The best sales reps know the value of investing in constant learning and development. After all, the sales and consumer landscapes are constantly changing, and there are always opportunities for sellers to upgrade their skills and improve their performance.
While there are many ways you can potentially boost your sales knowledge, from joining forums like the HardSkillExchange, to finding a mentor, reading the best books about sales is a popular option. Sales books can help you explore new sales processes, enhance your sales strategy, and even improve your mindset. The question is, with so many sales books out there, which should you read?
Today, we’re looking at some of the most popular, well-renowned, and valuable sales books of all time, perfect for expanding your skills.
The Best Books About Sales: 15 of our Favorites!
Notably, sales books come in a wide range of styles today. There are guides that focus on specific concepts, such as building rapport, developing emotional intelligence, or even cold calling. There are also more comprehensive books on the market, which combine case studies and use cases with actionable tips on enhancing your sales strategy.
Here are some of our top picks for the best books about sales.
- Sales Superpowers (Justin Michael)
Written by the co-founder of sales training community, Hypcccycl, and a lead coach at the HardSkillExchange, Justin Michael, Sales Superpowerss is a two-part guide to next gen selling.
The two books distil Justin’s years of experience in sales into useful tips, instructions, and methodologies any seller can use to fill their sales pipeline and increase conversions. Both books are informed by psychology, innovation, and human behavior.
The first book covers a deep dive into everything from developing the right sales mindset, to using emotional intelligence for sales success, while the second provides advanced guidance on unique sales processes and strategies. There are even ChatGPT guides included throughout the two pieces, to help sellers leverage generative AI in their sales strategies.
- Think and Grow Rich (Napoleon Hill)
Perhaps one of the most prolific sales books of all time, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill was initially published in 1937. It was one of the first books to encourage modern sales people to develop their mindset to improve their sales process.
Hill shares his experience in the sales landscape, as well as insights from interviews with countless successful people from the era. If you’re looking for a sales book that goes beyond simply closing deals, and changes the way you look at selling in the real world, this is the guide for you.
You’ll learn how to apply new modes of thinking to everything you do in your sales role, and you may find you become more confident too.
- The Challenger Sale (Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson)
Another extremely popular sales book for any budding sales rep, “The Challenger Sale”, focuses in the challenger salesperson strategy. This book offers a behind-the-scenes look at the value of understanding your customer’s needs, and discovering what drives them to make a purchase.
Throughout the book, the authors explore what kind of characteristics help to differentiate top sales professionals. They also share their expertise, gleaned from working with CEB Inc, a member-based advisory firm. If you want to learn more about how the sales industry works, and what it takes to become a successful seller, this is an exceptional book.
Plus, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the practices that go into developing the best sales methods for modern audiences.
- Cracking the Sales Management Code (Jason Jordan and Michelle Vazanna)
With an economics degree from Duke University and an extensive history in sales, Jason Jordon brings incredible industry expertise to this sales book. He’s joined by Michelle Vazanna, a prolific researcher in sales management and sales agility.
In this book, readers can learn all about maximizing sales performance and efficiency, by implementing the right management styles. You’ll discover how to choose the right team members to work on projects, monitor the right metrics, and inspire your staff.
There are even step-by-step guides and actionable tips that can help business leaders to implement more effective strategies for growth. If you’re thinking of pursuing a leadership position in sales, make sure you read this book first.
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (Carol Dweck)
While “Mindset” isn’t technically a dedicated sales book, it is something every seller should consider reading at some point. If you’re transitioning into sales for the first time, or pursuing a managerial role, you’ll quickly discover that the right frame of mind is crucial to your success.
Carol Dweck encourages readers to embrace the concept of the “Growth Mindset”, which involves constantly searching for ways to improve and evolve. People with a growth mindset believe that anything is possible with the right level of commitment and creativity.
Reading this book will help you to understand how you can frame your thoughts as a seller to overcome objections and obstacles, and maintain high levels of confidence. You’ll also learn why it’s so important to commit to the idea of lifetime learning.
- Fanatical Prospecting (Jeb Blount)
Prospecting is often considered one of the most complex parts of any sales role, but it’s also by far one of the most important. Successful prospecting requires sellers to commit to a constant cadence of reaching out to potential consumers, and building deeper relationships.
Jeb Blount’s book, “Fanatical Prospecting” teachers sellers the value of going all-in on their prospecting strategies. It provides insights into building emotional intelligence and rapport, and offers overviews of effective tips for social selling.
Whether you’re starting a new career or enhancing your current skills, this book will teach you how to text, email, call, and socially engage buyers across multiple channels.
- SPIN Selling (Neil Rackham)
Easily one of the most popular and best books about sales in the world today, SPIN Selling is a recommended piece for any professional’s bookshelf. The piece, by Neil Rackham, introduces the concept of “SPIN” selling, a process and methodology still used worldwide today.
The book covers Neil’s four-part sales framework, distilled from over 12 years of research and more than 35,000 sales calls. If you’re just starting out in sales, this book will give you a model you can instantly apply to sales activities, from cold calls to pitches.
You’ll also develop a more powerful seller’s mindset, encouraging you to assess the situations and needs of your customers, so you can tailor your solutions accordingly more deeply.
