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anabantoid · 7 years ago

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Beyond the Betta

I want to preface this: I loved bettas, at one point when I was about 15 I had well over a dozen bettas. Nothing could stop me, especially when Minibow 5’s were constantly on sale. I still like bettas, I think they have a ton of personality and they’re really fun, engaging fish that are incredibly accessible and are pretty cheap to set up. The unfortunate thing is that bettas are sick, they’re overpriced genetic disasters which can be a grab bag of problems. Bettas ten years ago aren’t the same bettas we have now, we have so many different varieties in such a short span of time, all due to inbreeding offspring to parent or offspring to offspring in order to preserve, expand upon, or replicate a desirable trait that sprung up from the genetic mish mash that bettas are. I still assert that non-dragon scale plakats, normal veils and crown tails are some of the healthier bettas you can get.

Now, I am NOT saying that you’re a bad person for having a betta of whatever variety, healthy or not. I am not telling you to get rid of your betta or to never ever get a betta again. You can have your bettas, you can get future bettas. This isn’t an article that’s telling you to get rid of your bettas. I know that everyone leaps to that conclusion any time I or others make posts critical of modern bettas and their ‘designer’ varieties.

But the thing is, you don’t always need to go back to bettas. You can expand your horizons and choose healthier fish in tanks that people normally just leave for bettas. All of these fish have their own charms and quirks, and while some might not have the same pizazz that you expect from bettas, they’re still worthy of appreciation.

The tanks I’m using go from 10 gallons through to 20 longs, which are the most common sized tanks I see people here in the fishblr community keep their bettas in. These are just the minimums, you can always keep your fish or inverts in larger tanks! The tank sizes are simply launching pads, or for you to repurpose an existing tank you already have but have no inhabitants for yet. Keep in mind that 5 gallon tanks are teeny, they’re only 16x8x10, which is too small for me to comfortably suggest to house stock in. Price wise, you’re getting more bang for your buck if you purchase a 10 or a 20 long, especially if you take advantage of the dollar per gallon sales that Petco, Petsmart and Pet Supplies Plus have throughout the year. They’re almost never ending, right after one store has the event going, another pops up. So you have the opportunity throughout many months of the year to get a decently sized tank for relatively little money, and these smaller tanks are light enough that basic furniture in your bedroom can support them, so you don’t need to worry about finding pricey stands.

NOTE: I’ll be mostly linking to Seriously Fish, and a few others, but don’t just rely on those links for all your care needs. Explore!

NOTE VOL 2: I have updated this list and removed the category for 5 gallon tanks, as I no longer feel comfortable making suggestions for tanks this size.

Let’s move on to the lists!

TEN GALLONS:

Hara jerdoni: anchor cat, Asian stone cat. These little cats can be shy and are most active at night. The fun thing about these guys is that they are so unique, but are not impossible to find, and you can make your own teeny biotope-ish tank. Dwarf shrimp: everyone knows these guys, neocardina or cardina, they’re fun, yet sometimes pricey, little inverts. Thai micro crabs: another little invert, these guys are really unique and charming but they can be shy and like to hide during the day.

Pea puffer: probably the closest in terms of rambunctiousness and personality to bettas, these little puffers are curious, clever and quickly become little delights in your home. If you can handle live feeding of white worms or black worms, I highly suggest these little puffers.

Scarlet badis: Well known but frequently overlooked, scarlet badis are beautiful little gems that would make wonderful little specimens in any tank.

Heterandria formosa: the least killifish, these shy little guys aren’t actually killis but are related to guppies and endlers! They’re very hardy and very easy to breed and make excellent beginner livebearers if you don’t wanna go the more common endler or guppy route if you’re interested in starting up a little breeding project. Note: be mindful of your stocking with livebearers, your tank can be overcrowded quickly.

Neoheterandria elegans: the tiger teddy, another micro livebearer, these are a less forgiving than the least killi, but no less rewarding to keep. If you maintain clean and perfect water conditions then you’ll have no problems keeping these cuties. Note: be mindful of your stocking with livebearers, your tank can be overcrowded quickly.

Endlers: now we’re getting a teensy bit bigger, endlers are gaining popularity in recent years and it’s easy to see why, they’re as hardy and easy to breed as guppies but half the size! And they come in an array of stunning and unique colors and patterns. Note: be mindful of your stocking with livebearers, your tank can be overcrowded quickly.

Pygmy sunfish: sweet, undemanding little natives, these fish are a great way to introduce yourself to fish native in the US.

Sculpins: another little native, they’re sometimes referred to as “ugly” but I find their permanent scowls to be endearing. They’re easy to house and don’t require much else from sand and rocks in terms of decor, so you don’t need to worry about plants.

Taiwanese micro goby: A unique little guy, they’re simple to keep if you neutral pH and soft to mid water, they can be kept similarly to other hillstream gobies such as Rhinogobius nagoye, and they’re non-aggressive so you can house a trio in your tank, more if you get a bigger tank. A great fish if you're looking to create a hillstream tank.

TWENTY GALLONS (long):

Chili rasbora and other boraras: my absolute favorite nano fish, they are absolutely tiny, truly miniaturized fish! They display a great amount of curiosity that you wouldn’t expect from such a small fish, and are honestly one of the best fish I’ve ever kept. They’re great if you’re looking to start up a small biotope tank and want an excuse to add botanicals and do something really fancy.

Pygmy cory, salt and pepper cory, and tail spot cory: the three smallest corydoras in the genus, and the only ones suitable for tanks under 30 gallons! They’re charming and absolutely adorable and probably my three favorite corydoras out there.

