The most successful people attribute their accomplishments to the never-ending journey of learning. Learning does not stop when you leave school, pass an examination, or finish a book—it’s a continuous and lifelong process that makes us better.
For sales representatives, the same is true. It’s not enough to only focus on first-hand experience and training to gain sales knowledge. You must invest time and energy into the continuous learning process, too, outside of your day job. Not only will this help you hone your skills and test new techniques, it will help you close more deals and be a highly successful and efficient sales professional.
The Ultimate Guide of Top Sales Books You Need to Read Now
One of the best and more affordable ways to learn is to pick up a book. However, the challenge with finding the perfect sales book is there are too many to choose from and it can be an overwhelming process picking the best book for you. That’s where this list will come in handy.
Below, we’ve compiled the top 25 sales books that will completely change (and enhance) the way you sell, helping you create better relationships with customers, find higher quality leads and close deals faster.
Remember: Visiting your local book shop, or buying books second hand, is not only better for your wallet, but also for our planet!
As always: The article structure has nothing to do with the quality of the books mentioned and does not constitute a rating.
1. The Psychology of Selling
Author: Brian Tracy
Pages: 232
The Psychology of Selling discusses how selling is more than just strategy and politics. To be successful at sales, you also need to understand human psychology and behavior in the context of business. Author Brian Tracy uncovers the inner motivations of buyers and sellers, explaining how they interconnect to create opportunities for sales reps. In this book, Tracy thoroughly covers psychological ideas, methodologies, strategies, and techniques to help you close more deals, faster than you have ever before.
2. The Greatest Salesman in the World
Author: Og Mandino
Pages: 128
This classic sales book by Og Mandino helps the reader discover the “why” behind selling. This book reframes the act of selling away from being something that could be considered as manipulative, and instead selling is an act to help people achieve their goals and dreams—with the help of a great salesman, of course.
3. The Challenger Sale
Author: Matthew Dixon
Pages: 240
Matthew Dixon breaks down the true secret to successful sales and business success in The Challenger Sale. Dixon posits that the best salesperson doesn’t just build relationships with customers, they challenge them to think outside of that single transaction and think of how these solutions can solve their problems. This book ultimately suggests moving away from product selling to solution selling. Dixon takes a look at top-performing sales professionals to understand what makes them great and offers tools and techniques to help sales professionals become Challengers.
4. Smart Calling: Eliminate the Fear, Failure, and Rejection from Cold Calling
Author: Art Sobczak
Pages: 256
In Smart Calling: Eliminate the Fear, Failure, and Rejection from Cold Calling, Art Sobczak uncovers the secrets to cold calling success. Cold calling is an essential and necessary function of any sales professional workflow, and it’s no secret that it can be one of the most tedious and intimidating techniques due to the overwhelming rate of rejection. Sobczak offers tips and tricks to help sales professionals successfully close cold call deals while minimizing the fear of rejection. While other books tell the reader to “learn to love” rejection, Smart Calling is different, by instead empowering the reader to take action, call leads and close the deal almost every time.
5. B2B Is Really P2P: How to Win With High Touch in a High Tech World
Author: Frank Somma
Pages: 238
In this book, Frank Somma discusses the sales gene and how to use that to your advantage to identify the nuances of body language, vocal tone, micro-expressions and word choice when talking to prospects which can help you to start developing long-lasting relationships with customers. This book will provide sales veterans, sales leaders or recent grads alike the tools and techniques to help build lasting relationships that result in sales.
6. The Sales Development Playbook
Author: Trish Bertuzzi
Pages: 262
If you are looking for a book to help with sales development and prospecting, we encourage you to check out The Sales Development Playbook. This book isn’t only about how to achieve growth, but how to achieve high growth. It covers how to effectively acquire a new pipeline by empowering internal sales teams to successfully prospect. Learn the six steps you can take now to start cultivating high-quality leads.
7. Own Your Niche
Author: Stephanie Chandler
Pages: 251
This book covers internet marketing and sales tactics your sales teams should be considering in today’s digital market. Own Your Niche teaches you how to showcase your business to your audience online in an authentic way. Stephanie Chandler offers easy-to-use and implement strategies that you can take advantage of today to help grow your business for tomorrow.
8. The New Handshake: Sales Meets Social Media
Author: Joan C. Curtis & Barbara Giamanco
Pages: 204
We live in an increasingly digital world and today’s social media environment has completely changed how we communicate and connect with others. In this book, you’ll learn how to adopt social media selling solutions, learn how to build a social media selling road map, and how to empower sales professionals to adopt these new tactics. Take advantage of social media and start connecting with your target audience in an authentic and strategic way.
