Top 5 Sales Books You NEED In Your Library
As I've written, said, and had others say on this site, there is no substitute for learning about your profession. Those that continuously seek knowledge to grow as salespeople almost always ultimately find success. These things go hand-in-hand.
Over the years I've developed an extensive library of sales books. I'm always on the hunt for the next great book about the profession I love. With much reverence for podcast guest Lance Tyson's Selling is an Away Game, I just haven't got all the way through it yet. I will. And it might make this list. That said, I can only go with what I've completed...so here are my favorite sales books that anyone serious about their career should own:
The Sales Bible by Jeffrey Gitomer: Gitomer is one of the most consistent and impactful voices in sales over the last two decades. He continuously churns out free content through his site and via social media, and is a must follow for me for anyone in sales. This book was published in 1994(!), and still has a ton of relevance today. It's one of the very best sales starter books ever, and is still a book I go back and read every year or two.
To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink: Unlike most you'll find on this list, Pink is not a salesperson by nature. Much of what he's written have focused on management, work, and behavioral science (he's an awesome read on all of those topics). Here, Pink took an outsider's view to sales...and the results were incredible. Sometimes we need to look outside how insular sales for the best insights to it (our customers, for example), and Pink does that incredibly well here.
The Go-Giver Sells More by Bob Burg: One of the things I've heard many reps who continuously had long sales cycles say was, 'I don't want to put pressure on them, I'm a relationship seller.' I've always seen that as a ton of BS...and Burg blows that wide open. This book is a road map for 'relationship sellers' to do what the title says...sell more. Any rep or manager who fashions themselves, or has a rep who fashions themselves this way needs a copy of this book ASAP.
The Power of Consistency by Weldon Long: One of the most difficult things that trips up sales reps is the consistency with which they need to produce in sales. It's unrelenting. A good year doesn't give you the next year off. A good month doesn't give you the next month off. A good week doesn't give you the next week off. And even a good day doesn't give you the next day off. Long has a fascinating back story, and it lays the groundwork for his outline of how consistency has yielded success for him...and will for others. If you are struggling with the unrelenting nature of sales...buy this immediately.
The Challenger Sale by Matthew Dixon & Brent Adamson: I'm super-biased here. The company that wrote this book was the company where I started my career. But that doesn't make this any less influential. In fact, this book probably remains the most influential book in the sales industry over the past decade. It literally changed how the industry sees itself, especially seeing how the growth of the internet has negatively affected salespeople. It's a heavy, data-driven read...but the insights are incredible...and it'll change the way you think about how you approach your job.
