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1,000 Dollars & an Idea. Entrepreneur to Billionaire Sam Wyly. 2008. ISBN  9781557048035.  “What I learned creating and building University Computing, Sterling Software, Maverick Capital, Bonanza Steakhouse, Michaels Stores, Green Mountain Energy.”  This guy is a good writer and a thoughtful researcher.  I lived through the times he is talking about and the man is audacious to the nth degree.  I read this almost in one sitting last nite – it reads so easily and is also so compelling.   Very good coast to coast airplane ride book.   There is little for every type of businessman in this book.  The man has strong ethics and character and he speaks the truth – loudly.  Now if only I could figure out how and why his market timing is so good as he seems to sell his companies at the top of their markets.

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The Art of Learning. An inner journey to optimal performance. Josh Waitzkin. 2008. ISBN9780743277464.  The author was the subject of the book/movie Searching for Bobby Fisher. Not only is he a National Chess champion, he is also a martial arts champion.  He has a very good read on what it takes to get to the ultimate levels of achievement in pretty well everything.   I found tremendous insight in this book, and a heightened appreciation for the dedication to detail and performance needed at these levels. I really enjoyed his discussion on “chunking’ information and “carved neural pathways” as tools that we all use to become better and better at everything we do.  He also gives a very clear description on the  stress and recovery model used in high performance training. As ever, I appreciate an easy to read book that lays it out so clearly that even a thick headed Swede like my self can make sense of it all.  I appreciate the line, ” You need to know what good feels like in order to achieve it again and again.” We call that Knowing what the grass looks like when it is cut.”

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never eat alone. And other secrets to success, one relationship at a time. Keith Ferrazzi.  2008. ISBN 038551205.  Tom Peters calls this one of the most valuable books he has seen in along time. I agree.  If schools just handed out this book to their graduates, admonishing them to read it, lots of people would be much more successful in their careers.  Have you ever wondered how some people are able to chart a career path that you could only dream about? How do they meet and learn from such powerful and highly placed people?  How do they become so popular and remain so enthusiastic about life.  The answers to that and much more are in this book.  Here is a person who was CMO of Deloittes, Starwood Hotels, CEO of YaYa media.  And he struggled to get into the schools and society.  No silver spoons or hand outs here.  I urge  my readers to get this book, read it, gift copies to their children and practice practice practice.  In Keith’s words , be audacious.  IN one book here is a systematic plan for getting to your  career goals.   check out www.nevereatalone.co for lots of resources.

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The Post American World  Fareed Zakaria. 2008. ISBN 9780393062359.  This could be a very important book, if the current crop of pres idential candidates ever read it. The author is a senior writer at Newsweekand the editor of Newsweek International.  For those of us who watch the international stage this book is a telling indictment of how much GW bush has squandered what little remained of US good will internationally. Theauthor presents some hopeful ideas however of how this could be turned around, so that the the US, unlike Britain and its empire, does not undermine its own leadership position worldwide.  His chapters on China and India are very insightful.  It strikes me as a balanced, optimistic and well researched book, full of worldly details.  He does ask that there be a sea change in US culture , to resist hunkering down and unilaterally forcing all other countries to the US position. Above all to be curious about the World, to listen to others,  not pander to temporary political winds, resist fear, get its confidence back.  Fort an academic style of book this was an easy almost to the point of engrossing read. You cannot help but learn a lot about the World, to counter Fox and CNN views.

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Strategic Alliances. Three ways to make them work. Steve Steinhilber. 2008 (November) ISBN 9781422125885. Harvard Press has a good one here in the Memo to the CEO series. The author is Cisco’s head of Alliances and he has greated the desktop workbook on the subject.  There is utility for the smallest to largest company here – especially when the pundits tell us that ina down economy you need more alliances in order to weather the storm. I found the section on the attributes of the alliance executive valuable as I am often called to help clients select such a person. Stenhilbers ideas aligned with my own, but I also found his lead item that this person should have cross functional experience (even as far as being  a CEO of a smaller firm) to be very insightful . Many times companies will select as strong salesperson for the role and they all too often are found lacking.  This is tough on all parties.  A very easy and quick (112pp) read. Watch for it.

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Unholy Domain. Dan Ronco. 2008 ISBN9781601640215.   Excellent thriller, with some parts the feel a bit william Gibson‘sih. But the author has is own style, utilizing today’s fast paced cutaways, but unlike the populist press, he finishes each chapter before he cuts.  Ronco has been a senior executive in lots of technology firms with a deep cross discipline knowledge. But you won’t need his depth of knowledge to really enjoy this book.  I really liked it and read it in basically teo sittings.  This is a good coast  to coast plane ride book. You may not be able to put it down.. I found his scenario on stock market disarray very prescient!.

