Top Audiobooks Every Retail Business Manager Should Listen To

The retail industry is constantly evolving, but the past few years have seen monumental changes thanks to the rise of the online world and technological advancements. Insights from Business News Daily highlight how tech will continue to shape retail and its future. Social media, influencer marketing, and e-commerce are still huge players in the space, and more considerations for data protection, automation, and personalization are in store. These rapid changes can throw even the most experienced managers through a loop. Once you’ve got the hang of something new, there might be another game-changer or trend you’ll have to adapt to.

Fortunately, the new digital age also provides new resources to help you and your business keep up. Audiobooks have emerged as helpful tools for managers, allowing you to listen to informationand get your knowledge up on the go. As a retail manager, it’s crucial to keep learning on the job to provide customers with the best service and your team with the best leadership. Here are the top audiobooks every business manager should listen to:

Why audiobooks?

Audiobooks have changed how people read by turning books into convenient audio formats. By listening to a good and informative read, you can soak up new knowledge whenever and wherever—a helpful factor for retail managers who don’t have much time to sit down with a book. You can also find a wide range of topics to boost your business skills and explore popular reads and lesser-known titles all in one place. Everand’s selection of business audiobooks can lead you to audiobooks like The Hidden Habits of Genius: Beyond Talent, IQ, and Grit—Unlocking the Secrets of Greatness by Craig Wright or Amanda Dewinter’s The Success Code, which offers various insights on boosting your abilities as a manager and how you can help that grow your business. Audiobooks can help you take your career and company to the next level; here are some must-listens to get you started:

The First-Time Manager by Jim McCormick

Becoming a manager for the first time can be daunting, especially in the fast-paced retail landscape where every move and detail matters. New responsibilities and roles are sure to fall on your lap, but you don’t have to struggle with your new position. Jim McCormick’s The First Time Manager is an essential audiobook for new managers on the job. It’s been a trusted resourcefor decades and is constantly being updated to suit the new needs of managers while still offering tried-and-true advice that remains timeless no matter the trends and advancements. The updated seventh edition covers using online performance appraisal tools, overseeing remote work, building a team dynamic, and other topics that can help managers lead effectively in the modern work landscape. You’ll also learn how to lead meetings, hire employees, stay calm under pressure, and overcome resistance, which are crucial skills for retail managers regardless of the generation. When you’re more sure of your skills, you won’t have to panic when new hurdles come your way.

The Shopping Revolution: How Successful Retailers Win Customers in an Era of Endless Disruption by Barbara E. Kahn

The retail landscape has changed drastically over the past few years. Online retail giants like Amazon have revolutionized the industry and shifted the mindset of retail and consumers, but the great value Amazon and other channels offer can make it harder for traditional retailers to win and retain customers. Fortunately, this new wave of change doesn’t have to be a period of struggle for your business. The Shopping Revolution: How Successful Retailers Win Customers in an Era of Endless Disruption by retail expert and The Wharton School professor Barbara E. Kahn guides retail managers in adapting to industry disruption.

The audiobook explores various case studies on retailers that were able to adapt to the ever-changing retail landscape and what retail businesses can learn from them. It discusses how Amazon rose to be a top choice for retail and how businesses can compete or work with it, how Walmart became the top leader in food retail and how they can retain this position today, how eyewear retailer Warby Parker was able to hold its own despite the presence of other industry giants, and more. The audiobook provides retail managers with a guide for navigating new customer expectations and demands amid the ever-changing retail landscape.

The Unsold Mindset: Redefining What It Means to Sell by Colin Coggins and Garrett Brown

Sales is a huge aspect of the retail industry, and as a manager, there are higher expectations for you to be able to use your leadership skills to charm customers into making a purchase. However,there’s more to sales than just being pushy or sociable. Being a good salesperson is often not whatmany people expect. Colin Coggins and Garrett Brown explore what it means to sell in The Unsold Mindset: Redefining What It Means to Sell. Rather than being the most self-confident or sociable person in the room, they’re the most self-aware and socially aware. The authors assert that great salespeople are unsold on what it means to sell and unsold on who people expect them to be. You don’t have to wear a persona to sell effectively, and there doesn’t have to be a distinction between being a good person and a good salesperson. It’s a great listen to help you change your mindset when it comes to selling and even the way you think about yourself.

These insights can also help you be a more effective manager, allowing you to take on a new wayof thinking and influence your team to do the same. You also don’t have to throw out all the fundamental principles of service and selling. Our “The Ultimate Guide to Retail Customer Service” post highlights the importance of good customer service in retaining loyal customers andcompeting with other retailers. You can combine your sales and customer service know-how withthe audiobook’s insights to help you be persuasive without being inauthentic.