Business Books

Roadmap To Revenue by Kristin Zhivago

Roadmap To Revenue by Kristin Zhivago

Preliminary Review

I received a review copy of "Roadmap To Revenue: How To Sell The Way Your Customers Want To Buy" written by revenue coach Kristin Zhivago.

I wanted to share my first impressions.

The Problem Solved By Roadmap To Revenue

A pet subject of mine is that so much marketing and sales advice ignores the buyer or sees each and every buyer as a patsy to be manipulated to do what you want - i.e. to give you their money for whatever they are selling.

Financial Times Guide To Business Networking - Heather Townsend

The Financial Times Guide To Business Networking

By Heather Townsend

Business Book Review 4.5 Stars

Networking has changed in the last five years with the development of social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook and the big strength of the Financial Times Guide to Business Networking – How To Use The Power Of Online and Offline Networking For Business Success by Heather Townsend is the concept of joined-up networking.

No BS Marketing To The Affluent Dan Kennedy

“No BS Marketing To The Affluent: No Holds Barred Kick Butt Take No Prisoners Guide To Getting Rich” by Dan Kennedy

Business Book Review – 4.5 Stars

Buy this book.

“No BS Marketing To The Affluent” is that good.

You may not agree with everything Dan Kennedy writes… and you may not like the world it presents but it’s time to face up to some bitter truths.

The Obvious Truth

The rich have most of the money.

And if you want to be rich too, it’s much easier getting a share of their cash by providing something special than it is to prise a few coins out of many more poor people.

Common sense right?

Loan Sharp by Rob Warlow

"Loan Sharp: Get the Business Finance You Deserve" By Rob Warlow

Book Release Announcement

OK this isn't a book review but i wanted to tell you that my friend, Rob Warlow has had his book published this week and he's now got a page on Amazon.

Loan Sharp by Rob Warlow

Local Online Advertising For Dummies

Local Online Advertising for Dummies by Court Cunningham and Stephanie Brown

Preliminary Book Review

In came the email.

"Would you be interested in having a review copy of "Local Online Advertising For Dummies"?

One nanosecond later, I was replying... "Please send it to me at..."

Two days later, I have a copy in my hands to I decided to write a first impressions review.

First Impressions Of Local Online Advertising For Dummies

Meatball Sundae Seth Godin Review

Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin

Book Review - 2 Stars

I was very disappointed by "Meatball Sundae: How New Marketing Is Transforming the Business World (And How To Thrive In It) by Seth Godin.

Perhaps it was a book of the moment as what is new when written can seem mundane in just a few years or perhaps the target audience is for corporate America entrenched in the old economy.

Meet And Grow Rich Review Joe Vitale and Bill Hibbler

Meet & Grow Rich by Joe Vitale and Bill Hibbler

Book Review - 4 Stars

It's only in the last few years that I have become aware of how powerful mastermind groups can be and this book Think & Grow Rich is a raving endorsement for masterminds.

The mastermind concept isn't big in the UK and Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill doesn't have the reputation it does in the US.

How To Easily Create And Operate Your Own "Mastermind" Group For Health, Wealth and More

That's the subtitle of the book and the basic message of Joe Vitale and Bill Hibbler.

Found Money Steve Wilkinghoff

Found Money: Simple Strategies For Uncovering The Hidden Profit And Cash Flow In Your Business by Steve Wilkinghoff

Preliminary Book Review

I get offered many books to review, both by well established and up and coming authors.

I had to ask for a review copy of "Found Money" (or at least drop an extremely heavy hint) because I was intrigued at the marriage of finance and marketing.

You see Steve and I occupy the same positioning.

Steve is a Chartered Accountant in Canada, I'm a Chartered Accountant in the UK.

Steve is a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach and so am I.

Steve has big name author friends (Michael Gerber wrote the foreword of Found Money, Michael Port and Jay Conrad Levinson are among the big names giving praise for the book on the back cover) and I don't.