Ember tetra: hardy, cute and beautifully colored, these tiny tetras would be perfect in any 20 long, perhaps paired with one of the above species of cory to create a ‘micro community’.

Gold tetra: lesser known but not a small presence, gold tetras actually get their colorations from a symbiotic relationship with a parasite that results in their gold coloring, but with the absence of this parasite they’ll be a stunning silver. They’d be perfect for a small scaled, blackwater tank filled with driftwood and botanicals.

Ruby tetra: very tiny and very pretty, the ruby tetra is a great little fish that would work well in a planted, driftwood filled setup.

Akysis vespa: a very cute, very tiny little cat that prefers cool, soft waters and would be great for a mini hillstream setup! No plants to worry about, just glorious rocks and sand.

Dwarf pencilfish: another cute South American that would pair well with one of the above mentioned corydoras in a mini biotope.

Rainbow darter: personable little natives that will love to hop over to you when they see you approach the tank, these darters are hardy and tolerate the harder waters that the midwest and great plains areas are notorious for having.

Sparkling gourami: a tiny relative of the betta, the sparkling gourami is a shy little jewel of a fish that will thrive in a well planted tank.

Licorice gourami: another small anabantoid, like the sparkling it’ll appreciate a well planted tank and you’ll appreciate its gorgeous colors.

Forktail rainbowfish: while many pseudomugil would be appropriate for this size tank, my favorite is the fork tail. They’re busy little guys and the males put on very amusing little display dances when sparring.

Multiple wild bettas: there are NUMEROUS species of wild betta that can be kept in a 20 gallon tank, if you’re interested I’d suggest sending elemental-kiss an ask.

Many killifish: these would suitably need their own post to cover the vast array of killis there are on the market, and the difference between annual and non-annual, but there are multiple killis that would do just fine in a 20 and spawn well.

Shell dweller cichlids, aka shellies: charming little fellas that exhibit some incredibly amusing behaviors and are easy to breed! Great beginner cichlids.

CPO crayfish: these little dwarves have just as much personality as their full-sized cousins!

There are countless more fish that I may have forgotten or simply left out, but all of these fish would do well in the smaller tanks that we typically keep bettas in. It’s good to move out of your comfort zone and learn how to set up new tanks for different fish with different needs, as setting up the tank and exploring the natural habitats of each fish in your own home is one of the major high points of the hobby. So go ahead, start something new and exciting!

#fishblr #bettablr #aquablr #megs does guides

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couldnt-think-of-a-funny-name · 8 years ago

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can you do a headcanon where riley stays with eric for like a summer?

absolutely

Okay so 9th grade is drawing to a close and Riley’s a bit of an emotional mess

She’s just officially dumped Lucas after a few months of him being a shitty boyfriend and leaving her confused

She’s been picking up hints that Farkle’s actually interested in her, and by now she knows how she feels about him, but the dummy is still dating Isadora and hasn’t outright said anything so she’s just upset and confused about that whole situation

Her self-esteem is at an all time low, she’s fighting with Topanga more and more, she doesn’t want to talk about most of that with Maya and that’s causing them to fight a little

Basically she’s just back in ‘tired’ mode you feel

So Cory picks up on this and knows she just needs a general break so he starts looking up like if there’s any sleep away camps for her but he’s not finding anything he thinks she’d be thrilled with

And he does this for a while and just mentions it in passing to Eric (bc Eric knew something was up with her and wanted details) and Eric’s just like “dude I’m gonna be in DC for most of the summer and they’re running this program where high school kids can intern for their state’s senators. I’m SURE I could pull some strings and get Riley in”

And Cory thinks that sounds perfect bc he knows Riley misses being close to Eric and it’d be a great way for her to just forget about everything back home for two months and learn some things about politics while she’s at it

Topanga is sold because she thinks it would look great for college and job resumes

So one day after a particularly horrid day at school, during which she overheard 10 different classmates wonder when lucaya would get together now that Riley’s not ‘holding him back’, Smackle announced it was her and Farkle’s one year anniversary, and she accidentally toppled a pyramid during cheer practice, this girl is fucking done. She just wants to sleep. But Eric appears from the shadows and drags her off to dinner at some fancy restaurant

Like she appreciates the gesture but she’s not feeling it Topanga dead ass had to get a dress and shove her into the bathroom lmao

But anyway they get there and have a nice dinner. It’s literally just mostly Riley venting about all her problems while Eric nod’s and “no” ‘s appropriately

But sometime during dessert he just out of the blue “hey you wanna live with me this summer?”

This man has no tact there was no build up Riley was caught so off guard omfg

But he explains the whole internship thing, and he’s like “You’re a model student and I already spoke to the head of the program, they have no problem giving you the spot. I’ve got this big place in DC and Jack’s only going to be able to come by sporadically because of the company so that leaves plenty of time for uncle/niche bonding when I’m not at work. You’d get to meet a bunch of new kids your age, and I’m sure all the Smivy League colleges you’re shooting for will think this is great. You won’t have to focus on any drama with your friends until August. So, I’ll give you a few days to think about it? You know you can call me whenev-”

But Riley’s already shouting “YES!!!!” at the top of her lungs and lowkey tearing up omfg she’s so happy about this

Eric was not expecting this enthusiastic of a response but Riley’s hugging him and seems genuinely happy and excited for the first time all night so he’s thrilled

Okay, so she had to leave to be in DC about a week before her school actually got out. (Technically two, if you count the three days for exams) Cory worked it out so she took all her exams early on the weekend before she left

And Riley was like “Now, I could be mature about this and tell all my friends about this…Or I could be me and just up and leave with absolutely no warning and not give them any solid explanations unless I’m feeling better in August.”

