I’ll be the first to admit it! I’m not a book reader in general and prefer consuming content in short, small bites. In fact, I find literature a little overwhelming at times. Even so, my collection of works related to the sales world is mounting, thanks to the privilege of hosting Vengreso’s Modern Selling Podcast.
Because I interview some of the sales world’s top influencers and authors, I knew I had to come up with a resource list of the top works for 2023. But with so many on the market, where do you start, and how do you choose?
Which are the works that will help sales professionals have more conversations and close more deals and have a more successful sales career in 2023?
Have no fear my sales friends, I’m hitting the easy button and compiling a collection for you.
The Best Sales Books Selection Process
When you search for “best sales books 2023” on Google, you will be met with an impressive number of over 817 million results. And don’t even think about Amazon! From paid advertising to buying their own works, every author in the field is doing all they can to get their creation to the top of the list.
I published this list in 2019 with 33 works, added 17 new ones for the 2020 edition, and now another 5 for 2021/23.
What selection process did I use to find the top works?
First, I’m bringing in the new and recycling the old! After 21 years in sales, and learning from the greats like Zig Ziglar and Brian Tracy, the time has come to move on. Well, except for one, which you’ll recognize I’m sure.
Second, I’m tired of the same old lists that people create just to get shares for SEO. I want real meat and substance, not a list that others will share to drive visibility to my post. Those who know me will be the first to say that I love fresh new ideas that personify #DontDoNormal.
Third, no one on this list had advance notice of my plan to republish this article and many are reading their name here for the first time. I kept the development of this article super confidential, meaning none of these authors either sponsored or influenced my list.
Fourth and finally, I’ve had the privilege of either speaking with and/or reading the books of most of these authors on the Modern Selling Podcast. I’ve also included a few books and authors who haven’t been on my podcast as well.
So, there you have it! That’s how I created the 2023 version. Read up, and you’ll find the right sales approach to help you become the ultimate sales machine!
The Objective
Any of the books listed in my 55 Top Books on Sales should greatly assist you in generating more meaningful conversations, refining your sales strategy for the upcoming year, increasing your deal closures, and ultimately transforming you into a triumphant sales professional or leader.
If you’re like me, you love listening to a podcast. As mentioned above, some of these authors have been featured on my podcast. I’ll add those links to the posts. with their link added to the discussion.
Don’t forget to check out the six (6) top sales management works at the end!
Oh, and by the way, in case you’re wondering…
To ensure no one thinks they are #1, and someone else is #55, the list was compiled in complete random order, meaning all of my top picks are #1!
#1 Coffee’s for Closers by Tony Morris
In the current marketplace, it’s key to always be on the top of your sales game: on every sales opportunity. This book contains hundreds of practical ideas and real sales techniques that can help you:
- Prospect more effectively with key decision-makers.
- GAIN MORE REFERRALS.
- Build rapport and be adaptable.
- HANDLE EVERY OBJECTION.
- Close more business over the phone and in the field.
- MANAGE YOUR TIME MORE EFFECTIVELY.
#2 101 Ways to Rock LinkedIn by Viveka von Rosen
The year 2020 forced us to pivot, to understand the importance of our business and our personal brand, and to learn how to create a virtual business. Not only has the business changed, so has the entire world. So many more of us are working from home and/or are creating new home-based businesses. That means it’s even more important to create a strong personal brand so that you stand out from your competition.
LinkedIn is perhaps the most powerful social selling and media platform for business today. Viveka von Rosen and Dayna Steele, two successful entrepreneurs and highly esteemed experts in their field, graciously share their invaluable insights and expertise on harnessing the true power of this platform to amplify your business to unprecedented heights.
Get ready to uncover a treasure trove of business-building wisdom! By incorporating their suggestions for social selling, you will put yourself in a prime position to cater to a larger audience and, consequently, generate significantly higher profits.
#3 When Buyers Say No by Tom Hopkins and Ben Katt
In this practical “what to do” guide for sellers when they hear the dreaded word “no,” Hopkins and Katt introduce a new sales technique. It places emphasis on crafting a creative approach to break through to the buyer, instead of the traditional linear route. When Buyers Say No will help you navigate around a seemingly dead-end response, and allow you to close a sale moving forward.
