One of my coaching clients recently came to the end of their three-month coaching package with me and they asked me a brilliant question.
“How did you get to a point where you’ve gotten comfortable commanding so much money for your work?” they asked.
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The honest answer?
A lot of learning, a lot of hustling and a lot of faith. I spent two entire years reading every business book I could get my hands on. I also committed myself to working on my money mindset every single day until it all finally clicked. Most of all, as I learned new sales techniques I started implementing them with the next chance I had. I was doing the work as I was learning it.
Fast forward to 2016 and I’m making more money than ever. I don’t even bat an eye lash when I tell people how much I charge for writing or coaching. I also know that my business is going to keep growing.
In this blog post, I’m laying out the ten books that have helped me the most as it pertains to sales and money mindset. I consider these required reading for any coaching clients who are looking to grow their blogs into a business.
Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port
This is the business book that helped me understand a sales funnel and how to fill it. It’s not just a book full of theories, though, it’s also full of practical action steps you can start implementing in your business right away.
To give you an idea of how effective this book is, I’m going to share a little story. Back in 2013 I’d made the decision that I was going to quit my job to pursue blogging full-time. I also decided to hire my first business coach.
In January, she told me to pick up this book and follow the instructions. By April I was able to go part-time at my last job. By July I was making enough money where I felt comfortable enough to quit my job alogether.
It’s that effective.
The really great part about this business book is the free companion workbook that comes a long with it. It really helped me break down the content with exercises and it helped me start refining my business. Once you’ve purchased the book you can find the free companion workbook here.
Click here to purchase Book Yourself Solid on Amazon.
Wealth Through Workshops by Callan Rush
This is another sales book my business coach recommended to me back in the day. While my initial intention was to use this sales book to learn about putting together workshops and getting into public speaking, the book actually taught me more about the psychology of sales and how to put it all together.
This one book alone has helped me with formatting content for blogs, creating classes, what to write in follow-up emails, what to send my email list and how to do sales in person. The best part? The book is totally free. You can grab it here.
World Class Speaking by Craig Valentine
This business book talks about sales as it pertains to creating and selling speaking gigs to corporate clients. I haven’t quite gotten around to this in my career yet, but similar to Wealth Through Workshops, there was a ton of great content about sales in general.
I do also get asked to speak at local events and at conferences, and this book has helped significantly with packaging those talks I give.
Click here to purchase World Class Speaking on Amazon.
Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher
This is probably the book on negotiating. Most people think that negotiating is a competition where someone wins and someone else loses. This book poses that successful negotiations are really just about making sure everyone wins.
Click here to purchase Getting to Yes on Amazon.
To Sell Is Human by Daniel Pink
This is a fascinating book that explains the psychology behind sales and persuasion. This book, in particular, helped me get over my fear of sales because it helped me realize that humans are selling stuff all the time.
For example, you may not be selling a service or a product yet, but maybe you’re trying to convince your partner to do some chores around the house. Or, maybe you want to ask your boss for a raise. This is essentially sales and persuasion.
Click here to purchase To Sell is Human on Amazon.
Kendrick Shope
I bow down to Kendrick Shope as the sales goddess that she is! With a background in medical sales, she is able to combine the technical part of sales with emotions like empathy and compassion. What I found was that she knows how to combine old school (what I learned at my last job) and new school (what I’ve had to learn as a freelancer, blogger and consultant) sales techniques to teach people how to get better at making sales.
Her free content is genius, but if you ever get a chance I highly recommend checking out Sales School. I took her group coaching program back in 2014 when she was still beta testing it, and it helped give me the confidence and the chops to go out there and make some money.
Extra Credit – Money Mindset Books
When I was reading through all these business books, I found that I was having some major money mindset stuff coming up. I’ve also noticed this happening to many of my coaching clients.
As soon as they start learning about sales and trying to implement them, they are faced with a ton of internal stories about their self-worth. At this point, I’ve come to realize that when you start asking for money, all your money hang-ups come to the surface to be healed.
These are the books that helped me overcome the money hang-ups and move past any blocks I was having as it pertained to sales, negotiating and asking for more money.
Overcoming Underearning by Barbara Stanny
This books is so good I’ve read it more than once.
In this book, Barabara Stanny tackles the tough topic of why women (and some men) tend to be underearners. She walks readers through the psychological sides of why this happens (i.e. self worth issues) as well as giving practical tips and advice to help you start asking for more money.
I admit that the first time I read this book it didn’t really click. However, I picked it up again in the beginning of 2015 when I was struggling in my business. For some reason, the second time around had a much larger impact on me.
I resonated with the book so much that I did every single thing it asked for. I journaled and created financial goals. I’d even started making a list of financial affirmations for my particular situation. I started asking for more money even though it terrified me.
The crazy part was that by the end of 2015, I’d exceeded every single goal I’d created thanks to this book. This included doubling my net worth and making enough money to pay a little extra for organic food.
Click here to purchase Overcoming Underearning on Amazon.
Get Rich Lucky Bitch by Denise Duffield-Thomas
As far as money books go, this one is pretty woo. However, it’s still a book I would recommend. Denise Duffield-Thomas does a good job of explaining how money is energy and how that affects us in our lives and businesses.
Some of he stuff she suggests, like getting energy work done, is pretty out there. But as someone who has been partaking in more holistic practices this year, I have to admit she’s totally on to something.
Click here to purchase Get Rich Lucky Bitch on Amazon.
The Law of Divine Compensation by Marianne Williamson
This another book that explains how money is energy and how when we focus on the right intentions, the Universe ensures we’ll be taken care of.
This book was written in response to the economic crisis of 2008 and it’s consequences. People were really struggling and Williamson took it upon herself to create a book that explains money from a spiritiual perspective, particularly as it pertains to a text called “A Course in Miracles.”
As with most Marianne Williamson books, you really need to take your time and let it sink in. If you’re able to do that, your mind will be blown with how simple this all really is.
Click here to purchase The Law of Divine Compensation on Amazon.
Sacred Success: A Course in Financial Miracles by Barbara Stanny
It turns out that Barabara Stanny is also a fan of “A Course in Miracles” and wrote a book about how to apply it’s spiritual and psychological principles into your financial life.
I read this right before reading Overcoming Underearning for the second time and I found the combination to be just what I needed to help me overcome some financial struggles I was facing.
Click here to purchase Sacred Success on Amazon.
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
I saved the best for last. I fervently believe this book should be required reading for every high school student in the United States (and the world for that matter!).
This is the book that talked about manifesting money before manifesting was even a thing.
This is the book that talked about how our mindset affects our finances before the financial experts even started addressing it.
It’s also the book that talked about mastermind groups before they became all the rage decades later.
It even addresses how sexual energy affects your money!
This book was way ahead of it’s time, and I believe it will continue helping readers for years to come.
The basic premise is this: Napoleon Hill interviewed over 500 self-made millionnaires of the 20th century to collect their views on money and success. He gives us an inside look into the minds of Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, and more.
If there’s only one book you get from this entire list, do yourself a favor and get this one. You’ll thank me for it later.
Click here to purchase Think and Grow Rich on Amazon.