She decides to go with that and swears Cory and Topanga and Auggie to secrecy lmao

Like literally the gang walks into History class one day and they’re all “Wtf where the hell is Riley she’s never absent” and Cory’s just like “Oh she moved to Washington please turn to page 394.”

You can imagine the reactions that got lmaoooo

So anyway, Riley’s in awe of Eric’s place in DC cause it’s so big and fancy

She doesn’t have to do anything her first day there so he sets her up with someone to take her on a tour of all the important buildings and stuff and she meets a couple of other intern kids so she has fun

And then when she actually starts the intern job it’s literally basically just following him around to take notes at meetings and getting messages to other senators and making coffee. She doesn’t find it that much of a hassle and really gets to know some of the other kids pretty well

They all have relatively the same grades and college aspirations as her and she’s like!!! Finally!!! People who are as smart as me but not obnoxiously condescending about it as Farkle and Smackle!!!

OR Finally!!!! People who seem to like me and not find any parts of me too annoying like Lucas and Maya!!!

Or Finally!!! People who don’t make me feel like they’re only talking to me out of convenience like Zay!!!

Like obviously Riley still adores her friends, she always will, but this was like a big eye opener that not every single person in the world is going to view her in the same way her friends and family do.

And that really helped with her self-esteem a bit. Did it also help that Maya wasn’t there so she could constantly feel overshadowed? Yes. Like, she knows Maya’s in her life for eternity, but having a couple months to learn to thrive without her was really helpful for Riley. Same with not having Topanga try to nit-pick everything she does, or Cory constantly worrying over her, or things like that.

Eric was a pretty chill guardian. He gave her space to grow and try to figure things out about herself, he had no problem with her hanging out with the other internship kids. He let her dye the ends of her hair purple (which she pulled into a bun during work hours to look more professional), she got another ear piercing, she started playing guitar again which she hadn’t really consistently done in years (Eric had somehow ended up with one of Alan’s old ones, but he never used it despite his talent for it lol. Riley found it in a space room when she was exploring around one day since Eric and Jack went for dinner)

And Riley loves spending all this time with Eric again. Since he was around daily in her early childhood, and she had never completely taken well to him moving out. While they stayed close through the years there was just something different about it, you know? So hanging out with him every day made her happy and feel a lot more carefree.

He took her out for lunch every day unless he had to work through it, they saw movies whenever they could, he let her drag him onto a couple horrid shopping trips (with all the pink he was starting to have war flashbacks to Desire lol), her Instagram was flooded with cute selfies of them, they ate way too much pizza because cooking will never be Eric’s strong spot, he took her to see a musical one night. They were having a lot of fun.

And Eric was just thrilled bc Riley was deadass thriving like she was so on top of everything for work and was always having fun with the other interns. She was back to huge, bright smiles never leaving her face, there was a bounce in her step at all times, she joked around a lot and everyone at the office adored her.

Riley, true to plan, barely spent any time worrying about any drama she had back home. She was living in the moment and being happy. She occasionally shot her friends short updates like “Having so much fun here! Can’t talk right now, too busy, but can’t wait to see you guys when I get back!” but that was basically all the thought she was giving them. This was a summer of having fun and focusing on herself and her own shit and that’s what she was committed to doing

There were a few instances where Eric and Jack had her go through everything that was upsetting her, just so she doesn’t go back and just immediately fall back into those situations.

Conclusions she came to:

1) She was absolute on her feelings for Farkle, and felt she had dropped enough hints alluding to them. The boy and Smackle had officially broken up sometime in late June, and after all the drama of Lucas being such a passive boyfriend, she demanded that Farkle would have to be smart enough to make the first move.

2) She needed to stop being so symbiotic with Maya, or else she will never escape feeling overshadowed by her. She was sorta getting there with cheerleading, but she shouldn’t let devotion to her friend stop her from joining other clubs she wanted to, like physics club or sci fi club or drama club or GSA or student council or film club or the basketball team or a book club. She just needed some space away from Maya in places she knew she’d enjoy and shine in.

3) She already knew she was completely over Lucas Friar’s ass, but she needed to stop listening to her obnoxious classmates gossip about them. They had no real idea of anything that went on between them, so whatever they have to say shouldn’t effect her

4) Her grades were just as good as Farkle and Smackle’s, and she was going to make damn sure they remembered that when school started back up. She was sick of being made to feel like an idiot just because she didn’t laude her grades over everyone (however unintentionally the duo were doing that). She knew Farkle was mostly better considering she had floored him when she turned out to tutor him in math earlier in the year, so her main focus was just beating Smackle at like every test she could lol. It might be slightly petty but what else do you want from a 15 year old?

5) She was going to sit down and have a LONG talk with Topanga about how she makes her feel.

6) She is going to remain in contact with all her new friends from across the country and make more in the clubs she’s planning on joining. Her little group is still who she feels closest to and she has no plans on ditching them, but she still wants to branch out and not feel dependent on people who don’t feel dependent on her. She doesn’t want to feel dependent on ANYBODY.

And various other ideas on just how to keep herself sane and happy. Eric is extremely proud of her for all this yes he cries a bit

She also has a brief fling with one of the other interns and they both know it’s not serious or going anywhere and tbh that kinda thrills her to just spend a few weeks kissing someone she knows she doesn’t have to feel destined to marry. Having something so non-serious like that helps her feel more like she’s growing into her own person and isn’t supposed to repeat the steps of her parents

Eric gave her a diary so she could keep a very detailed account of all she’s going through and figuring out

Did they spend a bunch of time reminiscing old memories??? Yes. Because Eric has way too many baby pictures of her lol

All in all they just really re-bonded and Riley really started blossoming during this summer. But she did eventually have to head back home.

