It’s never easy to teach sales. The sheer complexity of the field and the tightly intertwined processes make it a daunting task to share knowledge. Thankfully, there are many pearls of wisdom scattered here and there, left by many successful salespeople across the globe. And all those tiny bits of knowledge have been compiled in the form of several best-selling books on sales.
In this post, let’s look at 10 best sales books that will help reps win more.
10 Best Sales Books for B2B Sales Reps to Win More!
#1 Way of the Wolf – Jordan Belfort
Authored by Jordan Belfort, the Way of Wolf is rightly considered the ‘Bible of Sales’. In this book, the author has covered the art of persuasion and the steps to convince prospects to purchase from you. He has talked about a very important aspect of selling – how to strike an effective conversation with your prospects.
Key Takeaways from the book:
A perfect sale is only made when it is presented neatly to the customers. It is important to pitch your product subtly yet powerfully.
A sale can be made only when the rep has an emotional connect with the prospect.
The way you communicate with the prospects dictates how the prospects perceive you. And it’s not limited to the first 5 seconds but to the entire conversation.
Favorite quote from the book:
“You do not want to try to resolve their pain at this point. In fact, if anything, you want to amplify that pain.”
Fun fact: This book was immortalized by the popular movie “Wolf of the Wall Street” starring Leanardo Decaprio.
#2 Sell or be sold – Grant Cardone
A must-read for all sales folks, this book is a warehouse of sales tricks and is one of the best sales books. The author has highlighted the importance of being careful and proactive when it comes to selling a product or service. The author himself is a notable sales trainer, and this book is a summary of all his personal experiences.
Key Takeaways:
You must be 100% sold on your product. When you yourself are not convinced about the value of the product, you cannot convince others.
Price is never a concern for your buyers. Similarly, a dull economy can never be a reason for a failed sale.
There is no shortcut to becoming a successful sales rep. You have to sell and learn from each sale.
Favorite quote from the book
“The amount of success is limited by the amount of action you take”
#3 Spin Selling – Neil Rackham
Most salespeople might already know about SPIN selling. However, not many know that this methodology was derived from the book ‘SPIN Selling’ by Neil Rackham. He introduced the concept of SPIN selling in the form of a series of questions that need to be asked to a prospect before moving on with a sale. The book is a compilation of case studies, success stories, and experimental observations from over 35,000 sales calls.
Key Takeaways:
The best way to stop objections from coming up in the first place is by asking implication questions. How is their pain point making them lose time, money, effort, etc.
Questions are a much more effective tool than pressure in the world of sales.
While talking to prospects, keep repeating the main benefits of your product and then suggest the next logical step for them to take.
Favorite quote from the book :
“The building of perceived value is probably the single most important selling skill in larger sales.”
#4 To Sell is Human – Daniel Pink
In this book, Daniel Pink points out that everyone born in this world is a salesperson, either directly or indirectly. We are constantly selling ourselves and our ideas daily, both at work and at home. The author talks about the ABC of sales viz. Attunement, Buoyancy, and Clarity. He also takes us through the various strategies of selling, how the field has evolved over the years, and what it takes to become a successful seller, all with the help of illustrations, real-life incidents, and facts.
Key Takeaways:
Sales is not about inducing pressure in the minds of the prospects but making their lives better.
Successful salespeople are good listeners. They always try to understand the buyer’s perspective before selling.
Sales is always about catching tiny little signals during your conversations with the prospects. Particularly, pay attention to why prospects are saying ‘No’, so that you can handle the objections better.
Favorite quote from the book :
“To sell well is to convince someone else to part with resources—not to deprive that person, but to leave him better off in the end.”
#5 Fanatical Prospecting – Jeb Blount
This book by Jeb Blount primarily focuses on the art of prospecting. He says that reps must be aggressive and relentless in their efforts to become successful B2B sales experts. According to Blount, finding good prospects is more important than being an expert in closing deals. Because having good prospects automatically gets your work done.
Key Takeaways:
An empty sales pipeline is the biggest reason for reps to not succeed in sales An empty sales pipeline is the result of the reps’ inability to prospect consistently.
There are three laws that every salesperson must follow -
Prospects are available everywhere.
Every ‘No’ takes you closer to a ‘Yes’
Continue marching towards the goal until it is reached.
Favorite quote from the book :
“There is no easy button in sales. Prospecting is hard, emotionally draining work, and it is the price you have to pay to earn a high income.”
#6 The Challenger Sale – Matthew Dixon & Brent Adamson
In this book, the author defines a Challenger as someone who is able to identify the customer’s problem and offer their product as the best solution tactfully. Like SPIN, the Challenger sales methodology is one of the oldest methodologies still in existence. It is used as a tool to achieve greater conversions by taking control of the sales process.
