Trends you will find:

225+ business book reviews (a new one every weekend)

Best Management Books

Top Marketing Books

Best Social Media Books

Guide to Top Sales Books

Top Technology Books

From Small Business Trends

Best Motivational Books For Small Businesses

View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends

Top 10 Technology Books

Can you believe that the first Web page is now more than twenty years old? That means that websites, blogging and social media have gone way beyond the point of being trends – they are as valuable to the future of your business as a phone.

And software has been around since the 1940s, although it didn’t become ubiquitous in small businesses until the 1980s with the explosion of the personal computer.  Even so, that’s 3 decades since software and computers started to become commonplace in small businesses.

But the past 5 to 10 years have seen the speed of technology change turn mind-blurring.  It’s like the whole world is on Fast-Forward speed. To help you navigate these changes and their effect on your small business, we’ve pulled together this Guide to best technology books. These aren’t necessarily best-sellers or most popular.  Rather, they are books on technology that can BEST help your business succeed in an increasingly technology-dependent economy.

“The Network is Your Customer” by David Rogers

the network is your customerIf you’re still wondering how you are going to leverage all the social media and technology tools to help you achieve your objectives, then you will breathe a sigh of relief when I tell you that the core message of this technology book is to focus on your customers’ behavior, not the technology or the social media tool. Rogers has distilled five behavior strategies that small business can focus on in order to leverage networked customer behaviors to create happier, more loyal customers.

Read our review of “The Network Is Your Customer.”


“The Complete Idiot’s Guide to WordPress” by Susan Gunelius

Complete Idiot's Guide to WordPressWordPress is the free and open-sourced platform that’s easy enough for the most technologically challenged novice and adaptable enough for some of the world’s biggest brands like CNN. WordPress powers 22% of all new websites.

This technology book covers the basics such as as well as more advanced topics like how categories, pages and tags are used. If you are new to blogging, you’ll gain a lot from The Complete Idiot’s Guide to WordPress even if you decide to use Blogger, Joomla or another platform instead. If you’re a WordPress user already, you’ll gain new insights that will take your content to the next level.

Read our review of “Complete Idiot’s Guide to WordPress.”


“The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture” by John Battelle

the searchThis is a big- picture technology book about the past, present, and future of search engines (in particular Google) and the impact it has on marketing, media, pop culture, dating, job hunting, international law, civil liberties, and just about every other sphere of human interest. John Battelle, who co-founded Wired magazine, focuses on the modern-day Internet juggernaut in the months stretching from its tumultuous initial public offering to the book’s publication in 2006. Despite being 5+ years old … this is a classic and worth reading  to understand Google’s power over the Internet.

Check out “The Search” on Amazon



“Empowered: Unleash Your Employees, Energize Your Customers, and Transform Your Business” by Josh Bernoff

EmpoweredThis is a fantastic book about how an organization can manage employees who use social media to get things done. Empowered is a great read for the informed business owner. It’s grounded in Forrester research and studies from various sources, but it’s not excessively academic. You’ll learn about HEROes; employees who take initiative to solve customers’ problems through the same social media tools customers casually use. You’ll find savvy insights on IT and management roles. And find this particularly useful in a world now acclimated to cloud computing and SaaS.

Read our review of “Empowered.”



“Bricklin on Technology” by Dan Bricklin

Bricklin on TechnologyEntrepreneurs who are releasing an app or deploying software on the cloud will gain some valued perspective, particularly from Bricklin’s programmer experience. This technology book runs 400 pages, based on Bricklin’s past blogs from the year 2000 through 2009. The book covers a diversity of topics such as the recording industry, pricing, podcasting and how people respond to new media choices. There are a dozen chapters – each are a “mini-book” within the book and include things like: What Will People Pay For? Leveraging the Crowd, Blogging and Podcasting.

Read our review of “Bricklin on Technology.”



“Learn How to Improve Online Marketing: Performance Marketing With Google Analytics” by Sebastian Tonkin, Caleb Whitmore & Justin Cutroni

Performance Marketing with Google AnalyticsYou can now officially bury the old quote about not knowing which 50% of your marketing budget is delivering results. The authors of Google Analytics explain performance marketing and get specific about how to increase revenue by using search advertising, optimizing an existing website, prioritizing channels and campaigns, and measure the health of your brand. If you’ve been overwhelmed by Google Analytics, this book will walk you through the details and will help you increase the ROI of your web site.