#4 Enablement Mastery by Elay Cohen
When enablement is embraced as a company-wide initiative and is sponsored by leadership all the way up to the CEO, organizational magic happens. Teams align. Business results accelerate. Culture transforms.
Elay Cohen, author of Enablement Mastery, provides sales professionals and sales leaders with a proven, straightforward, and highly effective approach to help them align individuals, the sales process and goals. He offers valuable strategies for learning, coaching, and communication that have a significant impact.
Read this book to learn how to increase organizational value and revenue by helping employees and partners reach their full potential.
This book is specifically designed for professionals in enablement, offering valuable insights on how to effectively implement the Enablement Process Map.
Leadership teams can utilize this powerful tool to effectively align their go-to-market teams, cultivate a culture of continuous learning, and guarantee that their communications remain pertinent and influential. Cohen will help you elevate the engagement during a customer conversation and achieve hyper-growth business outcomes.
#5 How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Time-tested, and salesperson approved, this book is a masterpiece and all-time bestseller. Made for the salesperson, it is a must-read if you want to achieve success in our sales profession. You’ll learn six ways to make people like you, twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking, and nine ways to change people without arousing resentment. If you haven’t picked up a copy for yourself, you’re missing out.
#6 The Future of the Sales Profession by Graham Hawkins
The sales profession is rapidly changing: Customers have information at their fingertips, market competition is high, and every sales cycle is getting longer. The future of the sales rep is uncertain, as are the steps for achieving success.
Graham Hawkins describes The Future of the Sales Profession in this unofficial survival guide for the modern salesperson. The book strives to help readers thrive in a time of customer empowerment and a decline in the sales climate.
#7 Heart and Sell by Shari Levitin
Heart and Sell provides readers with an effective, real-world approach to selling in the digital age. Consumers are always on information overload, and it’s your job to make the buying and sales process as authentic as possible.
Shari Levitin focuses on providing readers with a framework for making the sale, instead of just providing tips or tricks. Using a scientific approach, Heart and Sell strives to teach the next generation what it means to be successful in Sales.
#8 High-Profit Prospecting by Mark Hunter
Finding high-quality prospects is vital to a salesperson’s success. If you’re looking to find better leads and connect with them as efficiently as possible, this book is for you. Mark Hunter provides tested methods of finding the best leads to bring in valuable business. High-Profit Prospecting seeks to make a change in the sales dynamic while helping salespeople gain control of the conversation.
#9 Sales Enablement by Byron Matthews and Tamara Schenk
LISTEN TO BYRON’S PODCAST HERE
LISTEN TO TAMARA’S PODCAST HERE
Sales Enablement shows readers how to put the buyer experience first and engage customers to generate more lucrative sales. This go-to guide clarifies what it means to “sell smarter,” and provides thorough instruction on how to implement sales enablement. Matthews and Schenk cover all the basics that a salesperson could want regarding reaching consumers in a buyer-driven world.
#10 Drive by Daniel Pink
This New York Times Bestseller tackles a psychological approach to sales. By looking into what motivates humans, Daniel H. Pink shares insightful revelations about how to achieve success and breakthroughs with others.
Navigating the inconsistencies between what science tells us and how business tells us to perform, Drive takes the reader through lessons of self-discovery in the hope of rerouting the way one approaches business.
#11 The Modern Seller by Amy Franko
Divulging insights on the newly evolved sales economy, Amy Franko seeks to enlighten the reader on modern sales practices and strategies that are essential for success.
Lessons such as the “Five Dimensions Angle” are quoted to boost sales effectiveness and results ten-fold. Filled with practical and proven strategies, you can use them to distinguish yourself from the competition. The Modern Seller is a must read for anyone who wants to stand out.
#12 Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
A National Bestseller, Blink, looks into the science behind decision-making. Using a psychological point-of-view, Gladwell tells us how great decision makers analyze their choices to select the best option. Readers will learn to rely on their “adaptive unconscious,” and to be wary of manipulated first impressions.
#13 Execution by Ram Charan and Larry Bossidy
Written from a CEO’s point of view, Execution unravels what it means to be a leader. Having others execute your vision won’t cut it these days – you’re the bridge between promises and results.
Charan and Bossidy share industry experience and professional tips on implementing execution culture in a motivational way.
