I was reading a forum today, where people asked about their top three picks for Internet Marketing books.

That’s a tough one – if I was to pick two books on just marketing, I’d probably recommend one on mental sales techniques like Robert Ciadini’s “Influence” or Dan Kennedy’s “The Ultimate Marketing Plan” (which I’m currently reading).

For money making, I’d want a book specializing on specific methods – Robert Kiyosaki’s “Rich Dad” series for real estate, or Tim Ferris’ “4 Hour Workweek” and Chris Carpenter’s “Google Cash” for affiliate sales.

And to wrap my head around success? Napoleon Hill ’s “Think and Grow Rich” works great, as does T. Harv Eker’s “Secrets of the Millionaire Mind”, to name two.

But for the first book on succeeding in business and marketing?

I’d recommend the Bible.

Whatever your belief system, it’s a great book for life and success.

But in this context, look at the SALES techniques – after all, how many people have launched a way of life and belief system that’s lasted a hundred years, let alone 2,000?

Take a look at just some of the sales lessons:

THINK about money to make money: Many books teach a variation of “think, and it will happen”. But the Bible showed how this worked many years ago: “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). We think deeply about something, and it molds and shapes us into who we are – obviously.

Target your audience. In one example, Jesus gave a parable about a little mustard seed becoming a huge tree (Matthew 13:31,32). We may need help today understanding it, but he was talking to people who worked in agriculture – so THEY got the point right away. Always make sure what you say is appropriate to your target audience.

Use illustrations and visuals: Today we know people think visually, and visualization is the first step to wanting (and then to buying). Jesus often used illustrations to teach. In fact, it was said “All these things Jesus said to the people in the form of stories; and without a story he said nothing to them” (Matthew 13:34). And no wonder – the imagination is strong and stirs the emotions, which motivates. How many books today talk about ‘painting pictures’ of success to motivate people?

Remember your mission. There’s a saying: “People who stand for nothing fall for everything”. Try to do too many things, and you may not get anywhere. In contrast, Jesus stayed on track with one message. Many people wanted him to get involved in a local uprising against Romans – instead, he stuck to his original message of salvation. In the end he got what he wanted.

Promotion, promotion, promotion. Besides explaining his message (which you could probably call a sales pitch in its way), he also gave away freebies – health cures or miracles. No one needed a health cure to partake of his message – but the health cures (miracles) certainly gained everyone’s attention and helped promote him in a day and age where people didn’t have Internet, TV or newspapers to hear the latest goings on. Not only was it a great promotion tool – it helped people, the best kind of promotion.

Treat the customer well. When he fed the group by the sea with fishes and loaves, his reasoning was they couldn’t be sent away hungry (“I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way”, Matthew 15:32). How many people today worry about treating the customer extra well – or instead just go for the ‘fast buck’ and let them ’starve’ afterwards?

This is just a quick list – and whether you believe in the Bible or not, the fact is an impartial reading can give you a huge number of lessons on how to promote a message. Jesus was a skilled salesman, and since what he was offering was so vital, there’s no shame in making it easy to ‘use’ and try out.

In fact, I think this is a hidden business lesson from the Bible:

THERE IS NO SHAME IN SELLING.

After all, if you have a product you believe in, and that you KNOW can help people, how can you NOT go out there and try to sell it to them?

So yes, it’s number one on my list of books for business, and for life. And in fact the last lesson I’ll mention ties both together – it’s about what you do along the way while trying to succeed:

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” – Mark 8:36

Work at being a good person, and when you ‘arrive’, you’ll look into a mirror and LIKE what you see – the best lesson I can imagine from ANY book on business, let alone life.