Top 12 Best Sales Books To Help You Sell More
I'm not saying that every book you read will help you sell more—but the ones that do will help you understand more about yourself, what you want, and how to get there. It would be best to learn what works when working on your business. The sales books below are the most helpful in learning to sell more.
Selling is a skill. It takes practice, and it takes work. Selling is a science. It takes data. Selling is art. It takes creativity. Selling is a mindset. It takes a change of heart.
We all want to sell. We all want to make money. We all want to be successful. We all want to be good at selling. The problem is that we don't always know how.
So we look around for books to help us learn how to sell.
But what if I told you that the best sales books to help you sell are already out there?
I want to share the 12 best sales books with you because they will help you become your best salesperson. They will teach you everything you need to know to sell. And they will give you the tools and resources to make it happen.
- Sales books enhance self-understanding and provide practical tools for improving sales skills.
- Inbound selling focuses on customer needs, fostering trust and engagement through tailored content.
- Effective selling combines clarity, creativity, and relationship building for better customer connections.
- Pursuing leadership in sales aids respect and promotion within corporate environments.
- Practical sales techniques and strategies can significantly increase conversion rates and sales success.
Our Top 12 Best Sales Books
1 – Inbound Selling
- Hardcover Book
- Signorelli, Brian (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 288 Pages – 04/24/2018 (Publication Date) – Wiley (Publisher)
I'm a massive fan of inbound sales, and this book is very informative and valuable. It's an excellent read for any salesperson or team leader looking to improve their sales skills.
There are many inbound books, but this is the one I've found to be the most helpful.
The author explains in detail how to sell and why inbound works. He goes through the various steps of the inbound sales process, explaining each step and how to implement it into your own sales process.
He goes through the entire sales cycle, from identifying prospects to closing the deal, and explains how to improve your skills at each stage.
He covers how to handle objections and close deals most effectively. He gives examples of how to use email to get the best results.
This book was instrumental. It covers the basics of inbound sales in a concise and easy-to-understand manner.
Inbound selling shifts the focus from pushing products to understanding customer needs. Aligning content with buyer personas fosters trust and builds long-term relationships.
This method leverages strategic content creation, which helps prospects engage meaningfully. HubSpot reports that businesses prioritising inbound see 50% more leads than those that don’t.
Inbound selling seeks to attract potential customers by addressing their core needs and challenges. This approach emphasizes creating resources tailored to various stages of the buyer’s path.
By prioritising personalised engagement over generic outreach, inbound sales lead to higher customer satisfaction. Research from Marketo indicates that companies excel using inbound selling strategies, showcasing consistent lead quality improvements.
The inbound sales begin with identifying buyer personas and attracting them through engaging content. The next step focuses on nurturing leads with tailored follow-ups.
After establishing trust, a personalised approach is taken for closing deals. Studies suggest this method leads to higher conversion rates than traditional sales techniques.
After engaging prospects with quality content, the nurturing phase kicks in. Email marketing sends timely, informative communications based on consumer behaviour and preferences.
Once trust is established, the final step involves delivering tailored solutions during conversion. This structured approach is shown to increase productivity, with studies noting conversion rates up to 3 times higher when compared to traditional methods.
2 – Way of the Wolf: Straight-Line Selling
- Belfort, Jordan (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 256 Pages – 09/25/2018 (Publication Date) – Gallery Books (Publisher)
In this book, Jordan Belfort shows us how to change our lives by selling. I mean, really sell!
You'll learn how to sell to anyone, regardless of background or experience.
Jordan's advice and examples are practical and applicable to anyone.
The techniques are so simple that anyone could use them. You can start right now even if you've never sold anything. You don't need special skills or knowledge to use this method.
I know many people who have read this book and seen the results. They've gone from struggling to make ends meet to becoming very successful.
The most impressive thing about this book is that it's written in a conversational style and doesn't assume you have any special skills or knowledge.
All you need is the desire to change your life and the determination to learn. This book will help you get there.
“Way of the Wolf” offers insights into authentic engagement. Jordan Belfort emphasises tone and body language, which aid in trust-building.
For example, startups like Optimizely have applied these methods to drive significant growth. Testimonials corroborate the book's impact by recounting substantial improvements in sales metrics.
Belfort’s methods emphasise clarity in communication and controlled dialogue direction. His methods can be applied in sales training programs, like those used at Oracle, which acknowledge improvements in client rapport and deal closure rates.
Another example is Zendesk, which is utilising Belfort’s strategies to enhance sales presentations, leading to noticeable boosts in performance metrics.
3 – The Challenger Sale
- Matthew Dixon,Matthew Dixon,Brent Adamson (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 240 Pages – 04/20/2025 (Publication Date) – Penguin (Publisher)
We're huge fans of Neil Rackham and his books, so we were naturally excited to get our hands on a copy of his latest book, Challenger Sale.
The Challenger Sale provides valuable insights into how to become a better salesperson. It contains several interesting observations that could help anyone break out of their comfort zone and become a better salesperson.
