Football is back and Game of Thrones is gone. So, let’s face it, fall is coming and you have a little more free time on your hands. If you’re anything like me, you’re determined to squeeze summer until the last drop. But when you’re ready to pull out the sweaters and indulge in all things pumpkin spice, you’ll likely need a good book to complete the visual.
Given that we’re in the business of solving problems, we should read constantly. By consuming information, whether it be your favorite blog, magazine, or a recommended book, you help inform or influence your work and position yourself as a thought leader with your clients.
Here are some suggestions I’ve complied over the past several months to add to your reading list. Enjoy!
- The consultant with the pink hair
This one had me by the title. In a landscape of many, it’s critical to find your secret sauce –what sets you apart and makes your clients come back for more. This book is all too relatable as we follow partners in a fictional management consulting practice, struggling with the real-life challenges of being just another consulting firm in a crowded marketplace, and trying to determine exactly why clients choose to hire them or not. - Everybody writes
Let’s face it…it’s true. Whether you’re like me and go somewhat kicking and screaming into a writing project or dream in prose, honing your writing skills is critical to engaging your target audience to drive results. In this book, marketing veteran Ann Handley gives expert guidance and insight into the process and strategy of content creation, production and publishing, with actionable how-to advice designed to get results. Consider this your professional CliffsNotes. - The trusted advisor
A title we all aspire to hold. And according to professional advisors David H. Maister, Charles H. Green, and Robert M. Galford, the key to professional success is the ability to earn the trust and confidence of clients . As a consultant, you’ll likely see yourself in the experiences and examples of the successes and mistakes which showcase the importance of these intangible attributes. - Good to great
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in a meeting, reading a blog, or listening to a podcast where this book is referenced. I guess sometimes the most obvious read needs room on the list as well. This book unveils the findings from an analysis, which took over five years, of all twenty-eight companies in the Built to Last management study of the nineties. After examining the data and thousands of pages of interviews, key determinants of greatness were identified to help shed light on why some companies make the leap and others don’t. - The back of the napkin
We’ve all done it. Maybe it hasn’t led to a million-dollar idea, but breaking down complexity is essential to better storytelling. This international bestseller from Dan Roam proves that a simple drawing on a napkin can be more powerful than the slickest PowerPoint presentation. Although you’re likely not going to be the next Bansky, working on your visual thinking can help you discover and develop new ideas, solve problems in unexpected ways, and improve your ability to share your insights.
Read them all? Anything to share? We’d love to gather your recommendations, too! Leave your favorite marketing or consulting books in a comment via any of our Audienz social channels so we can all pick up a copy for ourselves.
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