RESOURCES, REFERENCES & FURTHER READING
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion – Robert B. Cialdini
Bob Cialdini literally wrote the book on influence! All the axioms, assumptions and truisms of sales are placed under a microscope and tested to breaking point. Only the strong survive… but they now have strong scientific backing. This book will teach you secrets but more importantly explains why they work. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Yes – Noah J. Goldstein, Steve J. Martin, Robert B. Cialdini
Similar to Influence by Robert B. Cialdini, this book expands on many of the ideas presented in that seminal work. This is still very much worth reading, however I would certainly recommend reading Influence first.
Introducing Evolutionary Psychology – Dylan Evans and Oscar Zarate
Why? Because it was one of the books on Neo’s shelf in The Matrix of course! Also because it’s an entertaining and accessible entry point into why we behave as we do, how and why we make the choices we do, and how much of what we do is a result of our unconscious minds.
Don’t be put off by the “Introducing…” part of the title – this is an excellent and informative read.
Never Split The Difference – Chris Voss with Tahl Rez
Written by a hostage negotiator, this book drags the clichés of sales kicking and screaming into the 21st century, reinventing many of them along the way. Why getting a No is better than a Yes… why labelling a problem is better than… ignoring it and many more. I guarantee this will reignite your passion for direct sales and give you a lot to think about. The proof? This is one of my few books where the margins are full of notes!
Cold Reading – Ray Hyman
Cold Reading is the set of techniques used by fortune tellers to convince “sitters” that they know all about them, even though they may know nothing but what they can see in the moment. Practiced by psychics, faith healers and con men and women of every sort, this is in some ways the holy grail of confidence tricks. Ray Hyman wrote what I consider to be the seminal work on this subject. A member of leading skeptic groups and partner of James Randi, Hyman is an authority on cold reading and you will be too once you read his article.
Thinking Fast & Slow – Daniel Kahneman
Because we are all reptiles at heart… oops I mean at brain! If you have any interest in how we make judgements and decisions, you can’t afford to not read this collation of Nobel Prize winner Kahneman’s work.
Unlimited Memory – Kevin Horsley
Kevin Horsley is in the small group to have received the title of International Grandmaster of Memory. A two-time World Record holder for The Everest of memory tests, this book can help you develop your memory and achieve incredible results.
Passages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life – Gail Sheehy
We are all unique, yet it can be shocking to realise how similar we are. Armed with this knowledge, you can gain deep understanding of people’s perspectives, mirror their outlooks and even predict their actions. It may have been written as a feelgood book for the middle-aged, but in the right hands this can be a devastating weapon.
What Every Body Is Saying – Joe Navarro
This book is a good introduction to the concepts of non-verbal communication. The author is a former FBI officer and he shares some of the evolutionary drivers of body language, some tells that can indicate what people are thinking and tips for how you can present the best version of yourself.
Resources, References & Further Reading
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion – Robert B. Cialdini
Bob Cialdini literally wrote the book on influence! All the axioms, assumptions and truisms of sales are placed under a microscope and tested to breaking point. Only the strong survive… but they now have strong scientific backing. This book will teach you secrets but more importantly explains why they work. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Yes – Noah J. Goldstein, Steve J. Martin, Robert B. Cialdini
Similar to Influence by Robert B. Cialdini, this book expands on many of the ideas presented in that seminal work. This is still very much worth reading, however I would certainly recommend reading Influence first.
Introducing Evolutionary Psychology – Dylan Evans and Oscar Zarate
Why? Because it was one of the books on Neo’s shelf in The Matrix of course! Also because it’s an entertaining and accessible entry point into why we behave as we do, how and why we make the choices we do, and how much of what we do is a result of our unconscious minds.
Don’t be put off by the “Introducing…” part of the title – this is an excellent and informative read.
Never Split The Difference – Chris Voss with Tahl Rez
Written by a hostage negotiator, this book drags the clichés of sales kicking and screaming into the 21st century, reinventing many of them along the way. Why getting a No is better than a Yes… why labelling a problem is better than… ignoring it and many more. I guarantee this will reignite your passion for direct sales and give you a lot to think about. The proof? This is one of my few books where the margins are full of notes!
Cold Reading – Ray Hyman
Cold Reading is the set of techniques used by fortune tellers to convince “sitters” that they know all about them, even though they may know nothing but what they can see in the moment. Practiced by psychics, faith healers and con men and women of every sort, this is in some ways the holy grail of confidence tricks. Ray Hyman wrote what I consider to be the seminal work on this subject. A member of leading skeptic groups and partner of James Randi, Hyman is an authority on cold reading and you will be too once you read his article.
Thinking Fast & Slow – Daniel Kahneman
Because we are all reptiles at heart… oops I mean at brain! If you have any interest in how we make judgements and decisions, you can’t afford to not read this collation of Nobel Prize winner Kahneman’s work.
Unlimited Memory – Kevin Horsley
Kevin Horsley is in the small group to have received the title of International Grandmaster of Memory. A two-time World Record holder for The Everest of memory tests, this book can help you develop your memory and achieve incredible results.
Passages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life – Gail Sheehy
We are all unique, yet it can be shocking to realise how similar we are. Armed with this knowledge, you can gain deep understanding of people’s perspectives, mirror their outlooks and even predict their actions. It may have been written as a feelgood book for the middle-aged, but in the right hands this can be a devastating weapon.
What Every Body Is Saying – Joe Navarro
This book is a good introduction to the concepts of non-verbal communication. The author is a former FBI officer and he shares some of the evolutionary drivers of body language, some tells that can indicate what people are thinking and tips for how you can present the best version of yourself.