“Hold a book and an entirely new world you hold in, read that book and an entirely new world you will unlock within”
That’s the beauty of reading books.
A teacher, a guide, a friend for life that’s what books can be called. But that’s not all that books are they are much much more than that, which even an infinite collection of words would fail to describe. They are the manuals that help us slither through the twisty roads of life, lighting up our ways like a candelabrum whenever we grope in the dark.
Right from our childhood, books have been our companion from the very first day at school. Throughout our lives they change their appearance and surround us wearing different robes, turning out to look different like magazines, scriptures, etc. Whatever robe do they wear, but one thing that they all have in common is the vast information and knowledge they contain.
“To a voracious reader, always craving to read, they are like an eternal sea containing the water of wisdom brimming to quench his thirst”
Every available book in this world has a lot to teach us and to transform us into better human beings. Among lots of varieties of books, there are books available that focus on certain specific topics like health and hygiene, inspirational books, books revealing the tips to excel in a profession, and many more. The books which unlock the doors to succeed in a profession will be at our center of focus today.
Every profession has got certain skills a professional working in it needs to master to pave his way towards success. Today, we will set out on a journey traveling into the world of books and getting to know about 15 such sales books which will inspire and help you to excel in the field of sales. So here goes the list :
1. THE LOST ART OF CLOSING: This bestseller written by Anthony Mannarino can broaden one’s vision and to deepen his understanding of the sales process. Shifting the vision from conventional to contemporary it offers a refreshing modern perspective on the subject of closing a deal. For those who aspire to win their client’s trust and establish lucrative relationships with them, this book will be a perfect choice. In an enthralling manner the author talks of 10 commitments securing each of which a sales representative can climb up a new step on the ladder of success. So, set yourself on to cherish a relaxing reading time coupled with an everlasting cup of knowledge with this influential book.
2. TO SELL IS HUMAN: This masterpiece, penned down by Daniel Pink in a very creative and honest way brings out the fact that in this modern era, every person is a seller. If you wonder how? Then in Daniel’s own words, when we try to influence, persuade, or convince someone we are doing exactly what a sales representative does. In this book, the author throws light on the fact that apart from selling just objects, we are now selling our techniques and ideas as well. Thus, sales no longer remain confined to just selling goods. Further, it has become an integral part of life and all of us are somehow sellers now. His book also brings forth how sales have evolved with the advent of technology.
He highlights that today as much knowledge about a product is available to a customer through sources like the internet etc. as much as is available to a salesman, which breaks through an old myth that sellers conceal important information from customers. He presents a more sophisticated and humane approach towards sales which will help a salesperson to grow while benefitting the society as a whole. So, if you wish to excel in this art of selling, this book is a must-read for you.
3. THE ULTIMATE SALES MACHINE: Based on his own experiences, Chet Holmes who has worked with over 60 Fortune 500 companies as America’s top marketing executive, trainer, and motivational expert provides 12 key strategies in this book for running and turbocharging a business. This book aims at helping firms around the world to grow. With its wide scope, it focuses on time management, best hiring practices, etc. which are considered as the keys to enhancing the sales productivity of an organization. Chet greatly emphasizes the art of focusing. He has said that “Mastering something is not about practicing 4000 things, but about practicing 12 things 4000 times” This metaphor not only applies to sales but also to life in general as well. This book is far from providing you with useless tips but you will find it to be full of practical examples. If you are in search of great life lessons, then here you go!
4. SPIN SELLING: This influential book is a product of Neil Rackham’s years of research which will surely cause a shift in your mindset and make you ponder over the strategies mentioned in it. SPIN SELLING emphasizes the importance of asking the right questions in a sales conversation to move prospects through the buying process. Asking the right questions at the right time makes the prospects interested in buying. In this book, Neil throws light on the fact that a seller must thoroughly understand what a customer needs before demonstrating his product and trying to close the deal. In “SPIN Selling Strategy”, SPIN is an acronym used for the types of questions to be an asked in a sales conversation and these are : *SITUATION QUESTIONS *PROBLEM QUESTIONS *IMPLICATION QUESTIONS
*NEED PAY-OFF QUESTIONS
To know more about what types of questions do belong to these categories do grab a copy of this amazing book and master the art of asking questions and excel in your career as a sales representative.
5. FANATICAL PROSPECTING: The word fanatical means filled with ‘great enthusiasm’ and as the name suggests, through his book Jeb Blount edifies a salesperson to reach his peak performance by effectively using multiple prospecting methods like phone, email, social media, texting and via face to face meetings. He agrees that prospecting may consume time, along with that it may also seem hard like a tiring struggle but that’s where his book comes to help as a savior. Jeb teaches methods to make prospecting easier and more efficient. Everything from the advantages of prospecting, why prospecting, how to prospect to anything regarding prospecting has been discussed in the book. This practical guide will help those who are searching for ways to become extraordinary.
6. THE SCIENCE OF SELLING: David Hoffeld, a leading researcher and CEO of Hoffeld group have written this book with all his best efforts. This book presents strategies based on the psychological studies made by neuroscientists on the decision making patterns and abilities of the human brain to influence the buying decisions of customers. Hoffeld’s work is not only helpful for people involved in sales, but also for people who wish to know more about human nature and how humans make their decisions and what factors influence their decision making. Hoffeld has successfully challenged sellers’ thinking on how to sell. He throws light on the hurdles salespeople face and how to overcome them with the help of a better understanding of human psychology. If you are a salesperson who also takes a keen interest in human psychology, getting this book for yourself will prove to be a great decision.
