When sales coaching legend Zig Ziglar said: “You can get everything you want in life if you just help other people get what they want,” he was speaking to the heart of the salesperson.
Sales is about communication, persuasion and the building of interpersonal connection – the ultimate goal of which is to help someone figure out what they want. This curated list of the best sales books out there is here to help you get what you want – becoming the best salesperson you can be:
1) How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Originally published a whopping 84 years ago, what makes Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People so timeless? Simply that Carnegie deals with the fundamentals of human relationships, and they aren’t changing any time soon. Carnegie’s book is the bible of interpersonal skills, which will set you up for building the relationships that are key to sales and sales coaching.
2) Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer
Certified sales coach Jeffrey Gitomer’s punchy little book is all about the simple premise that understanding why people buy is the most important aspect in sales. Brimming with wisdom squeezed into bite-size quotes, this book is a quick, easy and informative read.
3) The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes
Holme’s sales training techniques are world renowned. In Ultimate Sales Machine he steadfastly refuses to jump on the bandwagon of trendy sales techniques and instead offers timeless advice to salespeople everywhere. Holmes is a practically minded certified sales trainer and his advice to master a few essential skills will turn you into a sales machine!
4) Sell or Be Sold by Grant Cardone
Cardone expands the philosophy of sales into everyday life with his principle of sell or be sold. A must-read for any certified sales coach, Cardone will guide you to the understanding that every relationship in life can be viewed as an ideological battle to sell your ideas, or have ideas sold to you. Understood in this way, sales takes on an entirely new dimension!
5) Never Be Closing by Tim Hurson And Tim Dunne
The two Tims are keen to stress that better sales training should provide a long-term framework for success. To that end Never Be Closing is a practical and well-structured guide to selling strategy, astutely placing interpersonal communication at the heart of good sales.
6) The Challenger Sale by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson
Dixon and Adamson’s radical book rejects the classical model of sales as relationship-building, arguing persuasively that as the sales landscape has become increasingly complex, sales tend to be business to business rather than interpersonal. Their model, replicated by certified sales trainers everywhere, is based on a new archetype salesperson, the Challenger. The Challenger’s assertive qualities allow them to dominate the new sales landscape.
7) To Sell is Human by Daniel H. Pink
Pink’s social science pedigree grounds his book in a knowledgeable and scientific context. Better known for his New York Times bestseller Drive, about the motivations behind human action, Pink is a master in the analysis of human nature and his application of this understanding to sales is well structured, accessible and ultimately highly relevant, even featuring six successors to the elevator pitch!
8) How to Master the Art of Selling by Tom Hopkins
Any certified sales trainer recognises the value of Hopkins’s best-selling sales manifesto. Treating sales as an art, Hopkins introduces the reader to a multitude of subtle sales techniques focussing on both face-to-face and telephone sales and tips for the first meeting.
9) Solution Selling by Michael T. Bosworth
Bosworth’s book, subtitled “Creating Buyers in Difficult Selling Markets” is a must-read for anyone interested in sales with an eye to selling tricky or intangible products and services. Bosworth’s deep insights into buyer psychology will be valuable for any salesperson, but especially those in difficult markets.
10) Secrets of Closing the Sale by Zig Ziglar
A classic in the sales training world, Ziglar packs his book with humour and engaging anecdotal tales. It’s an encyclopaedic book of sales techniques and features closing tips for every possible scenario. Ziglar was an archetypal salesman whose focus on communication and persuasion has something to offer any certified sales trainer out there.
This list of the best sales books money can buy features the classics of sales, sales coaching and sales training, as well as a few new ideas. You can find a steep learning curve when you set out on a sales journey, but once you’ve delved into the ideas contained in these books, you’ll be the hero of the sales team in no time.
About the Author: Beatrix Potter is a regular writer at Custom Essay and OXEssays. She writes about all things sales and loves the thrill of closing a deal. She also is a manager at the Custom Paper Writing Service website.