Everyone from new hires to executives can learn something from Execution , as it provides the groundwork for building a successful work environment.
#14 The Sales Development Playbook by Trish Bertuzzi
The Sales Development Playbook provides readers with six methods for building an entirely new clientele base. Bertuzzi shares step-by-step solutions for reaching new clients while increasing growth within existing relationships.
Every company, regardless of the industry, is after new customers, and the most efficient way to reach them is through your sales development. This book will provide you with actionable insights into the sales industry, and offer effective methods of drawing more consumers in.
#15 Give and Take by Adam Grant
What is the key component of success in modern business? It’s how we interact with others! Give and Take looks at the attributes of success in a different light. Focusing on relationships and daily interactions that provide a new perspective on work and productivity, Grant provides life-changing insights and a fresh take on what one needs to do to rise to the top.
#16 The Perfect Close by James Muir
The Perfect Close teaches readers how to arrive at a non-pushy, successful sales close. Claiming a 95% success rate, this clear and concise approach to closing applies to all industries and situations. James Muir strives to break the stigma around closing and focuses on a natural two-part approach to closing deals that helps salespeople embrace the process of closing, instead of dreading it.
#17 To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink
Daniel Pink uses To Sell is Human to look beyond Sales in the traditional sense. Selling is a skill that all professions require. Whether it’s selling yourself, pitching ideas, or persuading friends to go to dinner, selling is constant. In this book, basic selling principles are re-evaluated on a more practical level and applied to everyday scenarios. Informative tips to make your message clearer, market yourself better and understand your client’s perspective are highlighted inside.
#18 Combo Prospecting by Tony J Hughes
Have you ever wanted to know how to break through the digital noise and differentiate your pitch? Combo Prospecting seamlessly integrates old and new sales strategies for your next sales game plan. By providing the readers with a strong foundation in proven sales techniques, Hughes enhances the sales conversation by introducing revolutionary social media procedures. Combo Prospecting illustrates the boldly mixed methods you must take to reach executives and close the sale.
#19 New Rules of Sales and Service by David Meerman Scott
A guide for the new world of selling where the buyer is in control, The New Rules of Sales and Service gives the modern salesperson an informed perspective on what selling has become today.
Modifying traditional practices while introducing entirely new ones, David Meerman Scott shows the reader how to tackle better-informed buyers. A must read for anyone wanting to stay ahead of the industry.
#20 How to Get a Meeting with Anyone by Stu Heinecke
One of the most challenging aspects of a sales job is securing meetings with key stakeholders. Getting a CEO to call you back is seemingly impossible. Well, it used to be. In How to Get a Meeting with Anyone, Stu Heinecke shares real-life experiences on how to secure meetings with top executives.
Using his personalized “Contact Campaign” approach, Stu was able to get meetings with presidents, prime ministers, and numerous CEOs. The reader is provided with the tools and strategies on how to successfully secure a meeting with an elusive prospect.
#21 More Sales, Less Time by Jill Konrath
A time management guide for overwhelmed sellers, More Sales Less Time , helps you gain momentum and optimize your sales process. Work can quickly pile up in jobs with little structure between meetings. Konrath teaches the reader how to organize their day and stay on track with clients in the most efficient way possible. Salespeople work by their own rules in a fast-paced, changing environment and need an element of structure incorporated into their routines.
#22 Difficult Conversations by Doug Stone and Bruce Patton
Most people avoid difficult conversations. But did you know owning them can set you apart from the competition and achieve success? Difficult Conversations provides a step-by-step approach to tackling the discussions no one wants to have.
Read this book to improve the act of listening for meaning and not for what’s being said. Moving away from emotional problem-solving to productive problem-solving, the authors explain how to engage in conversations without defensiveness. This book gives insight into the emotional intelligence that applies to the workplace.
#23 Yes Attitude by Jeffrey Gitomer
The key to successful selling starts with your attitude, and Jeffrey Gitomer uses Yes! Attitude to motivate sellers to acquire a winning mindset. Working from the ground up, Gitomer reflects on what it means to have a positive outlook on selling and of life in general. This book isn’t only about motivation; it outlines the steps that you can take to make daily changes in your attitude. Using a formula to keep positivity top of mind, Gitomer shows the reader that true sales success starts with a Yes! Attitude.
