The seminal piece on how to Influence, this book needs to be among the next books you read (if you haven’t already read it). In this book, Cialdini discusses his 6 Weapons of Influence in great detail (Reciprocity, Commitment & Consistency, Social Proof, Authority, Liking & Scarcity). Just beware that this book will have you thinking back through your own experiences, analyzing how you fell for one or more of these principles. That said, the insights in this book are so powerful that Dr. Cialdini, a trained psychologist, warns his readers to examine their conscience before applying them in the real word.
2) How to Win Friends & Influence People - By Dale Carnegie
This classic is still relevant as it was when the book was first published in 1936. Friendlier in tone, this book couldn’t be more different than Cialdini’s ‘Influence’. Carnegie’s approach to influencing people is more of a collection of principles to live by than a compendium on the subject. This book has earned its keep as I find myself reading it again and again. Personally, and professionally, Carnegie’s techniques have guided me through difficult situations.
3) Inbound Marketing - By Brian Halligan & Dharmesh Shah
This is the book written for anyone looking to get started with Inbound Marketing. This book was written by Hubspot’s Co-Founders Brian and Dharmesh, as a primer for Inbound. It is filled with great advice covering SEO, blogging, social media, websites, funnels and more.
4) Content Inc. - By Joe Pulizzi
If you don’t have a content strategy, you will fall behind your competition who have. In the follow up to his ‘Epic Content’, Pulizzi goes into greater detail in content, even discussing how you can actually formulate and follow through with your content strategy. He doesn’t merely explain how to create content, he goes into the nitty gritty of how to promote, extend and re-purpose content.
5) The Trusted Advisor - By David H. Maister
The rich and powerful are surrounded with people offering advice, but few who are willing to listen. This book is built around the premise that you need to earn the right to solve problems, through informed listening and curiosity. An indispensable tool on how to build professional relationships, I highly recommended to anyone that considers himself an advisor or consultant.
6) New Sales. Simplified - By Mike Weinberg
This book is written for those who are looking to move from simply selling, to building a sales focused organization. If you're looking to move beyond transactional selling, manage salespeople or simply looking to re-evaluate your sales process then i'd highly recommend this book. Mike Weinberg doesn't pull any punches, he walks you through his principles from building a sales pipeline on through the different stages of the sale.
7) The Education of a Value Investor - By Guy Spier
I’m going to be honest; this book has nothing to do with winning clients. This has more to do with an ethically-challenged investor who finds his way through following in the footsteps of Warren Buffet. The book teaches you how to be upfront with your clients, along with the importance of a life/work balance.