The first thing to note is the strong theme of using sales skills to become a leader. People with leadership skills tend to be more respected by their colleagues and customers and more likely to be promoted. If you want to be a leader in your company, consider changing your approach to sales.
Rackham's Challenger Sale provides several valuable insights, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking to improve their sales skills.
“The Challenger Sale” has reshaped sales disciplines by encouraging sellers to be educators. Companies like Grainger witnessed improved client loyalty after integrating its principles.
Success lies in challenging assumptions and tailoring solutions. Case studies within the book reveal substantial increases in client satisfaction and retention.
“The Challenger Sale” has revolutionised the sales process within corporate environments, notably at SAP and Siemens. Companies now encourage sales reps to employ teaching moments in engagements.
Data from the book illustrates how adopting this methodology has optimised customer engagement by aligning solution features with broader business challenges.
4 – The Little Red Book of Selling
- 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.
- Hardcover Book
- Gitomer, Jeffrey (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 230 Pages – 09/25/2004 (Publication Date) – Bard Press (Publisher)
After reading Jeffrey Gitomer's “12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness”, I can say this book is worth the money.
This book is a must-read for anyone thinking about starting a business or wanting to improve the sales process at their current job.
The book clearly explains why sales happen and how to make them happen. It breaks down the sales process into the 12.5 principles of sales greatness and teaches you how to use each principle to make sales happen.
This book is for you if you are a salesperson or want to be one. If you are a business owner or want to improve the sales process at your company, then this book is for you.
This book is an excellent addition to your library, whether you are a seasoned salesperson or a beginner.
5 – Fanatical Prospecting
- Hardcover Book
- Blount, Jeb (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 304 Pages – 10/05/2015 (Publication Date) – Wiley (Publisher)
Prospecting is straightforward: go to people and ask them about their businesses.
In the case of selling, though, it's more complex than that. There are many ways to go about it; while some are better, no one is ‘the right way'.
Fanatical Prospecting is a book that describes what works and doesn't.
While it's not a comprehensive list of techniques, it does cover the most common ones and shows why they work.
This is a book that every salesperson should read. It's less of a sales book than a prospecting book, but if you want to increase your sales, this book will help.
It covers prospecting basics and shows why it's so important. It then shows you how to do it right and avoid the pitfalls.
You'll learn a lot of good ideas, and the book gives you the tools to implement them.
I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to increase their sales or improve their skills.
Jeb Blount’s “Fanatical Prospecting” breaks down effective prospecting methods. The book discusses balancing digital tools with cold calling for optimal results.
LinkedIn highlights its efficacy by showing a 45% increase in appointment set rates for users who apply these principles. Blount's actionable insights continue to enhance prospect outreach.
Blount emphasises balancing multiple channels, such as combining traditional calls with social media tactics. His insights focus on maintaining a steady prospecting pace, which is key in filling the sales funnel.
According to Salesforce, adopting these practices has streamlined prospecting efforts, enabling firms to achieve competitive conversion figures while reducing outreach overheads.
6 – Gap Selling: Getting the Customer to Yes
- Keenan (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 260 Pages – 11/03/2019 (Publication Date) – A Sales Guy Publishing (Publisher)
The author of this book is a bit of a mad scientist because he is passionate about sales and the sales process.
I believe Gap Selling is the best book on sales I've read. It's a no-BS sales approach and provides a simple solution to many sales problems.
The book is filled with actionable advice and practical examples. The author walks you through the sales process, explaining why things work and how to change them.
One of the biggest problems salespeople face is the gap between the sales process and the salesperson. They're two separate entities, and when the sales process and the salesperson need to work together, the results are alarming.
The author's key point is that the salesperson is only as good as the process, and the process is only as good as the person. He's right, but the book takes it a step further.
He explains that the salesperson and the process are the same people. The salesperson is the process, and the process is the salesperson.
He calls this the “theory of the salesperson” and argues that the salesperson is a process. If you can improve the process, you can improve the salesperson.
He has a lot of great ideas for improving the sales process, and he presents them prominently and concisely.
Gap Selling is an excellent resource for anyone who is struggling with sales. It's not just about closing the sale; it's about influencing the buyer and making the sale.
7 – New Sales. Simplified.
- Weinberg, Mike (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 240 Pages – 09/04/2012 (Publication Date) – AMACOM (Publisher)
In the last few years, the world of sales has changed dramatically.
The old-school approach of cold calling, using a scripted speech, and asking for referrals no longer works.
The old methods are not cutting it anymore, and the sales world has shifted to a new approach.
Nowadays, sales are all about relationship building, listening, and connecting.
New Sales. Simplified. It takes you step by step through turning strangers into potential clients.
The book starts with the basics. It covers the five pillars of sales: the sales process, the buyer, the salesperson, the seller, and the customer.
It shows you how to get out there and make a living as a salesperson.
It also explains how to close sales and what to do after you close.
You will also learn how to overcome objections and get the highest possible percentage of sales.
By reading this book, you will better understand the industry and its people.
You will gain confidence and be able to sell more effectively.
You will also get many valuable tips on improving your personal sales skills.
This book is a must-have if you want to get started in sales.
