Have You Read It Yet?

June 16, 2008

I'm sorry for the lack of posts this week, but I've been engrossed in Chet Holmes' book The Ultimate Sales Machine. If you haven't read it yet, click on the link above and order it from Amazon today! Chet discusses the 12 key strategies that you need to focus on to radically improve your company's sales. What an amazing book!

Which leads me to today's topic: What are you reading (aside from this blog) to help make you a better person? Do you regularly read great books? If not, why not?

I can hear the excuses already:

"But I don't like to read!"

"After 10 hours in the field, you want me to come home and read?!"

"With everything else I've got going on, I just don't have time to read!"

Well...tough! Get over it. You simply can't afford not to be an avid reader, especially if you ever want to be a superstar. I've said it before, so I'll say it again: true sales genius (or any other kind, for that matter) starts on the inside. Success is an inside job. In other words, if you want to change your outer results, you start by changing your inner thoughts, beliefs, etc.. And how do you do that? By reading great books!

Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm a voracious reader. In fact, it used to drive my wife a little crazy because I can't read just one book at a time...I usually have 4 or 5 scattered around the house, some fiction, some non-fiction, all of which I'm reading simultaneously. You don't necessarily need to do that (especially if you're just getting started), but if you're not reading at least one great book a month on self- or skills-improvement, you're doing yourself a great disservice.

Not sure where to start? Click here to visit the "Essential Reading List" section of my website, www.inside-out-solutions.com for a list of the 10 books you should start your library with. If you'll make a commitment to read just 10 pages per day, you can read all of these books in less than a year. Imagine where you'll be if you make the simple decision to start today.

Look: it's really simple. Reading is a critical part of your growth as a salesperson, and if you’re not growing, you’re dead. If you really want to grow, you should always be on the lookout for new books that will expand your horizons and challenge you to really think about where you're headed and how you'll get there.

Of course, if you're already a reader be sure to leave a comment with a suggestion for a great book. I'll be looking for another good read soon!

Happy sales to you, until we meet again!