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Buying Facilitation. The new way to sell that influences & expands decisions. Sharon Drew Morgen.2003. ISBN 0964355302.  This New York Times best selling author was a recent discovery,  via Steve Flashman.

This  is an insightful look at sales qualification, as we’ve known it. She believes that there are actually two aspects to sales – first the product placement end, and then the buying decision end; We’ve always assumed that buyers understood their needs, were ready to buy, and we the sales team only needed to understand pain and solution issues. i.e. the buying decision end. Up to now we may have ignored the product placement front end.

In this simple book, Sharon Drew Morgen breaks down those things that buyers go through before they are ready/willing to buy or fix their problem.  This book tells you where they go and what they are doing, while you are waiting for their response . She describes where buyers go when they say ‘I’ll call you back’ and what is taking so long, and gives insights into ways to greatly diminish the sales cycle (hint:it’s about their internal decision making issues),

This book explains Morgen Buying Facilitation Method(R) that is a decision facilitation approach to teach buyers how to line up all of the internal decisions they need to make, before introducing the product and solution.   Sales has up to now not had the tools to help manage the very front end of the sales equation.  If you want to become one of the top 5% sales people , while  serving the customer better than you are today,  buy this easy to read book.

Because she does not agree with the main stream “this is just the way sales is ” mindset , her writings have not been picked up as much as they could be.  This is not a cookie cutter process she describes and it still requires a strong dedication to your learning process. This lady has shown us a better way to gain an early understanding of the buyers process.   This is another big step on the way  to prevent much of the waste we see in selling.

You can pick up a copy here.

She has lots of content on her website www.newsalesparadigm.com

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Kick-Ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps.  Build the buzz and sell the sizzle. Susan Gunelius. 2008. ISBN 9781599182537.  This is a very useful book. First she provides you with a  Copywriting Outline which immediately helps the small business person identify the holes in their approaches to copy.  She shows how and why writing copy is different from all other writing. (At Rocket Builders we run into this issue all the time with clients who get off on the wrong foot with their copy)  By reading this book you will obtain much better clarity about copy and an increased appreciation for how hard it is to write clear useful, consistent copy.  She has taken a small business B2B focus – which makes this book useful to a vary broad audience since the examples are simple, believable and in small enough chunks that you can learn from them. A long way back I learned that it takes a real expert to translate a complex process into simple steps.   She has made one of the clearest statements about why too much information slows your sales process, ” Extra words can confuse and slow down customers.  Write for those who have little time to read.”  This is one book every marketing manager should have on his desk, it will be well used.

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Marketing for Construction. Steve Flashman. 2008.  e-book.  The title is correct, yet this is also a very good introduction to sales oriented marketing for people new to the game or  who just want to know more.  I really enjoyed this book and found lots of depth in it.  From his 101 marketing ideas through to his analysis of the evolution of sales approaches, the book is well thought out, well written and refreshing.  His section on lead research questions and partnering are relevant to every field.  It has a distinct UK focus with lots of detail about that construction market, but do not let that stop  you from purchasing this.  I am going to follow up on his analysis of the LEED style an applications to all manners of building “green”  He talks about applying lean thinking to marketing and I am especially intrigued by this.

You can learn more at www.ontheboxmarketing.com
Click Here!

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Stop acting like a seller and Start Thinking Like a Buyer. Jerry Acuff & Wally Wood. 2007. ISBN 9780470068342.  From his first questions through to the examples and stories, the author immediately takes you to a very real place in the selling world.  This easy to read, insightful and hard hitting book is so far my Book of the Year for sales people. If you want to truly succeed  at todays sales game – get and read this book above all else.  If you don’t , then quit reading now – life is just  going to be too tough for you.  In his words ( wish I had written these) “great salesmen inform, involve, engage and provoke thought”.  “People will buy what they want not what you think they need”  “You are trying to see if your product is a fit for what they want.” Acuff blows the accepted  statements about sales out the window, showing you how to really prepare for each call, to setup for success or a quick no.  He leads you to understand that this is a sales conversation not ever a sales call.

A great insight on the changing nature of sales leads to day- which we well know of.  Prospects, when in their research, knowledge pursuit stage do not want to be “called on’ , trial sold or pursuaded.  They want information and to learn.  Later when ready, they may engage you (if you made the short list)  and they want you to have done as much homework on them as they have done on you- to be able to get right down to “what are you and your products going to do for me?”  They do not want to sit down and discuss with every salesmen their problems, pains etc. There is no time for this and expect you to do this on your own. So when your website indicates a new lead – the worst thing your sales team could do is to rush and call them up – does sales really know what they are getting into?. Of course not.

Gotta love this stuff!

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