13 Best Sales Books of All Time

We’re continuing with our top books series…

Last week, we brought you the Top 10 Communication Books; and before that, we shared leadership, network marketing and self help. Next week, I’ll share the best persuasion books!

So why sales books? I know the word “sales” itself can scare people and not everyone considers themselves to be in sales. But personally, I beg to differ…

We are always selling!

Parents sell their kids to go to bed, to eat their vegetables, to tell the truth, to do well in school.

Children sell their parents on why they should be able to stay up late, get a new toy or be able to spend the night with their friends.

Men sell women on why they should go out on a date with them… among other things. 🙂

Employees sell their bosses on why they should get a raise or implement one of their ideas to improve the company.

Even if you’re not in “sales”, if you want to have a successful life, learning to sell can improve your life in so many ways!

These are a list of books that, if read,will put you in the top 1% compared to every other “salesperson” in the world. After you go through this list, you’ll be a rockstar with unparallelled sales skills and integrity to match!

13 Top Sales Books List:

1. Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer

The Author includes his 12.5 principles of Sales Greatness based on his lifetime of selling. What I love most about this book are all of the little nuggets of information you can apply immediately. He keeps it simple and basic yet very effective.

2. Zig Ziglar’s Secret of Closing the Sale by Zig Ziglar

I had the honor and pleasure of knowing Zig Ziglar. He’s a true mentor of mine and has been missed dearly since his passing. This book is one of many ways we can all be mentored by Zig. He focuses on the art of persuasion to increase your sales. The examples and stories really hit home and are unforgettable.

3. Swim with the Sharks without Being Eaten Alive by Harvey Mackay

My friend Harvey Mackay is one of the most well connected business leaders in the world. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Harvey on one of his book launches and he is the consummate professional. He is a self made multi-millionaire who introduces the Mackay 66 in this book. Ever wonder how to get in front of that prospect who’s just determined not to meet with you? Want to be able to motivate masses to take action on your ideas? This is the book.

4. The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino

This tiny book written in 1968 has made a huge impact on the world of sales. Through a parable, Mandino shares his philosophy of the sales profession and how important it is to believe in yourself and what your selling. This book will move you and inspire you to continue to hone your sales skills.

5.Spin Selling by Neil Rackman

Rackman introduces a revolutionary sales strategy called “spin selling. SPIN (Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-payoff) is based on multiple case studies and years of experience in large companies. The data packed in this book is unbelievable.

6.Selling 101: What Every Successful Sales Professional Needs to Know by Zig Ziglar

Zig does it again is this remarkable book. He shares how to sell more effectively, more often and to more people in an ethical way. He argues that the sales profession is a constant; however, your learning needs to be continuous and evolving when it comes to your sales skills.

7. How to Sell Anything to Anybody by Joe Girard

Now, this guy is interesting and a Guinness World Record holder! In Girard’s fifteen-year selling career, he sold 13,001 cars… a Guinness World Record! He based everything on his hard work ethic and good old fashioned salesmanship! He insists that by building on basic principles of trust and hard work, anyone can do what he did. I couldn’t agree more!

8.Close Like the Pros by Steve Marx

Marx basically wants sales professionals to slow down. Sometimes, you’re so busy closing sales and meeting with prospects that you don’t take time to interact with oyur customers and do what he terms “interactive selling”. This leads to longer and better relationships with a win/win outcome.

9.Getting to Closed by Stephan Schiffman

Ever feel like you’re wasting your time with people who don’t know what they want to buy, aren’t really interested in buying, or have no authority to buy? Schiffman says this is the biggest waste of time and energy in sales today. He shares a proven system that has worked with over 10K sales professionals that fixes this problem.

10. The Art of Closing the Sale by Brian Tracy

Brian Tracy is a sales legend helping over 1 million sales people worldwide. He covers the sales skills needed to get the consistent sale. Is that what you want? A consistent sales strategy that works. His results speak for themselves. This is a must read!

11. How to Master the Art of Selling by Tom Hopkins

In this book, you’ll find out how Tom Hopkins turned around a failing sales career (I mean, miserably failing!!) into one where he made a million dollars in the net 3 years. These sales techniques are simple to follow and extremely effective.

12. The Sales Bible by Jeffrey Gitomer

This is by the same Author as my #1 pick, The Little Red Book of Selling. In this one, he shares his 10.5 commandments to sales success. This book is often referred to as THE #1 resource for sales professionals.

13. Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions by Keith Rosen

Most people can become sales champions. What are you missing then? Effective coaching. This is a great read for people who manage those who sale or for those who want to become a sales champion himself. Either way, his coaching strategies are phenomenal!

I’m super excited about sharing this list with you. I believe these are some seriously impactful books that can change your life and improve your career! I encourage you to jump on the one that really spoke to you and dive in.

Make life an adventure!