While our library might not be as extensive as the one at Zappos (yet), earlier this year we were inspired to start a quarterly book club. Personally, I love reading books and being able to take this passion into the workplace was a great perk of my new role.
The Chosen Book
Our first book was the classic, “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” Written back in 1936 by Dale Carnegie, it has achieved awesome success. It has sold over 15 million copies since its debut and has spent over 75 years in print.
Besides these impressive numbers, we chose “How to Win Friends and Influence People” because of its accessibility to all readers and relevance to our relationship-based business.
I admit that I was skeptical if this old-school book could still resonate today, but as soon as I turned to page one I found Carnegie’s writing style to be approachable. Some of the references may be a bit antiquated, but that keeps it fresh (and at times quite funny) in its own way.
Our first book club meeting was small but provided great conversation and a break in the workday to think about the bigger picture. Recruiter Tori Vaz said of the discussion, “I love how we are able to read success stories and expand our professional expertise by going through books from sales professionals and relating them back to our work here at Betts. Not only does it allow for new ideas from every person in Book Club, but allows us to have candid conversations about our professional growth as well!”
Learning Curve
What I learned from our first book club is that it’s important to keep people motivated along the way. We all have lives outside of work and things that come up that may prevent us from reading. Now I send out teasers and quotes from upcoming chapters to keep people on track and excited. It also helps me build out our discussion guide for each book.
However, those who love to read are naturally drawn to this outlet during the work day. Veteran Book Club member and Director of Sales and Recruitment, Andrea Glick, said, “I love our Book Club at Betts because it combines my passion for reading with my passion for this company and allows me to have in-depth business discussions with my colleagues.”
Starting Your Own Book Club
Our organization is dedicated to building relationships and helping companies hire the best talent in sales. We keep our books focused on sales, relationships, and productivity because they relate to our business functions. They also help bring a new perspective to the table that we otherwise might not have thought about.
If you’re looking to start a Book Club, or you want to follow along with us, welcome!
We want to bring you in the mix. We’ll be providing our book selections and discussion guides for use within your company, Meetup group, or just for fun.
Keep an eye on out for our next book: Delivering Happiness.