#24 The No. 1 Best Seller by Lee Bartlett
While many books tell you how to become a top performing sales person, few actually show you the steps needed to achieve success. The No. 1 Best Seller shares first-hand experiences of successful leaders that provide you with the methods and the attitudes of a superstar. Lee Bartlett focuses on extracurricular details, rather than broad sales tactics, to help readers succeed in professional selling.
#25 Pivot by Adam Markel
Penned by renowned CEO Adam Markel, Pivot provides realistic advice to those looking to reach their fullest potential in their work environments and beyond. Focusing on how to transform your career path on the whole, Markel provides the reader with a step-by-step methodology aimed at achieving personal transformation.
#26 The Sales Person Paradox by Douglas Vigliotti
Aimed at providing solutions for both salespeople and entrepreneurs, The Salesperson Paradox uses realistic and practical approaches to compel consumers to buy your products. Vigliotti’s primary strategy is to teach the reader how to create a need, and not just how to sell. Included is a free workbook with guides as well as on-hand tools for quick solutions.
#27 The Transparency Sale by Todd Caponi
What if the best-selling tactic was the exact opposite of what sales books tell you? The Transparency Sale flips the “norms” of marketing and sales around, teaching you to be transparent with your customers.
In the age of information, consumers can figure out everything on their own, which causes salespeople to struggle. Caponi prides himself on providing methods that you can implement right away to improve your relationships with customers.
#28 Radical Outcomes by Juliana Stancampiano
Radical Outcomes focuses on what success in a work environment means. While many big companies waste time with seminars on how to succeed, employees feel stuck in their search to find real answers to what they can specifically do to improve. Stancampiano brings a fresh outlook to the table, challenging readers to incorporate new technologies into daily teamwork.
#29 ReBirth of a Salesman by Cian McLoughlin
Cian McLoughlin doesn’t shy away from telling us that business-to-business sales practices are drastically changing. In fact, he embraces them. Using the technology boom as a “rebirth” period, McLoughlin shares insights and advice on how to stay ahead of the competition.
Rebirth of the Salesman teaches the reader how to expand the potential of sales management code beyond the traditional salesperson’s role, and provide the solutions your customers are looking for.
#30 Eat Their Lunch: Winning Customers Away from Your Competition by Anthony Iannarino
Like it or not, sales is often a zero-sum game: Your win is someone else’s loss. Most salespeople work in mature, overcrowded industries, your offerings perceived (often unfairly) as commodities. Growth requires taking market share from your competitors, while they try to do the same to you. How else can you grow 12 percent a year in an industry that’s only growing by 3 percent?
It’s not easy for any successful salesperson to execute a competitive displacement–or, in other words, “eat their lunch.” You might think this requires a bloodthirsty “whatever it takes” attitude, but that’s the opposite of what works. If you act like a Mafia don, you only make yourself difficult to trust and impossible to see as a long-term partner. Instead, read this book that shows you how to find and maintain a long-term competitive advantage.
#31 Confessions of a Serial Salesman by Steve Nudelberg
Advice straight from the mind of a master salesman, Steve Nudelberg shares his wisdom and insights with the reader in a practical way. Nudelberg insists that small changes to your daily routine can make big impacts that differentiate you from your competition. Confessions of a Serial Salesman offers best practices that actually work, using procedures tried and true in over forty years of experience.
#32 The Relationship Engine by Ed Wallace
The business world is built entirely on relationships. While professionals focus on forming relationships, it’s maintaining these meaningful connections where we tend to fall short. The Relationship Engine sheds light on the importance of valuing core relationships, and provides a guide on how to build and enhance them.
Ed Wallace helps the reader name key priorities, establish common ground, put people before processes, and make every interaction valuable. Applicable to all industries, The Relationship Engine is a must read for anyone looking to build their network.
#33 Edgy Conversations by Dan Waldschmidt
EDGY Conversations is a gut-wrenchingly honest, no-holds-barred discussion about what it takes to be a success today. It’s based on the stories of 1,000 ordinary people in business, math, politics, sports and science who have achieved mind-blowing feats of extraordinary greatness. EDGY shows how to attain outrageous success, regardless of who you are or where you are in life right now. You don’t need another book on success. You just need to read this book to be more EDGY .
