A few of our staff have been busy reading some amazing, self-improvement books lately, and we wanted to share our thoughts with you. Here are our top picks:
1. "Atomic Habits" by James Clear -Read by Jessica Corney who shares her key takeaways from this book.
"Atomic Habits, is a practical and insightful guide to help readers improve their habits and achieve their goals. The book is divided into four parts: The Fundamentals, The Four Laws of Behavior Change, Make It Obvious, and Make It Satisfying. Clear emphasizes the importance of small, incremental changes in our habits, rather than relying on sudden, drastic transformations.
One of my key takeaways from the book is the concept of habit stacking, where new habits are built on top of existing ones. This helps to make the new habits more automatic and easier to stick to. Clear also stresses the importance of environment design, making small changes in our surroundings to make it easier to form good habits and break bad ones.
Clear's writing is engaging and easy to follow, with plenty of real-life examples and case studies to illustrate his points. He also includes practical exercises and templates throughout the book to help readers apply the concepts to their own lives.
Overall, Atomic Habits is a valuable resource for anyone looking to make positive changes in their life. It's a refreshing take on the often-overwhelming topic of habit formation, offering practical advice and actionable steps to help readers achieve their goals. Whether you're looking to improve your health, relationships, or career, I would definitely recommend taking a look at this book!"
2. "Our Iceberg Is Melting" by John Kotter - Read by Viktoria Viksner who shares her key takeaways from this book.
"This is a fantastic and easy-to-read book, that we highly recommended to add to your summer booklist. It is important to note that the author -John Kotter is a Konosuke Matsushita professor of Leadership at the Harvard Business School. What is Konosuke Matsushita, you ask? The question is WHO is Konosuke Matsushita?- He was a Japanese businessman who founded Panasonic (an extremely successful company of its time).
John Kotter wrote this book in 2006 and it cannot be more fitting in today's world. The main takeaways from this book can be applied universally, in any business model or even personal life. Each and every single person is unique and responds to change differently. This book provides insight on how to manage different people and its organization through change. The author uses penguins to describe different people and their reactions to change and the unknown. These penguins are co-workers you can recognize in your organization, which makes this book so relatable. The main points in this book are, that as a leader you should consider:
1. Giving each person consideration towards their ideas, recommendations, and concerns. There is a special reason why employees speak up about specific matters. If you miss giving them attention, you may miss the bigger picture. Effective leaders should be able to recognize the bigger picture in most situations. Their employees are the ones that lead them to these bigger pictures through their ideas, recommendations, and concerns. Simply put -it’s teamwork.
2. Observe and record people’s reactions once a change has been communicated. This reaction reveals how people want to be managed through this change. People show us how they want/need to be managed through their reactions. All leaders have to do is pay attention.
3. Hold team meetings, appoint champions, and provide rewards when appropriate. Do not stop at simply making the change; continue measuring & leading the change.
We recommend this book to every individual in hopes of them recognizing themselves and being able to relate to one or several penguins at the same time. This will help not only change your reactions from a subordinate side and/or leadership side as well. If you wish to discuss the main ideas in this book please do not hesitate to contact us via Instagram- we always welcome a book discussion."
3. "Success Secrets of The Sales Funnel" by Ray Leone - Read by Jessica Rumeo who shares her key takeaways from this book.
" This book is a must-read for any sales professional looking to enhance their effectiveness and achieve greater success in their career. Ray Leone presents a concise and logical approach to identifying customer needs and building strong relationships with prospects. The book emphasizes the importance of understanding the value of time, especially in a fast-paced world where buyers have limited time and multiple responsibilities.
The centerpiece of Leone's approach is the "Sales Funnel," which provides a clear process for salespeople to follow, ensuring they ask the right questions to identify prospects' wants, needs, and desires. By doing so, salespeople can eliminate objections before even presenting their product or service. This strategy not only saves time but also increases the chances of closing deals with genuinely interested prospects.
The strength of Leone's method lies in its scientific approach, eliminating guesswork. Instead, it empowers salespeople to sell effectively at an advisory and conceptual level, thereby improving sales hit rates significantly. The method seamlessly integrates processes and skills, equipping sales professionals with interview and questioning techniques to reach their goals systematically.
The book offers ample opportunities for learning and practice, with a focus on perfecting techniques and tactics through coaching. By embedding this method in the sales team and organization as a whole, lasting results are achieved, reflected in both increased closing rates and sales turnover.
In conclusion, "Success Secrets of the Sales Funnel" by Ray Leone is an outstanding resource for sales professionals seeking to elevate their performance and achieve greater success. With its scientifically developed approach and emphasis on building meaningful relationships with prospects, this book provides invaluable insights and techniques that can be applied immediately to improve sales outcomes. Whether you're a seasoned salesperson or just starting, this book is a game-changer that will undoubtedly make a positive impact on your sales career."
4. "Never Split The Difference" by Chris Voss - Read by Janice Corney who shares her key takeaways from this book.
Written by former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss, this book is a captivating read and could benefit anyone who wants to improve their negotiation skills.
One of the things I loved about this book is that Voss doesn't just give you a list of negotiation tactics to memorize. Instead, he teaches you the underlying principles behind successful negotiations and shows you how to apply them in a variety of situations. Whether you're negotiating a business deal or trying to convince your kids to eat their vegetables, the techniques in this book will help you get what you want while still leaving the other party feeling satisfied.
But what really sets "Never Split the Difference" apart is Voss's emphasis on empathy and active listening. He reminds us that negotiations are not about winning or losing, but about finding a mutually beneficial solution. By truly understanding the other party's perspective and needs, you can build trust and rapport, and ultimately achieve a better outcome for everyone involved.
Overall, I highly recommend "Never Split the Difference" to anyone who wants to improve their negotiation skills. Whether you're a seasoned negotiator or a complete beginner, this book has something to offer. So go ahead and give it a read – you won't be disappointed!
We highly recommend all of these books and hope you enjoy them as much as we did!