Great books for freelancers
I read a lot. 78 books in 2017.
When I find a really good book, I list it here, for our shared benefit.
Do you have a suggestion for a book I should read? Email me at kai@kaidavis.com with your suggestion.
Books on Process, Planning, and Time Management
- Work The System — An amazing book on Standard Operating Procedures and how to use them in your business. Available as a free eBook and Audiobook (or on Amazon)
- The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results — A book that helped me understand the need to have high-level, multi-year focuses in my life and business
- Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World — A book about the importance and power of focus. In short,
Focus * Time = Output. You should read this book. It is very good.
Books on Selling
- SPIN Selling — The book that opened my eyes to a sales process that’s focused on helping your client, rather than pushing a product or service.
- The Ultimate Sales Machine: Turbocharge Your Business with Relentless Focus on 12 Key Strategies — A very personally influential book on how to combine your marketing, advertising, and sales processes to become, as Chet Holmes puts it, an Ultimate Sales Machine. Possibly the book I most reference in interviews.
Books on Marketing
- The Brain Audit: Why Customers Buy (and Why They Don’t) — A wonderful book by Sean D’Souza on why customers and clients buy (and why they don’t!). Once you read this book, you’ll view all marketing and sales through a completely different lens. It is a wonderful book. The paperback is cost prohibitive at $30-60 USD, so I highly recommend the Kindle version, if available in your region.
- Just Fucking Ship — Amy Hoy’s short book on the importance (and power) of Just Fucking Shipping that project, that blog post, that article, or that product. If you’ve struggled to get projects out the door (either for yourself or for your clients), you should read this book.
Books on Life
- How to Be Idle: A Loafer’s Manifesto — There’s so much importance put on doing more, #hustling, and working harder. This book takes the opposite approach and acts as guide book on How To Be Idle. I credit this book with saving me from Burnout in 2016.
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