It doesn’t matter if your sales team is converting leads at a record rate or struggling to meet quotas — there’s always room for improvement. People at every level of your team from directors and managers to consultants and representatives can benefit from new insight and perspective.
There are so many great resources available for sales folks these days: webinars, podcasts, eBooks, white papers, and conferences (click here for those resources!) but I’ve gained so much knowledge by reading plain old books. Take a look at some of my favorites below:
Rackham researched more than 35,000 sales calls to build upon this methodology, which discovers prospect pain-points through questioning on S-P-I-N principles.
The 195-page book provides example situations, charts, graphs and tests and will help frame the adoption of consultative selling into your process.
The guidance on enhancing your way of thinking, becoming a better salesperson and “ways to make people like you” has influenced big names such as Warren Buffet — so it’s definitely worth the read.
This topic is geared more toward sales leaders and executives, but any sales professional could benefit from it. (Incorporating the principles tremendously helped strengthen and build our pipeline.)
As an engineer, the Rule of Ratios and emphasis on closing percentages resonated with me. Kurlan’s advice can set up your sales team for home runs — even when they’re out in the field.
While this book centers on management and business tactics instead of purely on sales, I gained a ton of insight on next-level leadership, out-of-the-box thinking and pushing for results.
This one touted “for anyone who must get others to say yes,” but specifically for our sales purposes, it’s a guide to establishing credibility, putting out the right attitude and having success.
Plus, you’ll enjoy the humor and compelling situational narratives.
Each chapter had a clear-cut learning point — keys to success, the psychology to selling and how to set goals.
This book digs into the proven formula used to scale their sales team, build a process and reach goals. Although this book is the last on this list, I would recommend it as the one you want to pick up and dive into first.
Each of these selected works brings a new perspective and adds value to what your sales team is already doing. I would definitely encourage you to crack open a book (download on your eReader or push play on Audible) and see how you can continue to build upon your success.
Looking for help accelerating the performance of your sales team? We’re working with manufacturers and industrial companies to evaluate their processes, train on best practices, better understand marketing automation and more. Interested?