Read our review of “Learn How to Improve Online Marketing.”



“The Age of the Platform: How Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google Have Redefined Business” by Phil Simon

The Age of The PlatformThis is both a book and a big idea book about how Google, Apple Facebook and Amazon created platforms that allowed small businesses to play big. Phil Simon explores how these HUGE companies leverage their respective technologies to create entire virtual ecosystems that consist of developers, partners, users and communities. Simon takes the reader on a journey through these platform technologies in order to show the value of participation across platforms and how even small businesses can create their own platforms.

Listen to our interview with the author (or find on Amazon)



“The Third Screen: Marketing to Your Customers in a World Gone Mobile” by Chuck Martin

the third screenNo list of best technology books could be complete without mentioning the insane impact that mobile devices have made on our personal and business lives. Today, 94% of Americans own a mobile phone (a quarter of whom use it exclusively). Martin argues that a merging of trends in has caused a movement to a “third screen” after TVs and Computers. Martin explains how mobile phone technology is creating extraordinary possibilities for tailored promotions and apps that enable advertisers to literally become part of the customer’s phone.

Find “The Third Screen” on Amazon



“Digital Impact: The Two Secrets to Online Marketing Success” by Vipin Mayar, Geoff Ramsey

Digital ImpactDigital Impact answers the critical questions marketers have about connecting with and influencing consumers online. Authors Mayar and Ramsey reveal ideas that address digital marketing weaknesses and focus on two key frameworks: performance management (identifying the right metrics based on exposure, strategic and financial concerns) and magnetic content(essentially, the “content is king” message.

These frameworks are applied search, display, email marketing, social media, online video and mobile – each medium treated in distinct chapters explaining subtleties of its application. This is a serviceable workbook great for anyone just entering digital marketing and operating with a specific budget.

Read our Review of “Digital Impact.”



“iPhone and iPad Apps Marketing: Secrets to Selling Your iPhone and iPad Apps” by Jeffrey Hughes

iPhone And iPad App MarketingFeeling the fever to produce an app for your business? Then you’ll want to be sure to have this technology book on your desk. Written by Jeffery Hughes, an application developer and Associate Professor at the University of Vermont, this guide offers some surprising ways to strategically offer an app for a growing business. This is a great technology book for business owners who barely understanding scripting language and online marketing because it gives enough information to help you understand what’s important when you are hiring people to develop your app.

Read our review of “iPhone and iPad Apps Marketing.”



Of course, technology doesn’t exist in a vacuum.  It’s there to help you attract more customers, make it easier for them to buy from you and build and manage a thriving business.  Explore the 225+ business book reviews in our Small Business Trends archives. — or check out some of our other Best Books Guides:

Best Management Books

Top Books About Sales

Top Marketing Books

 

From Small Business Trends

Top 10 Technology Books

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10 Marketing Books You Can’t Live Without

If you were marooned on a desert island, with only marketing books to read, which would you want with you?

Our Book Editorial Team here at Small Business Trends recently reflected on that very question.

If you had room for just 10 marketing books in your survival kit for that desert island, the 10 books below would be a good start.  Inside these choices you will come to understand how prospects and customers think, and what influences them. You will be able to find and identify a profitable niche, create a product mix, price it and ultimately promote it profitably.  Check out our picks of the top books about marketing below (in no particular order):


Brandwashed“Brandwashed: Tricks Companies Use to Manipulate our Minds and Persuade Us to Buy”by Martin Lindstrom

If you read Lindstrom’s first book, Buyology then Brandwashed will give you more inspirational examples that you’ll be able to adapt and implement even if you’re a small business without a multi-million dollar budget to test your customers’ brains. Lindstrom takes us behind-the-scenes of big brands’ war rooms and shows how they use nostalgia, fear, peer pressure, celebrity, and the inclusion of magical ingredients and elixirs to influence what we buy.