8 – To Sell Is Human
- Pink, Daniel H. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 272 Pages – 12/03/2013 (Publication Date) – Riverhead Books (Publisher)
The best-selling author of Drive and A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink, returns with this new book that focuses on selling.
In this book, Daniel Pink discusses the art and science of selling and gives us some great tips on improving our skills.
Pink says that the key to selling is understanding the six successors to the elevator pitch, the three rules for understanding another's perspective. These five frames can make your message more precise and persuasive.
This book is a must-read if you want to become a better salesperson.
9 – The Ultimate Sales Machine
- Holmes, Chet (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 336 Pages – 05/27/2008 (Publication Date) – Portfolio (Publisher)
When The Ultimate Sales Machine was first published in 2007, legendary sales expert Chet Holmes gave us the key to doing just that. You need to focus on twelve critical areas of improvement—and practice them over and over with pigheaded discipline.
A decade later, Chet's daughter Amanda Holmes breathes new life into her father's classic advice. With updated language to match our ever-changing times and over 50 new pages of content, The Ultimate Sales Machine will help any modern reader transform their organisation into a high-performing, moneymaking force.
With practical tools, real-life examples, and proven strategies, this book will show you how to:
• Teach your team to work smarter, not harder
• Get more bang from your marketing for less
• Perfect every sales interaction by working on sales, not just in sales
• Land your dream clients
This revised edition expands on these proven concepts, with checklists to get faster ROIs, Core Story Frameworks to get your company to number one in your marketplace, and a bonus, never-before-revealed chapter from Chet, “How to Live a Rich and Full Life,” that will put you in the best possible mindset to own your career.
10 – Pitch anything
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Klaff, Oren (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 242 Pages – 02/18/2011 (Publication Date) – McGraw Hill (Publisher)
Klaff is a real-life pitchman, and Pitch Anything is a book that explains what happens inside the mind when trying to persuade someone to buy something.
While the book is aimed at salespeople and marketers, anyone wanting to be more persuasive daily would benefit from reading it.
Klaff's method is unique. The idea of framing is not new, but his method is, and the book reveals how the brain works when trying to persuade someone to make a decision.
To sell something, the first thing you have to do is set the frame. This is done by identifying your customer's problems and then showing them a solution to their problem. The solution doesn't have to be complicated, but it does have to be relevant.
Then, you have to tell a story. A story is a narrative that takes the audience on a journey. The story must be compelling enough to make them want to learn more.
Klaff talks about the importance of ‘revealing the intrigue'. If the audience doesn't care about the problem, they won't care about the solution. It would help if you got them excited about the product, which means offering them something to get excited about.
After telling the story, you must persuade the customer to accept your offer. To do that, you need to give them a prize.
Finally, you have to nail the hook point. The hook is when the prospect agrees to take the next step. Once that happens, you can ask for the sale.
This book has much truth, and Klaff shares his experiences delivering pitches to get his point across.
I've read many books on persuasion and was surprised that this is one of the best.
11 – Ninja Selling: Subtle Skills. Big Results.
- Hardcover Book
- Larry Kendall (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 344 Pages – 01/03/2017 (Publication Date) – Greenleaf Book Group Press (Publisher)
I'm a self-made entrepreneur, and a few years ago, I decided to take my sales skills to the next level.
I needed a book to teach me how to sell and close deals to generate more leads and increase my income per hour.
What I got was different from what I expected – Larry Kendall's book.
After reading the book, I realised that his approach works for everyone. That's why I recommend this book to anyone wanting to get started in sales or improve their sales skills.
Larry's book will help you improve your ability to ask the right questions, and he's got many tips and tricks to help you get more deals and turn more of your prospects into customers.
The book is filled with helpful exercises and fun and interesting information.
Larry also offers additional resources to help you develop a winning mindset.
After reading this book, you can ask the right questions and attract clients to turn them into customers.
You'll be able to close more deals and earn more money per hour to live a life of purpose and meaning.
If you're considering selling but unsure whether you can succeed, this book is for you.
12 – Zig Ziglar's Secrets of Closing the Sale
- sure-fire tested methods
- Number one salesman of ou time
- Hghly reccommended
- good reading and very informative
- Ziglar, Zig (Author)
Zig Ziglar's Secrets of Closing the Sale is an instrumental book that teaches how to make people say “yes.”
There are so many different ways to sell yourself and your ideas, and Zig Ziglar covers all of them.
If you're looking to sell something, he shows you how to do it. If you want to make money, he gives you the best ways to do that.
This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to learn how to sell, and it's a must-read for entrepreneurs.
In this book, Zig Ziglar teaches you the most effective sales techniques in business.
Whether you want to sell yourself, a product, or anything else, this book is beneficial.
Wrapping Up
The best sales books are for more than people selling a product. They're for anyone selling their ideas, services, and expertise.
If you're serious about selling, you must get good at sales. This means understanding your personality and what it takes to close the deal.
Get this list of 12 best-selling books at a fraction of the cost you'd pay from any bookstore, and learn how to increase your conversion rates quickly.
Last update on 2025-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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