1. The No Asshole Rule - Building A Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't by Robert Sutton
As solo entrepreneurs, we don't usually have the employee thing going on and can avoid (most of the time) having an asshole around on a constant basis. But then there are the customers, clients, suppliers, bankers and just about everybody else that just seems to want to cut their teeth on us!
TNAR gives you practical tips and techniques to at least not end up in prison for doing the world a favor by getting rid of these folks.
Robert shares two tests for determining if you're dealing with a true member of the Asshole Society or just someone who's having a really bad day.
Test One: After talking to the asshole, do you (Robert calls you "the target") feel oppressed, humiliated, de-energized or belittled by the person? In particular, do you feel worse about yourself? You'll have to get your own copy to read Test Two!
2. How To Sell To An Idiot - 12 Steps to Selling Anything to Anyone by John Hoover and Bill Sparkman.
I first picked this up because of the color of the cover. Ok, so that's not exactly a good reason to buy a book but I'm glad I did finally read it.
Solo entrepreneurs sell because we must not because it comes easily. If the idea of selling makes your stomach churn, especially face-to-face, belly-to-belly selling situations - then this is the book that's going to help turn you into a selling machine or keep you from going nuts!
How to Sell...not only gives you tips to figure out who you're selling to, but gives you simple techniques to prepare to sell. Believe it or not the same skills you use everyday to run your business are the same skills used when selling to a prospective customer. You'll have to read the book to find out what that is!
Finally, for your summer reading enjoyment
3. The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) by Seth Godin.
This is what I'm reading now and it's worth your time. As a life coach the biggest mistake I keep seeing is good people operating businesses that they hate or pouring their hearts into one that will never be more than a job.
Most of the time it goes deeper than disliking the selling part or tired of handling cranky customers. I'm talking about those who have dived, head first, into a business they should not have started in the first place.
For example, Linda likes quilting and will do them as special gifts. Somewhere a light bulb went on and 3 years down the road, she's had enough of quilts, quilting fabrics and all the other stuff that goes with operating a sideline quilting business. Her question to me? 'What the hell was I thinking?!' and 'How do I get myself out of this mess!'
According to Seth - what really sets superstars apart from everyone else is the ability to escape dead ends quickly, while staying focused and motivated when it really counts.
From The Dip: "Winners quit fast, quit often, and quit without guilt-until they commit to beating the right Dip for the right reasons."
Reminds me of a Kenny Rogers song, 'You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em and you got to know when to walk away'.
That's it for today, short and sweet but I'll leave you with this:
Live out of your imagination, not your history. - Stephen Covey
