How to Win Customers and Keep them for Life by Michael LeBoeuf was given to me by a friend and it’s not a book that I think I would have picked up off a shelf and bought, but it had some good insights.

The book is about sales, but underneath that there’s some excellent insight into how people think and what makes people tick. Being in the people “business” so to speak, I was very intrigued by his observations of people.

Here’s a few great quotes from the book:

- “A typical business only hears from 4% of its’ dissatisfied customers.”
- “The average business spends six times more to attract new customers than it does to keep old ones.”
- “…To the customer, the employee IS the company.”
- “…You get more of the behavior you reward.”
- “To ensure that the customer’s viewpoint is understood, every manager must periodically sit at every table in his or her restaurant.”
- “People are far more persuaded by the depths of your beliefs and emotions than any amount of logic knowledge you possess.”
- “People don’t buy quarter inch drill bits, they buy quarter inch holes.”

Anyway, it’s an interesting read. Great book for someone in sales. Good book for someone who wants to understand why people do the things they do.

If I could get every person at CF to read “The Divine Mentor”, I would. It’s a great book that reminds us of the importance of reading God’s Word daily. Wayne Cordiero shares his personal Bible study habits and the benefits of remaining in God’s Word daily.

It was an easy read, but it filled with powerful insights. His S.O.A.P. devotional method is what I use each morning. I love the idea of the characters in the Scriptures being our mentors throughout our lives.

Anyway, this is a great book to pick if you’re looking establish a Bible reading/ devotional plan or revitalize an existing one.

The Elements of Persuasion by Richard Maxwell and Robert Dickman was recommended to me by a fellow communicator and I’m really glad I read it. If you communicate to any degree then you know how important it is to refine your craft. That’s why I love reading books on speaking and communication. It helps me think about what I do and it broadens my scope.

This book was very good. It really unpacked what happens when we communicate our ideas using words, pictures, and emotion.

Here’s a few of my favorite quotes:

“A story is a fact, wrapped in an emotion that compels us to take an action that transforms our world.”

“Real passion, properly focused, makes a story – or a product – impossible to ignore.”

“Know what you want your audience to do once you stop speaking.”

“Going to see really good public speakers is a way to become one.”

“Every great leader is a great storyteller.”

I was given Leadership by Tom Peters as a gift, so I decided to give it a read. I didn’t love it. It had some good insights, but nothing that blew me away.

Here’s a couple of nuggets that were good:

“A leader is a dealer in hope.”

“Leaders don’t ‘want to win’. Effective leaders ‘need to win.’”

“Effective leaders exude a sense of confidence and determination that inspires others.”

Let me say that It’s Okay to be the Boss was a great read! This book had so many great insights into managing and leading. It blew up a lot of the myths about managing and really got me thinking about how I manage and how I can improve and set our staff up for success. I saw so many of the mistakes I have made as a manager and a lot of the mistakes that people made in managing me in the past

Here’s a few quotes that stood out:

“If you are the boss, it is your responsibility to make sure everything goes well.”

“Almost everyone performs better with more guidance, direction, and support from a more experienced person.”

“Maintain an ongoing dialogue: ‘Here’s what I need from you. What do you need from me?’”

“Stop coaching employees when problems develop; coach employees when they are doing great or just doing OK.”

“The only way to cope with the incredible diversity among your employees is to figure out what works with each person and then customize your management style accordingly.”

“The first and most important element of in creating real accountability is spelling out expectations up front in clear terms.”

“If you are the boss, your #1 responsibility is to make absolutely sure that every person you manage understands exactly what he is expected to do and exactly how he is expected to do it.”

“Low performers don’t like to be managed closely.”

“One high-performing employee is worth more to the business than 3 or 4 mediocre employees.”

This book is very well written, easy to read, and very informative. I highly recommend it to anyone who manages people.