Want to Learn How to Make Love? Read this Book.

Want to Learn How to Make Love? Read this Book.

Raise your hand if you learned to ride a bike, or to ski, or scuba dive, fly a plane, or perform surgery by reading a book. I’ve done all these things except the surgery (unless you count splinter removal) and I’ve done it with a coach, instructor, pilot, or my impatient parents. But mostly I’ve done it by, well, doing it with an expert.

I’m asked all the time which one of my books will help someone to do better in a sales call, or request an overdue fee, or provide a referral. The books can create awareness of the language but not practice and improvement in the act. However, if you engage me to help you—as the aforementioned expert—I can sharpen your skills to the point where, if you can do it effectively with me, you can do so with anyone.

So why the priority on finding a book? Because it’s cheaper. It’s not as effective, and it can be fatal (try skiing after reading a book, or maybe flying a plane), but most people are reluctant to invest in themselves. The want to wait until they close some deals so that they have the money to give to me to learn to close deals. There’s a name for that.

It’s called The Doom Loop.