There are hundreds of thousands of books about selling and strategies for becoming a more successful salesperson out there. Can you believe there are over 300,000 books with titles that contain the word “sales” available on Amazon today? There’s no way you’re going to read all of them and you shouldn’t have to, considering some of them might be outdated or irrelevant to your needs. We came up with a much shorter and more realistic list of must-read books for sales professionals. Save yourself time scouring the aisles at Indigo or the lists on the internet and choose the book that aligns best with your current situation and needs.
A little reading could take your sales career a long way!
If you struggle to get your foot in the door of big companies, Selling to Big Companies by Jill Konrath is the book for you.
Synopsis: It’s time to stop making endless cold calls or waiting for the phone to ring. In today’s crazy marketplace, new sales strategies are needed to penetrate big accounts. Konrath offers sure-fire strategies to crack into big accounts, shrink your sales cycle and close more business.
If you hate reading, pick up The Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatnessby Jeffrey Gitomer.
Synopsis: Salespeople hate to read. That’s why Little Red Book of Selling is short, sweet, and to the point. It’s packed with answers that people are searching for in order to help them make sales for the moment—and the rest of their lives. David Dorsey of the Wall Street Journal rightly called this book a “Red Bull of high energy sales tips and counsel.”
If you’re a sales manager (or want to be one), Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions by Keith Rosen is a good investment.
Synopsis: The secret to developing a team of high performers isn’t more training but better coaching. When managers effectively coach their people around best practices, core competencies and the inner game of coaching that develops the champion attitude, it makes your training stick. With Rosen’s coaching methodology and proven L.E.A.D.S. Coaching Framework™ used by the world’s top organizations, you’ll get your sales and management teams to perform better – fast.
If you want to turn every “no” into a done deal, you need 25 Toughest Sales Objections-and How to Overcome Them by Stephan Schiffman.
Synopsis: You can do one of two things when a customer is reluctant to buy: You can back off or go in for the kill. This book helps you choose which direction is the best approach and gives you the tools you need to deflect that obstacle and make the sale. Schiffman provides you with an arsenal that helps you combat any negative response and help turn any “No” into a done deal. In the process, turns perceptions of you from sales rep to ultimate problem solver.
If you want to understand what really motivates a customer to buy, The Psychology Of Selling by Brian Tracy will tell you.
Synopsis: Selling is more that just strategy and politics–it’s the practical application of psychology in a business context. Tracy lays out the inner motivations of both buyers and sellers, explaining how they interact to create opportunities for both parties. More sales people have become millionaires as a result of listening to and applying his ideas than from any other sales training process ever developed.
Which books have benefited your sales career most? Post a comment or tweet @MBAI_team my top sales book is…