Key Takeaways:
Probe the customer with questions to find out more information about themselves, their business, and their pain points and to get them to think that there is no better alternative than your product.
Challengers are made, not born. It's the skills they gain over the years that matter.
Building a Challenger sales force is a long journey. You cannot build such a competent workforce in a day.
Favorite quote from the book:
“After all, there’s usually little stopping your competition from discounting their way to a win. In that game, loyalty is essentially irrelevant, as customers aren’t looking for a partner, they’re looking for a bargain.”
#7 How I raised myself from failure to success in selling – Frank Bettger
The author, Frank Bettger, takes us through the numerous failures he has come across during his lifetime as a salesperson. According to this book, a common salesperson tends to give up after a few tries and move on. But a successful one never gives up and always tries to get to the top even after failing many times. Resilience, patience, and hard work are some of the key characteristics of such a salesperson.
Key Takeaways:
Focus on making your .
Know A-Z about your business and stay abreast with all the latest happenings. This will give you the confidence to win over the prospects.
Listen with keen ears to the pain points of the prospects. And always try to take the focus away from you during a sales conversation. It’s always them.
Favorite quote from the book:
“Failures mean nothing at all if success comes eventually. And that’s a thought that should cheer you up and help you keep on keeping on when the going seems hard. Keep going! Each week, each month, you are improving. One day soon, you will find a way to do the thing that today looks impossible.”
#8 The Ultimate Sales Machine – Chet Holmes
In this book, the author explains that to be a successful B2B salesperson, one must have 4 characteristics imbibed in them – prospecting, presenting, closing, and service. These four characteristics help a salesperson find the right prospect, pitch their product in the most presentable manner, and close the deal. He has filled the book with tips, tricks, and strategies that are useful for both newbie salespeople and experienced ones.
Key Takeaways:
Continuously train your sales staff. This is the best way to make them a sales machine.
A sales machine never sells just the product. They sell the brand and the history of the store.
Try to reach the decision-maker as early as possible. It is particularly important in large companies where you will be going on a wild goose chase otherwise.
Favorite quote from the book:
“Use market data, not product data. Set the buying criteria in your favor. Find the “smoking gun,” the one thing that undeniably positions you over everyone else. Make sure you hit their pain points. Include your own pitch for your product or service only after you have covered the education thoroughly.”
#9 Never Split the Difference – Chris Voss
Negotiating is one of the key skills of a salesperson, and this entire book revolves around it. It has been a guidebook for many salespeople in recent years. According to it, the key to becoming a successful negotiator is to empathize with the prospect, get a hold of their perspective and find a common ground to negotiate.
Key Takeaways:
In every negotiation scenario, there are at least two groups. The easiest way to reach a positive climax is by understanding what each party wants from the other.
Your prospects want to be understood. They want you to make the effort to understand what can help them currently to succeed in their business.
Always find questions or topics that the prospect will be happy to answer. It’s the best path to understand their point of view and what they think about their pain points.
Favorite quote from the book:
“He who has learned to disagree without being disagreeable has discovered the most valuable secret of negotiation.”
#10 The Greatest Salesman in the World – OG Mandino
OG Mandino’s book “The Greatest Salesman in the World” is fictitious yet an eye-opener for many salespeople. The book follows the story of a young guy Hamid who grew up in a small village in the Middle East and later moved to the United States and made a living by selling paper products. The story captures the entire life story of Hamid, including how he had an idea, how he started selling, how he failed and learnt from his mistakes, and how he eventually became the ‘the greatest salesman in the world’.
Key Takeaways:
In any selling process, you must follow time-tested principles. Follow those principles and make them into habits.
Be persistent. No matter how many times you fail, it is important to look at each failure as a stepping stone to success and an opportunity to learn something new.
It’s impossible to absorb all the feelings of customers during conversations. Humans are complex creatures. You, as a salesperson, have to transform yourself into a positive source of empathy and hear them out. This way, you can convert them into customers.
Favorite quote from the book:
“Wealth, my son, should never be your goal in life. Your words are eloquent but they are mere words. True wealth is of the heart, not of the purse.”
Wrapping Up
And those are the best sales books every B2B sales rep must read to overcome obstacles and become successful in their career. All these books educate, enlighten, and leave you with a lot more knowledge about selling than you will have before reading them. Many of these books can even become your mentors, as you can keep revisiting them whenever you encounter an issue in your sales career.
If you are a sales manager or a leader, you can also use sales coaching software to improve the knowledge of your reps and make them better at selling. Rafiki is currently the #1 sales coaching software in 2022. It offers advanced solutions that can help new B2B reps win more.
