“What are the best marketing books?”

That’s a question I get all the time.

Of course, I haven’t read all of the marketing books. New books are published on the topic daily. Apparently, business books are a seriously profitable niche.

I have some favorites, and I’m glad to pass them along to you.

Unfortunately, I’ve never read a marketing book aimed specifically at lawyers that I found particularly helpful. The books I like require you to do some thinking about how to apply their lessons to your practice. The lawyer-specific books tend to teach you how to market your practice like other lawyers. That’s a perfect recipe for failure.

My Top Five Marketing Books

Here’s what I like:

• All Marketers Are Liars by Seth Godin. Godin is the go-to author on marketing today. He’s interesting and lives on the leading edge. His ideas have been effective and ahead of the curve for more than a decade. He explains the role of storytelling in marketing and advocates an approach that brings the clients to you rather than you having to go out and find the clients.
• Influence: Science and Practice by Robert B. Cialdini. This is a great book told with stories. It’s an easy read, and it will change your marketing approach as well as the way you interact with clients, prospective clients, judges, your spouse, and your kids. Cialdini explains what it takes to get others to say yes. Cialdini is a college professor, but you won’t be bored for a second.
• The New Articulate Executive by Granville N. Toogood. Any sort of effective marketing program is going to involve you speaking to and interacting with others. Most of us have room for improvement when it comes to our presentation skills. We don’t always put our best foot forward. Toogood does a great job of speaking to everyone from newbie to those with a great deal of experience. This is worth a read.
• Duct Tape Marketing by John Jantsch. When people ask me about marketing books, they’re often asking for books on tactics. They’re usually asking me, without saying it specifically, for an action plan. Jantsch provides the plan. Is he the starting point for a successful marketing program? I don’t think so. I think the other books mentioned here are a better place to begin. Read them first and then turn to Jantsch for the day to day of getting it done. Jantsch excels when it comes to using the Internet to market your business.
• Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port. This is another practical, tactical book on marketing. Port is best when it comes to marketing in real life (as opposed to on the Web). He advocates a simple system that I know is powerful and effective. His book rounds out the collection.

I read quite a few other marketing books every year, but I’ve found that they mostly repeat one another.

What’s Next?

Education is important when it comes to marketing. It’s essential that you streamline your efforts so that you’ll approach the task efficiently.

However, marketing isn’t rocket science.

It’s relatively easy to learn what you need to know to sustain and grow your business.

The challenging part of marketing isn’t learning what to do. The challenging part is doing it.

Read a few books if you need some guidance, but then, once you know what to do, go do it. That’s the key to making your practice grow.