Fans pick 100 books like Purple Cow

I am a firm believer that you never stop learning, and you learn from everybody.

I was very impressed by Nike. As a young athlete in the 60s, I sometimes had to run barefoot because I could not afford shoes, and I was a keen athlete. Phil Knight’s remarkable book was first published in 2016. I thought it was fascinating because he talked all about the tenacity, determination and commitment and the fact that you have to stand up to people because 99% of people will tell you you will never get there. He got there brilliantly, and, of course, Nike is a phenomenal success.

I was inspired by Phil Knight’s vision, courage, tenacity, and determination to overcome many enormous obstacles to build a great global brand. I sincerely believe this book will be very helpful to any entrepreneur.

I love this book because it provides a step-by-step guide and is focused on low-cost, practical strategies. I have recommended it to many of my small and medium business owner clients. I also love that it covers how to be a content marketing expert and an authority in your field, as well as social media and other simple lead-generation tools. 

This book is very readable and offers a lot of simple ideas that are doable. I love the Duct Tape title as it gets a strong message across simply–Duct Tape is simple and effective; we all know that, and it makes the point that just like Duct Tape, marketing can be too. 

I loved this book because it appealed to my all-important keep marketing simple criteria. I used the book to create a straightforward marketing plan for my own business at the time, and I shared it with my clients. I found it to be brilliantly clear, straight to the point, and full of insight and wisdom. It really made me think as I was putting my plan together. 

I think the main idea that a simple marketing plan, laid out on a single page, can be more effective than a complicated multi-page strategy document is a good one. This way of thinking certainly appealed to many of the small business owners I was working with at the time. 

I discovered marketing and was motivated by an amazing man called Theodore Levitt. I actually visited him at Harvard when he helped me with the Malibu launch in 1979. Levitt was an inspirational marketer, well ahead of his time.

This, his first book, was published in 1962. He rightly said in the book, “Every major industry was once a growth industry,” but as we know (and Levitt said it), there are some that are now riding a wave of growth enthusiasm very much in the shadow of decline.

You have to understand why things develop. The failure is usually at the top because the executives responsible for the company do not understand the changing environment or respond positively to it. For example, Hollywood barely escaped being totally ravished by television before the film companies went through drastic reorganisation but initially, they did not see television as a competitor. They did… show more.

Neville Isdell, who retired as Chairman of Coca-Cola in 2009, whilst born in Ireland, grew up in Zambia, as I did, and by coincidence, we were both at Cape Town University, and we worked together at Coca-Cola in Johannesburg for a year in 1969.

Neville is very direct and cannot stand sycophantic behaviour, which I respect. He lived and worked in 11 countries on 5 continents in his 43 years at Coca-Cola, and he placed a great deal of importance on understanding and respecting local culture. He believed much of his success came from selecting strong people who focused on the importance of positive action over words. He also states that the majority of views often mean that something has happened, but more importantly, it is the minority view and ideas where breakthrough growth and success lie.

Between 2004 and 2009, when he took over as the CEO of Coca-Cola… show more.

My last recommendation is one I read recently, published by Chris Woolston. I worked with Chris Woolston for many years in two different companies, and he did a great job; then he formed his own company called “Forward Thinking.”

He is a great strategist. His book encapsulates the essence of his approach to strategy in life and at work. The Bible, says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish,” but I personally add that you need a good strategic plan to achieve your vision.

People often struggle with the concept of strategy–it can sound worthy and intellectual–but in essence, it is a simple concept.  You need to be clear about what you want to achieve and have a clear plan to achieve it, a plan that draws on your unique strengths to achieve what is important to you and your company, often in a testing environment with all sorts… show more.

I love this book as it was one of the first books I read about marketing when I was working for a small business in marketing. I wasn’t a dummy, but I wanted to make sure I hit the ground running, so this was an excellent refresher for me.

I particularly like books that make the complex simple, and this book did that. It put all aspects of marketing in front of my mind and helped me make a success of my new job. 

I love this book because it is so accessible and real. It is a substantial book that is more like a good marketing course. I would say it is one of my best go-to reference books. There is so much money, time, and effort wasted on marketing that doesn’t work, and I am a big believer in putting the time and effort into creating the best strategic plan. This book has given me a resource to refer to, to check my knowledge. 

I love a marketing book that shows that the author understands the small business owner and this author does. I found the case studies brought the marketing methods and ideas alive for me. The way this book is written it feels like the author really cares about helping small business owners with their marketing. I love that. 

Never Lose A Customer Again is my go-to recommendation for readers that are interested in learning the psychology behind customer loyalty. Joey Coleman details the eight emotional stages that customers go through in the 100 days following a purchase and how you can strategically anticipate their reactions to strengthen your relationships. Everyone that has read Never Lose A Customer Again has told me that it’s helped them improve their relationships with everyone in their lives, not just their prospects and customers. 

Most online teachers I’ve worked with detest the idea of marketing, and yet this is something we cannot avoid especially when running our own business. Bernadette Jiwa defines marketing as a story you tell that has the capacity to change the world. In the book she shares multiple purposeful stories of people who shared their message in the most authentic way and how their courage moved others to action and brought about change. This is a guide into marketing that will make you excited about the change you seek to make and how your small online teaching business can transform the world.