#34 Sell the Way you Buy by David Priemer
When was the last time you enjoyed talking to a salesperson? While a Vice President at Salesforce, David Priemer had an epiphany: the very sales tactics his team was using were not working on him. While the company―and his entire profession―was acting with more than enough gusto, they lacked emotional awareness, empathy and emotional intelligence. Put simply: they were not selling the way they buy.
As consumers, we often lack awareness of the intricate processes and mechanisms that govern our decisions. Moreover, customers frequently find themselves unsure of their desires and requirements.
In “Sell the Way You Buy,” Priemer presents a groundbreaking approach to comprehending your customers, recognizing their needs, and guiding them towards the perfect solution. By leveraging scientifically-proven techniques, you can accomplish this with finesse, without exhibiting the off-putting behaviors that often turn people against salespeople.
Sell the Way You Buy is about much more than putting yourself in the customer’s shoes. This is . bout learning to ask questions, listen, tell a captivating brand story, and communicate with customers in a genuine, relatable manner. In short: to sell the way you buy.
#35 Stop Selling and Start Leading by Deb Calvert
What if the key to success in Sales is having both sales people with great leadership skills? Deb Calvert uses Stop Selling and Start Leading to explain how being a great sales leader equates to being an even better salesperson. By teaching certain behaviors that exude qualities of strong leaders, Calvert provides the reader with a tool belt for successful customer interactions. What’s the best part of this book? Every bit of advice is based on buyer research and actual seller success.
#36 Growth IQ by Tiffani Bova
Do you know the best way to drive your company’s growth? If not, it’s time to boost your Growth IQ.
Trying to find the one right move that will improve your business’s performance can feel overwhelming. However, in Growth IQ, you will realize that there are only ten straightforward pathways to growth, which are often misunderstood. In fact, every prosperous growth strategy can be simplified to selecting the proper combination and order of these pathways based on your specific circumstances.
Tiffani Bova travels around the world helping companies solve their most vexing problem: how to keep growing in the face of stiff competition and a fast-changing business environment. Whether she’s presenting to a Fortune 500 board of directors or brainstorming over coffee with a startup founder, Bova cuts through the clutter and confusion that surround growth.
#37 From Impossible to Inevitable by Aaron Ross and Jason Lemkin
Why are you struggling to grow your business when everyone else seems to be crushing their goals? If you needed to triple revenue within the next three years, would you know exactly how to do it? Doubling the size of your business, tripling it, even growing ten times larger isn’t about magic. It’s not about privileges, luck, or working harder. There’s a template that the world’s fastest-growing companies follow to achieve and sustain much, much faster growth.
From Impossible to Inevitable details the hypergrowth playbook of companies like Hubspot, Salesforce.com (the fastest growing multibillion-dollar software company), and EchoSign―aka Adobe Document Services (which catapulted from $0 to $144 million in seven years). Whether you have a $1 billion or a $100,000 business, you can use the same insights as these notable companies to learn what it really takes to break your own revenue records.
#38 Sales Engagement by Manny Medina, Max Altschuler and Mark Kosoglow
Sales Engagement is the art of connecting and interacting with potential buyers in order to captivate their attention, establish meaningful connections, and cultivate enough interest to ultimately create valuable buying opportunities.
Sales Engagement details the modern way to build the top of the funnel and generate qualified sales leads for B2B sales companies.
Read this book to explore why a Sales Engagement strategy is so important and walks you through the modern sales process to ensure you’re effectively connecting with potential customers every step of the way.
#39 Gap Selling by Keenan
For years, salespeople have embraced a myriad of sales tactics and belief systems that have unknowingly created many of the issues they have been trying to avoid such as long sales cycles, price objections, no decision, prospects going dark, last-minute feature requests, and more.
Success at sales requires more than a set of tactics. Salespeople need to understand the game of sales, how sales works, and what the buyer is going through in order to make the decision to buy (change) or not to buy (not change).
Gap Selling is a game-changing book designed to raise the sales IQ of every sales organization around the world. In his unapologetic and irreverent style, Keenan breaks down the tired old sales myths causing today’s frustrating sales issues, to highlight a deceptively powerful new way to connect with buyers.
