The 22 Best Sales Books of All Time (2024)

SPIN Selling is a framework for sales conversations, it is especially useful for selling higher-priced products and services. Neil Rackham conducted research that found the most effective salespeople ask four specific types of questions. SPIN is an acronym for these questions: Situation, Problem, Implication and Need-payoff.

$100M Offers by Alex Hormozi teaches business owners how to create irresistible offers that sell better and at higher prices. He explains how to increase revenue by raising the perceived value of your product or service, using strategies like premium pricing, risk-free guarantees, stacking, bonuses, scarcity, and exclusivity.

Why should you read it? At the heart of every business is the offer——what you're essentially saying is, "Hey, give me your money, and I'll give you something cool in return." This book is packed with many powerful strategies that will transform your approach to sales and pricing. The end result? To show you how to "make people an offer so good they would feel stupid saying no." Along the way, you'll enjoy Hormozi's communication style, which is direct, blunt, but often hilarious.

The Challenger Sale explains how to sell more effectively, especially if you're involved in large, complex, B2B sales. The authors backwards-engineered what exceptionally high-performing sales people called "Challengers" do. Their advice focuses on teaching the customer valuable insights about their business, and being assertive pushing the sale forward.

To Sell Is Human is about "non-sales selling" or, how to persuade others. Daniel Pink argues that sales skills are more essential than ever because "moving others" has become a part of most careers and businesses. His advice centers on the new ABCs: Attunement, Buoyancy and Clarity.

The Psychology of Selling is a classic business book that is a must-read for sales professionals. Brian Tracy shares many practical tips for how to get more appointments, what to say during sales presentations, and the best ways to close the sale.

Never Split the Difference shows how to win negotiations and communicate more influentially. Chris Voss perfected his techniques over 25 years at the FBI, negotiating with kidnappers and terrorists. He says we should work with emotions not just reason, demonstrate empathy, use open-ended questions and educate ourselves about cognitive biases.

Why should you read it? "Never Split the Difference" offers a thrilling ride into the world of elite negotiation, straight from the mind of an ex-FBI expert. Chris Voss takes you inside high-stakes negotiations, revealing strategies that can help you in both your professional and personal life. Imagine understanding the psychology of negotiation well enough to confidently buy a car, discuss a raise, close that important business deal—or even convince your friends to finally try that sushi restaurant you love. 🍣

Secrets of Closing the Sale is a considered a must-read by many sales professionals. Zig Ziglar shares a lifetime of time-tested selling techniques that are based on honesty, enthusiasm, and empathy.

Influence is about six principles of persuasion useful for sales, marketing, and negotiation. Professor Robert Cialdini backs his ideas with a lot of science research. The six principles are: reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority and scarcity.

Why should you read it? Influence may be the greatest marketing book of all time. But more than that, like a secret playbook of the human mind—a deep dive into our decision-making process. Think of it as a crash course in "Why did I just agree to that?" or "Why did I just buy that?" It's a must-read, whether you are a marketer, salesperson, or you just want to communicate with more influence. By the end, you'll understand why we say "yes" to things that make no sense, from buying stocks we know nothing about to subscribing to that cheese-of-the-month club. 🧀

"How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie is a classic self-help book that offers practical tips for better communication and relationships. It teaches key principles for handling people, making friends, influencing others, and becoming a respected leader. The book highlights the importance of empathy, respect, and appreciation.

Why should you read it? The book is filled with timeless wisdom on how to build meaningful relationships and influence people positively. It's not just about making friends but also about becoming a better communicator and leader. I found the real-life examples and practical tips incredibly useful in both my personal and professional life. You should definitely read it to enhance your social skills and become more effective in your interactions.

Getting to Yes is the most important book on negotiation, according to many professionals. It comes from leaders of The Harvard Negotiation Project, who wanted to help people negotiate agreements with less time and friction. The four steps of the method are: people, interests, options and criteria.

$100M Leads by Alex Hormozi is a book about how to increase sales by getting more engaged leads. It teaches us how to create a valuable lead magnet, cold contact people you don't know, build a large audience of followers, scale advertising profitably, build an affiliate program, and much more.

Why should you read it? If you're on the hunt for a game-changer in the world of business and lead generation, look no further than "$100M Leads" by Alex Hormozi. Why listen to Hormozi? Because he's not just another self-proclaimed business expert; he's a doer who has built and sold businesses. This book is a deep dive into actionable strategies that Hormozi himself has used to skyrocket his companies' growth. With his straightforward style and real-world examples, Hormozi cuts through the noise, offering clear, direct instruction to up your sales game.

"What Every BODY Is Saying" by Joe Navarro is a guide to understanding body language, written by a former FBI agent. The book offers science-backed insights to help you communicate better and read people's nonverbal signals to understand their true thoughts and feelings.

Why should you read it? Reading "What Every Body is Saying" may completely change how you interact with people. Joe Navarro, with his vast experience as an FBI agent, provides fascinating insights into nonverbal communication that you can apply in everyday life. This book will make you more perceptive and aware of the subtle cues people give off, helping you understand their true feelings and intentions. It's a must-read for anyone looking to improve their communication skills and build better relationships.

Pre-Suasion shows a new side of influence. It's about everything that happens BEFORE you ask someone to say yes to your proposal. Professor Robert Cialdini has distilled hundreds of scientific studies to prove that how you FRAME a message from the beginning is crucial to its success.

DotCom Secrets is a guide to building a successful online business using marketing funnels. Russel Brunson teaches how to grow an online audience with email marketing, multiply profits with "value ladders," and even provides exact scripts to create our own sales videos.

Why should you read it? Russell Brunson is the marketing brain behind the multi-million dollar software company ClickFunnels. In this book, he goes far beyond the basics, providing dozens of templates for effective sales funnels that can change the game for your online business. It's a must-read for anyone serious about digital marketing, and probably contains more useful info than most thousand-dollar courses.

The 10X Rule challenges us to set targets 10X larger than before and then take 10X the action we believe is necessary. Grant Cardone says achieving success always takes exponentially more effort, time and money than we think. We always set our goals too low and underestimate the challenges we'll face.

Why should you read it? If you're ready to supercharge your goals for business and life, then Grant Cardone may be just the rocket fuel you need. The man is basically a walking billboard for success. And his book is a motivational call to action to multiply our efforts and think bigger. It's a fun read if you want to stop walking on the threadmill of "average" and strap on a jetpack to larger goals than you'd ever imagined.