They Ask You Answer: A Revolutionary Approach to Inbound Sales, Content Marketing, and Today’s Digital Consumer
By Marcus Sheridan
Well-known in the pool and spa industry, you have likely heard about this book and Sheridan. Sheridan, who owns River Pools in Warsaw, Virginia, shares tales from what his company did to survive the recession. Sheridan now travels the country as a nationally recognized speaker on marketing and sales.
The Road to Recognition: The A-to-Z Guide to Personal Branding for Accelerating Your Professional Success in the Age of Digital Media
By Seth Price and Barry Feldman
Don’t want to be in your store’s latest Instagram post? Does the thought of putting yourself in your commercial make you nervous? This book is for you. A small business can no longer be faceless: Whether it’s you or your staff, customers want to see the humans behind the products they buy.
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
By Malcom Gladwell
If you aren’t familiar with Gladwell, the time has come. Author of several best-selling books and host of a popular podcast “Revisionist History,” The New Yorker writer explores why certain products and trends take off — and helps you rethink selling. Also check out his book “Outliers,” which tries to answer the question: What makes high-achievers different?
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It
By Michael E. Gerber
On The SpaRetailer Podcast, Brian Quint brought up Gerber’s work. The “E-Myth” may have been published in 1988, but the principles Gerber shares haven’t changed. While not technically a marketing book, the advice from who Inc. magazine dubbed the “Small Business Guru” can help set your company on the path of success.
Guerrilla Marketing: Easy and Inexpensive Strategies for Making Big Profits from Your Small Business
By Jay Conrad Levinson
This is another popular book worth a second look. Originally published in 1983, the book has been updated several times. Though some of the ideas may seem outdated in our digital age, his theories on marketing remain relevant.