Whether you are an entrepreneur, marketer or simply need to deal with customers on a regular basis, it is important that you have the right mindset when it comes to thinking about and understanding your customer’s needs. The old adage, “the customer is always right,” may be over-used but it really does hold true in today’s competitive market. If you want to appeal to your customers, then you need to start thinking about your customers more. Here are five of our favorite books that will help you redefine how you think about your customers and start making more customer-centered decisions in your professional pursuits.
- How to Communicate With People in Any Situation: The Art of Effective Persuasive Communication by Harold J. Winfrey
This book is filled with information not only on how to communicate to your customers but on how to communicate to virtually anyone that you interact with. This book will have you thinking more about your customers and how they think so you can develop the right messages and communication channels to really reach them. This book isn’t only a great read for those who want to think more about their customers, but a great book for anyone who has to communicate with others as part of their career.
- SEO for Growth: The Ultimate Guide for Marketers, Web Designers and Entrepreneurs by John Jantsch and Phil Singleton
SEO for Growth isn’t a book that will have you mulling over your customer’s personal needs, but it is one that will challenge you to think more about how your customers are playing a role in the growth of your company. This book delivers a straight-forward and easy-to-follow guide on how you can use search engine optimization as a way to promote your company and reach customers on a new level whenever they use a search engine.
- Hustle: The Power to Change Your Life With Money, Meaning and Momentum by Neil Patel, Patrick Vlaskovits and Jonas Koffler
Hustle is one of those “must-read” books that seems to fall into virtually every category imaginable. One part real-world advice, one-part insight on how to grow your company and one-part motivation, this book has a little bit of everything for anyone who is looking to make the most of their career. Written by three true entrepreneurial experts, this book will not only tell you how to change your mindset when it comes to growing your business, but it will help you understand the important role that your customers play in your professional efforts.
- Marketing: A Love Story: How to Matter to Your Customers by Bernadette Jiwa
Simply put, this best-selling book is a love story about the relationship between marketers and their customers. While it may sound a little corny and a little sappy at first, it can really go a long way in helping you rethink how you interact with your customers. This book is a collection of posts from Jiwa’s award-winning blog. It takes readers through a detailed depiction of how marketers and entrepreneurs alike can connect with customers and actually matter to these customers.
- The Greatest Salesman in the World by OG Mandino
This book is one that most entrepreneurs and marketers will have on their shelves. This is because it delivers a timeless look at how you can sell to and appeal to customers, no matter what market you are in. If you take a look at this book, even though it is 30 years old, it is filled with very relevant and applicable pieces of knowledge that will have you looking at your customers and their buying habits in a completely different light.
These five books are all great resources for any individual who wants to start thinking more about both the customers that they have and the customers that they want to have. These are some of our favorite customer-centered books. Do you think we’ve missed any on this list? Sound off in the comments below and let us know!