9. SPIN Selling
Author: Neil Rackham
Pages: 216
In 216 pages, Neil spills the sales wisdom he gained from analyzing over 35,000 calls made by 10,000 salespeople from 23 countries. He introduces the concept of SPIN selling, an effective sales strategy to do high-value selling. According to him, salespeople should ask 4 types of questions – Situation, Problem, Implication, and Need-payoff – to convert prospects into customers. Though published in 1988, this approach stands the test of time for its actionable and data-backed strategies.
10. The Science of Selling: Proven Strategies to Make Your Pitch, Influence Decisions, and Close the Deal
Author: David Hoffeld
Pages: 288
If your selling strategies aren’t resulting in closed deals, it might be time to look for a new approach. This book will provide you with new, data-backed selling strategies that you can implement to start closing more deals. Use this book to start boosting your sales and creating deeper, mutually beneficial relationships with your customers.
11. Selling to the C-Suite
Author: Nicholas Read & Stephen Bistritz
Pages: 288
This book is a classic guide to high-level selling. Have you ever wondered how salespeople develop long-lasting relationships with c-level executives? In the B2B world, selling to executives is normal and those executives are looking for needle-moving advice. With this book learn strategies on effective c-suite selling and become your target company’s trusted advisor.
12. Emotional Intelligence for Sales Success
Author: Colleen Stanley
Pages: 224
Emotional intelligence (EI) is an important skill for all sales professionals as it plays a vital role in the selling process. It’s easy to get defensive when faced with a prospect challenging your pitch, or, you might fold under pressure too quickly when your price is challenged. In this book, learn how EI is an indicator of sales success and how to sharpen your skills to help expand your EI toolkit.
13. Think and Grow Rich
Author: Napoleon Hill
Pages: 388
This is a classic book, loved and referenced by many professional salespeople. This book not only teaches you what you need to be successful but steps that will help you become a better sales professional. The techniques are simple and once applied, you will realize your full potential.
14. Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions
Author: Keith Rosen
Pages: 352
Have you ever wondered what the secret is to building a highly successful and profitable sales team? Product knowledge and foundational sales skills go a long way but there is more to the equation. In this book, Keith Rosen describes how to effectively coach a sales team instead of simply just managing a sales team. Learn tips and tricks on how to turn your sales team into the most profitable team in your organization.
15. Brilliant Selling: What the Best Salespeople Know, Do, and Say
Author: Jeremy Cassell & Tom Bird
Pages: 335
Whether you are new to selling or a selling veteran, Brilliant Selling will show you how to improve your sales performance so you start closing more deals. This book is packed with tips and advice on what works when selling to prospects, how to perfect and develop your sales techniques and how you can understand your customer’s needs to deliver the perfect pitch at the right time.
16. The Introvert's Edge: How the Quiet and Shy Can Outsell Anyone
Author: Matthew Owen Pollard & Derek Lewis
Pages: 240
It’s a common myth that extroverts make the best salespeople. Sales is a skill just like any other skill and with the right practice, anyone can be a successful sales professional. If you’re an introvert, this book is great for you as it describes how you can build your sales skill and feel just as comfortable in the sales world as your extroverted counterparts (and even how to outperform them with your introverted qualities).
17. More Sales, Less Time
Author: Jill Konrath
Pages: 256
Do you often feel really behind at work and are faced with the stress of meeting end-of-month or end-of-quarter sales quotas? If this sounds like you, you’re an overwhelmed seller. In this book, Jill Konrath helps sales professionals develop strategies to help them overcome these overwhelmed and stressed feelings to help you sell smarter and more efficiently.
18. The Motivation Myth: How High Achievers Really Set Themselves Up to Win
Author: Jeff Haden
Pages: 288
The best sellers are gifted with endless motivation, right? Wrong. In Jeff Haden’s book The Motivation Myth, he explains that motivation is actually a myth and Haden proposes that, instead, motivation is the result of a good process. Learn how to garner motivation through a structured sales process and how you yourself can become one of a top-performing seller with endless amounts of motivation.
19. Selling with EASE
Author: Chris Murray & Jeb Blount
Pages: 276
The best and highest performing salespeople deploy four steps in every transaction with clients or customers. It’s vital to understand how to execute on those four steps so you can set yourself apart from your competition. If you are looking for genuine sales and business success, this book is for you. Start creating relationships with happy, repeat customers that will recommend you.
20. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
Author: Robert Cialdini
Pages: 336
This classic book covers the psychology of why buyers say “yes” and how to get them to that decision point. Robert Cialdini provides six principles of influence including reciprocation, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority and scarcity. Learn how to apply these principles in your next pitch using the techniques presented in this book and successfully influence your customer to buy what you’re selling.