7. BEYOND THE SALES PROCESS: The authors, Steve Anderson and Dave Stein are great sales experts who have brought this book into existence with the best of their efforts. It holds the potential to bring an extraordinary salesperson out of its readers by guiding them to know more about their customers like who they are and what they need. This book provides 12 strategies based on which a sales representative can build better relationships with their clients. The central idea presented is that relationships matter and they are the building blocks for an organization’s success. Apart from focussing on building potential relationships it also focuses on how to facilitate sales with the help of these relationships. Anderson and Stein believe that a two-way approach should be followed where clients and business both are taken care of. According to them, this approach holds great potential to reap results manifold. Thus, this book will be a good read for sales representatives and businesses actively seeking ways to build healthier relationships with their clients.
8. AMP UP YOUR SALES: Andy Paul has meticulously penned down this wonder book containing powerful strategies that will move customers to make fast, favorable decisions. Doing a great job, Andy has brought to light many such crucial steps sales representatives are habitual of skipping which keeps them from an excellent performance. Further, the simplicity with which the strategies have been discussed makes the book captivate the hearts of readers. If you are looking for a nice book to read which will guide you towards getting better at selling, add this one to your list, it will be of great help.
9. SECRETS OF CLOSING THE SALE: Zig Ziglar in his unique manner presents some of the best ways to influence customers and make a sale. He emphasizes certain important elements of sales like having a great belief in your product, voicing inflections, and questioning. In this book of his, Ziglar has summed up whatever he has learned throughout his life. It is an inspiring book that has changed many lives and holds the capability to change many more as well. Ziglar says even if a person is not a professional salesman, still everyone sells one thing or the other. Thus, even if you are not directly involved in sales reading this book can help u deal with general situations in life. Ziglar’s words are not only motivational but the strategies he has mentioned hold the possibility of becoming practically possible as well. Anyone willing to learn the art of persuading others will surely learn a lot from this book.
10. THE OUTWARD MINDSET – Seeing beyond ourselves: “Change is inevitable and brings forth with it many new opportunities” that’s what the central idea of this book by the Harbinger Institute is. According to the book, when we change and shift to an outward mindset, miraculous things begin to surround us. This book can be called the one which has had and will always have a great impact on its readers. The guidance and tools it provides to stimulate and make one move from an inward mindset to an outward one. To dig deeper into what these mindsets are this book is a must to read. It provides simple but impactful insights. As Paulo Coelho says “ Simple things in life are also the most extraordinary things”, similarly as the simplicity of this book intrigues readers, it does behold the power to bring out the extraordinary in them.
11. GAP SELLING: Sales has got many notions and myths attached to it and Gap Selling by Keenan breaks away all such myths and brings forth the crystal clear image of everything related to sales. The dictionary meaning of the word GAP is “ the space between two things” and analogously, Jim Keenan uses the word GAP to define the space between a client’s present position and the position where he aspires to be tomorrow. He insists that this gap affects a customer’s decision making at a great level. In his book, he aims at teaching a sales representative on how to identify the gap, measure it, and use it to close a deal. Smart work is the need of the hour, that’s what this well-written book will train you at.
12. BLUEPRINTS FOR A SaaS SALES ORGANIZATION: Jacco Van Der and Fernando Pizzaro together provide their experience based practical advice for SaaS Sales Organizations in a manner that is easy to grasp. They outline the fact that these organizations crucially need a sales team apt in designing, building, and scaling these customer-centric organizations. They beautifully present ways to measure important aspects in sales like where the organization is heading to? Providing certain standardizations they have presented steps to help SaaS organizations grow stronger and better so that they can flourish and excel. This book will drench readers in its vast knowledge and enable them to learn about key factors impacting their and their organization’s growth.
13. REBIRTH OF A SALESMAN: CIAN McLoughlin with his book points out at the general tendency of humans to forget about the basics associated with something, be it a business or something else. He emphasizes that these fundamentals are the roots of the business and for it to flourish its roots must be strong enough. He puts forward certain business fundamentals, traits, and techniques that according to him guarantee success. To survive and succeed in this competitive world is what everyone is struggling for and a skill set of extraordinary skills is the only anchor that can help. Cian passes on whatever he can to young salespersons to guide them towards building a great future in the sales profession. Meticulously written, this book holds the key to help young salespersons to unlock their true potential.
14. NEVER SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE: A product of Chris Toss and Tahl Raz’s efforts this book brings to sales representatives’ attention 5 ideas that will boost their sales performance. These profound ideas can enhance the quality of one’s daily life as well. The book showcases success as a result of practicing basic human values like empathy and concern along with smart work. Not only for sales representatives, but experts also say that this book should be a must-read for one and all as its heart is based on core values of humanity. How to establish your rapport quickly and smartly, How to build trust with tactical empathy are some of the things, this book is going to teach you. Just like good storytellers Chris and Raz have presented a lot of stories and that too in a way that readers would be able to highlight the lessons they need to learn from them to improve themselves. This book in stores great lessons for those willing to learn.
15. THE SALES DEVELOPMENT PLAYBOOK: Trish Bertuzzi focuses on keeping buyers at the center of attention during the entire process of selling. She advocates that this approach will elevate a sales representative’s performance resulting in benefits to the company or organization as well. Her book sets readers to introspect as she has mentioned some questions in it for the readers to reflect upon. She holds the vision of making this world a better place and thus her work edifies salespersons to think equally for the benefits of the organization as well as it’s customers. Carrying a roadmap, each reader must follow to attain excellence, “The Sales Development Playbook” is an excellent book for sellers to read.
TopHawks as a sales outsourcing company provides its resources through training to deliver at the peak of their efficiency.