Read our review of “Brandwashed.” (Or get at Amazon)



Riches in Niches

“Riches in Niches: How to Get Rich in Your Niche” by Susan A. Friedman

Finding a tight market niche where you and your business stand out is, by far, the most challenging aspect of marketing for most people. You may not have heard of Riches in Niches, but it’s the go-to book that marketing experts give their clients when the subject turns to how to find a profitable market niche.

Susan Friedman coins the terms “nichepreneur” and guides business owners through her GEL formula Friedmann’s proven technique that shows service professionals how to find the professional niche that makes the best use of their skills while yielding maximum profit.

Get “Riches in Nichesat Amazon.



Neromarketing“Neuromarketing: Understanding the Buy Buttons in Your Customer’s Brain” by Patrick Renvoise , Christophe Morin

Now that it’s scientifically proven that we make our buying decisions using our primitive brain, this marketing book will help you put that knowledge to use and start writing better sales and marketing ads and copy. Renvoise and Morin cover big picture communication principles and tips on details as small as leaving a voice mail message.

In short, the marketing advice covered says to appeal to emotion, present information in a variety of media, be brief, tell stories and approach your marketing from a buyers point of view.

Get “Neuromarketingat Amazon



Visual Marketing“Visual Marketing: 99 Proven Ways for Small Businesses to Market with Image and Design” by David Langton and Anita Campbell

If you’ve ever found yourself without a good marketing idea or concept for your small business, this is the marketing book for you. Langton and Campbell (CEO of Small Business Trends) waded through thousands of examples and chose 99 for any small business to use as an example or brainstorm starting point.

You’ll find thought-provoking marketing and PR tips, ideas, and creative “stunts” that you can easily adapt to fit your marketing objectives. This marketing idea book doesn’t stop with direct marketing or advertising. It also includes creative ways to use new technology and social media.

Read our interview on “Visual Marketing.” (Or get at Amazon)



Constant Contact Guide to Email Marketing“Constant Contact Guide to Email Marketing” by Eric Groves.
Email marketing and Constant Contact have been synonymous for years. Eric Groves has taken all the lessons learned from the thousands of customers who have successfully used the Constant Contact email marketing system and combined them into this set of collective best email marketing strategies.

If you currently use Constant Contact as your email marketing system, this book is a must-read so that you can get the most out of it. This marketing book isn’t just for Constant Contact customers, though.  It’s for any business that wants to do email marketing right.

Read our review of “Constant Contact Guide to Email Marketing.” (Or get at Amazon)



Referral Engine“Referral Engine: Teaching Your Business to Market Itself” by John Jantsch

John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing, has interviewed hundreds of entrepreneurs and used their stories as a best-practices collection of dozens of referral strategies as actually implemented by real business owners like YOU.

This marketing book shows you hundreds of different ways to develop a referral system that will pay off. Referral Engine is unique because it gives you dozens of referral systems ideas based on different types of businesses – instead of just one system that you have to adapt to your business. You’ll find many creative ideas to jump start a killer referral strategy.

Read our review of “Referral Engine.” (Or get at Amazon)



Attention!“Attention! This Book Will Make You Money: How to Use Attention-Getting Online Marketing to Increase Your Revenue” by Jim Kukral

Attention marketing is all about attracting attention to your business and your brand — in such a way that you turn that attention into revenue. This marketing book gives marketers, entrepreneurs and sales people an educational and motivational guide to using creative and attention-getting strategies to market your brand or business stand out from the crowd.

Attention! This Book Will Make You Money is filled with case studies, references, and proven examples of what works in the world of online and offline marketing.

Read our review of “Attention!(Or get at Amazon)



Found Money“Found Money: Simple Strategies for Uncovering the Hidden Cash Flow in Your Business” by Steve Wilkinghoff

You don’t often see the words marketing and accounting used together. Found Money will remind you that one of the “four Ps” of marketing is “product” and managing a profitable product mix. In this marketing book you will learn how to look at and analyze your product mix for profitability.

Business owners and managers who have P&L responsibility will learn about the critical profit drivers that affect their business. You also will learn how to get your employees excited and engaged about the financial drivers that impact profitability.

