OK, as of April 2020 we are in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic. If your business is quiet at the moment then now is the ideal time to educate yourself. Here are my top 9 best marketing books for entrepreneurs. Now, these books will only resonate with you if you own or work in a small entrepreneurial business where generating sales is key. If you are looking for academic marketing books or you work in corporate marketing then these will not be for you. There is just a brief explanation of the value I received each time I read these books.
The 1 -9 ranking does not apply, as each of these books has its own unique angle so it would be like trying to compare apples and oranges. Unless I gained valuable business and marketing insights and enjoy reading them, then they would not be on the list. The non-affiliate link takes you to Amazon where there are full descriptions and reviews to enable you to decide for yourself.
1 The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes.
What can I say about this book? If you are in sales you should read this book. Unfortunately, Chet died in 2012 and so it appears a little dated with regards to internet marketing but the principles are timeless and I am sure this will become a classic sales/marketing text. Only 3% of people are ready to buy at any time when we are adverting. But what about the other 97%. How do you tap into these people and generate sales? The top 100 concept is a killer strategy for B2B marketing Amazon Link . BONUS – Check out this video with Chet and Tony Robbins. All in all it is about an hours worth of video, but very compelling – link to video.
2 How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
This is a timeless classic and is the foundation by which so many of today’s “gurus” are based. To be honest this should be a read for everyone. This is more personal self-development than marketing, but it just has to be on this list for me. Amazon Link
3 DotCom Secrets by Russell Brunson.
Fantastic book as it gives the small business owner a solid foundation by which to structure their marketing. Do you just sell one product? Russell introduces the concept of product ascension. His products range from free to $1M a year consulting. This is game-changing for most small businesses. Amazon Link
4 Launch by Jeff Walker.
The Product Launch Formula online training by Jeff Walker has been around now for 10 years or so. In this book, Jeff maps out his process for selling products and services online. The separate principles of his concept are nothing new, it is the way Jeff has organised them into a system which makes it so powerful. The book costs around £10 but I must say it contains about 80% of what is contained in the Product Launch Formula online course which costs about $2000. So this book is a smart investment. Amazon Link
5 Oversubscribed by Daniel Priestly.
Traditionally businesses spend money on advertising and chasing after customers. But times are a changing. With the internet and Google, anyone can quickly learn about any service or product they are interested in. In this book, Daniel explains in this new world how to position yourself and your business as the experts and so attract customers to you so that you are oversubscribed and as a result charge a premium for your product or service. Amazon Link
6They Ask You Answer by Marcus Sheridan.
Mention blogging, content marketing, keywords, CMS, SEO to most business owners and their eyes glaze over with the thought of technical marketing mumbo jumbo. But this book is a practical ‘how to’ guide totally focused on what customers are looking for and how you can deliver education online that ultimately draws customers to you, rather than you chase them. One of my clients recommended this to me after I got him started with “blogging” and I showed him how I was able to attract customers to me just by providing valuable content online. This book contains timeless marketing principles, not a quick fix, gone tomorrow solutions that are so prevalent in internet marketing. Amazon Link
7 Emyth Revisited by Michael Gerber.
Another top selling publication. As with Work the System (4) this is all about organising your business for success. Gerber walks you through the steps in the life of a business—from entrepreneurial infancy through adolescent growing pains to the mature entrepreneurial perspective. Most importantly, Gerber draws the vital, often overlooked distinction between working on your business and working in your business. Amazon Link
8 Work the System by Sam Carpenter.
So many small businesses are run on a wing and a prayer. No formal systems and this holds them back from greatness. In his book Sam uses his business as an example- taking it from working an 80 hour week, fighting bankruptcy and all the stress to a hugely successful business where he just has to work a couple of hours a week. Systems are key to business growth. Amazon Link
9 Clockwork: Design Your Business to Run Itself by Mike Michalowicz
This book goes hand in hand with Work The System (No. 8 above). It is all about how to plan and set up systems so that you can take a full month out of your business initially and prove to yourself that your business no longer requires you to work in the business, rather you become the designer of your business.
I hope you have found value is this my list of the best marketing books that I have read and own.
Julian Mills – contact
