Why am I writing a recommendation for a book that was first published in forty years ago?
First, because I believe it is the most influential sales book ever written, certainly for me personally and probably to the rest of the selling world, as you can see from the chart below. Last Friday, the New York Times ran an article about Google’s new tool which lets you graph the frequency of phrases in 5.2 million digitized books published between 1500 and 2008. I had been thinking about Mack Hanan that morning, and decided to compare several common phrases used in selling. Here’s the result:
“Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them.” Alfred North Whitehead
Dr. Atul Gawande wrote The Checklist Manifesto to make a case for increased use of checklists by surgeons, and I’ve written this article and book recommendation to endorse his idea and recommend it for sales professionals as well. When I first heard of his book, I avoided buying it because his premise seemed too simple for a full-length treatment and I didn’t think there was too much to learn. I was wrong.
How are airline pilots and surgeons similar? They both lead teams engaged in highly complex tasks that involve many different steps; they generally are highly individualistic with large egos; the processes they engage in are usually routine with the occasional chance of fatal mistakes. One major difference? Pilots routinely use checklists and surgeons don’t. (Well, there’s one more: pilots usually suffer the full consequences of their mistakes.)
Last week I wrote an article about persuasion as a process, in which I emphasized the critical importance of preparation and positioning before you get in front of your intended audience. I’ve chosen The Art of Woo for this week’s book recommendation for the lessons it includes about strategic persuasion.
My Favorite Books on Presentations and Speaking
I’m often asked to recommend books on various topics, and as a result I’ve compiled an extensive list, which I will share in stages in upcoming posts. It’s tough to winnow down the list to a half-dozen for each topic, and I expect each list will change over time as new books are written or I get suggestions for others I haven’t read.
Advanced Presentations by Design, Andrew Abela
I put this at the top of my list of presentation books because it’s practical and it’s the best-supported by research. I especially like his method for differentiating between “boardroom” slides and “ballroom” slides.
Perfect Pitch, Jon Steele
This is an excellent book about making compelling sales presentations. Steele comes from the advertising world and has extensive real-world experience. The chapter on how London won the 2012 Olympics is worth the price of the book.
Thank You for Arguing, Jay Heinrichs
Heinrichs does a great job of making classical rhetoric relevant to our world today. You don’t have to memorize the technical names of the rhetorical devices to appreciate their effectiveness. This book is erudite, funny, and practical.
Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln, James Humes
Humes gives 21 excellent suggestions for improving your speeches, drawing from some of the great communicators in history. An excellent book if you want to be a speaker and not just a presenter.
Jacked Up, Bill Lane
You have to put up with a bit of hero worship to get through this book, but it’s worthwhile. It gives great insight into what impresses top executives when you present to them, and should convince you to put the long hours into preparation.
Made to Stick, Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Why do urban legends persist even when they’re shown to be false? This book dissects what makes messages memorable. I will read anything the Heath brothers write, because of their very entertaining style. Plus, for a knowledge-hound like me, the Notes pages are a gold mine of additional reading suggestions.
I welcome any suggestions for titles to add to this list.
