While 1 in 9 people who work in America are in sales, selling is beneficial for a wide array of professions. Whether you’re looking to become a marketing pro, or just entering the sales industry, selling is key. Mastering the selling game will allow you to build brand awareness, please clients, generate leads, and, most importantly, close more deals.
Furthermore, the skill of selling is beneficial for both your professional and personal life. Learning about sales will allow you to improve your conversational skills, build a meaningful network and grow as an individual. To level up your sales game, below are the best 10 sales books. By reading these books, you’ll be able to master the art of selling by applying unconventional but proven techniques.
Best Sales Books
Mastering the art of selling can seem intimidating and somewhat overwhelming, but there are many resources out there that can help. Here is our list of the best sales books that can help you garner the knowledge you want.
1. How to Master the Art of Selling by Tom Hopkins
During the first six months of his sales career, Tom Hopkins knew he had failed. But once he began studying and applying proven sales techniques, he earned over $1,000,000 in his first three years. In this, Hopkins introduces the art of sales and why the profession is so liberating. He teaches readers how to use their creativity while selling, take control of their income, and learn how to sell more effectively.
On top of his enthusiasm for sales, he includes step-by-step exercises in the book and an interactive way to craft the perfect sales pitch. Later, he goes into the art of closing a sale and how to use your creativity instead of what your company has advised.
2. The Psychology of Selling by Brian Tracy
Written by legendary sales professor Brian Tracy, The Psychology of Selling provides proven techniques on how to sell quickly and easily. Perfect for both experts and beginners, this comprehensive guide will teach any salesperson how to be at the top of their game. Tracy even claims that the top 20% of people in sales make up 80% of the money, and the bottom 80% only make 20% of the capital. Thankfully, he teaches you how to earn your way to the top.
3. Perfect Selling by Linda Richardson
In Perfect Selling, Linda Richardson presents her 5-step plan on how to succeed in sales. She goes deep on the importance of sales calls, and how to maximize effectiveness between you and the customer when you’re on the phone. According to The Brevet Group, 92% of all sales interactions occur over the phone. This book is perfect for anyone learning to conduct individual sales interactions during calls, which is undeniably applicable to a wide range of professions.
Many experts have claimed that this is a must-have for anyone in sales. You’ll learn how to leave each conversation with a new deal closed, form more meaningful relationships with those in your network, and improve your chances and opportunities for success along the way. Richardson even provides insight on how to handle unexpected conversations with clients and prepare for the spontaneity along the way of your sales journey.
4. The Science of Selling by David Hoffeld
Rated one of the best sales books of 2016, The Science of Selling explores why less than half of the people working in sales meet their quota each year. He goes into the psychology of selling and the importance of not the content of a pitch, but instead how each person presents their pitch in order to sell.
Filled with various data on influence and persuasion, Hoffeld provides the most effective strategies to interact in a way that closes the deal. Further, he explains why closing is not made up of a single moment, but instead of a series of commitments made along the way.
5. Spin Selling by Neil Rackham
This international best-seller single-handedly revolutionized the sales industry. Perfect for anyone involved in sales, Spin Selling explains the underutilized methodology that will help you get more out of each conversation. His model SPIN Selling goes as follows: Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-Payoff. He goes into each of these, and explains the fundamental differences between small and large sales.
In this, Neil Rachkahm abandons traditional sales techniques and teaches the reader how to close more abundant, significant deals while working the same amount of time. This book has been highly recommended for anyone in high-end or complex sales.
6. Customers for Life by Carl Sewell and Paul B. Brown
Written by the most knowledgeable entrepreneurs of today, Customers for Life explains why treating the customer correctly is the #1 way to gain profit. This is the perfect blueprint for anyone dealing with customers or clients at work, teaching how to turn a one-time customer into a lifetime customer.
Instead of focusing on “the ask” Sewell argues that businesses must remain committed to quality services by tapping into consumer needs. He explores the demands of contemporary consumers and provides actionable ways to live up to their expectations. Put simply: figure out what customers want and then give it to them. According to Marc Wayshek, at least 50% of your prospects are not a good fit for what you sell. Luckily, this book will teach you how to identify their needs, and then manifest those needs into something worth buying.
7. To Sell is Human by Daniel H. Pink
From best-selling author Daniel H. Pink, To Sell is Human dives into the surprising truths about influence. He debunks the common misconceptions about sales, such as the myth that everyone we know in sales are the people who try to get us to buy stuff. Perhaps, the art of selling is much deeper than sales as we know it.
Anyone who is not believed to be in sales will still engage in selling in their day to day life. For instance, you will do things like pitch colleagues, convince clients, or control children. Since everyone is in sales, new approaches to moving people have emerged. To move others, Pink dives into the three essential qualities and abilities that you must have while interacting with others.
8. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
Influence is both a sales and psychology book going into the ways that others convince people. Written by expert and professor of the science of persuasion, Robert Cialdini goes into the various psychological tactics used to sway others into saying yes, even if they may have otherwise said no.
With this, you’ll learn how to persuade others with your request and master the six fundamental techniques of holding influence.
9. The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes
Written by one of the top change experts in America, The Ultimate Sales Machine explores the 12 essential strategies that salespeople must relentlessly focus on to turbocharge their business. By spending just an hour per week on these strategies, you’ll be able to improve each area of your choice systematically. This book has been claimed to (at least) double your sales once you execute these tactics.
10. The Challenger Sale by Brent Adamson and Matthew Dixon
The Challenger Sale is a sales book that goes against the norm by arguing that relationship-building is no longer the most impactful way to foster success. In this, Adamson and Dixon explain their “Challenger Sale” model, one in which the seller actively teaches their prospect and takes control of the conversations with each customer.
The authors claim that if you build the right combination of skills, anyone can become a challenger in and out of the sales world, making this book applicable for anyone looking to hold influence on others and in their industry.
Final Thoughts: Best Sales Books
By taking in the newest methods on how to sell, you’ll be able to hold influence over others, close more deals and make more money. Selling is a useful skill in many areas, making it a great use of time to read up on the latest trends of the craft. Use this guide to the best sales books and find the information and knowledge you need.