Leadership Book Reviews

Because my Business Books blog and my Business Coaching blog rank well in Google, I receive regular offers of leadership books to review.

This isn't a specialist area for me so I have found a guest reviewer.

Trudy Arthurs of DancingLeopards.com

Trudy is a leadership coach and much more knowledgeable than me about leadership and HR issues.

It's Not Luck Elihayu Goldratt Book Review

It's Not Luck by Eliyahu Goldratt

Book Review - 3 Stars

I first read "It's Not Luck" when it was first published in 1994, I read it again a few years later and I have just finished reading it again and it remains an extremely disappointing book.

I loved "The Goal" by Eli Goldratt. It was an insightful business book which revealed simple and powerful ideas through a fast paced and engaging story. It brought the Theory of Constraints to the world and challenged some of the new ideas coming out to right the ills of 1980s/1990s accounting.

"It's Not Luck" is a pale shadow of it's famous predecessor.

And here's why.

Niche Marketing For Coaches Hannah McNamara Review

Niche Marketing For Coaches by Hannah McNamara

Business Book Review - 4 Stars

Coaching is becoming a big business, if lots of small businesses can be combined in that way and I am seeing more marketing experts identifying the "marketing advice to coaches" as a flourishing niche to target.

In fact I wonder whether the marketing for coaches niche is already filled to capacity but probably not as Dan Bradbury (another marketing expert specialising in coaches) believes that the coaching schools are churning out novice coaches on false promises (see the Life Coaching Conspiracy on my Business Coaching blog))

Hannah McNamara has written "Niche Marketing For Coaches: A Practical Guide For Building A Life Coaching, Executive Coaching or Business Coaching Practice" to help coaches build a thriving business.

The Decisive Moment / How We Decide Jonah Lehrer Review

The Decisive Moment / How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer

Book Review - 4.5 Stars

I read this book as "The Decisive Moment: How The Brain Makes Up Its Mind" but in the United States it is called "How We Decide" (based on the Amazon reviews and the look inside feature)

Regardless of title it is a fascinating book which looks at how the emotional and the logical brains work individually or  together to help you to make decisions at work and in your personal life.

It also helps to explain how the people around you also make decisions.

Finance On A Beermat Review

Finance On A Beermat by Mike Southon, Chris West, Stephen King and Jeff Macklin

Book Review - 4 Stars

The Beermat series of books are a simple and clear explanation of how to build and grow a successful entrepreneurial business.

Finance On A Beermat continues with the traditional and regular authors Mike Southon and Chris West receive help from Stephen King and Jeff Macklin, two of the main people behind FDUK, the franchise for part time finance directors which has been taken over by The FD Centre.

It looks at the idea of finance cornerstones and provides an explanation of finance and accounting.

Instant Cashflow Brad Sugars

Instant Cashflow by Brad Sugars

Book Review - 4 Stars

Brad Sugars or Bradley Sugars is the founder of Action Coach, the world's biggest franchise of business coaches.

He is also responsible for a series of insipid books on management which only seem to be lowed by those connected to Action Coach but, guess, what?

How To Sell And Manage In Tough Times And Tough Markets

How To Sell And Manage In Tough Times And Tough Markets by Tom Reilly

Book Summary Review

This very topical book, "How To Sell And Manage In Tough Times And Tough Markets: You Can Thrive, Not Just Survive, In Tough Times!" was written not in 2008 or 2009 as you might think but back in 2001.

I think the USA had seen a mild recession at the turn of the millennium but it was nothing like what we have just seen.

Whilst most economies are now back into growth, the strains and stresses of the credit crunch and excessive borrowing from both the public and private sectors will take a long time to recede.

Crunch Point Brian Tracy

Crunch Point by Brian Tracy

Book Summary Review

I find that Brian Tracy delivers consistent quality across his wide range of interests and "Crunch Point: The 21 Secrets to Succeeding When It Matters Most" maintains the record of delivering important information concisely.

In fact that's why I have a Brian Tracy blog which features many articles written by Brian including topics connected to Crunch Point.

