As any sales professional knows, selling isn’t easy. The sales process is complex, with many considerations and pitfalls. Not to mention all the new things you must learn to stay ahead!
So today, we’ll show you the best B2B sales books you should check out to improve your sales chops for 2024. Let’s dive in!
Influence: The Power of Persuasion – Robert Cialdini
Sales is all about persuasion. You want your prospects to agree to your sales proposal, which is always challenging. But what if you knew what made people say “yes”?
If you did, you could apply what you knew to avoid the instances they say “no.”
This is where Robert Cialdini's “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” can help you. It's one of the classic books on leveraging motivation and psychology to influence purchasing decisions.
Read it to: Understand customer psychology and how to use it to your advantage.
Buy it on: Amazon
How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie
While it was first published way back in 1936, Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People is still relevant for sales teams today. It teaches the psychology behind sales and how to influence customers. By using the strategies provided in the book, you can improve your sales pitches and buyer questions, create better outcomes, and generate more sales.
Read it to: Understand the psychology behind sales to apply evergreen principles and increase your closed-won ratio.
Buy it on: Amazon
21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Selling: Proven Actions You Must Take to Make Easier, Faster, Bigger Sales….Now and Forever – Jeffrey Gitomer
Renowned sales trainer Jeffrey Gitomer shares some of his unbreakable selling laws in 21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Selling.
These laws, like attracting willing buyers, believing before you succeed, being assertive and persistent, and employing humor, can help you get better sales results over email, when cold or warm calling, and throughout your sales pipeline. Once you apply these laws, you’ll reduce friction and handle objections much better.
This is a must-read if you want success in your sales career.
Read it to: Learn the rules you need to apply to have a successful career in sales (or sell your products more effectively).
Buy it on: Amazon
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It – Chris Voss
In Never Split the Difference, you'll learn advanced negotiation techniques from former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss. Voss will share his techniques for life-or-death situations, business profit generation, getting better jobs, and dealing with other people.
Applying these techniques and strategies will give you the upper hand in any sales call, negotiation, or discussion.
Read it to: Learn how to negotiate better.
Buy it on: Amazon
The Ultimate Sales Machine – Chet Holmes
If you're a sales professional or a business owner, you should put The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes on your reading list. In this book on sales, marketing, and management, you'll learn the skills and strategies to improve every aspect of your business or sales processes. It's no wonder many consider this book the complete package of life-changing principles.
Read it to: Pick up the skills and strategies to ensure the continued success of your business. A great read for putting smarketing into practice, too!
Buy it at: Amazon
The Only Sales Guide You’ll Ever Need – Anthony Iannarino
Written by the author of the popular The Sales Blog, The Only Sales Guide You'll Ever Need outlines some of the most effective strategies you can use to generate more sales and make more money. One of the ways it does this is by inspiring you to discover what your prospects' needs really are.
The book also includes 25 sales lessons to help you overcome your fear of selling, so it’s an excellent read for startup founders and ambitious entrepreneurs.
Read it to: Get the skills and strategies that can help you overcome your fear of selling and sell better based on your customers' needs.
Buy it at: Amazon
To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Persuading, Convincing, and Influencing Others – Daniel Pink
Let’s face it, when it comes to sales, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy. This, ultimately, means you’ll need to use a personalized approach for every customer based on their unique needs and requirements. If you’re struggling with this, you should read To Sell is Human.
Here, Daniel Pink gives you another perspective on selling. The book provides the principles of attitude, action, and, more importantly, more profound insights into modern selling.
Read it to: Learn the skills and strategies to sell better, not only in business but in life as well.
Buy it at: Amazon
The Challenger Sale: How to Take Control of the Customer Conversation – Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson
Did you know that a Challenger is a specific sales rep profile? These reps tailor their sales processes and take control of sales negotiations to, ultimately, make more sales. In other words, these sales reps consistently perform at a high level.
In The Challenger Sale, Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson use research to discover who these reps are, which behaviors help them sell more, and provide a method to turn average sales reps into Challengers.
Read it to: Learn how to become That One Sales Rep who consistently exceeds the quota and sells what look like impossible deals.
Buy it at: Amazon
New Year, New Sales Knowledge!
Whether you’re a sales professional or a B2B business owner, selling is constantly advancing. You need to keep up if you don’t want to get left behind.
These B2B sales books are chock-full of advice, systems, and strategies to increase your revenue in the upcoming year. Add them to your TBR list and book more calls than ever before!
