Step Up Your Sales Game With These 5 Books
Not every founder is a former sales rep.
But selling is HUGELY important for your company to succeed.
You sell to:
Customers — current & prospective
Employees — current & prospective
Investors — current & prospective
Your mom — jk. she loves you (and your company) no matter what.
How do you get good at selling if you haven’t done sales before?
Learn, practice, test, iterate. Repeat!
Here’s 5 awesome books about sales — with differing focus, style, and methodology — to get you started.
Get Better At Sales: 5 Books To Read Today
1. To Sell Is Human by Daniel Pink
Easy to read, research-based, with a multitude of strategies and frameworks.
Great overview and primer as you find your sales style.
2. The Challenger Sale by Matthew Dixon
Required reading at Rigor where folks in their 20s were closing 6 figure deals with Fortune 500 companies.
It challenges (of course) the notion that sales is all about relationships.
Gives specific sales questions, process, and activities.
3. Unselling: Sell Less To Win More by Peter Bourke
#1 free ebook about sales on Amazon
Peter Bourke did a sales strategy session with the Renewals team at Salesforce that was magical
If you’re worried about having a used-car-salesperson vibe, this one’s for you!
Specifics on how to phrase things and be consultative up front
4. How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Alternate title: “How To Be A Good Human”
Really, a must-read for everyone.
Not *technically* a sales book but if you think of sales as “transference of belief” this book is filled with specific strategies that move people to your perspective while feeling good about it
5. Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss
The #1 book I wish I read at age 25. When I think back to salary or customer “negotiations” I’ve done…🤪😬😂🙃
Tons of actionable advice when it comes to any kind of negotiation.
Use cases for pricing, contracts, salaries with specifics on phrasing
What other books have helped you sell? Any diverse or non-traditional author recommendations (this list is admittedly lacking!)??
Thanks for these book recommendations! I loved Never Split the Difference. I occasionally use one of the suggestions he gives on how to get people to respond to emails and IT WORKS!