We’re big readers over here, so we’ve curated a list of six books we consider essential reading for online course creators and entrepreneurs. From mastering the art of selling to crafting irresistible content, they’re packed with insights to help you create courses that truly resonate with your audience. Let’s dive in!
One idea from the book that you can apply immediately: Ask the 5 “Whys.” To sell, you need to solve a problem. When you want to figure out what kind of problem someone has, ask a “Why?” question. Then, in response to the answer, ask again. Repeat 5 times and you will get much closer to the real problem that your client needs solved.
“Identifying a problem as a way to move others takes two long standing skills and turns them upside down. First, in the past, the best salespeople were adept at accessing information. Today, they must be skilled at curating it … Second, in the past, the best salespeople were skilled at answering questions (in part because they had information their prospects lacked). Today, they must be good at asking questions …”
Daniel Pink
Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives
by Gretchen Rubin
A few well-chosen habits you do consistently are the key to scaling your success. In Better Than Before, Rubin shares how to choose and incorporate habits that create the success you imagine.
“With habits, we don’t make decisions, we don’t use self-control, we just do the thing we want ourselves to do—or that we don’t want to do. …”
Gretchen Rubin
A Beautiful Constraint
by Adam Morgan and Mark Barden
No team, no real budget, no “list” (clients)…these were all blessings in disguise when we launched our business. You can be successful without them. “Beautiful constraints” force us to show up with creativity and true connection. We hope we always have constraints — in hindsight, they have helped us grow more than anything.
“Our habitual ways of thinking about resources blind us to opportunities within easy reach…The key is to stop thinking of resources only as those we control, and start thinking of them as those we can access..”
Adam Morgan and Mark Barden
Resonate: Present Visual Stories That Transform Audiences
by Nancy Duarte
As Nancy Duarte so perfectly shares, “You are the mentor. You’re Yoda, not Luke Skywalker.” Help your tribe step into their power and they will spread your powerful message..
“You are not the hero who will save the audience; the audience is your hero…”
Nancy Duarte
Words That Sell
by Richard Bayan
Richard shares over 6,000 different words to help you more accurately describe your offers.
In this book, you’ll find 58 different ways to say “free,” 6 pages of words to help you describe your expertise, and 7 different ways to approach sharing the benefits of your offers. Think of it as your thesaurus for sales page copywriting!
Don’t Make Me Think
by Steve Krug
An absolute classic for those of us who create content, websites, or courses, this book is required reading for anyone working ‘online.’
Steve provides practical examples to help you enhance everything you create, with a touch of wit that makes you view websites and web content from a fresh perspective.
Steve’s definition of usability underpins everything we do at Simple Seven Digital:
“A person of average (or even below average) ability and experience can figure out how to use the thing [i.e., it’s learnable] to accomplish something [effective] without it being more trouble than it’s worth [efficient].”
These six books offer a wealth of knowledge and inspiration for online course creators. From mastering the art of selling and storytelling to understanding user behavior and crafting compelling copy, each book provides unique insights that can elevate your course, business, and life.
Remember, the journey of an online educator is one of continuous learning and improvement. Whether you’re looking to refine your sales approach, build better habits, embrace constraints creatively, tell more engaging stories, write more persuasively, or design more user-friendly experiences, there’s a book on this list for you.
Do you have a book that has impacted your life or business? Share below!