There was a big ‘welcome back’ party planned at the bakery, and they were all expecting the Riley Matthews who left to walk through the doors right

But instead in walks Riley Matthews, who doesn’t have bags under her eyes and who seems like she’s almost glowing. Spring in her step, bright smile, purple hair, taller, not sleep deprived, looking genuinely happy to see everyone. She seems sure of herself and confident, everyone is fucking floored yo

She did throw glitter in the air for her own entrance though, so they did know their girl was in there lol

She maintains the summer spent with Eric was one of the best moves of her life Topanga and Cory are lowkey like is this an insult lol

So yeah season 4′s happening so we can get the developed and confident Riley we deserve what to you mean cancellation lmao you must have misheard

#riley matthews #girl meets world #gmw #eric matthews #asks #molly mumbles

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ncmagroup · 5 years ago

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Ralph Barsi

Editors Note: These 30 Best Sales Books are not endorsed or sponsored in any way – this is an expert-curated list that will enable sales reps at any experience level to crush their revenue goals!

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Thinkertoys by Michael Michalko

The 10X Ruleby Grant Cardone

Wooden on Leadership by John Wooden

How to Win Friends and Influence Peopleby Dale Carnegie

The Sales Acceleration Formulaby Mark Roberge

The Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer

Predictable Revenueby Aaron Ross and Marylou Tyler

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hookby Gary Vaynerchuk

Agile Sellingby Jill Konrath

The Ultimate Sales Machineby Chet Holmes

The New Solution Sellingby Keith M. Eades

The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins

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Smart Callingby Art Sobczak

Money – Master the Gameby Tony Robbins

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Jack: Straight from the Gut by Jack Welch and John A. Byrne

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Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Teamby Patrick Lencioni

Zig Ziglar’s Secrets of Closing the Saleby Zig Ziglar

21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Sellingby Jeffrey Gitomer

Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done by Ram Charan and Larry Bossidy

SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham

The Joshua Principle by Tony J. Hughes

Hyper-Connected Selling by David J.P. Fisher

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Steal Like an Artistby Austin Kleon

The Decision Bookby Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschäppeler

Innovating for Peopleby LUMA Institute

The Sketchnote Handbook by Mike Rohde

Illuminateby Nancy Duarte and Patti Sanchez

Exactly What to Sayby Phil M. Jones

Blueprintsby Fernando Pizarro and Jacco Van Der Kooij

How to Get a Meeting with Anyone by Stu Heinecke

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Michael Michalko

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Grant Cardone

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Dale Carnegie

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Mark Roberge

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Jeffrey Gitomer

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Aaron Ross, Marylou Tyler

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Max Altschuler

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Napoleon Hill

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Gary Vaynerchuk

Though it might be the same story, you’ll need to tell it differently to a group of executives vs. a group of your friends. The term means to give, give, give, and then ask.

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#10 Agile Selling

Jill Konrath

I have followed Jill Konrath since 2007 when I subscribed to her “Selling to Big Companies” blog. To this day, she sheds value on the sales industry like bright, warm sunshine.

Buyers and sellers are on their own journeys – each resembling their unique roller coaster ride. Jill shares techniques and tactics to help salespeople adapt to these changes and arrive at the desired outcome. Everything she writes here is reinforced in her blog, eBooks and kits, and videos.

Buy Agile Selling here: bit.ly/konrath-agile

Bonus: The Sales Enablement Playbook

Cory Bray & Hilmon Sorey

In The Sales Enablement Playbook, sales veterans Cory Bray and Hilmon Sorey provide insights into creating a culture of sales enablement throughout your organization. This book provides a series of stand-alone chapters with frameworks and tactics that you can immediately implement, regardless of company size or industry. Whether you are a sales executive, sales practitioner, or a non-sales executive looking for ways to impact growth, The Sales Enablement Playbook will help you identify your role in a thriving enablement ecosystem

Get The Sales Enablement Playbook here: http://bit.ly/2gv94L

#11 The Ultimate Sales Machine

Chet Holmes

I’ve read this book a good 20 times, and have referred to it throughout my sales leadership career. It offers a 12-part program only used by high-caliber sales organizations and requires “pig-headed discipline and determination” to work.

Chet Holmes left us with a recipe for success that is unparalleled. This book explicitly spells it out, and many of its lessons are reinforced today by Chet Holmes International.

Buy The Ultimate Sales Machine here: bit.ly/UltimateSales-

#12 The New Solution Selling

Keith M. Eades

To know where you’re going means you need to know where you came from. This is the update to Mike Bosworth’s early 90’s classic, Solution Selling.

Applying a sales methodology to your selling gives you a tried and true advantage, and enables you to plan your work and work your plan. Among the popular methodologies, this happens to be a favorite. It uses the formula PPVVC=S (Pain x Power x Vision x Value x Control = Sale) to help salespeople accurately gauge the probability of closing a deal.

Other legendary methodologies include:

SPIN Selling (Neil Rackham)

Strategic Selling (Robert Miller, Stephen Heiman….sound familiar?)

The Challenger Sale (Matthew Dixon, Brent Adamson)

The Sandler Sales Institute’s 7-Step System (David Sandler, John Hayes)

Buy The New Solution Selling here: bit.ly/new-solution

#13 The First 90 Days

Michael Watkins

This book is a road-map for leaders starting in a new organization. Time is critical in the first 90 days, and the faster you can reach “the breakeven point,” where you become a contributor of value vs. a consumer of value, the better.

Watkins provides real-world scenarios, several potential approaches, and different types of dialogue, to help you anticipate and prepare for any situation in your new environment.