Read our review of “Found Money.” (Or get at Amazon)



Art of Pricing“Art of Pricing: How to Find Hidden Pricing to Grow Your Business” by Rafi Mohammed
Pricing is often overlooked by business owners and marketers as a powerful differentiator and profit builder. In this marketing book, pricing will transform from a financial conversation revolving around margins and costs to a fun and intriguing marketing conversation about influencing choices and buying decisions by simply manipulating your price.

You will learn about the psychology of pricing and how to attract the largest number of customers in your market segment by simply creating a pricing structure that makes it easy for them to choose you.

Read our review of “Art of Pricing.” (Or get at Amazon)



Outrageous Advertising“Outrageous Advertising That’s Outrageously Successful: Created for the 99% of Small Business Owners Who are Dissatisfied with the Results They Get From Their Current Advertising” by Bill Glazer

Bill Glazer has built a multi-million dollar business and reputation by using outrageous direct marketing strategies to attract and retain an insanely loyal and profitable customer base. Don’t dismiss his techniques for being exclusively for business to consumer businesses like retail. They are equally effective for every type of business – including industrial and high-tech products.

This marketing book is practical and hands-on. Readers will get examples and templates that they can use to build your own outrageous advertising program. The most valuable parts of the book are the worksheets that guide you through creating your own campaigns.

Read our review of “Outrageous Advertising.” (Or get at Amazon)



POP!“POP!: Create the Perfect Pitch, Title, and Tagline for Anything” by Sam Horn

This marketing book outlines those special aspects that make an idea, message, or product stand out, and gives readers a simple and proven process—POP! (Purposeful, Original, Pithy)—to create one-of-a-kind ideas, products, and messages that pop through the noise of today’s crowded marketplace.

This is a quick and practical marketing book filled with great ideas that anyone can use to come up with tag lines and titles like a pro. In one example, Horn recommends using a cliché database on the web to search out and adapt for your tag lines.

Read more about “POP!”

Wondering why there are no social media marketing books on this list? That’s because there are so many excellent ones that we’ve created a separate Guide to Best Social Media Books.  And don’t forget to check our Guide to Top Sales Books.

Finally… be sure to browse through the 225+ small business book reviews here on Small Business Trends.  All reviews are written  by our Book Editorial Team.

From Small Business Trends

10 Marketing Books You Can’t Live Without

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One of The First Business Books I Read


One of The First Business Books I Read

This content from: Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing podcast with Harvey Mackay (Click to play or right click and “Save As” to download – Subscribe now via iTunes or subscribe via other RSS device (Google Listen)

Harvey Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real WorldOne of the first business books I read (that wasn’t assigned to me) was Harvey MacKay’s Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive. I think it’s still one of the best reads on networking and relationship building out there.

For this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast I visited with business legend Harvey Mackay. It should come as no surprise to Mackay readers that before we began the interview he asked me some questions about my hometown and some of the people I know – the kind of informaiton that could have only been gleaned by doing a bit of research on his own – a great example of practicing what he preaches.

Mackay is back with another classic titled The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World. In it he dispenses tips and tactics gained from real world business building over a career that has spanned many years and produced many millions in sales generation.

I think it’s telling that Mackay admits during our interview that even though he is ulimately the CEO of his large organization, his business card still reads salesman.

You can read and follow Mackay on his blog and download a free chapter of the new book.

Mackay ends each idea presented in the book with his trademark Mackay’s Maxims and reading those nuggets alone is worth the price of the book.

You can listen to the show by subscribing the feed in iTunes or a variety of other free services such as Google Listen (Use this RSS feed) or you can buy the Duct Tape Marketing iPhone app. (iTunes link – Cost is $2.99) or

View full post on Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing

10 Best Management Books for Small Business Owners

Running a small business requires a combination of both leadership and management skills. While leadership and management come easily for some business owners, many find that reading management books helps keeps them informed and current with today’s best management practices.

With thousands of books to choose from, it can be frustrating and overwhelming deciding on what to read. That’s why Small Business Trends has put together this list of top 10 best management books every small business owner should read. (Listed in no particular order.)


