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Books That Made The Difference
Since I was a small child, I’ve always loved reading. Even
though I don’t buy as many books as I used to (I’ve learned that
the real ‘meat’ is contained in the higher priced home-study
courses and trainings offered by these authors), my love of
books has contributed to quite a bulging book collection over the
years.
Every couple of months I create space on my bookshelf by having
a good clear out and donating the books to my local Oxfam shop.
Yet, no matter how many times I’ve done this over the years
there are some books that ALWAYS make the cut. I was reflecting
on this when I realised that there is a reason these books have a
special place in my heart. Each one of them helped me make an
important distinction or gave me an idea that helped me to
transform my business - and life.
So in no particular order, here they are and the reason why
they’ve earned a lifetime membership on my bookshelf:
‘How to Make Millions With Your Ideas’ by Dan Kennedy
The book that opened my eyes to the power of information
marketing and showed me how it was possible to profit from my
expertise, instead of my time. Not only did it open my eyes to
the power of information marketing, it was also my first
experience with Dan Kennedy. I’ve done very well out of my
association with both in the ensuing years.
‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’ by Robert Kiyosaki
Helped me to make the distinction between earned income and
leveraged income. Honestly I didn’t get it on my first encounter,
although it definitely planted a seed about passive income. This
book was the reason I stopped offering one-to-one coaching.
‘The Great Formula’ by Mark Joyner
Gave me a major ‘ah-ha’ moment, when the author pointed out that
infomercial giant Guthy-Renker has one main criteria when
evaluating new products: is there potential for continuity
income? That ‘ah-ha’ led me to reconsider my entire product
range and replace one-off purchase opportunities with programmes
that provided support and advice on an ongoing basis.
That one simple change has transformed my entire business -
until you know the feeling of starting each month with a
significant chunk of guaranteed income, you have no idea what
you’re missing.
‘Getting to Yes’ by Roger Fisher and William Ury
I was always intimidated by the idea of negotiating until I came
across this book. Everything changed when the authors provided
me with one simple question “How did you arrive at that figure?”.
I’ve never looked back!
‘The Portable Coach’ by Thomas Leonard
Where do I start? There were so many light-bulb moments when I
read this book I could have been a Christmas tree! Misnamed in
my opinion (it’s subtitle 28 Principles of Attraction might be a
better description) this is one I return to over and over. Even
today it is ahead of its time.
If these books haven’t made it onto your reading list yet, I
recommend that you check them out soon!
(c) Bernadette Doyle, 2008. Reprints welcome so long as by-line
and article are published intact and all links made live.
Bernadette Doyle, created Client Magnets Ltd to help the
self-employed solve one of their biggest problems: attracting a
steady stream of clients. She has attracted a loyal following
who praise her down to earth yet inspiring approach. If you like
this article, you’ll love Bernadette’s marketing and success
training products and programmes at http://www.ClientMagnets.com
to help you develop a business that suits YOUR preferred
lifestyle.
December 1st, 2008