Buy The First 90 Days here: bit.ly/First90-

#14 Difficult Conversations

Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton

It’s inevitable. You’re going to have difficult conversations – with senior leaders, with sales reps, with prospects and customers. Of course, most of us want to prevent these talks or avoid them altogether.

When you’re focused, however, on productive problem solving instead of emotion or “winning” the argument, you’re able to calmly arrive with your “opponent” at a path forward. This book lays out the best, most professional, tactful, and respectful ways to handle difficult conversations.

Buy Difficult Conversations here: bit.ly/diff-convo

Bonus: The No 1. Best Seller

Lee Bartlett

What does it take to be a top salesperson?

Many books claim to have the answer, but few demonstrate, by example, exactly how it is achieved. The No.1 Best Seller is a masterclass in professional selling, as seen through the eyes of a top salesman. With a career spent selling financial technology to the C-Suite and Investment Banking community, Lee Bartlett shares the mindset and methodology that has allowed him to consistently outperform his competitors to win the largest mandates in his industry.

Buy: The No.1 Best Seller: http://bit.ly/2sYvRas

#15 Smart Calling

Art Sobczak

Many argue that “cold calling” is dead, and in many ways it is. “Calling,” however, is alive and well, and salespeople NEED to know how to conduct a great phone call.

Sales trainer and coach, Art Sobczak, shares “dumb mistakes,” most salespeople say in the first 10 seconds of their calls; and offers new, better approaches to ensure you engage people on the phone vs. spilling info about you, your company, and your product all over them.

Buy Smart Calling here: bit.ly/smart-calling

#16 Money – Master the Game

Tony Robbins

Assuming you’re going to crush it in your sales career, you’ll make a lot of money. You better learn how to manage it or it will disappear. It was once said, “If you took all the money in the world, divided it up equally among everybody, it would soon all be back in the same pockets.”

Tony Robbins spells out 7 simple steps to financial freedom and interviews the world’s money masters, so you can model their success for yourself.

Buy Money – Master the Game here: bit.ly/robbins-money

#17 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Stephen Covey

I attended a leadership conference in the early 2000’s, and Dr. Covey was the keynote speaker. He had us stand up, cover eyes, and point to where we thought was north. He then asked everyone to keep pointing while they uncovered their eyes. Everyone was pointing in a different direction.

In order to influence an organization of any size to head in the same direction, everyone must develop fundamental habits – like seeking first to understand before you’re understood. This book is a masterpiece in how to become highly effective in everything you do.

Buy The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People here: bit.ly/7-habits-

#18 Jack: Straight from the Gut

Jack Welch, John A. Byrne

Jack Welch is a master at business leadership. By driving culture before anything else, he shaped GE to become the “most valuable company in the world.”

This book illustrates Jack’s career path, his candid view on what matters most to businesses, his succession plan for up-and-coming executives (including personal, handwritten letters to his leaders), and the deep dives he encourages us to take when working on our business.

Buy Jack: Straight from the Gut here: bit.ly/jack-ceo

#19 The Psychology of Selling

Brian Tracy

“Get serious about your career; decide today to be a big success in everything you do.” This quote from Brian Tracy is the first of my five philosophies and a staple of my daily work.

Here, Brian walks through strategies and methods for moving deals through the pipeline and adding more “Closed Won” deals to the board. It is a classic book you’ll reference throughout your career.

Buy The Psychology of Selling here: bit.ly/psych-selling

#20 Overcoming The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Patrick Lencioni

If you’re part of a struggling company or team, it’s likely because one or more of these dysfunctions are at play: absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, or inattention to results.

This is one of TEN powerhouse business and sales books from Pat Lencioni. He continues to share his gift with the world, working with his team at The Table Group, to lift businesses to the highest levels.

Buy Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team here: bit.ly/5-dysfunctions

#21 Zig Ziglar’s Secrets of Closing the Sale

Zig Ziglar

The man. Zig Ziglar is a sales legend, and his lessons continue to resonate today. I never took the opportunity to see him live, but still, listen to and watch his teachings.

In this book, Zig underscores the fact that “we’re all in sales.” He breaks down the very questions, attitude, and steps required to influence a “Yes!” from people.

Buy Zig Ziglar’s Secrets of Closing the Sale here: bit.ly/zigsecrets

#22 21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Selling

Jeffrey Gitomer

Similar to Jill Konrath (see #10), I’ve subscribed to Jeffrey Gitomer’s free eNewsletter, Sales Caffeine, for YEARS (about ten now). It still shows up in my inbox every Tuesday morning.

There are laws for every discipline (physics, civil, criminal, mathematical, economic). If particular conditions are present, the laws will always occur, plain and simple. This book deeply explains the essential laws of our craft – selling.

Buy 21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Selling here: bit.ly/git21-5

#23 Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

Ram Charan, Larry Bossidy

The title mentions “the discipline of getting things done.” That alone should inspire you to read this book. Ram Charan is a business legend and has advised the greatest CEO’s of all time, while Larry Bossidy has led an incredibly successful company like Honeywell and GE.

Execution is a discipline that must be a core component of organizations, but should also be at your core. What people say they’ll do and what they actually do are often two different things. Just get ‘er done!

Buy Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done here: bit.ly/Execution-

#24 SPIN Selling

Neil Rackham

SPIN Selling is essential reading for anyone involved in selling or managing a sales team. This book outlines the revolutionary SPIN technique (Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-Payoff).

By following the simple, practical, and easy-to-apply techniques of SPIN, readers will be able to dramatically increase their sales volume.