1.  “Consider: Harnessing the Power of Reflective Thinking in Your Organization” by Daniel Patrick Forrester.

Consider: Harnessing the Power of Reflective ThinkingIn today’s on-demand, always-on world, it seems counter-intuitive to take a moment and consider your next decision. Daniel Patrick Forrester interviews leaders in high-stakes and high-risk circumstances who have mastered the art of taking time out to think and process their options before rushing into a decision.

Small business owners will appreciate the many examples and techniques used by great leaders and managers of critical projects to calm themselves down, collect the information that they need and then communicate their decisions and actions clearly.

Read our review of “Consider (available at Amazon and other retailers)



2. “No Jerks on the Job: Who They Are, The Harm They Do and Ridding Them from Your Workplace” by Ron Newton

No Jerks on the Job

There isn’t a workplace around that doesn’t claim its share of jerks. In fact, working with difficult people is one of the most popular management books topics around, In the book No Jerks on the Job, Ron Newton explains where jerks come from and he gives solutions for dealing with jerks; create a transparent environment, embody your values and huddle up to solve problems.

The biggest benefit that any businessperson can get from this book is being able to identify jerky behavior and not feed into it or make it worse.

Read our review of “No Jerks on the Job (available at Amazon and other retailers)



3. “Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose” by Tony Hsieh

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

In Delivering Happiness, Tony Hsieh, the visionary CEO of Zappos explains how an emphasis on corporate culture can lead to unprecedented success.

The lessons in this management book come from Tony Hseih’s own experiences.  They include the lessons he learned from poker that he applies to business:  Make sure your bankroll is large enough for the game you’re playing and the risks you’re taking, figure out the game when the stakes aren’t high, differentiate yourself and do the opposite of what the rest of the table is doing.

Read our review of “Delivering Happiness(available at Amazon and other retailers)



4.  “StrengthsFinder 2.0” by Tom Rath

StrengthsFinder 2.0 is an updated strengths assessment published by the Gallup organization. This book includes a password that allows you to take the StrengthsFinder assessment online. After completing the StrengthsFinder assessment, the results will uncover your top strengths. Readers will also get a personalized strengths planning guide as well as 50 ideas that they can put into action in their business and personal life.

StrengthsFinder 2.0 is a great management book for small business owners who are looking for smart ways to balance out the strengths inside their management teams.

(Available at Amazon and other book retailers)



5. “Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work: Build a Culture of Employee Engagement With the Principles of RESPECT” by Paul Marciano

Carrots and Sticks

If you’re looking for a management book that will help you motivate your employees without spending yourself silly with financial incentives, look no further than Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work.

Paul Marciano reviews all the motivational theories we’ve used and abused over the last hundred or so years. He then gives you practical advice on how to upgrade your conversations in a way that will benefit your employees and your business.  You don’t need to spend your company into bankruptcy trying to please employees – the answer is much simpler.

Read our review of “Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work (available at Amazon and other retailers)



6. “Making Ideas Happen: Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision and Reality” by Scott Belsky.

Making Ideas Happen

There is a method and a skill to making ideas happen and in this management book, Scott Belsky shows you how to run your brain spark of an idea through a process that converts the idea from a thought to something real and tangible.

Making Ideas Happen takes you through project management, how to maintain your focus, harnessing the power of your community and developing the chemistry of your creative team. It’s a real world management book that you can use daily by yourself or with your team.

Read our review of “Making Ideas Happen(available at Amazon and other retailers)



7. “Do More Great Work: Stop the Busywork. Start the Work That Matters” by Michael Bungay Stanier.

Do More Great Work

If you find yourself feeling unproductive, Do More Great Work is one of the management books for you. Inside this small and well-designed books are 15 maps and exercises that will help you identify the elements of great work and triggers for less-than-great work.

For example, where to find clues to your great work, how to find the sweet spot between what you want to do and what your organization wants you to do tactics to manage the overwhelm and more.

(Available at Amazon and other book retailers.)



8.  “Awesomely Simple Essential Business Strategies for Turning Ideas Into Action” by John Spence.

Awsomely Simple

Awesomely Simple is a management book that gives the small business owner and department managers a clear and easy roadmap to follow in building the business and then planning for growth.

