Sometimes a new book isn’t what you need. Instead you need to go back and reread a book you have already purchased and read. I can never get it all the first time around. So going back and reading it again, and again, I can get closer to really understanding the material and ultimately practicing what I learned.
This year I have read about eight new sales books. This doesn’t count the number of sales books that I have reread this year. I have read 58 books in total for the year thus far.
The five books I included on this list are books that I have read and reread several times. The reason for this, is I have found these books to be the most significant books to really understanding sales, people, and ultimately why people buy.
Are they the best sales books ever? I don’t know. It just really depends on what you are looking for.
What I do know, is this list is a great start for anyone who is in sales and for anyone who may want to do one of the things below:
- to learn a process to sell more effectively
- understand some of the reasons why people buy
- learn a technique on how to overcome fear
- how to differentiate yourself from your competition
- learn techniques to be more persuasive.
- understand people’s motives, understand your motives for that matter.
title: Rejection Proof; How to Beat Fear and Become Invincible
author: Jia Jiang
Link to amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jia-Jiang-Rejection-Invincible-2015-04-24/dp/B016KX651S/
What I liked most about the book: This guy was on a mission, or is on a mission, to overcome fear. And some of the things that we are most fearful of. Such as talking to people, doing things that could be humiliating, making yourself really, really uncomfortable. The author does it all. And he tells you how it worked for him. You may have heard of some of his crazy ideas and stories already. I hadn’t, but I really enjoyed his strategy and his commitment.
Why you should read it: After I read this book, I immediately was more motivated to go out and do some of the things I was most fearful of. I picked up the phone and called a CEO that had been putting me off. I wasn’t scared of the CEO, or at least, I would have told you I wasn’t. However, what is the worst that can happen. There is no growth without a little fear, hesitation, and some discomfort, but that is also where the growth and success exists as well.
title: Spin Selling; Situation-Problem-Implication-Need-Payoff
author: Neil Rackham
Link to amazon: https://www.amazon.com/SPIN-Selling-Neil-Rackham/dp/0070511136/
What I liked most about the book: First of all, this book was first published in 1988. At the time, it claimed to be the most well researched book on sales to ever be written. Matter of fact, the book cover says that 35,000 sales calls, used by the top Sales Forces across the world, are included in the research for the book. That alone gives it a lot of credibility. Plus the examples included in the book gives you a word for word account of actual sales calls that were either successful or not successful. So you learn a lot by reading this book.
Why you should read it: All sales people should read this book no matter what. You will learn something that you didn’t know before. To pick one thing that I thought was most interesting, was the part on objections. As a sales trainer, this is a topic that is brought up the most in my training courses. This book was the first that I have read that actually took a different approach on why sales people get objections. And the way they write about why we get objections and how to overcome them. This is a process that sales people, as well as people who just want to get people to do things, such as employees or children, can also use.
title: The Challenger Sale; Taking Control of the Customer Conversation
author(s): Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson
Link to amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Challenger-Sale-Control-Customer-Conversation/dp/B0073TG3LQ/
What I liked most about this book: Similarly to SPIN selling, this book was well researched. I believe the sample size was something like 6,000 sales professionals were analyzed and researched. I am not saying that I am research snob, however, the way it is researched and how the conclusions are come to, you can see how. Many books, are just one persons opinion on how something should be done or sold. A well researched book, is validated by more than one person.
Why you should read it: Everybody is looking for the one thing to separate themselves when selling their product or themselves. This books tells you, based on research, how the most successful sales people do this effectively. And it is most likely not the thing you are thinking. I’ll give it away a little here. The title of the book, is also what differentiates successful salespeople from every one else. The sales person who is willing to challenge the thinking of the buyer, is the sales person who is most successful. And that theory is validated in the research.
title: Hot Button Marketing; Push the Emotional Buttons that get people to buy
author: Barry Feig
Link to amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hot-Button-Marketing-Emotional-Paperback/dp/B015QKCOBG/
What I liked most about this book: This was the first book that I had read, and still have read, that actually broke down the reasons people buy, and the reasons why we as human beings make decisions. That is why this is a book that I think everyone should read. The sixteen motives are broken down with such great examples, that you will instantly start looking at your prospects in a new light that will help you achieve better sales results.
Why you should read it: Most of us look at purchasing decisions, and if you are in sales, you look at the buyer and try to sell to them logically. We all know that human beings are more emotional than they are logical. This book breaks down the reasons why we do what we do, and the true emotions and reasons behind it. This information is critical to anyone who wants to be more persuasive in getting people to take action. Whether you are in leadership, a parent, or in sales, this book will help you become more persuasive.
title: The Five Great Rules of Selling
author: Percy Whiting
Link to amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Rules-Selling-Revised-Enlarged/dp/B00005VA8T/
What I liked most about this book: Years ago, I had a trainer who was training me to become a trainer. He asked me to read this book. I looked at the year it was published, 1957. And I thought why should I be reading such an old school book. How does this information even apply today? Here is what I learned. Selling hasn’t changed much since the beginning of time. I never thought about how reading these old school books, and learning the techniques they taught back then could apply today. After reading this book, I then set a new goal of reading more and more books by dead people. You know what I mean here. Old books. And by doing so, I have become a better sales person and communicator.
Why you should read this book: In today’s technology driven world we all have lost are ability to communicate as well as we used to face to face. It is no ones fault. It is what it is. Technology has allowed us to not have to do it as frequently. Because of this, it is more important than ever for all of us, especially sales people, to learn techniques, language, and style when communicating face to face. This book provides language and processes on how to get in front of more people, and then what to say when you do.
I hope you find these books as helpful as I did. If you do, please share it with others.
To your success and your future.
Pennies into Fortunes 
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