Rackham answers key questions such as “What makes success in major sales” and “Why do techniques like closing work in small sales but fail in larger ones?”

You will learn why traditional sales methods which were developed for small consumer sales, just won’t work for large sales and why conventional selling methods are doomed to fail in major sales.

Buy SPIN Selling here: http://amzn.to/2hXlY4e

#25 The Joshua Principle

Tony J. Hughes

Joshua Peters is a salesman in crisis – after losing a key deal his boss threatens him with the sack and he has doubts concerning his choice of career.

His father is a sales veteran who progressed all the way to CEO but with their relationship is at an all-time low and he struggles to help. Then a mentor’s invitation from the other side of the world powerfully transforms everything as Joshua embarks on the journey of discovering leadership secrets of strategic selling.

He applies the principles to the biggest and most complex deal of his life and his mentorship culminates with a powerful meeting that finally reveals The Joshua Principle.

Learn about the Value Quadrant for Professional Sales Agents©, The New ROI©, the seven sins of selling, the ten laws of relationship and strategic selling, how to develop and execute effective strategy, the history and evolution of professional selling, how to gain insight to challenge thinking and create business value, how to successfully sell at the top, and much more.

Buy The Joshua Principle here: http://amzn.to/2tJIuqP

#26 Hyper-Connected Selling: Win More Business by Building Personal Influence & Creating Human Connection

David J.P. Fisher

Technology has fundamentally shifted how prospects buy…which means that salespeople have to catch up and change how they sell. With the right approach, integrating technology into your daily sales activity multiplies your ability to engage and provide value.

But no matter how much technology we put in place, at its core selling is a human-to-human activity. Old-school communication tools haven’t gone out of style, in fact, they’re you’re most powerful resource. Discover how to become a trusted Sales Sherpa™ for your prospects and integrate yourself into your prospects buying journey.

Buy Hyper Connected Selling here: http://amzn.to/2AtBQJu

Bonus: Outbound Sales, No Fluff

Rex Biberston and Ryan Reisert

This book is a step-by-step guide for the modern sales professional. We want to give you the framework, knowledge, and skills to fill a sales pipeline with highly qualified opportunities. It’s all practical advice – no cutesy stories, no rants, and no product pitches.

There are really only two ways to fill a funnel: inbound leads or outbound prospecting. We focus this book exclusively on outbound prospecting because it’s the half of the formula that an individual sales rep can control (that’s why so many sales job descriptions include the phrase “we’re looking for a hunter”).

Buy Outbound Sales, No Fluff here.

#27 Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative

Austin Kleon

You don’t need to be a genius, you just need to be yourself. That’s the message from Austin Kleon, a young writer and artist who knows that creativity is everywhere, creativity is for everyone. A manifesto for the digital age, Steal Like an Artist is a guide whose positive message, graphic look and illustrations, exercises, and examples will put readers directly in touch with their artistic side.

Buy Steal Like an Artisthere: http://bit.ly/stealikeanartist

#28 The Decision Book – Fifty Models for Strategic Thinking

Mikael Krogerus, Roman Tschäppeler

The Decision Book distills into a single volume the fifty best decision-making models used on MBA courses and elsewhere that will help you tackle these important questions—from the well known (the Eisenhower matrix for time management) to the less familiar but equally useful (the Swiss Cheese model).

It will even show you how to remember everything you will have learned by the end of it. Stylish and compact, this little black book is a powerful asset. Whether you need to plot a presentation, assess someone’s business idea or get to know yourself better, this unique guide will help you simplify any problem and take steps towards the right decision.

Buy The Decision Bookhere: http://bit.ly/decisionbook50

#29 Innovating for People – Handbook for Human Centered Design Methods

LUMA Institute

Innovation is an economic imperative that calls for more people to be innovating, more often. This handbook equips people in various lines of work to become more innovative. It provides specific guidance for bringing new and lasting value into the world.

The key ingredient to successful innovation is the everyday practice of Human-Centered Design: the discipline of developing solutions in the service of people. Every story of a good innovation—whether it’s a new product, a new service, a new business model or a new form of governance—begins and ends with people. It starts with careful discernment of human needs and concludes with solutions that meet or exceed personal expectations.

This handbook is your essential resource for innovation. It’s a compact reference book describing thirty-six methods of Human-Centered Design.

Buy Innovating for People here: http://bit.ly/innovatingfor

#30 The Sketchnote Handbook – Illustrated Guide to Visual Note Taking

Mike Rohde

This gorgeous fully illustrated handbook tells the story of sketchnotes–why and how you can use them to capture your thinking visually, remember key information more clearly, and share what you’ve captured with others.

Author Mike Rohde shows you how to incorporate sketchnoting techniques into your note-taking process—regardless of your artistic abilities—to help you better process the information that you are hearing and seeing through drawing and to actually have fun taking notes.

Buy The Sketchnote Handbook here: http://bit.ly/rohdesign

#31 Illuminate: Ignite Change Through Speeches, Stories, Ceremonies, and Symbols

Nancy Duarte and Patti Sanchez

As a leader, you have the same potential to not only anticipate the future and invent creative initiatives, but to also inspire those around you to support and execute your vision.

In Illuminate, acclaimed author Nancy Duarte and communications expert Patti Sanchez equip you with the same communication tools that great leaders like Jobs, Howard Schultz, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. used to move people. Duarte and Sanchez lay out a plan to help you lead people through the five stages of transformation using speeches, stories, ceremonies, and symbols

Buy Illuminate here: http://bit.ly/illuminateignite

#32 Exactly What to Say: The Magic Words for Influence and Impact

Phil M. Jones

Often the decision between a customer choosing you over someone like you is your ability to know exactly what to say, when to say it, and how to make it count. Phil M. Jones has trained more than two million people across five continents and over fifty countries in the lost art of spoken communication. In Exactly What to Say, he delivers the tactics you need to get more of what you want.