#40 Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell by Mike Adams
“Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell” is a captivating sales adventure that leverages the power of storytelling to build strong connections, earn trust, provide valuable insights, ignite motivation, and ultimately seal the deal. Through this remarkable journey, you’ll not only secure new business partnerships, but also gain lifelong companions and allies.
When you share purposeful stories in your client conversations, you’ll create more new business than you thought possible.
Sharing more than 50 stories from around the world, Mike draws on his diverse international sales career to teach and demonstrate the power of storytelling — from first hello to signed contract.
#41 Be Bold and Win the Sale by Jeff Shore
The most common challenge every sales professional must overcome is not indecisive customers, inferior products, or innovative competitors. It’s the discomfort you feel when initiating calls, dealing with difficult customers, and asking for the sale. Sales expert Jeff Shore argues that boldness is required to embrace this discomfort and leverage it to land the sale. And it is a skill that can be learned. In this inspiring, humor-filled guide, he teaches you:
- How to figure out exactly what inhibits you.
- Why you make certain decisions in moments of discomfort.
- How to train your brain to prepare for uncomfortable moments.
- How your customer’s own discomforts affect his or her purchase decisions.
#42 No More Cold Calling by Joanne Black
Cold calling is one of the most awkward–and unsuccessful–ways to obtain clients in business. Now Joanne S. Black shares her proven 5-step Referral Selling Methodology, so no businessperson ever has to make a cold call again.
In this unique and practical guide, Black offers a tutorial on how to differentiate yourself from your competitors, make favorable impressions on current clients, so they’ll refer their acquaintances, and set a “hook” that will leave them wanting more. NO MORE COLD CALLING provides selling scripts, presentation techniques, troubleshooting advice, and a host of helpful insights to increase any sales force’s productivity.
#43 Get the Meeting by Stu Heinecke
In Get the Meeting!, Stu Heinecke, author of the groundbreaking How to Get a Meeting with Anyone, shares the latest tips, tools, and tactics to help readers breakthrough to their top accounts in the most effective ways possible.
This book provides an in-depth exploration of successful contact marketing campaigns, offering over 60 meticulously illustrated case studies and tactical examples. It takes you on a journey from strategy to execution, leaving no stone unturned in unraveling the secrets behind their achievements.
Itdelves into the realm of future contact marketing campaigns, making astute forecasts grounded in cutting-edge technology. Get ready to uncover the hidden gems of contact marketing and embark on a thrilling adventure into the world of modern communication.
Full-color photography and in-depth interviews with the campaigns’ designers provide unparalleled insight into how to get those critical conversations that can change your life. Plus, step-by-step how-to sections help you get started creating your own contact marketing campaigns.
#44 The Art of Commercial Conversations by Bernadette McClelland
This book is different! It provides mainstream how to’s and what to do’s with a left of field focus on the WHO and WHY. It taps into what REALLY contributes to business success when it comes to revenue generation, day to day leadership and activation of those results that matter the most through modern-day commercial selling conversations.
This is not just an invitation, but also a powerful reminder to engage in meaningful commercial discussions that create a victory for all parties involved – including you, your buyer, and the wider community. Furthermore, it presents a series of compelling actions that will captivate your attention!
#45 The Science of Selling by David Hoffeld
By integrating groundbreaking studies in social psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral economics, The Science of Selling offers valuable insights on how to harmonize your sales approach with the way our brains instinctively make purchasing choices. This powerful alignment has the potential to significantly enhance your sales performance, enabling you to achieve remarkable success in generating more predictable revenue again.
Unlike other sales books, which primarily rely on anecdotal evidence and unproven advice, Hoffeld’s evidence-based approach connects the dots between science and situations salespeople and business leaders face every day to help you consistently succeed, including proven ways to:
-Engage buyers’ emotions to increase their receptiveness to you and your ideas.
-Ask questions that line up with how the brain discloses information.
-Lock in the incremental commitments that lead to a sale.
-Create positive influence and reduce the sway of competitors.
-Discover the underlying causes of objections and neutralize them.
-Guide buyers through the necessary mental steps to make purchasing decisions.
#46 Fanocracy by David Meerman Scott and Reiko Scott
How do some brands attract word-of-mouth buzz and radical devotion around products as every day as car insurance, b2b software, and underwear? They embody the most powerful marketing force in the world: die-hard fans.
