Reading puts you on the fast track to sales mastery. As Joseph Addison, a distinguished classical scholar once said, reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. Besides helping you nail down key concepts, cracking open a book helps you learn how to dissect human psychology.
When you understand why and how people buy, you’re in a stronger position to create value, a skill that is sure to help you land clients who want to keep buying from you. Repeat customers are your best customers – a fact you quickly learn in any top sales courses.
Here are six books that can help you become a master of your sales craft.
Fanatical Prospecting by Jeb Blount
Prospecting is key to a consistent stream of business, but it can be a difficult skill to master, especially in this new digital age.
Fanatical Prospecting breaks down the whys and hows behind turning prospects into solid sales opportunities. More importantly, you’ll learn how to scour the social web to develop new business.
Some of the powerful concepts offered in this book include:
- the critical 30-Day Rule for keeping the pipeline full
- the 3 B’s for grabbing a prospect’s attention quickly
- a 5 Step Telephone Framework to get more appointments fast
- how to bypass gatekeepers with ease
Cracking the Sales Management Code: The Secrets to Measuring and Managing Sales Performance by Jason Jordan and Michelle Vazzana
Top-selling training courses say solid leadership is critical in building a high-performing revenue machine. However, drawing out exceptional performance from your team is no walk in the park.
This book helps illuminate the path to transformational leadership that will give your team a competitive edge. The concepts shared are not only practical but are also scientifically proven.
Some of the strategies highlighted in this book include:
- processes that drive impressive performance
- how to choose the most effective methodology for your team
- the three levels of metrics you need to collect
- how to prioritize conflicting objectives
- how to use CRM to improve the impact of coaching
Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher and William Ury
Success in selling and negotiation skills are tightly interwoven. So, if you’re looking to achieve explosive results, you want to nail down your negotiation skills, thenGetting to Yes can set you on a path to victory.
This book is a pocket-sized sales negotiation course that helps you fine-tune your skills. The theories shared in this classic book are a product of the Harvard Negotiation Project.
Among other lessons, in this bookyou’ll learn:
- how to uncover opportunities for mutual gain
- why it’s important to separate the people from the problem
- how to manage your emotions so you don’t get trapped in a rotten deal or blow a good deal
- ways to skillfully navigate high-stakes deals with people who seem to have the upper hand
The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less by Barry Schwartz
Today’s society is obsessed with choice. As a result, many salespeople believe that slamming prospects with options can lock in more deals. Barry Schwartz squashes the efficacy of that strategy in his book, The Paradox of Choice.
According to Schwartz, too much choice will lead to indecision. When customers can’t make up their minds, revenue is sure to dive. Understanding this is critical in building a successful selling career.
When you tuck into this book, here’s what you’ll discover:
- the optimal number of options to offer a prospect
- how to become a prospect’s trusted adviser
- why and how to spot dissatisfied customers before they drain your time and effort
- the importance of familiarizing yourself with your competitor’s product list
SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham
Take any top sales training course, and you’ll repeatedly hear the importance of sales methodology. Process knocks talent and heroics clean out the water every time.
SPIN is an acronym for Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-payoff. When you read this book, you’ll find a sales methodology that’s been enthusiastically embraced by sales organizations worldwide.
Some of the actionable, research-backed advice shared in the book includes:
- the differences between implicit and explicit needs and how to deal with each effectively to close the deal
- different closing techniques to create outstanding results
- choosing the right bait to hook a “shark”
- easy ways to avoid objections
Agile Selling by Jill Konrath
Change is a dominant fact of selling. As a result, the ability to adapt and exploit new changes is a skill worth mastering.
In Agile Selling, Konrath walks readers through various techniques that help them adjust their sales approach to satisfy their customers’ needs.
Here are a few highlights shared in the book:
- the importance of being adaptable
- how to absorb new information fast
- prioritizing learning to gain situational credibility
- how improving communication skills helps deliver a powerful pitch
