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Best Physical Book to Help Your Offline Biz?

by Chad Heffelfinger
28 replies
I am going on a trip this weekend and was thinking of picking up a good book to read, so I might as well get one to help my offline biz.

What is the best book you know of that would benefit us offline consultants? Either a book on consulting, sales, cold calling, etc.

What book do you think is the best for these types of topics?

Let's try and get some good info in here to help everyone out, not just my reading for the weekend.

Thanks,
Chad
#biz #book #offline #physical
  • Profile picture of the author AfteraDream
    Looks like Dan Kennedy's and Jay Abraham's stuff has been recommended most... even guy like Frank Kern admits blatantly copying Dan Kennedy..
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  • Profile picture of the author Chad Heffelfinger
    Yeah, as of right now I am leaning towards a Dan Kennedy book, just wanting to see what else or specific book comes up.
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    • Profile picture of the author dsprank
      Dan Kennedy's The New Psycho Cybernetics is a great book. It really helps get my head in the game when I am falling off the wagon.

      His follow up Zero Resistance Selling was even better for me since it uses the psycho cybernetics principles gearing the book towards helping the salesperson.

      Jeffrey Gitomer has some great books on sales too. His best is the Sales Bible. And then there is just about every book that Brian Tracy has put out. His sales books are good, but his books on time management have helped me a great deal.

      Hope this helps,

      Dave
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  • Profile picture of the author jsherloc
    Hi Chad,

    I see you mentioned the big names already like Kennedy, Abraham, etc.

    In all honesty, those guys always seem a bit "over the top" for me, at least literature-wise. They make great points, but sometimes I feel like I am reading the newest clickbank salesletter. (Which actually makes a lot of sense lol) In other words, they are more entertaining/informative to me when I watch them or listen to them, rather than reading.

    This is just my personal opinion though. For perhaps a slightly-more lowkey read, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND:

    The Power of Persuasion: How We're Bought and...The Power of Persuasion: How We're Bought and...
    Nice brief read that really made me think about many aspects of my own offline business/the sales approaches I take.

    - Jim
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  • Profile picture of the author newbie2011
    Thanks dsprank, I would explore your books.
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  • Profile picture of the author Chad Heffelfinger
    Thanks guys, a decent start so far. I hope to get some more imput from some other people as well.

    So far:
    Dan Kennedy - The New Psycho Cybernetics & Zero Resistance Selling
    Jay Abraham in general
    The Power of Persuasion
    Jeffrey Gitomer Little ___ Books
    Brian Tracy

    Keep Them Coming!
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  • Profile picture of the author James Foster
    I agree with Brad, I'd go with Influence.

    You might also like The E-Myth Revisited.

    And if we're talking about "offline" and Dan Kennedy I think the two best books you could read by him would be No BS Sales Success and No BS Direct Response Marketing.
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  • Profile picture of the author gourab
    Thanks for the book...
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  • Profile picture of the author Dexx
    E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
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    • Profile picture of the author redlegrich
      While it does not fit your bill as far as being technically offline marketing I would recommend Never Eat Alone. Excellent book on how to effectively network.

      In my opinion most business how to books are 40 pages of content crammed into 200 pages. This has a lot of great information and is well written from a very personal perspective.
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      • Profile picture of the author helisell
        Blink-Gladwell

        Purple Cow-Godin

        Small is the new big-Godin

        Rework-Fried

        Anything by Jeff Paul

        The greatest salesman in the world-Mandino

        The game of business-Gorman

        Need any more?
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        Making Calls To Sell Something? What are you actually saying?
        Is there any room for improvement? Want to find out?

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    • Profile picture of the author David Neale
      Agreed. THE most important book to read.

      Originally Posted by Dexx View Post

      E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
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      David Neale

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  • Profile picture of the author itzpaul
    Nice, thanks. I'm getting started in the offline biz and want to know as much as I can.
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  • Profile picture of the author Chad Heffelfinger
    So, it turns out my reading opportunity isn't going to happen. I was going to be on a bus for 8 hours each way with a soccer team I coach, but now we're taking vans and I have to drive. Oh, well.

    I am still going to get a new book anyway. I am familiar with most of the ones mentioned, but there have been several that I hadn't heard of that sound pretty good.

    So, without counting, I think there have been at least 20 or so books mentioned. I hope that helps those reading this thread out, and I hope we still get some more contributions coming in.

    Thanks everybody!
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  • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
    your going on a driving trip / re offline business / how about the book of life / take a notepad and seek out those old and new timers with businesses along the way and just talk with them, ask them about what works for them what does not work for them / what the best and worst consultants do ?

    Read and learn from the book of real life.

    If your ever in a smoke filled room where the races are on look for the quiet old guy in the back corner, buy him a beer and you will learn more about picking a winner than any number of books could ever hope to teach you.

