If you’re not reading, you’re falling behind. According to Business Insider magazine, some of the most financially successful people in the world are reading up to six books a week! I wouldn’t know where to find all that time, but you should be reading if you want to improve your life and your career.
According to an article in Inc. Magazine, most CEOs and executives are reading 4 to 5 books per month! I’ve loved to read since I was a kid and developed a habit early of reading every day. Ten pages (yes, something as small as ten) per day will get you twenty to thirty books per year, depending on the size. Not too shabby.
I tend to gravitate toward books on self-improvement, mindset, business and inspiration. Sometimes they’ll have elements of one or more, which is always nice. And I compare lists with close friends and colleagues. One easy way to let people know what I’m reading is to put it on the corner of my desk at work. You don’t have to say anything. Trust me, visitors will eventually make a comment and you can strike up some interesting conversations if they’ve read the book or are reading something similar.
So, here is my list of the top five books for dealership managers:
- Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill – this one I consider to be the “granddaddy of them all,” as so many self-help and business books refer back to or draw heavily from this classic. It was published in 1937 and is still relevant today. It has sold over 100 million copies (think about that for a minute) and is probably one of the most popular books of all time, not just self-help. Admittedly, this one is not an easy read, and it wasn’t until I joined a study group with my friends Al Lindeman and Tim Burgess that I started to understand it. Some people think it’s about money, but it really isn’t. It’s more about mindset and achieving any goal in life (including money) that you desire. It was eye-opening for me to discover that my mindset would determine my successes and failures, not other people, the economy, etc. Humbling and awe-inspiring, this is one book that you can read for the rest of your life and still keep getting inspiration from.
- Start With Why, Simon Sinek – this one I stumbled upon by watching the author’s Ted Talk online, one that has garnered millions and millions of views. The book absolutely changed how I ran the store because I realized that our “why” was how we were going to differentiate ourselves from the competition and not just be another car dealership. This one really made me dive deep and figure out why our dealership was in existence. Once I found that, it clarified my thinking in how to approach goal setting, daily performance and all the other daily minutiae associated with running a business. I liked the book so much I bought copies for several people who stopped by my office so they would get their hands on it and change their businesses too.
- Setting the Table, Danny Meyer – I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Danny Meyer speak on a couple of different occasions and he captures my attention from the first moment and has me hooked throughout. Danny is a restauranteur from New York, but his lessons in hospitality translate right to the automotive world. If you’ve ever eaten at one of his group’s restaurants (Union Square Cafe, The Modern or even a Shake Shack), you will know what “enlightened hospitality” truly is. They treat you like you’re attending a dinner party in their home, and that makes all the difference in your dining experience. Imagine providing that same type of feeling in a car dealership and you’ll see why this book is so powerful.
- Customers for Life, Carl Sewell – Here’s one centered on the automotive business but contains principles (“The Ten Commandments of Customer Service”) that can be applied to anyone in the hospitality industry. This was one of the first books given to me when I got in the business many years ago and it is still relevant today. It’s easy for some to say that our industry has changed and everything is different (which is true, to a degree), but when it comes to customer service, Mr. Sewell has a simple philosophy – figure out what your customers want and make sure they get it. Pretty simple, right? Yes and no. It’s the execution that makes all the difference and it starts with the people you choose to surround yourself with. If you don’t have employees with the same enthusiasm for taking care of customers, you’re going to have a hard time running a successful store. Mr. Sewell has built an empire in this business by following these simple philosophies. This book is easy to read and great to come back to as a reference point for times when I’m stuck or need some motivation.
- The Greatest Salesman in the World, Og Mandino – This short read (it’s only about 100 pages) was gifted to me when I first started selling cars and it still holds a special place in my heart. It’s essentially a parable to teach the principles of sales. The first time I read it, I didn’t wholly grasp everything in it, which I think is kind of the point. Upon reading it again, however, I started to understand the material a little bit better. Now I can pick it up at any time, start reading and get my mind right, which is really the key in running any successful enterprise. You have to “sell” yourself on your abilities before you can “sell” anyone else. I think if a morning routine consisted of this book and a good cup of coffee, one would have a good day more often than not.
It was difficult to narrow it down to these five, but I have found them to be my favorites over the years. That’s not to say one or more won’t be replaced (I’m still reading!), but maybe these can be a help to someone else who’s looking for inspiration.
And what do you think? What are your top books? I’m always looking for something new to add to my reading list, so feel free to let me know.
Dan