John Spence delivers an MBA in a management book that is easy to read and follow.  Ultimately it’s a guide you can turn into management practices in your business.

Read our review of  ”Awesomely Simple (available at Amazon and other retailers)



9.  “Better Under Pressure: How Great Leaders Bring Out the Best in Themselves and Others” by Justin Menkes

Better Under Pressure

What is it about some managers and leaders that has them perform at their best under pressure and then the others who simply fold? In Better Under Pressure, Menkes reveals the common traits that make these leaders successful.

Drawing on in-depth interviews with sixty CEOs from an array of industries and performance data from two hundred other leaders, Menkes shows that great executives strive relentlessly to maximize their own potential — as well as stoke their people’s innate thirst for their own triumphs.

Read our review of “Better Under Pressure (available at Amazon and other retailers)



10.  “Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?” by Seth Godin.

In Linchpin Art + Profession = Rewards For All

Seth Godin takes his unique way of looking at things and brings it to the world of management.  Linchpin is one of those management books about what it takes to become indispensible at a workplace.

Godin warns that it’s no longer good enough to treat people like factory workers, nor is it enough for workers to simply just do what they are told.

Today’s world of work asks more of both employer and employee.

Read our review of “Linchpin (available at Amazon and other retailers)


With this guide to best management books, you will get concrete advice on how to manage your company and your team in a smart way.  Go ahead — set a goal to read all 10 books.  Then integrate the ideas from these management books into your daily work and create a world class business.

Looking for other business books to read?  Here at Small Business Trends you will find new business book reviews each weekend, and over 225 business book reviews in the archives.

 

From Small Business Trends

10 Best Management Books for Small Business Owners

View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends

Top 10 Books About Sales

What are the best sales tactics and sales strategies to grow my business? Every business owner has asked that question more times than they care to count. And the following best sales books give you the answers.

Selling strategies have changed in interesting ways with technology. The following guide to best sales books will show you how to combine tried-and-true sales strategies with the newest sales approaches to getting and keeping the most profitable customers.  Check out the following books about sales below (in no particular order):


“SNAP Selling: Speed Up Sales and Win More Business with Today’s Frazzled Customers” by Jill Konrath

SNAP selling

Stop selling the old fashioned way. Crazy-busy and frazzled prospects need to be handled differently. And this is where SNAP Selling comes in.

SNAP Selling is an acronym for the success strategies you’ll use for those time-strapped customers; make their decision Simple, become iNvaluable in the relationships, Align with the customer’s needs at all times and make sure that your solution is a Priority in the customer’s mind at all times. This sales book has a companion web site that is loaded with tips, tools and resources for successful SNAP sellers.

Read our review of “SNAP Selling (available at Amazon and other book retailers)



“Selling to the C-Suite: What Every Executive Wants You to Know About Successfully Selling to the Top” by Nicholas A. C. Read and Dr. Stephen J. Bistritz

Selling to the C-Suite

Every business owner or salesperson knows that if you really want to sell something, you have to sell the person at the top. Selling to the C-Suite is an absolute must have sales book for anyone in business today.

It’s like a practical MBA that sellers will appreciate for its touchstone guides on connecting with executives and that purchasing executives will appreciate because it will keep the salespeople they see focused on providing real solutions instead of lip service.

Read our review of “Selling to the C-Suite(available at Amazon and other bookstores)


“OutSell Yourself: Go from HELLO to SOLD with Ethical Business and Sales Techniques!” by Kelly McCormick

Outsell Yourself

Kelly McCormick has written a sales book for people who don’t like to sell. If you’re the kind of business owner or sales person who has avoided selling because you think or feel it’s sleazy. This is a must-read sales book.

Outsell Yourself teaches you how to connect with customers like never before, keep it real, and increase your sales and talk about pricing without getting nauseous.

Read our review of “Outsell Yourself(available at Amazon and other retailers)


“Slow Down, Sell Faster!: Understand Your Customer’s Buying Process and Maximize Your Sales” by Kevin Davis

Slow Down, Sell Faster

In a world of get the sale yesterday Slow Down Sell Faster! is a refreshing sales book. Kevin Davis points out that rushing the already rushed customer doesn’t yield results for either the buyer or the seller. You’ll learn how to slow down and take the time to identify your customer’s real needs and if you’ve done that, you are halfway there.

