5 Great Business Audio Books you didnt know.

For most of us in business, there is a continuous need to get better at what we do, do more of it and all of it in less time. Of course we usually don’t get given any extra time to do this - unless we are lucky enough to be sent on a course. But even then, studies show that most of what is taught on a course is not used - people just do not have the slack in their jobs to rejig their timetables when they get back to take on board the new ideas.

But there is an answer - audio books. There are audio books available in every possible subject you can imagine and they can be listened to whenever you feel like it. As a business person, I’m sure you can also see the amazing value audio books compared to the high cost of courses. What I find absolutely fantastic about these books is that they can be listened to when traveling, at your computer or when out working but the real value is in the daily ‘pep’ talk you give yourself. For me, the biggest reason I don’t carry out any good intentions I have from training courses is that I can’t readjust my work agenda instantly to use my new ideas and my good intentions evaporate. With audio books this is not the case.

Now everyone has their own favourites but if you’re not sure which specific business audio books to go for, her are 5 of some of the best that any business person would want:

1. How to Win Friends and Influence People - by Dale Carnegie
An all time classic that ensures you keep the most important factors at the forefront of your business – people and relationships. As the title suggests, this is a simple guide to how you can communicate with people and build relationships that matter.

2. Winning – by Jack Welch and Suzy Welch
This is such an easy ‘listen’ and is actually related by Jack giving it an extra dimension. It is full of anecdotes and at 11 hours is packed full of useful advice for anyone in business from a genuine winner.

3. The On-time On-target Manager – by Ken Blanchard
Although ‘The One Minute Manager’ is a modern classic, I’m going for this alternative as it tackles head on what I think is the biggest problem of the modern business – procrastination. There’s always so many other things to do that it’s very easy to put the difficult things off until a ‘better time’. Told as a parable rather than a preachy ‘should do’ approach, at just 2 hours in length, it’s something than can be broken up and listened to on the way to work to focus your mind on achievement.

4. The E-Myth Revisited – by Michael E. Gerber
This business classic is narrated by the author and looks at why most small businesses don’t work and what you can do about it. Given that well over 95% of all businesses are classified as small, this is a must-listen if ever there was one. Based on four fundamental ideas that will make or break your business, give this book a try if you think there’s any possibility that your business could be improved.

5. The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More – by Chris Anderson Described as ‘the most important business book since the Tipping Point’, this book describes how the Internet has changed business forever and explains how the idea of limitless choice changes the traditional business model as most know it.

These 5 audio books can give your career a massive boost but they can also give you an enormous advantage over your colleagues- how many of them will be using their time as well as you? My guess is that most will do what they have always done – listen to the radio, complain, read light magazines or papers. Just give it a try and see the effect it has.