Starscapes home-based business opportunity

FROM OUR BOOKSHELF

A look at what we're reading and recommending.

DEFFREY GITOMER’S LITTLE RED BOOK OF SELLING
By Jeffrey Gitomer
(Bard Press, $19.95)

This book is not just about how to make a sale. It’s about how to make sales forever. Plenty of books expound on how to sell, but they don’t explain why people buy things. Gitomer’s book doesn’t focus on how to sell; it seeks to provide the principles that will help build a salesperson’s success.

The book is presented in an easy-to-carry size because the author wants readers to refer to it often. The book is red because red is the color of passion and passion is the fulcrum point of selling. No passion, no sales. Red is also the color of love and if the salesperson doesn’t love what they sell, they should sell something else. Red is the brightest color and the salesperson must be bright in order to convert selling into buying. Red is the most visible color and the salesperson must be visible to their customers with a value message, not just a sales pitch. And red is on fire and if the salesperson isn’t on fire, then they’ll lose to someone who is.

The upbeat book is fun to read and the author kept it short and sweet and to the point. Salespeople don’t really like to spend a lot of time reading, Gitomer reasons, and that’s why he created a fun design with bullets, quick reads and inspiring lingo. He’ll share his mantra with you-People don’t like to be sold but they love to buy-and it just might inspire you to approach tomorrow with a spring in your step and transform your positive attitude into a big boost in sales.

THE ART OF THE START
By Guy Kawasaki
(Portfolio, $26.95)

Starting a business is hot. It begins with a dream that just won’t quit. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, some 11.3% of the working-age population in the United States are either running a business less than three years old, or are actively trying to start one. Guy Kawasaki, CEO of Garage Technology Ventures has packaged his startup platform into a new book.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, infopreneur, or not-for-profit crusader, there’s no shortage of advice available on mundane issues like writing a business plan, recruiting, raising capital, and branding. Startup venture capitalist Kawasaki wanted to bring his two decades of experience together to offer the one essential guide for anyone starting anything from a multi-national corporation to a theatre group. “You can spend all your time learning and not doing,” says Kawasaki. “And doing is the essence of entrepreneurship.”

The book is very accessible. Guy Kawasaki was at Apple in the 1980s and helped lead one of the great companies of the century, turning ordinary consumers into evangelists. As founder and CEO of Garage Technology Ventures, he has field-tested his ideas with dozens of newly hatched companies. For more info, visit www.penguin.com. And check out the inside of the cover book jacket to see some of the entries for the book cover design contest sponsored by Guy. Adam Tucker won.

YOU’RE HIRED: HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS & LIFE
From The Winner Of “The Apprentice”
By Bill Rancic
Foreward by Donald Trump
(HarperBusiness, $22.95)

One of our favorite books of the year from a personality who appeared on our favorite TV show of the year: Donald Trump’s blockbuster NBC reality show “The Apprentice.”

Bill Rancic is the successful entrepreneur who founded Cigars Around The World in his 400 square-foot apartment. In You’re Hired, Bill offers his insight with examples such as “Your credibility is your greatest asset” or “Learn the rules of the game, and reinvent them if they don’t apply.” At the conclusion of each chapter, Bill shares the specific lessons he’s learned on a variety of subjects, including Goals, Values, Strategy, Leadership, Vision, Execution and Success.

“Those same approaches worked well on The Apprentice, and they’re not school-taught or store-bought or otherwise prepared or processed. They’re just an extension of who I am and-who knows-maybe they’ll work out pretty well for you, too.”

Fans of the show will not be disappointed, for Bill describes the entire phenomenon: his first open casting call (done as a favor to the mother of a friend), the rigorous selection process, his thoughts about the other competitors, the experience of meeting the challenges the producers threw at him each week, and the ultimate moment-viewed by a live studio audience and 40 million watching at home-when The Donald said, “You’re Hired.” Bill is now overseeing a multimillion-dollar Trump construction project in Chicago.

Readers will be inspired by Bill’s story. “I never went to business school. I don’t have that kind of mind-set, nor do I think that business theory can only be learned from a book. I’ve always believed that success in business is an attitude: a willingness to challenge yourself, your beliefs and your ideals. I went on The Apprentice to test this theory, and compete against Harvard business types and other successful entrepreneurs, to validate my personal experience and see if I really had what it took to win. In the end I played the game the way I ran my business back home-with humility, credibility, and adaptability.”

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