Leading business growth strategist David Meerman Scott and fandom expert Reiko Scott have come together to delve into the fascinating world of fandom in their unmissable book. By conducting research and interviews with various individuals, such as young entrepreneurs, experienced business owners, startup founders, nonprofits, and companies of all sizes, they discover the secrets that distinguish successful organizations from those that are stuck and not growing.
Read this book to have your mind opened and your perspective transformed as you discover the neuroscience behind the power of fandom.They lay out a road map for converting customers’ ardor into buying power, pulling one-of-a-kind examples from a wide range of organizations.
#47 ABM is B2B by Sangram Vajre
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is the new B2B. We must now challenge the existing norms of B2B Marketing and Sales and embrace the modern B2B model that the world demands.
A transformation like this can only happen through an account-based approach that unites marketing, sales, and customer success teams (go-to-market teams) as #OneTeam.
In summary, the TEAM framework coupled with the account-based approach enables your company to focus on the target accounts, engage them in a meaningful way, activate the sales team with top tier accounts proactively, and finally measure success based on business outcomes over vanity metrics.
#48 The Sales Acceleration Formula by Mark Roberge
This book provides a scalable, predictable approach to growing revenue and building a winning sales team and successful salespeople. Mark Roberge, the author, has successfully built a business worth $100 million using an exceptional sales methodology, which he eagerly shares with his readers.
As a former MIT student with a strong engineering background, Roberge successfully questioned the traditional approaches to expanding sales by applying the metric-focused and process-oriented perspective he was taught to have.In this book, he reveals his formulas for sales success.
Readers will learn how to apply data, technology, and inbound selling to every aspect of accelerating sales, including hiring, training, managing, and generating demand.
#49 Owning Your Job Search by Richard Harris
Whether you are looking for a new sales job, marketing gig, or office manager, the job interview process can feel overwhelming and hard. This is your step-by-step guide, so you don’t feel overwhelmed. It provides clarity, improves your confidence, and helps you get more interviews and job offers.
Get tactical examples of what to do, what to say, how to do more than just send in an application, and, most importantly, how to leverage LinkedIn in your search.
EXTRA: Sales Leadership and Management Books
I just couldn’t publish this article without including a few leadership-centric books. If you’re looking to move into a leadership role, or if you are in leadership and want to improve, then here is my list of honorable mentions and must-reads.
#50 From Rep to Manager by Scott Leese
If you’ve ever considered a transition from sales rep to sales manager, then read this book to assist you in assessing your next move, getting ready and positioning yourself to tackle the challenge head-on, mastering the interview, and excelling right from the start.
The average tenure for sales leaders continues to decline as voluntary turnover remains one of the highest in any industry. Individuals are ill-prepared to sufficiently audit their motivations spurring the move into leadership, properly weigh the trade-offs they will make, and clearly define what skills are needed to excel in this new role. This book was written as a resource to help more people tackle the challenges associated with moving from rep to manager.
#51 Management Mess to Leadership Success by Scott Miller
Scott Miller knows what it’s like to fail. He was demoted from his first leadership position after only three weeks—and that’s just one of several messy management experiences on his two-decade journey to leadership succe
ss. Scott is not alone. Everyone fails. But something sets Scott apart: transparency and willingness to openly share his story in a way that is forthright, relatable and applicable.
In this book you’ll find 30 leadership challenges that can, when applied, change the way you manage yourself, lead others, and produce results. The wisdom in Scott’s book was learned through hard knocks and was honed by Stephen R. Covey and the FranklinCovey team through years of research and corporate training experience.
#52 Stop Kidding Yourself by Charles Forsgard
In Stop Kidding Yourself Charles Forsgard reveals a fundamental flaw in many teams. Too many sales managers are forced to focus on the wrong things by their organizations, so much so that their primary role—actually leading and coaching their salespeople—takes a back seat.
Forsgard explains three essential elements to successful sales management: selecting true salespeople for your sales team, sending them to the right places to sell, and utilizing processes designed to actually help the salesperson be more effective.
#53 Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
Wrapping up the list of best sales books for this 2023, is a book that focuses on improving overall teamwork and morale. Lencioni’s guide to overcoming team dysfunction is something any manager, regardless of profession, can take notes from.
