We recently hosted a virtual book club for readers of “The Sales Revolution” e-book, which was co-authored by Zywave’s CEO Jason Liu. During that session, insurance professionals joined Jason and his writing partner and industry expert Don Bailey to dive deeper into concepts from the piece, such as digital disruption, sales enablement, automation and more.
Naturally—as happens in all book clubs—at one point, the discussion turned to book recommendations. The group shared some great personal recommendations that we wanted to pass along to all our followers.
Please enjoy this list of books suggested by our readers:
- “Becoming a Person of Influence: How to Positively Impact the Lives of Others” by John C. Maxwell
America’s leadership expert teaches that if your life in any way connects with other people, you are an influencer. Whatever your vocation or aspiration is, you can increase your impact with Maxwell’s simple, insightful ways to interact more positively with others.
- “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” by Greg McKeown
Have you ever found yourself stretched too thin? Do you simultaneously feel overworked and underutilized? Are you often busy but not productive? Do you feel like your time is constantly being hijacked by other people’s agendas? If you answered yes to any of these, the way out is the Way of the Essentialist.
- “Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t” by Simon Sinek
Too many workplaces are driven by cynicism, paranoia, and self-interest. But the best ones foster trust and cooperation because their leaders build what Sinek calls a “Circle of Safety” that separates the security inside the team from the challenges outside.
Never Split the Difference takes you inside the world of high-stakes negotiations and into Voss’ head, revealing the skills that helped him and his colleagues succeed where it mattered most: in saving lives. In this practical guide, he shares the nine effective principles – counterintuitive tactics and strategies – you, too, can use to become more persuasive in both your professional and personal lives.
- “New Sales. Simplified.: The Essential Handbook for Prospecting and New Business Development” byMike Weinberg
No matter how much repeat business you get from loyal customers, the lifeblood of your business is a constant flow of new accounts. Whether you’re a sales rep, sales manager, or a professional services executive, if you are expected to bring in new business, you need a proven formula for prospecting, developing, and closing deals.
6. “Smart Calling: Eliminate the Fear, Failure, and Rejection from Cold Calling” by Art Sobczak
This best-selling guide to “never experiencing rejection again” has consistently found its way into the Top 20 in Amazon’s Sales category, because its actionable sales tips and techniques have helped many minimize their fears and eliminate rejection.
7. “So You Want to Talk About Race” by Ijeoma Oluo
A current, constructive, and actionable exploration of today’s racial landscape, offering straightforward clarity that listeners of all races need to contribute to the dismantling of the racial divide.
Read any good books lately?
We’d love to hear your recommendations. Please share them in the comments. And if you haven’t yet, check out another insightful read, “The Sales Revolution,” by Don Bailey and Jason Liu.