    Same analogy / then compile it come back here and you have a great ebook for give away / sale

    It can be some on liners have no real touch with real business / not saying that here / but i am sure the idea / challenge deserves some thought as to how much you can gleam from a road trip / there are secrets and opportunity everywhere waiting to be uncovered.
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    | > Choosing to go off the grid for a while to focus on family, work and life in general. Have a great 2020 < |
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnB23
    I'd recommend one of Jay's seminars in the 90's on audio tape. His mastermind marketing seminars were outstanding.

    They seem antiquated by now, but that's where the power lies. Because no one uses them. I think seminars tend to focus more on mindset, vs techniques in books. If you can find his april 1994 mastermind seminar, its outstanding.

    -Another good book, sort of off the beaten path, is Charlie Munger's, Poor Charlie's Almanack. Munger is Warren Buffetts partner at Berkshire Hathaway. Gigantic book, like 480 pages. Some of the books he mentions are mentioned here like Cialdini's Influence.
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  • Profile picture of the author MichaelHiles
    The Marketing Imagination - Theodore Levitt
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  • Profile picture of the author jacktackett
    I'd suggest you work on your own book! Nothing screams credibility like walking into a prospects office/place of work and handing them a copy of your book on your niche. And a small book doesn't cost that much. And leaves a much bigger impression than a business card.
    --Jack
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  • Profile picture of the author NickMann
    Any Seth Godin Book.... Tribes is great
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    Instant Professional Offline Video Marketing
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  • Profile picture of the author KBRMS
    Chad,

    Dan Kennedy is great, don't forget to get on his email list as well. Be prepared to be marketed to though. LOL Enjoy your reading.

    Rick
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    • Profile picture of the author Rus Sells
      Any books by W. Clement Stone who was my fathers mentor when Mr. Stone started Combined Insurance Company of America on a measly $100 dollars.

      The Success System That Never Fails

      Believe and Achieve 17 Principles of Success

      Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude

      My father really liked and lived by the last book mentioned, so much so that he had a window sticker in the back window of his car, AMP which when viewed in the rear view mirror read, PMA. = )
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      • Profile picture of the author TheWealthSquad
        Duct Tape Marketing
        The Radical Leap
        Greater Than You
        How to Sell when Nobody is Buying
        Predictably Irrational
        Anything by Cialdini
        The Secret Code of Success
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        Get Your Business Noticed WSO Local Business Citations

        Scott Lovingood - Join me on Linkedin
        Creating Wealth with a small business

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      • Profile picture of the author HD
        Oh my gosh! I disagree with every comment above. Enjoy the trip taking a few days off to read:

        The Post American World by Freed Zakaria.

        But if you must keep your nose to the grindstone, you can bank on the fact that anything Dexx recommends is worth it's weight in 24K gold.

        Thank you, Dexx! I'll head over to Amazon now.
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        Have A Nice Day and a Prosperous New Year!!!

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        • Profile picture of the author eyesocialize
          The Law of Success by Napoleon Hill gets your mind where it needs to be to be successful in whatever you are trying to achieve.
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          • Profile picture of the author AndrewCavanagh
            How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie would come at the top of the list for me.

            If you can deal with people effectively you can get hired and you will also have a better understanding of how to influence people using internet marketing strategies (which means you can help the clients who hire you make real sales and profits).

            In my opinion until you've read that book at leas 6 or 7 times you need to read it again.


            Beyond that probably the biggest bargain you can find in a book is Jay Abraham's Getting Everything You Can Out Of All You've Got.

            I have quite a few of Jay Abraham's multi thousand dollar products and that book shares exactly the same information you'd normally pay thousands for.

            Dan Kennedy's business marketing books are also excellent.

            But in my opinion you are more likely to impact your own behavior and results by rereading a book that covers the basics and committing to genuinely applying the information.

            So How To Win Friends And Influence People comes out on top.

            Kindest regards,
            Andrew Cavanagh
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            • Profile picture of the author Chad Heffelfinger
              Originally Posted by AndrewCavanagh View Post

              How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie would come at the top of the list for me.

              If you can deal with people effectively you can get hired and you will also have a better understanding of how to influence people using internet marketing strategies (which means you can help the clients who hire you make real sales and profits).

              In my opinion until you've read that book at leas 6 or 7 times you need to read it again.


              Beyond that probably the biggest bargain you can find in a book is Jay Abraham's Getting Everything You Can Out Of All You've Got.

              I have quite a few of Jay Abraham's multi thousand dollar products and that book shares exactly the same information you'd normally pay thousands for.

              Dan Kennedy's business marketing books are also excellent.

              But in my opinion you are more likely to impact your own behavior and results by rereading a book that covers the basics and committing to genuinely applying the information.

              So How To Win Friends And Influence People comes out on top.

              Kindest regards,
              Andrew Cavanagh
              Thanks Andrew,

              That's one that I had forgot about that I have never got around to reading, but had always heard good things about.

              Another one to add to the list.

              Thanks
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