If you’ve poked around our blog for more than 3 minutes in the past few months, you know that we’re self-labeled bookworms. We read a wide variety of books on our small team and we are always excited when we can add a book to our Goodreads lists based on recommendations from clients, colleagues, friends, and acquaintances. (Finding the time to actually read these books is obviously more difficult than adding them to a list but so far we think we’re winning that battle.)
If you don’t regularly read throughout the year, take time this summer to read books that you normally wouldn’t. The summer reading list below isn’t incredibly exhausting and (we think) it will help you think differently about your work and how you can create new opportunities, whether you’re a sales person, leader, or manager.
This list is a mixture of books we have already read, books we are reading, and books we would like to read at some point before the fall rolls around:
Summer Reading List for Salespeople:
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely
We always want to know how to make better decisions and help others do the same. The book intrigues us because it highlights situations where we think we are making rational decisions, but actually are not. Let’s hope it gives us strategies to reverse the process!
Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by Chip and Dan Heath
Just as above, any book that helps us make better decisions is automatically on our list. We’ve heard from several people that this is the one book we should read if we really want to know how to consider different options and overcome natural human biases.
The New Digital Age: Reshaping the Future of People, Nations, and Business by Eric Schmidt & Jared Cohen
As sales consultants, we want to know how we will connect, sell, and influence as the digital revolution continues. Guaranteed to be a thought-provoking read, especially from these two authors.
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins
Based on extensive research of 28 different companies, Collins and his team considers how mediocre companies that aren’t “born with great DNA” transform into successes & why some succeed while others fail. This line in the book made us particularly intrigued: “A Culture of Discipline: When you combine a culture of discipline with an ethic of entrepreneurship, you get the magical alchemy of great results.”
Rework by Fried and Hansson
If there’s one book on this list that would be the shortest read with the most impact, this book would be it. Our entire team hasn’t read it but it’s “one-liners” certainly pack a punch. A good book for a manager who’s looking to make some changes for his or her team (which management should always be doing!).
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
We like that sweet spot where work doesn’t feel like work. It’s interesting to consider the factors that either lead to or inhibit flow in our work. We’re hoping this one lives up to its potential.
New Sales. Simplified by Mike Weinberg
This book was added to our list in 2012 after we spoke with Paul Smith, author of Lead With a Story. Sadly, we haven’t made the time for it since then. Likely the most tactical book on the list, we are looking forward to chatting with Mike about it.
The Coming Prosperity: How Entrepreneurs Are Transforming the Global Economy by Philip Aurswald
We work with a lot of entrepreneurs. We’re constantly excited about the challenges they overcome and the change they create in the world. Needless to say, this will probably just give us more reasons to love the entrepreneurs we work with.
