3 Must-Read Books to Master Customer Success
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This week, I asked my Linkedin audience a simple question:
How would YOU fill in the blank on the following statement:
Don’t get into a customer success position unless you can _______.
The answers were pure gold:
Read the air (Robert Ramirez)
Build trust and rapport (Tejash Mehta)
Play the long game (William Buckingham)
Listen and connect the dots (Tabitha Cavanagh)
Listen and be willing to take risks (Lynn Murphy)
Empathize and solve problems collaboratively (Victoria Borg)
Handle stress and manage your time effectively. (Krishna Adhyaru)
And one of the answers summarized it all:
“Understand human psychology” (Rinosha Basha)
Right on spot 🎯
That got me thinking…
What are some must-read books to transform your customer success skills and become a pro at dealing with people in any situation?
And surprise:
It’s not about “Customer Success” books which I’ll share in a separate edition.
Nope, it’s not about cheap tactics or playbooks either.
Rather, these are deep, foundational, and easy reads.
They will inspire you to think differently and help adopt fundamental behaviors to succeed both at work and in your personal life.
These 3 books have had a profound impact on me, and I hope they’ll do the same for you.
Let’s go 👇
1/ How To Win Friends & Influence People, Dale Carnegie
Page Count: 212
Rating on Goodreads: 4.22
There are a few books you should keep with you at all times.
And this one is on top of the list.
What I find incredible is that it's an easy but super-powerful read.
You’ll learn how to:
build strong relationships with anyone around you including your customers.
make people feel valued and appreciated.
build empathy and trust.
listen actively and develop your storytelling skills
lead by example, inspire, and motivate.
and much more.
Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:
"Remember that the most important thing in life is not what you get, but what you give."
"The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it."
"Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language."
"Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit at home and think about it. Go out and get busy."
2/ Mindset, Carol Dweck
The New Psychology of Success
Page Count: 320
Rating on Goodreads: 4.09
It’s another foundational book I’d highly recommend.
Developing a growth mindset versus a fixed one is absolutely critical.
With the right approach, you can motivate anyone around you to transform their lives and your own.
Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:
"Becoming is better than being."
"The fixed mindset stands in the way of development and change. The growth mindset is a starting point for change, but people need to decide for themselves where their efforts toward change would be most valuable."
"You have a choice. Mindsets are just beliefs. They’re powerful beliefs, but they’re just something in your mind, and you can change your mind."
p.s. to extend on that topic, you can also read “As A Man Thinketh” by James Allen (96 pages, Rating 4.26) - absolutely fascinating.
3/ Man’s Search For Meaning, Viktor E. Frankl
Page Count: 192
Rating on Goodreads: 4.37
And my top preferred one.
It’s a memoir and psychological analysis by Viktor E. Frankl.
He was a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist.
Whenever you want to give up or you lack the motivation to do your stuff, you’ll think of this book. It will shake your mind in an instant and get you back on track immediately!
Not reading this book is a massive intellectual loss.
So go check it out today!
Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:
"Don't aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it.”
"Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself."
"The one thing you can't take away from me is the way I choose to respond to what you do to me. The last of one's freedoms is to choose one's attitude in any given circumstance."
"Live as if you were living already for the second time and as if you had acted the first time as wrongly as you are about to act now."
BONUS:
Here are a few more from my library:
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Robert Cialdini
Dare to Lead, Brené Brown
Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey
Quiet, Susan Cain
Think And Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill
Here are more on Customer Success:
And that’s it.
Have you read any of these books?
Any others YOU would recommend? Please share in the comments below.
I’ll speak to you again next Sunday.
Until then, have an awesome and productive week ahead! ✌️
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Great list! I would add Crucial Conversations by Joseph Grenny to this list for sure!