Taegan Lion
โOur greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.โ
โ Thomas Edison
Your sales skills, like any other business skills, is going to take a lot of hard work and practice to improve. That being said, if you donโt know where you should be improving then youโre not going to get very far.
Here are 16 books you should read to improve your sales skills.
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#1 Secrets of Successful Sales by Alison Edgar
The book details how to design a clear sales strategy and process - then adapt your personal behavior to sell with confidence - where the customerโs need matches your offer. Itโs a refreshing and funny read too, with Alisonโs personal experiences to touch the hearts and minds even in the toughest sales environment.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Debra Penrice from 27 Marketing
#2 How to Get Exploding Referrals by Ty Belknap
Referrals are, by far, the best way to get more sales and the book How toย Get Exploding Referrals teaches great techniques on how to get referrals.ย There are sections for both beginners and for people that have been doingย referral marketing for a long time.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Ty Belknapย from Exploding Referrals
#3 What Great Salespeople Do by Michael Bosworth
Telling a story is easy. Telling a great story that people emotionallyย connect with isn't. This book is a perfect walkthrough of what it takes toย craft a story that emotionally resonates with prospects and influences themย in positive ways. No salesperson should enter a meeting without theย knowledge of how to tell their company's story in a compelling andย emotionally meaningful way.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Matt Cholletย from Catapult New Business
#4 The 10x Rule by Grant Cardone
This isn't one of Grant's books that talks about sales specifically but itย is huge for the mindset of a salesperson. This book is a healthy reminderย that your sales success is all about the hustle. You have to hit thoseย phones and get those appointments if you want to even get to the close,ย this book will get you up and going.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: ย Sean Dudayev from Frootful Marketingย
#5 The Challenger Sale by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson
I actually attendedย a couple of workshops on this book. The Challenger Sale helps you to understandย different personalities and how to present yourself to each of them. Theย theory in this book is that there are 5 different types of sales reps andย helps you to identify your own personality.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Doug Mitchell from Ogletree Financial Services
#6 Secrets of Closing the Sale by Zig Ziglar
This is one of my favorite books on sales. If you're already doing the workย to get to the customers and need help closing, this book will help you inย typical, entertaining Ziglar fashion. He delivers stories from his ownย sales career and gives you examples of what to do and what not to do. He'sย been then there, done that and this will book give you a ton of ideas onย how to improve your sales pitch.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Sean Dudayev from Frootful Marketingย
#7 The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes
This book is perfect for creating not just a great salesperson, but a salesย culture. Holmes does a great job sharing strategies on mindset, hiring,ย operating meetings, and team building.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Michelle Ngome from Line 25 Consultingย
#8 Influence by Robert Cialdini
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.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Shelly Doty fromย Talent Plus, Inc.
#9 Sell Or Be Sold by Grant Cardone
Sell Or Be Sold by Grant Cardone outlines the perfect sales process andย reveals excellent strategies for staying positive and productive within theย sales process.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Josh Braaten fromย Brandish Insights
#10 To Sell Is Human by Daniel Pink
The book helps youย understand that really everyone is in sales. Daniel Pink writes about theย evolution of sales and sales practices as well as breaks down the differentย parts of a sales cycle. This book really helped me to develop and refineย my personal elevator pitch. A true inspiration for entrepreneurs.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Doug Mitchell from Ogletree Financial Services
#11 SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham
SPIN Selling is excellent because it teaches questioning skills and helping to understand a prospect's Situation, Problem(s), Implications of those Problems, and finally, the Need-Payoff of what resolving those problems looks like. It also delves into asking second and third level questions to gain a better understanding of the issues that are truly impacting your prospect.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
#12 Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It byย Chris Voss is an effective tactical guide for how to close more deals asย taught by a former FBI hostage negotiator.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Josh Braaten fromย Brandish Insights
#13 How to Become a Rainmaker by Jeffery J Fox
This is an older book by Jeffery Fox that myย manager gave me over 20 years ago for joining his company. Many of theย things in this book are outdated due to technology, but the principles areย the same. Rainmaker is a very quick read and I used it as a reference bookย for many years. I still keep the book on the shelf in my office.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Doug Mitchell from Ogletree Financial Services
#14 The Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer
It is a great book for salespeople who areย already in the business, but the newcomers will also find it really usefulย (I first read it without having even one sale executed). Jeffrey depictsย what is wrong in the behavior of 95% of salespeople and shows what to do toย be in that other 5%. The most important lesson that I've learned fromย reading Gitomer's book is "value over everything". Contrary to what mostย people - salespeople especially - think, your main point while doing salesย should not be selling itself.
At first, you should try to provide the valueย - if you show that what you are trying to sell will boost your customer'sย performance then he will be much more likely to buy. Also, what is reallyย interesting Gitomer describes how you should build your sentences whenย trying to sell. Don't say you'll save on that, instead tell them you'llย earn that much. It seems really simple, yet most of the salespeople stillย end up being 'that pushy salesman' who people are hating on.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Jakub Kliszczak fromย CrazyCall
#15 Closing The Whales by Bud Suse
Closing the whales is an essential read if you are involved with enterpriseย sales or complex sales in general. The sales skills required to close multi-million dollar deals are unique and require decades of experience andย specialized knowledge. In this book, Bud Suse provides an event-basedย approach to enterprise sales and provides you with a detailed checklist asย you go through the sales process. I have personally used the exactย blueprint provided by Bud Suse to win high 6 figure deals.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Naz Ahm from MassageJoy
#16 Duct Tape Selling by John Jantsch
Inย his book, Jantsch explores the transition from old-school sales โ coldย calls, working door-to-door and schmoozing โ to mining data for salesย leads, from your typical sources and from potential customersโ socialย media. Jantsch teaches his readers how to โlistenโ by monitoring Twitter,ย Facebook, and Instagram to learn things about your leads than they wouldย ever reveal directly.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Frankie Russo fromย Potenza
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Great book a must for all in sales.
Great book written by Alison Edgar who really knows her stuff
Thank you for including my book. It is an honour to be included, an even more of an honour to be the only female author featured. #girlpower