13 Books That Will Change Your Life and Transform the Way You Sell8 min read

Lifelong learning is what can make you a great salesperson. 

Apart from listening to podcasts and attending conferences, you should also read as many books as you can. 

But, not every book on sales is a masterpiece, that’s for sure. 

However, we have made a compilation of 13 must-read books which will expand your sales horizons and show you the ropes of this amazing art (or skill).  

1. How to Win Friends and Influence People

This book by Dale Carnegie was first released back in 1937, but it hasn’t lost its edge despite a huge time distance. 

It’s still relevant and contemporary, all of which makes it an indispensable read in every salesperson or marketer’s library. 

You’ll learn some vital techniques in handling people as well as how to win them to your way of thinking. 

Being a leader isn’t the same as being a boss, and this little book will teach you how to become an effective leader without being bossy. 

Generally speaking, if you’re striving towards self-improvement, make sure to read this bestseller at least once. 

2. Eat Their Lunch: Winning Customers Away from Your Competition

Anthony Iannarino authors this book on how to cut through the noise and sell in an overcrowded market. 

Growing your business can be tough if there are too many companies offering the same or similar products and services, and you have to find a way to outperform, outdo, and outsell them. 

And for that, you’ll need to tap into their customer database and take their market share. 

If you’re a B2B salesperson who wants to steal over your competitors’ existing customers then first grab a copy of this book and start learning. 

3. Mindset 

You’re most probably already aware that every great salesperson is an ever better psychologist who can understand their customers and help them. 

Salespeople who want to succeed need to believe in themselves because, as otherwise, that’s the only way to be persuasive and convincing enough when dealing with their prospects. 

That’s why, Carol Dweck, a Stanford psychologist, wrote this book which can help you adjust your mindset and encourage you to change for the better. 

Read it if you want to forget about self-doubt and develop a mindset of a successful person.

4. To Sell Is Human

Being empathetic and human are the traits that set a great salesperson from an average one. 

And that’s, what Daniel H. Pink, a New York Times best-selling author talks about in this amazing book. 

As sales is all about building meaningful connections with your prospects, or as Katherine Barchetti said: “Make a customer, not a sale.”

Find out how to overcome all the negative stereotypes about sales and become the salesperson who knows how to approach your prospects and help them before you try to sell them.

5. Predictable Revenue

Generating revenue is something that every business strives for, but what’s even more crucial is to generate predictable revenue and be in control of how much you can earn.

This seminal sales book can teach you how to build a thriving business and grow it exponentially. This can be done only if you make your decisions based on relevant data – educated guessing won’t get you far. 

Aaron Ross & Marylou Tyler bring you the $100 million best practices of Salesforce.com. 

6. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion 

Dr. Robert Cialdini is a famous and influential name in the marketing and sales industries – and with good reason. 

Improving performance with the help of the principles of persuasion is his area of expertise, and this book offers science-based advice on how to leverage the power of behavioral psychology and transform yourself into a master of persuasion and influence. 

7. Never Split the Difference

Knowing how to negotiate can do wonders for your sales efforts. 

But, you need to understand that fine line between being persuasive and being a pest. 

Chris Voss, a former international hostage negotiator for the FBI surely knows the drill and can help you step up your negotiating game and your sales. 

This book is packed with different useful principles and practical advice on getting the edge in any negotiation and argument. 

8. The Little Red Book of Selling 

If you’re looking for the ultimate book on sales, then Jeffrey Gitomer’s The Little Red Book of Selling is the right pick. 

This is an evergreen classic that will stand the test of time for many years to come. 

In other words, you’ll no matter how long you’ve been in sales, you’ll still learn something new that you can implement and improve your skills. 

Moreover, in this book, Jeffrey dissects and analyzes the reasons why people buy, thus helping you overcome any potential obstacle on the way to the checkout. 

9.The Ultimate Sales Machine 

One of the most important things that any sales manager has to do isn’t only identifying the right sales opportunities and using them, but also realizing which strategies and tactics that don’t work and eliminating them. 

So, if you want your sales team to work like a well-oiled machine, this is the book that all of you should read and study. 

Chet Holmes’ advice focuses on helping you double-down on your effective strategies instead of spreading too thin on different approaches that might or might not work. 

10. Difficult Conversations 

Not everything is peaches and cream in sales – this profession has its fair share of difficult conversations and rejections. 

But, the key isn’t in avoiding them. What you should do is be ready to take the bull by the horns and try to make your point no matter how complicated or even impossible that seems. 

Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen will talk you through having unpleasant, though and yet necessary conversations, without allowing you to slip into arguments or raise your voice. 

Every (sales)person needs to master the skill of having that conversation that they’ve been putting off for quite some time. 

11. 673 Years of Sales Excellence 

This e-book is a joint effort of Autoklose and a number of renowned sales experts and entrepreneurs. 

It was our idea to ask the likes of Max Altschuler, Aaron Ross, John Barrows, or Jill Konrath to share their experiences and expertise accumulated over the years in the sales business, and they gladly agreed. 

So, if you decide to give this useful read a try, you’ll find very practical and actionable tips and advice on how to excel in sales, career, and life. 

Split into two main parts, this book covers different areas of what it means to be a successful and accomplished salesperson. We discuss the art of negotiation and closing and tackle sales development, customer experience. 

Finally, each one of these 27 exceptional sales leaders shares their own recipe for success. 

12. The Psychology of Selling: Increase Your Sales Faster and Easier Than You Ever Thought Possible

Even people who aren’t in sales or marketing have probably heard about Brian Tracy, as his expertise goes beyond these two professional fields. He’s a renowned motivational speaker and self-development author with a number of books under his belt. 

This particular book will teach you how to boost your sales as it’s packed with useful and actionable advice, tips, methodologies, strategies, and ideas. You need to learn how the human mind works because numerous sales principles are based on psychology, and that’s exactly what Brian Tracy specializes in. 

Speeding up your sales cycle is another crucial factor for the success of your business, and besides learning how to double or even triple your sales, this book will show you how to do it fast. 

It’s an excellent read regardless of whether you’re just starting your career or want to grow professionally. 

13. Social Selling Mastery: Scaling Up Your Sales and Marketing Machine for the Digital Buyer 

Authored by Jamie Shanks, a leading social selling expert, this book will help you learn what it takes to capture the attention of the digital buyer. Social selling has become an indispensable part of every good sales strategy, especially nowadays when a great deal of marketing and sales efforts happen online. 

It’s critical to reach, connect with your potential customers, and build relationships with them in this digital landscape, and that can be challenging if we bear in mind that your competitors are trying to do the same. 

And that’s where this book will come in handy, to teach you how to engage your customers online and sell to them.