Buy Exactly What to Say here: http://bit.ly/exactlywhat

#33 Blueprints for a SaaS Sales Organization

Fernando Pizarro,‎ Jacco Van Der Kooij

Because of their very nature, SaaS companies live and die on revenue growth. And once the service is ready there is a very small window in which to scale. Missing that window is the difference between massive success and mediocrity.

With such high stakes, it is crucial to get a sales team and process in place that will scale. Yet most early-stage companies build their sales teams by the seat of their pants. This book distills the authors’ years of building high-performance SaaS teams into a set of highly detailed instructions that will allow sales leaders to design, implement and execute all around sales plans.

Buy Blueprints here: http://bit.ly/saasblueprints

#34 How to Get a Meeting with Anyone: The Untapped Selling Power of Contact Marketing

Stu Heinecke

The hard part just got easy!

You know how to sell—that’s your job, after all—but getting CEOs and other VIPs to call you back is the tricky part. So what if that impossible-to-reach person weren’t so impossible to reach after all?

Hall-of-fame-nominated marketer and Wall Street Journal cartoonist Stu Heinecke discovered that he could get past traditional gatekeepers and reach those elusive executives by thinking outside the box and using personalized approaches that he calls “contact campaigns.”

Buy How to Get a Meeting with Anyone here: http://bit.ly/meetwithanyone

The End Of The Bookshelf

They’re not all here. WAY more books are out there, containing ALL the answers you need to succeed. Schedule time to crack them open, and become the awesome salesperson you are.

These books, without question, will bolster your self-improvement, develop your leadership presence, guide you towards building effective teams, offer you different ways of solving problems, and show you how to do your job better. If you think a great one is missing from this list, please leave a comment with the title and author. Otherwise, prepare to rise up.

Go to our website: www.ncmalliance.com

Best Sales Books: 30 Elite Picks to Step Up Your Sales Game {2018 Update} Ralph Barsi Editors Note: These 30 Best Sales Books are not endorsed or sponsored in any way – this is an expert-curated list that will enable sales reps at any experience level to crush their revenue goals!

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thrashermaxey · 6 years ago

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Ramblings: Skinner needs to re-sign; ZAR back with Malkin; Winnington vs. Hamburgler – and more (Feb 18)

***

Jeff Skinner absolutely needs to re-sign with Buffalo. The roster and the coaching style fits him like a glove and he doesn’t want to mess with that. Sure, he could make an extra $1 million per season somewhere else, and perhaps that means an extra $6 million over the length of his contract. But he risks failure, embarrassment and – in an extreme case – perhaps even a buyout five years down the line. He need look no further than teammate Kyle Okposo when determining how signing with a bad fit can take your status as a star down a few notches. And how does Milan Lucic feel when he walks down the streets of Edmonton? With the Sabres, Skinner knows he can succeed because he’s thriving right now. Don’t mess with that, his best shot at a long and storied career is right where he is now.

With 33 points in his last 15 games, Patrick Kane has marched his way up to second on the NHL scoring list. And, thanks to another three assists on Sunday, Sidney Crosby has slid into a tie for eighth in scoring – entering the Top 10 for the first time all season (I’d have to double check that, but I think it’s true).

And thanks to the other 30 teams figuring out how to shut down the Avalanche, Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon are fading down the scoring list. The answer, of course, is to simply shut that top line down and prey upon the defense. In the last nine games, Rantanen has just two points and zero power-play points.

I know I’m rehashing the top stats that anyone can see. I just get fascinated watching everything fall into place. Players who fall short or far exceed my expectations begin to shift closer to actual expectation.

If Patrick Kane notches an assist tonight, he will become the fourth player in NHL history to tally an assist in 17 consecutive team games. The other three – Wayne Gretzky (three times), Adam Oates and Paul Coffey.

Mark Giordano has three points in his last eight games after 52 in his first 48. That, of course, is just the market correcting itself.

Saturday I was asked by an Igor Shesterkin owner if he should be worried about Alexandar Georgiev, after a couple of hot games. I was pretty comfortable in saying that Georgiev will be nothing more than a backup and that Shesterkin is a future stud. Georgiev gave up six goals on Sunday.

After two periods in a close game, the Penguins removed Nick Bjugstad from the Evgeni Malkin – Phil Kessel line and replaced him with Zach Aston-Reese. ZAR proceeded to pick up a pair of assists and the Pens won by a goal. That bodes well for him sticking on that line for longer. With each time ZAR gets a shot there, as long as he stays healthy (which is another conversation), I believe his odds of success increase. His experience grows, as does his comfort level, and he inches closer to his prime.

Two games into his return and Justin Schultz has a point in each of them. Still getting secondary PP time though. One side effect to this is that the second PP unit is ten times better with him there, which helps the likes of Marcus Pettersson, Nick Bjugstad and Jake Guentzel.

Kris Letang had two points Sunday and has 12 in his last 10 games. I think the Schultz return only helps him and overall he’s up to fourth in the league among defensemen (52 points).

Mats Zuccarello is doing everything he can to drive his price up for the Rangers. At this rate they should retire his jersey in a decade, just for the favor he’s doing them. I mean, come on – 22 points in 14 games. Has he ever done that in his career before? And he's doing it now just when they really need him to beef up his value. It’s enough to add a good draft pick or prospect to whatever offer was being floated to GM Jeff Gorton two weeks ago.

