22 Best Sales Books (to Read in 2023)

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Staying on top of your game is the number rule specially if you are into sales.

Learn tips from these Best Sales Books as recommended by 12 experts.

The most recommended sales books are:

  1. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion – Robert B. Cialdini
  2. How to Win Friends & Influence People – Dale Carnegie

Table of Contents

Brook Bissinger

Brook Bissinger

Director of Sales | Customer Success & Support, Align

I like the Freakanomics series by Steven D. Levitt. 

These books are so easy to read and push you to think deeper about the actions of your team and your decisions. 

The book gives new perspectives to common challenges and highlights how you can use data and numbers to really improve your decision-making process.

I love Switch by Chip Heath. 

Heath presents common change management challenges and gives tips to tackling them with stories and exercises. He shows you how to use a framework to manage the change that can be applied to almost any business situation and at any level of the organization.

The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon by Brad Stone is a great read.

It takes an in-depth look into the world of Amazon and what it took for them to become arguably the world’s most powerful selling machine.

My main takeaway from the book is the idea that if you believe in something and work to create a culture of trust and hard work, you can build anything.

This book really motivated me when building out my sales team and it’s something we’ve all embraced.

I really like Delivering Happiness – the Zappos book – by Tony Hsieh. 

I read this when I was looking to make a career switch, and it reinforced my feeling that culture fit is such an important part of the search. 

It also motivates me to focus on culture as we grow our business. The book emphasizes that good culture starts with hiring the right people and giving them the tools and freedom to thrive, which is what I want for my sales team.

Nate Masterson

Nate Masterson

CMO, Maple Holistics

SPIN is an acronym for the types of questions to ask as a salesperson. Situational, problem, implication, and need-payoff. If you’re confused, you should definitely read this book!

The sales industry has obviously changed in the past decade. Customers are more informed, putting them in control. This book will teach you how to navigate the ever-changing culture of sales.

This story follows a young man joining an exclusive club of successful sales professionals. He learns a ton of key principles and so will you!

Sacha Ferrandi

sacha-ferrandi

Founder and Principal, Texas Hard Money and Source Capital Funding

Big data can be a tough concept to comprehend.

In the book, Winning with Data, authors Tomasz Tunguz and Frank Bien outline how businesses are challenged on how to organize, manage and leverage data to get more sales.

Tunguz and Bien have great knowledge of how data is changing organizations and explain way’s that your company can take full advantage of this technological shift.

Melissa Cuadra

Melissa Cuadra

Business Developer, Spendesk

This is a great book to get the basics.  And although it touches on sales techniques, it’s actually the psychological aspect that I found so useful.

It’s hard to stay motivated and in the right mindset as a salesperson, and this book gives some wonderful techniques and tips to stay focused.

Obviously, pitching is very important in sales. Even though every salesperson probably thinks they’re a great pitcher – that skill is one of the main reasons people end up in the job. 

But in practice, there’s usually plenty to learn before you’re any good.

The book is full of anecdotes to show you the different styles of pitching, and why they work in certain situations.

If you’re in outbound sales, the first step is always figuring out where your leads are going to come from, and how to get them to respond to you. 

If you’re building a sales pipe from the beginning,  I can’t recommend this book highly enough.

Jesse Nieminen

Jesse Nieminen

Co-founder and Chairman, Viima Solutions Oy

A terrific book that covers everything you need to know to build a scalable sales organization that can grow fast and predictably in today’s more and more digital world.

The book is highly practical and provides you with an approach that you can pull right out of the book and implement in your own business, while still managing to explain why this is the case.

This book should be mandatory reading for every entrepreneur and sales manager.

The majority of companies that have trouble growing are in that position not because they aren’t able to sell correctly, but because they haven’t found a great fit between the product, their market and the channels and methods they use to sell.

This book helps you consider these issues while still providing you with the essentials of getting your sales model and team right.

Great and highly practical book no-nonsense guide for running a sales team. It helps you come up with an approach to sales for both yourself and your team that is highly-result oriented, action-driven and accountable for your work.

Atty. Gennady Litvin

gennady-litvin

Associate, Moshes Law

This is an oldie but still a goodie.

There’s a reason why this book still comes up in business people’s top reads. This book has stood the test of time because what’s taught in this book is “evergreen”. Meaning it’s the same principles today as it was yesterday.

This book basically teaches you how to be courteous to people. And with that, you can win their hearts (and possibly their money).

Love him or hate him he knows what he’s talking about when it comes to sales and the art of persuasion.

Putting pass the past, he’s decided to go straight and has come out with a book the shows you exactly how he approaches a sale.

He talks about body language, tonality, words to say, etc. And the main focus of this book is to show you how to get from A to B and the prospect from below a 4 in interest to above an 8 in interest as fast and as straight as possible.

Peter Selmeczy

Peter Selmeczy

CEO, SEO Tech

If a book has sold over 15 million copies worldwide, there has to be a reason for it. Dale Carnegie’s book helps you perform better in business (and personal life) by teaching you how to use personality traits to your advantage.

Sales, management, leadership – it’s all covered. Not only that, it’s full of quirky and interesting anecdotes which makes it extremely pleasant reading.

The Art Of War – Sun Tzu

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09/23/2023 09:45 am GMT

This book might be over 2000 years old, and hardly 50(!) pages but you’ll never regret reading it.

