Back to Books: 5 Business Books to Read.

​Looking for advice on how to effectively run a business? Here are five books that can equip you with theories, case studies and real-life examples to learn the tricks of the trade from veterans.

​

1) The Culture Map: Decoding How People Think, Lead and Get Things Done Across Cultures

How does one deal with diversity within the workforce? While your expat colleagues may be able to communicate in the local language, reading, writing, speaking and listening are only the tip of the iceberg. Through anecdotes and real-life experiences with various diverse workforces of members from North & South America, Europe and Asia, author Erin Myers tells us how effective communication methods across eight verticals in a multicultural enterprise, can lead to better understanding our co-workers and bringing down cultural barriers.

​

2) The Strategy Book

This book makes a great reference for those who are new to Business Strategy. Dr. Max McKeown has not only defined what Strategy entails but also communicated ways to include key stakeholders in the decision-making process, collect concise and relevant information and execute a well-drafted strategy for maximum yield. The format of this book also makes it easy for readers to refer back to different sections and implement ideas in the everyday real-world challenges of a business environment.

​

3) Brand Famous: How to Get Everyone Talking about Your Business

With years of experience creating successful PR campaigns for top consumer brands, Linzi Boyd shares her learning in this insightful account about the do's and don'ts, and myths and fallacies of creating or reinventing a brand. Realizing definite tactics for creating and sustaining desirable products in the market, dodging common pitfalls and maximising on opportunities to constantly evolve to keep up with the ever-changing demands of consumers, Boyd synthesises how to make your brand the most sought-after and a stand out among thousand others in any industry.

​

4) Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products

Author Nir Eyal presents athought-provoking book on why consumers today keep going back to apps and other tech products, and how leading companies such as Apple, Facebook, and Pinterest have captured their audience's constant attention. Through a simple model comprising four aspects, namely, triggers, actions, rewards and investments, Eyal synthesises points through which companies keep consumers engaged, or even addicted, to a product. This one is an easy and great read for entrepreneurs and consumers alike.

​

5) All Marketers Are Liars: The Underground Classic That Explains How Marketing Really Works--And Why Authenticity Is the Best Marketing of All

This book by Seth Godin is a good read for anyone trying to evaluate or initiate an approach to marketing. The idea is simple, heard before, and yet very well emphasised - marketing is storytelling. And as a marketer, your job is to sell the story, not the product. Authentic and consistent stories molded around consumers' expectations and notions are what deliver a fantastic product, as per Godin. He says, "Stories make it easier to understand the world. Stories are the only way we know to spread an idea. Marketers didn't invent storytelling. They just perfected it."

​

Call off the search on Google and turn to these experts to gain insight from their experiences and set-up your library to run a business-like a pro!