5 business books that need to be written
by Fred Roed on 04/11/07 at 8:53 pm
3 comments
“The One Thing”
Summary: The world is now a crazy place. People are going nuts thinking about the rate of change. Parents are anxious about their kids’ future, ‘How will they learn all they need to learn?’ There’s too much going on. Technology is moving too fast and we can’t keep up. The train has left and it’s going too fast for us to catch up… This book says ‘So what? Stick to your one thing, do it well and you will shine in a world of frantic multitasking Jacks of all Trades.’
“Business is Sales”
Summary: 100 Steps to Marketing Success. The 7 Best Rules for a Breakneck Brand. How to Think Yourself Rich… ya, right. Put them all away. Burn all the old books and forget all you knew about marketing. Business is sales. Sales is relationships. Relationships are easy. You’ve done them since you first shared your lunch box with the kid sitting next to you at first grade.
“Social Media is Supposed to be Social”
Summary: Get a life. Pick up a phone and call the other guy/girl. Stop hiding behind your screen, and get out there. This book is about breaking down the digital divide and flinging some business cards around.
“Choose Your People Well”
Summary: There’s a guy in your team who you can’t put your finger on. You just know there’s something not cool about him. The trust factor is not there. Maybe it was that comment at the Monday Morning Meeting about ‘fleecing the client for all he’s worth!’ or the thing about ‘ditching the wife at Friday drinks for a bit of honey on the side.’ You’re thinking if that’s the way he values a valued client, or supposedly the most valued person in his life, how does he value you, his colleague / partner / employer? This book is all about choosing who gets on the bus, before choosing where the bus goes.
“Don’t Lie”
Summary: The ‘entrepreneurial way’ is to bend the truth j-u-u-u-u-st a touch to the left in his or her favour. This book is about how it always comes back to kick you in the ass.
Fred Roed is the marketing guy in the Ideate crew. Fred is the CEO of web marketing company World Wide Creative and the co-founder of online learning portal Heavy Chef. Fred loves writing about people out there doing marketing right. Follow Fred on Twitter here. View more articles by Fred Roed.
Bruce
Nov 5th, 2007
This book already exists. I stumbled on this book at Exclusive books and it has it all. All the above in easy to read short one or two page essays. And it has a title that says what we all know – The Obvious by James Dale.
Here is a copy of the synopsis from the Exclusive web site:
http://www.exclusivebooks.com/display.php?PHPSESSID=ktg0md5tq1q97o0tv604mm4cp7&ean=9780007245703
The secrets to success in business aren’t secrets at all. They are simple and obvious, but we overlook them. This life-changing book offers the short-cut road to success – in business and beyond giving digestible and effective advice that actually works, served up with inspirational anecdotes in a humorous style. ‘The Obvious’ is a refreshingly simple and original business book. Business guru James Dale shows how the principles, values, and strategies that make businesses successful are those simple ideas that apply to life. Listening opens up worlds to you, paying attention puts you at an advantage over people who don’t even show up, and telling the truth beats lying ten times out of ten. Try the simple – it’s almost always more effective than the complicated. You’ll find this book not only a sharp, cut-to-the-chase career book, but also an handbook of engaging wisdom that will bring you fast solutions to problems in any area of your life. ‘The Obvious’ reveals the eight core lessons you need to remember – each full of humour and fascinating anecdotes about the world’s most successful movers and shakers. You’ll find compelling real-life examples of the ’simple=success’ formula from companies such as Apple and IBM, Ikea and Starbucks, as well as innovative people from Thomas Edison and Bill Gates, to Woody Allen and Steven Spielberg. Some ‘Obvious’ life-lessons that work: / Simple is Better Than Complicated – ask if you don’t know; shut up and listen; be nice – it gets results. / Be Honest – the truth is powerful; apologies work; an excuse is not a reason; take responsibility – ‘I will do it’ gets you noticed. / Open Your Mind – failure is a good teacher; bosses are not all idiots – learn from them. / Energy Gives You the Edge – patience is a virtue; so is impatience; ‘Do it today’ – the key to effectiveness. Readable, fast-paced and entertaining, ‘The Obvious’ is for anyone’s business bookshelf, from the CEO to the postroom, HR director to the entire sales force – or anyone wanting to be successful in life.
Fred
Nov 6th, 2007
Nice one Bruce. I will definitely check it out. F
Darren
Nov 6th, 2007
Quite a good list, Fred. I particularly like no. 4. You going to write them yourself? If not, I can recommend some people who could put real oomph into some of them
The only challenge after that is getting the books to the people who actually need to read them [the ones who really need them don't even realise it - probably including me somewhere in there]