Crunch Point is written to give you practical help when the going gets tough and you need advice from a clear head.

Irresistible Offer Mark Joyner

The Irresistible Offer by Mark Joyner

Book Review - 4.5 Stars

"The Irresistible Offer: How To Sell Your Product Or Service In Three Seconds Or Less" by Mark Joyner is regularly referred to in my blogs because it focuses on the very centre of business.

What you give and what you want in return.

Mark Joyner makes an irresistible offer because you can get the book for free as a PDF - see The Irresistible Offer (affiliate link)- but interestingly it's not The Irresistible Offer, in the sense intended by the book.

The offer is the basic concept that any commercial transaction is based on although Mark Joyner has lifted up his concept to focus on your identifying offer.

Successful Project Management In A Week Mark Brown

Successful Project Management In A Week by Mark Brown

Book Review - 4 Stars

This project management book is a short guide which explains the basics to anyone who has to manage a project for the first time or forms a very nice refresher for someone who is experienced in project management but hasn't managed a project for some time.

Best Copywriting Books From Gary Halbert

I have seen various lists of books from top marketing men recently and I've decided to start sharing these lists with you.

Where better to start with the late, great Gary Halbert and the copywriting books and resources that he recommended to his followers.

Here is the list and Gary Halbert says that you need to read each of these one after each other, very quickly. No notes or anything. Then read again and take your time to note properly on your second reading.

Gary wasn't shy so it's no surprise that it includes two of his own resources...but I think they'd be on the list of essential copywriting resources from most of the truly great copywriters.

Who Killed Change? Ken Blanchard Review

Who Killed Change? by Ken Blanchard with John Britt, Pat Zigarmi and Judd Hoekstra

Book Review - 2 Stars

The full title "Who Killed Change? Solving The Mystery Of Leading People Through Change" gives some hints that this shocking book is business training wrapped up in a murder mystery story.

Triggers Joe Sugarman Review

Triggers by Joe Sugarman

Review Rating - 4.5 Stars

Triggers is a terrific book by Joe Sugarman, one of the leading direct marketers in the world who uses these very factors to make a fortune in direct response mail order advertising.

In fact I wish that I had read it years ago.

The sub-title of Triggers explains the purpose -  "30 Sales Tools You Can Use To Control The Mind of your Prospect to Motivate, Influence and Persuade".

(Update - April 2011 I have just heard about a free mp3 interview of Joe Sugarman taking about Triggers - Triggers mp3 - affiliate link - over 4 hours of amazing tips)

Just Ask Leadership Gary Cohen

Just Ask Leadership by Gary B. Cohen

Preliminary Book Review

I have been sent a free review copy of "Just Ask Leadership: Why Great Managers Always Ask The Right Questions" by Gary Cohen and this is my preliminary review.

The Sandler Rules David Mattson

The Sandler Rules by David Mattson

Business Book Review - 3.5 Stars

This book based on the Sandler Sales System created by David Sandler back in the late sixties and seventies and presents "49 timeless selling principles and how to apply them."

It is written by David Mattson, CEO and partner at Sandler Systems, Inc. and if you are not familiar with the Sandler name, it has become one of the best established sales training franchises throughout the world.

The Quality Pocketbook Anthony Mitchell

The Quality Pocketbook by Anthony Mitchell

Business Book Review - 4 Stars

The Pocketbook series of books are small books presented in a note form and with plenty of diagrams and white space and are designed to present the key ideas quickly and simply.

Guerrilla Retailing Elly Valas Orvel Ray Wilson Jay Levinson

Guerrilla Retailing by Jay Conrad Levinson, Elly Valas and Orvel Ray Wilson

Business Book Review - 4.5 Stars

This specialist book in the Guerrilla Marketing book series promises "Unconventional Ways To Make Big Profits From Your Retail Business" and I thought it delivered exactly that.

While Jay Levinson,s name goes first on the book cover as the creator and owner of the Guerrilla Marketing brand, I know from previous books that most, if not all the writing has been done by the other two authors.