- The Little Red Book of Selling (Jeffrey Gitomer)
One of the best-selling classic sales books in the world, the Little Red Book of Selling shows reps and sales team members how to sell more in less time. The guide covers several different selling strategies and techniques, as well as a behind-the-scenes insight into sales cycles.
This piece is brimming with insights, ideas, and inspiration, all intended to help readers improve their sales abilities. You’ll discover how to qualify prospects and ensure their goals and pain points align with your solutions more efficiently.
Plus, you’ll be able to experiment with new sales techniques designed to make you more persuasive and influential during conversations with leads. The book even provides valuable insights into cold calling techniques.
- To Sell is Human (Daniel H. Pink)
Daniel Pink is the best-selling author of a number of books, including “Drive” and “A Whole New Mind”. He has also produced countless valuable articles for groups like the New York Times, Fast Company, and the Harvard Business Review.
In “To Sell is Human”, Daniel Pink breaks down the common myths surrounding popular sales techniques, and explains the importance of sales skills in the modern world. Using decades of research, Daniel shows how selling makes its way into everything we do as human beings.
Reading this book is a must for any professional just making their way into sales for the first time. You’ll learn how to generate excitement for your ideas in others, pitch products and services to customers, and even convince your boss you deserve a raise.
- New Sales: Simplified (Mike Weinberg)
New Sales is one of the best books about sales to go beyond the process of simply closing deals. Though the guide provides insights into how to increase conversions and revenue, it also looks at the importance of building relationships, finding new prospects, and retaining clients.
Mike Weinberg discusses the tactics you and your sales teams can use to create more loyal buyers for their products and services. You’ll learn how to develop a customer-focused sales process, with insights from one of the top sales influencers in the world.
This book offers practical advice you can start implementing instantly, as well as countless real-life stories and case studies to inspire you. It’s definitely one worth checking out!
- Discover Questions: Get You Connected (Deb Calvert)
If you’re looking for the best books about sales to help you make the most of every prospect and lead a conversation, then this could be the piece for you. “Discover Questions” teaches sellers how to use the right types of questions throughout the sales cycle to uncover customer pain points, goals, and opportunities.
Deb Calvert includes insights from more than 20 years of research and experience in the sales landscape, as well as case studies and examples to guide you. There are even anecdotes from genuine sales calls to help show you how to frame your questions effectively.
This is one of the top books on selling out there for professionals who want to take a more human approach to building deeper relationships with clients.
- The Psychology of Selling (Brian Tracy)
Whether you’re looking to improve your manager’s sales strategies or simply expand your knowledge of sales methodologies, this book is must-read. The Psychology of Selling promises to help readers double or triple their sales in any market, with data-backed guidance.
Here, readers will find a series of methods, techniques, and strategies they can use to make more sales faster, with less effort. What’s more, it provides a valuable insight into the importance of mindset in the sales landscape, and how you can build the right outlook.
You’ll learn you don’t need a lot of complex vocabulary or a degree to convince customers to make a purchase, if you can simply present your product or service as a solution to a problem. Most importantly, the book highlights the importance of using your sales skills to help others.
- How to Win Friends and Influence People (Dale Carnegie)
One of the best-selling books in the world, Dale Carnegie’s masterpiece is about more than just mastering sales. The guide teaches readers countless ideas they can use to become a more likeable person, and form deeper relationships with others.
Though it’s a little older than some of the other books on this list, it offers a fantastic guide to the importance of building rapport, and the power of relationships in the sales landscape. You’ll learn how to connect with consumers and colleagues more effectively, and develop your network.
If you want a more scientific version of this book, check out “Influence” by Robert Cialdini, for similar insights with more advanced data.
- Inbound Selling (Brian Signorelli)
It’s no secret that inbound marketing has transformed the way most companies interact with customers. Buyers are more empowered than ever, and more committed to doing their own research when searching for products and services.
In the sales book, “Inbound Selling”, Brian Signorelli takes a deeper look at this evolving landscape, considering how sales professionals can thrive in a world where about 60% of decisions are made without the guidance of a sales rep. You’ll learn more about bringing prospects to you, and transforming yourself into a valuable and trusted advisor for buyers.
It’s an easy and fun read, with lots of actionable tips and tools you can use to help with everything from prospecting to pitching.
- The Sales Acceleration Formula (Mark Roberge)
Written by the former HubSpot CRO, Mark Roberge, The Sales Acceleration Formula is one of the best books on sales for any business leader looking to scale. This modern guide provides a providable and scalable approach to growing business revenue and developing your sales team.
You’ll learn how to apply technology, data, and inbound selling techniques to every aspect of the sales landscape, from generating demand, to hiring, training, and managing reps. Roberge even shares valuable insights into the strategies he used himself to drive success for his company.
This convenient and fast-paced book is brimming with step-by-step guidance that’s ideal for any business leader, sales manager, or evolving sales rep.
The Best Sales Books Ever Written
The list above consists of just some of the best sales books ever produced to support sales reps, managers and teams in honing and developing their skills. There are plenty of other amazing options out there, but these are the ones we believe can drive the most benefits for growing companies.
If you want to build on what you learn in one of the books above, why not expand your education even further? Join the HardSkillExchange today to learn directly from the world’s leading experts in sales success.
