While it is indeed the age of information and words -- with MP3s, streaming video and more at our fingertips and downloadable 24/7 via that incredible internet -- there's still something to be said for curling up every once in a while with a good, old fashioned book.
I know, our lives are busier than ever these days -- moving at warp speed with little time to relax and read. And although there is tremendous merit to books on CD that you can listen to on the go, there is great satisfaction in building a library of your own that you can tap into any time you want to strengthen your skills, improve your mind or ignite your spirit. For that reason, we include in our monthly e-newsletter a "Book of the Month" section. It has proven to be a tremendous experience for our team to gain fresh ideas and new perspectives to share with each other and with our customers!
Following is a sampling of the books we have found to be truly valuable over the past 18 months. I challenge you to pick a handful of these treasures and either start a new library or add to the one you already have.
- Good to Great by Jim Collins – A roadmap for mastering the "be the best in the world at ONE thing" premise.
- Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer – Terrific for short snippets, great ideas and reference. His e-zine Sales Caffeine is good for a daily jolt, as well.
- How to Become a Rainmaker by Jeffrey J. Fox – Learning to "dollarize" is vital in our industry, and he teaches it well.
- Purple Cow by Seth Godin – Valuable lessons in effective marketing.
- Shut Up, Stop Whining and Get a Life by Larry Winget – We all loved this book. It's as edgy as its title but drives home some must-learn points.
- Be Our Guest by the Disney Institute – You have to hand it to those folks at Disney: When it comes to customer service, they have it down. Lots to learn here!
- Swim With the Sharks Without Getting Eaten Alive by Harvey Mackay – An oldie but goodie when it comes to classic life and business lessons.
- Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi – Some great ideas on the power of social and business networking.
- The Power of an Hour by Dave Lakhani – Time-management guru Lakhani explains how to put some muscle into your time management and make those minutes count!
- Hug Your Customers by Jack Mitchell – We liked this book so much that it became the theme of one of our corporate meetings! It spotlights the power of extraordinary customer service in any industry.
- The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino – Truly one of my all-time favorites. Countless industry "icons" put this classic at the top of their list, as well.
- Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill – Another classic must-read for anyone who wants to live abundantly and build a better life and business.
- How to Become a Marketing Superstar by Jeffrey J. Fox - You have to love Fox's books for their quick read and great references.
- Better Than Good by Zig Zigler – Zig's insight is always a welcome gift as he shares the power of having a positive attitude in the game of life.
- Winning by Jack and Suzy Welch – Delivers a solid career's worth of this legendary leader's management wisdom.
- Wooden on Leadership by John Wooden – Extraordinary coach John Wooden shares tremendously valuable insight on what it means to win with integrity in ANY game.
- Built to Last by Jim Collins – Much like Good to Great, Collins shares the successful habits and visions of some of the greatest companies of all time.
- The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller – Explains what it takes to be a successful real estate agent and how to grow your business without limitations.
- Satisfaction by Chris Denove and James D. Power IV – A spotlight on how listening to the voice of the customer can make or break a company and career.
- The Spellbinder's Gift by Og Mandino – This well-crafted, contemporary parable offers tremendous inspiration and wonderful reminders on how to live a better (happier) life.
- The Age of Speed by Vince Poscente – Lessons on how to thrive in a world that runs at lightning speed.
- Juggling Elephants by Jones Loflin and Todd Musig – A great read for all of us who sometimes feel we need to get our "act" together in the three-ring circus we call life.
- The Fred Factor by Mark Sanborn – Sanborn teaches us through the true story of Fred the mail carrier how going the extra mile and taking extra steps for our customers can turn an ordinary career into an extraordinary one.
- Blink by Malcolm Gladwell – This fascinating book illuminates how we can re-train our minds to instantly pull vital information from life's moments.
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey – Not the easiest book you'll ever read, but if you can work your way through each of the "habits" and make them a part of your life and career, you'll far exceed any goals in front of you!
I sincerely hope you find the time to enjoy the lessons, laughter and genuine knowledge-builders found within the pages of these books. It has been so much fun discovering new books, new authors and new additions to my growing library of books for business. Of course, I make sure there's room on the shelves for recreational reading as well, so you'll always find James Patterson, Sue Grafton and Patricia Cornwell keeping good company with the books above! After all, "work hard, play hard" can be a good motto for this aspect of life, too!
Do you have a recommendation for our Book of the Month? I would love to hear about it! Email me at julie.escobar@prospectsplus.com to share your thoughts, titles and reading experiences.