Slow Down, Sell Faster! is packed with examples from the author’s extensive experience, plus research on customer buying processes rather than traditional selling processes.

Read our review of “Slow Down, Sell Faster! (available at Amazon and other book retailers)



“7 Triggers to Yes: The New Science Behind Influencing People’s Decisions” by Russell Granger

7 Triggers to Yes

If you’re a fan of Robert Cialdini and have sales responsibility then, 7 Triggers to Yes is going to be required reading. 7 Triggers to Yes is a real sales book written by a sales person for sales people.

What sets this book apart from other books on persuasion is its focus on the creating, building and developing the buyer/seller relationship. You will find sales call outlines as well as tips for structuring your sales calls effectively.

Read our review of “The 7 Triggers to Yes(available at Amazon and other book retailers)


“The Go-Giver: A Little Story About A Powerful Business Idea” by Bob Burg and David Mann

The Go Giver

This is a sales book that throws the traditional perception of high-pressure, hit-and-run selling completely out the window. The Go Giver is a business novel that follows Joe, a “Go-Getter” who decides to contact a “heavy hitter” to help him win an account. What Joe gets, instead, from the “heavy hitter” and his friends, are lessons in “go-giving.”

The authors offer practical tips and strategies that makes giving the cornerstone of a powerful and effective approach to selling.

Read our review of “The Go-Giver (available at Amazon and other book retailers



“The 25 Sales Habits of Highly Successful Salespeople” by Stephan Schiffman

The 25 Sales Habits of Highly Successful Salespeople

This sales book is a good common sense review of salesmanship. The book reinforces the habits that a good salesman must have and how to use them. You will create a sound foundation for creating and developing a relationship and understanding the sales cycle, from leads to closing the deal.

Schiffman emphasizes one of the most important keys to developing a relationship with a prospect–listening for their needs and requirements, rather than imposing your own on the other person.

Available at Amazon and other book retailers


“The Ultimate Sales Machine: Turbocharge Your Business with Relentless Focus on 12 Key Strategies” by Chet Holmes

The Ultimate Sales MachineWhen it comes to sales books, it’s hard to argue with names like Chet Holmes, Jay Conrad Levinson (the editor) and Michael Gerber (foreword). Chet Holmes, a sales icon and guru for many sales people, teaches the principle of focus. He encourages sales people to identify the few key success strategies that are available to them and focus there.

One reader took the concept of “core story” and worked to hone his story, focused on ideal prospects and exponentially grew his business.

Available at Amazon and other book retailers


Shift!“Shift!: Harness The Trigger Events That Turn Prospects Into Customers” by Craig Elias and Tibor Shanto

Imagine being at the right place at the right time for just about every sale – and then getting the deal!  This sales book will transform how you approach your sales process and the way you contact and nurture those leads.

When you get to highly motivated decision makers at EXACTLY the right time: after they experience a ‘Trigger Event’ and before they call your competition. When you have the right timing the sale almost happens by itself.

Read our review of “Shift! (available at Amazon and other bookstores)



“Mastering the Complex Sale: How to Compete and Win When the Stakes are High” by Jeff Thull

Mastering the Complex Sale

If you are a sales professional struggling with customers who are pushing you and your products into a commodity, then Mastering the Complex Sale is a sales book that belongs on your desk.

Jeff Thull pushes the envelope to give professionals — from individuals struggling with their first call, to senior executives trying to figure out why their value strategy is falling short — a comprehensive guide to navigate and win high-stakes sales.

Available at Amazon and other book retailers


With this guide to best sales books, you will get concrete advice on how to grow your sales. We urge you to print out this guide and take it with you when you next go to the bookstore. Just hit “print post” below and it will take you to a page you can easily print out.

And if you’d like other business books on other topics, take the time to browse through our business book reviews section. We publish new book reviews each weekend, and there are over 225 reviews already in our archives.

From Small Business Trends

Top 10 Books About Sales

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