Concise and to the point, Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team acts as a reference to those looking to find natural confidence to boost workplace morale and functionality.
#54 Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek
This New York Times Bestseller examines what it means to be a great leader , and the effects that great leadership can have on an entire organization or team. Sinek translates the military practice of leaders sacrificing their comforts for the good of the team to that of management in corporate America.
Leaders Eat Last dives into the lasting impact a leader can have, and provides the reader with valuable lessons on improving their overall leadership skills.
#55 Sales Management Success by Warren Kurzrock
Sales Management Success: Optimizing Performance to Build a Powerful Sales Team contains a leading-edge training program that is filled with state-of-the-art approaches specifically designed for sales managers.
Warren Kurzrock provides a comprehensive guide to the essential abilities and strategies every manager needs to succeed, based on his own experience as CEO of Porter Henry & Co., the world’s oldest sales-force training company.The Porter Henry process has proven to routinely up the sales force performance and help teams and individuals multiply their bottom-line results.
While all major companies provide basic orientations for new sales managers, these sessions are usually focused on policy, procedure, product, and marketing information. Most companies spend huge amounts of money on sales training new employees but do little for sales manager development.
The book is written for sales managers and executives in an engaging and positive tone. It is based on research, real-world experience, and proven ideas and tools.
Becoming the Ultimate Sales Machine
Whew! There you have it. 55 of the best Sales books for 2023. Of course, I may have missed a few. If you think I missed one, drop a comment below and let me know what it is, I might just have to update the list or start preparing the list for 2024! Read these books to help you become the ultimate sales machine!
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24 thoughts on “Best Sales Books: 55 Top Picks for More and Better Sales Conversations in 2023”
Awesome list! Off to Barnes and Nobles! 🙂
This is awesome! a good read for business leaders!
Great list. includes one of my all-time favorites. Dales Carnegie’s classic HTWFAIP.
Amazing list(!) Honored to be a part of it. Mario – Thanks for the effort required to curate this.
When your book is awesome it’s awesome David!
With so many publications it’s nice when an industry expert consultant offers free consulting on which publications are a good use of my time. Thank you Mario! Chuck
I’ll take the challenge to read all of these books in 2019!
What a great reading list for sales leaders and reps! I have read several of these books and look forward to getting started on the others. From this list you can tell that the best sales executives not only understand sales tactics, but also have a knowledge of business strategy, leadership, communication, organizational development, technology, and human behavior. Thanks for compiling this list of the best sales books for 2019!
Wow! That is an amazingly comprehensive list! I already own a few- but there’s several more books on my Amazon Wishlist now! (If only I could also buy the time to read them!!!)
What a great list! Drive is one of my favorites – I’ve read it a couple of times. Looking forward to Pivot, which is on my short list. Also, I HIGHLY recommend The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. Not specifically about sales, but it’s a great read (or listen) about how individuals and corporations have created habits that lead to amazing, life-changing results. Lots of great success stories in there.
Thank you for sharing this list!
Anyone in sales should read as many of these books as they if they’re serious about ongoing skills development!
I love to read books that can help me be better. Better at life, sales, marketing, etc. This is a great list and I’m happy to say I have a few of these books. I’ll be adding to my reading list!
Wowza! Great list. Plenty to keep a sales leader happy through the holidays and well into 2019!
A few of these are on my Goodreads To Read list already. It looks like I’ll be adding some more! 😉
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie is at the cornerstone of relationships. It’s foundational.
YET, I have noticed that the youngest generation entering the business world has not read it.
What a great gift for the ambitious millennium in your life! Thanks for this great list.
Some great books on the list!! I am glad I’ve read at least one 🙂
Great list of books. Looking forward for some me time and read a few books. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Ef! I hope your enjoying the reading.
Many thanks Mario, it must have taken you ages to put this together. Lots of great books and much appreciated. — Barry.
You Rock Barry! Thank you so much, my friend. It took me a while, yes but fortunately I have a Marketing Coordinator who helped!
Deb! You deserve it my friend! Congrats once again. So glad you made the list.
Mario, great list! And a great honor to be part of it. Thank you!
Stu you are very welcome! You deserved it!
Oh man! Can’t believe I didn’t see anything from Grant Cardone!
Thanks for the list though. This has some fantastic looking books I haven’t seen before.