Kevin Hayes picked up two points Sunday as well, so he has 25 points in his last 22 games. He is also apparently on the block and driving his price up. Man I wish I had players on my fantasy hockey squad driving up their prices like this for me as the deadline approaches. But no dice, I don’t have either of these players, stupidly under-selling them last year when I guess I shouldn’t have.

The Blues continue to cruise on the Jordan Binnington – Vladimir Tarasenko train. The Blues, of course, were so far out of it seven weeks ago that we all wrote them off. This was a team that most figured was a top three improved team last summer, but were primarily let down by Vladimir Tarasenko and Jake Allen. Now, playing the role of Allen, is Binnington. Tarasenko is playing as if the first half of his season was training camp.

Did Tarasenko come to camp out of shape and is only getting there now? With three points on Sunday he has five consecutive multi-point games. Tale of two Tarasenkos:

22 points in first 35 games

29 points in last 23 games

Speaking of Binnington, back-to-back shutouts for him now (and three straight shutouts for the entire team). He’s 12-1-1 already with four shutouts. The best goalie in the world doesn’t do this, so it’s obviously unsustainable. Still, this is an Andrew Hammond-like run to kick things off. The difference is, Binnington is a former third-round draft pick and is 25, which is a very common age for goalies to begin an NHL career for good. Hammond was undrafted and 27. Keep in mind that this is a contract year for Binnington and I suspect that he is earning himself a $3 million annual contract. Then again, Allen is making $4.35 for each of the next two seasons and everyone in the world other than Allen’s mother knows that Binnington is far superior. So does his agent play on that and get him $4.5? And once he gets that money, does he pull an Allen and start sucking year after year? Best guess, for me, is that he starts coming down to earth this season but is still the team’s No.1 goaltender. He leads them to the second round of the playoffs and earns a bridge contract at something like $3.5. Next year he gets something like 55 starts with numbers that place him in that 10th to 15th rank for goalies. That’s where my head’s at. Binnington has effectively pushed out the struggling (in the AHL) Ville Husso, who had been the prospect Golden Boy before all this.

Allen had a shutout himself on Saturday, which is something none of expect out of him anymore. I will say this – if the team comes together in front of him and he starts playing at an equal level to Binnington (assuming Binnington comes down to earth a bit), then the net will be Allen’s. All things being equal, follow the contract. This is just an aside, I doubt it will happen, but wanted to provide you with a just-in-case scenario.

Cory Schneider has allowed just one goal on his last 50 shots faced, and his first two wins of the season. It’s a good sign, and we haven’t had any of those in months.

With two points Sunday, rookie winger Oskar Lindblom actually has 10 points in 13 games. He’s played most of the year with Jakub Voracek, but the catalyst has been Sean Couturier being put on that line in place of Patrick Nolan. Looking at the numbers for Claude Giroux, having Couturier on his line saw the best production. Losing Couturier has seen a decline – just nine points in 12 games. Decent numbers, but nothing like what he was doing before.

Aleksander Barkov picked up four points on Sunday. But he’s a great player and that happens from time to time. What interests me is Keith Yandle still rolling. Two more points Sunday and eight in his last 10. His success since joining Florida has been steady across the board: 0.50, 0.68, 0.79 points-per-game in his three years there. His PP time is also rising, at 55.7%, 64.1%, 65.2% of the team’s available PP time year over year. He’s 32 and has another four years under his big contract. Despite his age, I don’t see a slowdown happening anytime soon. He’s an iron man. The older players in the league who are thriving right now – Brent Burns, Mark Giordano – are talented defensemen in peak physical shape.

Samuel Montembeault was recalled by the Panthers. I like him as a prospect for the long term, but his AHL numbers haven’t exemplified this (just .900 SV% in 36 games this year so far). I can’t help but consider the success of Jordan Binnington, Cal Petersen, Collin Delia, Carter Hart. I know Roberto Luongo is only gone for a game or two (personal reasons – death in the family), but I’d love to see Montembeault get into a game. He backed up James Reimer Sunday.

Reimer has won four of his last six games, including three Quality Starts in that span.

It took him eight games, but Corey Perry is finally on the board with his first goal of the season. He’s still playing with Ryan Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell so he’s in a position to succeed, through thick and thin.

It will be interesting to see the new-look Edmonton lineup Tuesday with both Sam Gagner and Andrej Sekera in the lineup. Gagner has been a prolific scorer in the AHL for the Marlies (37 points in 43 games) and he also had his eight-point game while he was with the Oilers. Sekera has two assists and was plus-6 in five games for Bakersfield on a conditioning stint.

Sidney Crosby has 1188 career points (920 games). Alexander Ovechkin has 1189 career points (1061 games). The last time Crosby had more career points than Ovechkin was January 5, 2011.

Artemi Panarin (24-43—67) enters the contest three points shy of reaching the 70-point mark in 2018-19, which would mark his fourth consecutive season with at least as many points. Only two undrafted players have started their NHL career with four or more consecutive 70-point seasons: Wayne Gretzky (13) and Peter Stastny (10).

I love it when someone turns negativity into a marketing opportunity. I love creativity in marketing…Check it out (start at 4:25):

{youtube}LoNN8vZf74c{/youtube}

{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We’re a bunch of jerks and we have the shirts to prove it.<br><br>Available later this week at The Eye. <a href="https://t.co/TEefqETEau">pic.twitter.com/TEefqETEau</a></p>— Carolina Hurricanes (@NHLCanes) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHLCanes/status/1097236771677573122?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2019</a></blockquote>

Love it.

See you next Monday.

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-skinner-needs-to-re-sign-zar-back-with-malkin-winnington-vs-hamburgler-and-more-feb-18/

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