Initially intended as a war tactics book, much of the advice within it can be translated into business. Sun Tzu achieved many successful victories in battle, apparently even successfully training Geishas into warriors, so he must have known a thing or two.

The book will teach you important elements of how to approach a project, how to analyze markets, and how to get things to work for your advantage.

Shawn Breyer

shawn-breyer

Owner, Breyer Home Buyers

Pitch Anything is a book that does a great job explaining how the human brain works and how people perceive your message.

It delivers a framework on how to shape your message for your audience and how to be persuasive in your pitch. All of the information in this book is based on research how your brain works.

Although Oren has a background in the finance industry, this approach is highly applicable for other industries where one is pitching to prospects, such as sales.

Shelly Doty

Shelly Doty

Chief Growth Officer, Talent Plus, Inc.

If there is one single book that changed my sales game, it is this one and was a recommended read by my first ever sales leader early in my career.

It explains the psychology of why people say, ‘Yes’ and how to apply these understandings. It is not only valuable in sales, but in everyday life. Understanding people and how to influence the decisions they make is key to success in sales. It’s a great ‘Sales 101’ read.

Gregory Poulin

Gregory Poulin

Co-founder and CEO, Goodly

One of the most important parts of sales is understanding how people are influenced.

Dr. Robert Cialdini covers the psychology of why people say “yes” and how to apply these learnings to your sales process. Influence is required reading for every member of our sales and marketing team.

Best quote: “The idea of potential loss plays a large role in human decision making. In fact, people seem to be more motivated by the thought of losing something than by the thought of gaining something of equal value.“

Predictable Revenue is the bible of sales. Aaron Ross highlights best practices he utilized at Salesforce to develop a predictable and repeatable sales process.

Our sales team has implemented many of the tactics and best practices Aaron writes about to streamline Goodly’s sales process.

Ken Gaebler

Ken-Gaebler

Founder and CEO, Walker Sands

For many years, I thought sales enablement—which I always wrote in lower case—was a Marketing function. For the fast-growing B2B tech companies we worked with, our job as marketers was to know the customer better than anybody else and then give the people in sales what they needed to engage target buyers.

My opinions on who owns sales enablement changed when I got hold of this excellent book. Thirty pages into the book, I needed some clarity on what world-class Sales Enablement looked like, and the book gave me exactly that with its thoughtful Sales Force Enablement Clarity Model, which is when I humbly realized that Sales Enablement is so much more than “Marketing helping Sales to be successful” and is a discipline unto itself.

Related: Best Marketing Books for Beginners

Tarek Alaruri

Tarek Alaruri

Co-Founder, Fairmarkit

It’s a very interesting hearing success stories since everyone’s had their own road. Ken truly is the American dream and it’s inspiring to read about his grit and perseverance. As a founder with a sales background, it helps put things in my own journey into perspective.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can sales books help me improve my sales skills?

By reading sales books, you can better understand the sales process and learn proven techniques and strategies for success. You can also pick up new ideas and perspectives to apply to your sales efforts. In addition, sales books can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and give you practical advice on improving your performance. Whether you want to increase your sales, close more deals, or become a more effective salesperson, sales books can be valuable.

How often should I read sales books?

There is no set frequency for reading sales books, as it depends on your personal learning style and goals. However, it’s a good idea to read at least one book every few months to stay up to date on the latest trends and techniques. Also, regularly re-reading your favorite sales books can help reinforce the concepts you learned and keep them in mind.

Do I need prior sales experience to benefit from sales books?

No, you don’t need sales experience to benefit from sales books. Whether you are just starting in sales or have years of experience, sales books can give you valuable insight and advice. These books can also help you improve your skills and achieve better results. Even if you’re not in sales but want to enhance your personal selling skills, sales reference books can be a great resource.

Can sales books be used to train a sales team?

Yes, sales books can be part of a sales training program to help your sales team improve their skills and achieve better results. By giving your team access to the latest sales techniques and strategies, they will be better equipped to handle objections, close deals, and achieve their sales goals. In addition, sales books can provide a common language and understanding within your sales team, helping to improve teamwork and collaboration.

Are there sales books specifically for beginners?

Yes, there are sales books designed specifically for beginners. These books typically cover the basics of sales, including the sales process, building rapport, handling objections, and closing deals. They are written clearly, have an easy-to-understand style, and offer practical advice and exercises to help new salespeople get started. Whether you are just beginning in sales or want to improve your basic sales skills, these books can be an excellent resource.

Can sales books help me with my negotiation skills?

Yes, many sales books cover the topic of negotiation and provide tips and strategies for successful negotiations. By reading these books, you can learn how to effectively communicate your position, handle objections, and find mutually beneficial negotiation solutions. Whether you are negotiating with customers or suppliers, sales books can help you develop the skills you need to succeed.

How do I choose the right sales book for me?

Choosing the right sales book will depend on your needs and goals. Start by researching the various sales books available and reading reviews and testimonials from other readers. Consider your current experience level and the areas you want to improve. Also, consider the author’s background and expertise in sales, as well as the style and format of the book. Once you’ve found a few potential books, read through them to determine which book best fits you.

Do sales books offer practical examples and case studies?

Many sales books include practical examples and case studies to illustrate the concepts and techniques covered in the book. These real-life examples can provide valuable insight into how to apply the techniques in real-life sales scenarios and help you better understand and retain the information. In addition, some sales books include exercises and activities that allow you to practice and apply the concepts you learn.

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