Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about authentic selling in a chaotic world.
This week’s article is a throwback to some of my favorite “How to” essays — practical guides on everything from buying a used car to raising a puppy. They’re the reference pieces I keep coming back to, and maybe you will too.
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The best How-tos
Earlier this month, I shared some of my favorite articles from the last two years. As I reviewed them, I was forced to think a lot about my best writing (and also my worst).
Some of my all-time favorite books are reference books. Maybe not by design, but these books teach the reader how to do something:
- The Art of Learning – a study of the learning process
- Tuesdays with Morrie – a book about grief
- A Sense of Where You Are – a beautifully written book about discipline and movement
- The Knowledge – how to rebuild civilization after the apocalypse
- The 4-Hour Chef – a book about learning
Each of these are reference manuals. And some of my best Snafu articles are evergreen – difficult to write, and they read well even years later.
Today, I thought I’d share a few of my best “How to” articles:
How to buy a used car – I’m helping my girlfriend buy a used car right now, and keep referencing this article to make sure I haven’t forgotten anything.
How to start writing – Whenever I fall out of my writing habit, I remember the steps I outlined in this article.
How to run a self-experiment – Everything in your life can be a small experiment.
How to raise a puppy – It’s a mix of profound joy and endless effort.
How to run an unconference – The easiest way to organize an event.
How to tell a great story – because everything is about telling a great story.
How to sell without a network or connections – because we all start somewhere.
How to get leads – a variety of ways to reach people.
How to sell video – I’ve been selling Zander Media for 6 years now. Here’s what I’ve learned.
How to sell accounting – I wrote this for an old client, but it’s true of a variety of types of services.
How to make cold calls – Calling people is scary when you’re afraid of rejection.
How to get someone to change – Hint: you can’t.