Looking for a last-minute holiday gift? Or perhaps you want to catch up on the top business books this crazy year had to offer for yourself? Either way, we’ve some great suggestions for you!
With the help of LinkedIn, and with some of our own recommendations, here are our five picks for the best business books of 2020.
They are all titles SME owners and leadership teams will benefit from. We hope you’ll agree, they are required reading to get ready for what we’re all hoping will be a much better 2021!
- 1. Ask For More: 10 Questions to Negotiate Anything
- 2. Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones
- 3. Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big
- 4. Rehumanize Your Business
- 5. #Breakthrough: Unleash your Remarkable Brand Value, Influence and Authority
- 6. Bonus book – Listen Innovate Grow
- What were your best business books in 2020?
- About Michael Haynes
These books are not all B2B specific. They do, however, provide compelling strategies, information and perspectives to help you navigate an increasingly competitive and crowded marketplace.
1. Ask For More: 10 Questions to Negotiate Anything
Rather than adhering to the popular narrative that only the loudest and most assertive among us get what they want, Columbia Law professor and mediation expert, Alexandra Carter, demonstrates you get far more value by asking the right questions of the person you are negotiating with.
Through asking open-ended questions rather than panicked ones, you’ll be better able to steer a conversation, a negotiation, and ultimately a relationship for long-term success.
“Ask For More” gives readers the tools to bring clarity and perspective to any important discussion. Included in its pages is a simple, but highly effective 10-question framework to provide a “WIN-WIN” outcome in any negotiation.
2. Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones
In “Atomic Habits”, James Clear provides practical strategies that will teach you how to form good habits, break bad ones and master even the smallest behaviours that can lead to remarkable results.
Drawing from proven ideas in biology, psychology and neuroscience, the book includes stories of how Olympic Gold medallists, business leaders and life-saving physicians have all used small habits to achieve great success.
3. Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big
Author and Forbes contributor, Bo Burlingham examines 14 companies ranging from a micro brewer to a construction company.
Rather than focusing on the typical priorities such as revenue and business growth, the leaders of these companies have chosen to focus on more satisfying business goals.
The book details how these leaders recognized not only the full set of options available to them, but also questioned conventional definitions of business success to chart their own paths.
The author also includes his perspective on the lessons we can all learn from these “small giants”.
4. Rehumanize Your Business
As video is becoming a core component of how businesses must engage with stakeholders be they clients, prospects, suppliers or partners.
Rehumanize your business is a must-read to help you engage with your customers, create better customer experiences and meaningful long-term relationships (and hopefully some sales too!)
Authors Ethan Beute and Stephen Pacinelli, experts in business communication, show you how to add personal videos to your emails, texts and social media messages, not just for marketing but to build and maintain relationships.
It eliminates the often seemingly intimidating technical aspects and provides simple yet practical advice on recording and sending, cameras, psychological factors and advanced follow-up strategies
5. #Breakthrough: Unleash your Remarkable Brand Value, Influence and Authority
Having a digital strategy is now critical to your survival and success in B2B.
Written by best-selling author, entrepreneur and digital marketing guru, Doyle Buehler, #Breakthrough is a comprehensive guide on creating a compelling digital strategy to propel your business forward.
This book stacked with the complete arsenal you need to #breakthrough including:
- A Digital Discovery Self-Assessment
- Breakthrough Digital Business Framework
- 7 Disciplines of Digital Leadership
6. Bonus book – Listen Innovate Grow
Of course, we can’t let this opportunity go past to mention our very own book! Listen Innovate Grow.
Featured in C-Suite Network’s Business Book Club, it’s the customer acquisition and retention framework that’s helped hundreds of SMEs grow their businesses!
What were your best business books in 2020?
Did we include your top business book in our recommendations? We’re always looking for new books at Listen Innovate Grow, so let us know in the comments below!
In the meantime, we highly recommend doing yourself and your business a favour by spending some time getting stuck into these books.
But, remember, execution matters! So don’t forget to adapt and implement the ideas and concepts to make a difference in your business in 2021.
About Michael Haynes
B2B Customer Acquisition & Growth Strategy Consultant
For over 20 years, Michael has worked with micro-businesses to large corporates alike across Australia and Canada, developing and implementing business growth strategies and programs.