We just wrote a great post about sales podcasts you should check out, but not everyone is so fond of podcasts.
What if you’re more into reading instead? Fortunately, there are even more sales books than podcasts out there.
The sheer number of books can be overwhelming, leaving you unsure of where to start. To help you narrow down your reading list, we’ve compiled the following ‘can’t-miss’ sales books.
As a sales professional, it is common to get all kinds of advice about how to manipulate the buyer’s mind and make the sale no matter what. But you know very well that that’s mostly just … crap!
Ernest Hemmingway said:
“There is no friend as loyal as a book.”
So, we looked through the bundles and found the best sales books that actually keep it real 😉
Are you excited? Let’s get started.
1. The Ultimate Sales Machine: Turbocharge Your Business with Relentless Focus on 12 Key Strategies — Chet Holmes
Starting our list is a book that’s been hailed a classic, the Chet Holmes sales title The Ultimate Sales Machine.
Originally published in 2007 but revised a decade later, this book has 50 pages of new content from the first publication.
Even the OG publication is still a delight to read, as Chet showcases how salespeople can land more of their dream customers, improve their sales interactions, use marketing to their advantage without it being so effort-intensive, and how to get better as a team.
The book includes Core Story Frameworks and ROI checklists as well.
2. To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others — Daniel H. Pink
Daniel H. Pink’s book To Sell Is Human is a number-one Washington Post best-seller, a number-one Wall Street Journal Business Bestseller, and a number-one New York Times Business Bestseller.
If you’ve read Pink’s other works, including A Whole New Mind and Drive, then To Sell Is Human will especially resonate with you.
Even if this is your first introduction to Pink’s writing, you’ll still glean so much knowledge from this book about the science and art of selling.
Pink supports his claims with lots of social science, which makes the book fascinating to read for more than the sales tips.
He has his own selling ABCs that he reveals in the book. They’re worth taking a look at!
Read also: 10 Things to Ensure Your Sales Playbook is Crazy Good
3. Inbound Selling: How to Change the Way You Sell to Match How People Buy — Brian Signorelli
Brian Signorelli’s book Inbound Selling is all about the intersection between inbound selling and inbound marketing.
As a HubSpot Sales Director, Signorelli knows a thing or two about the ever-shifting sales paradigm and where inbound sales fit in.
Throughout his book, Signorelli instructs the reader on how to become an inbound seller. This book is recommended for all nature of sales professionals, including executives, sales managers, and front-liner sellers.
Read also: 7 Steps To Sell Anything With The Sandler Sales Methodology
4. SPIN Selling — Neil Rackham
Next on our list is SPIN Selling by Neil Rackman.
Neil founded the corporation Huthwaite and acted as its president. He uses his selling expertise as the basis for his book SPIN Selling.
SPIN is an acronym that’s short for situation, problem, implication, and need-payoff. (Read our blog post on SPIN Selling)
Although this book is from 1988, Rackman’s sales advice never ages. He packs each page with case studies, graphics, and real-life examples so your sales team can achieve new heights while putting your company on the map.
Read also: The ONLY 8 Sales Performance Metrics That Matter
5. New Sales. Simplified: The Essential Handbook for Prospecting and New Business Development — Mike Weinberg
Have you ever wondered what it takes to make winning sales call after sales call? Or maybe how to harness the power of social media, voicemail, and email in your sales protocols?
If so, then you must pick up the Mike Weinberg title New Sales. Simplified.
The book also teaches readers what a proactive phone call looks like, how to strengthen your sales story, and how to narrow down your most viable prospects.
It’s no wonder that HubSpot has called this one of the greatest sales books in existence. Once you read it, we think you’ll agree!
6. Blueprints for a SaaS Sales Organization: How to Design, Build and Scale a Customer-Centric Sales Organization — Jacco van der Kooij and Fernando Pizarro
A book for sales managers to read to better mobilize their existing sales force, Blueprints for a SaaS Sales Organization introduces The SaaS Sales Method for customer service, sales, and marketing professionals.
Updated since its original publication, this book details what it takes to put together effective SaaS teams and includes instructions for sales managers like yourself to follow.
Read also: The Sales CHAMP Framework and How It Can Help Your Business
7. Secrets of Closing the Sales: For Anyone Who Must Get Others to Say Yes! — Zig Ziglar
Top author Zig Ziglar is beloved for Secrets of Closing the Sale, and rightfully so.
Zig personally tested every method that he recommends in his book. The other suggestions come from some of the most successful salespeople in the United States.
You’ll learn what at first seem like unconventional sales tactics but later make so much sense, like “how to paint word pictures and use your imagination,” which is something we bet you’d never think you’d see in a sales book!
Zig includes more than 100 closings that have been successfully implemented for you to utilize in your ongoing deals no matter what you’re trying to persuade a lead or customer to do.
The book also has more than 700 questions that will have you think about sales from every conceivable angle.
8. Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle — Michael Port
Do you want more clients than you can handle? That’s every sales professional’s dream, right?
Well, now Michael Port shows you to achieve that and many other sales dreams in his book entitled Book Yourself Solid.
This bestselling guide on business development is in its second edition.
You’ll learn why self-promotion matters in sales, how perspective is everything, and what kinds of skills, techniques, and strategies you need to boost your company’s profits and take on a record-breaking number of prospects.
The sales and marketing strategies now include social media, and you’ll find pricing models, sales strategies, outreach strategies, and launch tactics as well.
Read also: 8 SMART Sales Goals for Business Growth [+ Case Study]
9. The Only Sales Guide You’ll Ever Need — Anthony Iannarino
Anthony Iannarino’s book The Only Sales Guide You’ll Ever Need may be just that.
This book is a USA Today bestseller. Iannarino published another great sales title called The Sales Blog and is a speaker as well, so he knows his stuff!
Here’s what he believes is the key to sales. You must have self-discipline and accountability. You need to be competitive and resourceful.
More so, you must be able to diagnose the needs of others and harness the power of storytelling to build relationships.
If you want to learn how to do all this and more, pick up the book!
Read also: 11 of the Greatest Business People of All Time
10. How to Win Friends and Influence People — Dale Carnegie
Although it’s not a sales book, per se, Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People is still a must-read since originally being published in 1936.
Many, many editions later, How to Win Friends and Influence People continues to motivate people to improve their situations both personally and professionally and utilize the power of persuasion to drive more outcomes.
Read also: 16 Sales Dashboards That Make Sales Fun
Conclusion
If you wish you could do more reading, the 10 sales books on this list are a great place to start.
You’ll learn from the best in the game, and they won’t waste your time talking about how to lie your way to sales milestones.
These are people who’ve proved to be great influencers themselves, and you can learn a lot by paying attention to their lessons.
If you’d like to recommend any other books for sales people, let us know in the comments.
Happy reading!
