Reading positive literature is an absolute must to help you grow into the salesperson you want to be and to achieve the life you want. Unlike a physical workout that can take one to two hours, the brain workout only involves 10-15 minutes a day. Reading or listening to positive literature edifies you and is a relatively small task that pays enormous dividends if done consistently and meaningfully.

Here are 3 important things it can accomplish:

•1. Reading positive literature mentally exercises your mind to process new ideas and rekindle old ones that are of value.
•2. Reading positive literature counteracts negative or neutral influences such as: TV, radio, and other forms of entertainment, as well as friends, family, your job, etc.
•3. Reading positive literature helps you to counteract your own habitual negative thoughts and statements, changing your mindset.

For example, if you multiply the 15 minutes a day that you read times 365 days, you will get 5,475 minutes. Divide that 5,475 minutes by 60 minutes, and you come up with over 91 hours of positive literature reading per year. That’s very powerful!

“You are the same today you’ll be in five years except for two things: the people you meet and the books you read.” Charlie Tremendous Jones

So, just what is positive literature?

Nonfiction books, magazines, videos, or audio books that have the potential to help you improve your life. This would include the books on sales, personal development, or biographies of successful people you would like to emulate in at least one area of your life such as personal finance, business, motivational, negotiation, etc. I will suggest a few more of these books in a later chapter.

The Bible is full of nuggets of wisdom for your sales and business process, especially in the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. Psalms, and what is commonly known as the New Testament, are also packed full of personal development ideas and principles.

In addition to reading the Bible daily, here are some authors that I have personally enjoyed:

Personal Development: Stephen R. Covey, Brian Tracy and Napoleon Hill

Sales: Zig Ziglar, Tom Hopkins and Jeffrey Gitomer

Negotiation: Let’s Get Real or Let’s Not Play by Mahan Khalsa

This information was taken from the book, “Go Out and Sell Something! The Recession-Proof Guide to a Successful Sales Career” which can be purchased here, or at Amazon.com.