21. Sell or Be Sold: How to Get Your Way in Business and in Life
Author: Grant Cardone
Pages: 200
Grant Cardone presents in his book Sell or Be Sold that everything in life should be treated as a sale. Whether you are in the boardroom pitching your product or service or trying to convince yourself to eat healthy, you need to focus on selling whatever that idea is to others and yourself. This book breaks down the techniques of how to master the art of selling in any avenue. One major takeaway is that to be successful at sales, you yourself need to be sold on the product.
22. What Great Salespeople Do: The Science of Selling Through Emotional Connection and the Power of Story
Author: Ben Zoldan
Pages: 256
Have you ever heard that storytelling is king? In this book, Ben Zoldan offers great insights into how to further connect with those you are selling to using the power of story. Zoldan suggests that people don’t make decisions solely based on fact but mostly on emotion. Learn how to use the power of storytelling to inspire your audience about what you are pitching and close the deal.
23. Never Split the Difference
Author: Chris Voss
Pages: 260
Learn how to level up your negotiating skills in Never Split the Difference. Negotiation is a skill that can be learned and perfected with practice. Everything is negotiable from closing a deal, to buying a car, increasing your salary or deliberating with your partner. Learn how to use emotional intelligence and bring some competitive edge to a negotiation to start getting what you want.
24. The Sales Acceleration Formula
Author: Mark Roberge
Pages: 224
The Sales Acceleration Formula provides a realistic, reliable and scalable approach to growing your revenue. Mark Roberge covers how to build a winning sales team and adapt your sales strategies in today’s increasingly digital and competitive world. Learn how to build a process you can rely on and use predictable sales data to your advantage.
25. Book Yourself Solid
Author: Michael Port
Pages: 288
If you’re a seasoned sales professional, consider picking up Book Yourself Solid to hone your sales skills. Michael Port offers fresh ideas and perspectives on tried and true sales techniques that can help keep you bringing in business for years to come. Learn seven core strategies to help you make a name for yourself through self-promotion. Unlock the secret to long-lasting business.
26. Words that Sell
Author: Richard Bayan
Pages: 160
Are you quickly realizing that your vocabulary is packed with sales jargon that doesn’t resonate with your customer? This helpful book will help you unlock the power of words to help you start closing the deal. Learn phrases that will capture your prospects attention, create desire for your product or service, and ultimately win their business.
27. How to Sell Anything to Anybody
Author:
Joe Girard, Stanley H. Brown
Pages: 192
In his book, Joe Girard reveals how absolutely anyone can successfully close deals in any type of business. If anyone knows how to do it, it's Joe! With more than 15 years of sales experience, he has sold over 13,000 cars, setting a Guinness World Record. Joe believes that anyone can achieve their goals in sales by focusing on basic principles such as trust and hard work. So, what are you waiting for?
28. Inside the Mind of Sales: How to Understand the Mind & Sell Anything
Author:
Derek Borthwick
Pages: 222
For successful B2B sales, it is important to know how the human mind works and how to use this knowledge to persuade people. Derek Borthwick's book introduces you to the secrets behind the human mind and shows you step-by-step how to strengthen your sales skills and skyrocket your sales. For more details, we recommend our sales psychology guide – read it here.
29. Way of the Wolf: Straight Line Selling: Master the Art of Persuasion, Influence, and Success
Author:
Jordan Belfort
Pages: 256
"Sell me this Pen!" – Jordan Belfort's life not only provides enough content to fill a Hollywood movie in "The Wolf of Wall Street." It also makes enough experiences for an exciting sales book, peppered with anecdotes from the Wall Street. In his book, Belfort opens up his playbook and shows you how to overcome setbacks with proven strategies and techniques, master the art of persuasion, and close deals in your sleep. A must for every sales professional!
30. Secrets of Successful Sales
Author: Alison Edgar
Pages: 154
The leads are there, your spirits are high—but you're not selling anything. In this book, British sales specialist Alison Edgar explores how to close deals and really master sales. No tricks, just the truth. She delivers you over 150 pages full of hands-on strategies and methodology that actually work.
31. Ultimate Guide for Selling to DACH
Author: Echobot Media Technologies GmbH
Pages: 39
In case you're planning to expand to German-speaking countries such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland, you should think about getting this guide. It's over 30 pages packed with information on how to tackle the DACH market. How does GDPR affect your B2B sales? Which digital sales tools help you sell in DACH? You'll find answers to these questions and more.
Refine Your Sales Techniques and Close More Deals
When choosing which sales books to rely on, remember your goals. All of these books will provide you with the right techniques to build reliable and scalable sales processes to help your business achieve your sales goals as long as you have defined what success looks like to you and your business.
Picking up a book is the first step in the learning process. Don’t forget that you need to put in the work to build your roadmap and refine your skills to become the best sales professional you can be.
Until next time, happy selling!