We turn to books to escape, to find compassion, or when we need answers. They hold thousands of unique experiences that can boost our performance, give us new skills, or update our industry vision.
My favorite author once said that books are uniquely portable magic. Each book contains a unique human experience that can inspire us to do great things, advise us whenever we’re in doubt, or teach us valuable life lessons.
Picking a book may be tough, though. If you google “sales books to read now,” you’ll get about 1,190,000,000 results in less than 1.5 seconds—quite a handful.
We know what a struggle it may be, so we’ve selected the twenty-five best sales books for B2B professionals. Pick any book (not in any particular order) and enjoy it over a cup of cocoa on a rainy evening or on a sunny morning on the way to work.
Originally published in 1936, How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie, is still at the top of every “to-read” list there is. It’s a psychology classic that contains lessons you’ll be able to apply not just in your career but also in your personal life.
Mr. Carnegie teaches how to embrace change and human connections, become genuinely interested in the person in front of you, and what excellent outcomes it can bring.
Importance for sales: provides tips on winning over new people, converting prospects toward your way of thinking, and becoming a better leader.
Goodreads rating: 4.2/5
“I’ve read this book at least three times, and I think I will reread it in a couple of years to remind myself of its important messages. It taught me how to talk and listen to people instead of just talking and talking about myself. I use it in both business and private life,” says Tomek Duda, product and growth manager at CIENCE.
One in nine Americans work in sales, yet Daniel Pink, the author of To Sell Is Human, points out that all of us are involved in selling daily and offers a fresh look at how sales are made.
In this book, the author discusses how “ABC” is different now, that extraverts may not be the best for the salesman job, and elevator pitches require updating. This sales book is one of the best to teach you the psychology behind selling in an entertaining and fresh manner.
Importance for sales: showcases different sales perspectives and offers advice on how to upgrade your methods to serve your customers better.
Goodreads rating: 4/5
Prospecting is critical in the lead generation process, yet many sales teams and SDRs fail at it. And the reason behind it is an inability or unwillingness to prospect constantly.
In Fanatical Prospecting, author Jeb Blount advises always making one more contact to perform well and goes through more tips and tricks for every outreach channel.
Importance for sales: shows what goes behind the prospecting success and offers approaches that work with real prospects.
Goodreads rating: 4.3/5
This B2B sales book, The Sales Development Playbook, by Trish Bertuzzi, is all about growth—from building new pipelines to accelerating existing ones. It has six sections that focus on strategy, specialization, recruiting, retention, execution, and leadership, all of which offer many actionable tactics and strategies for modern sales teams.
The advice presented in this book is worth considering; Trish Bertuzzi has over three decades of hands-on practical experience.
Importance for sales: offers techniques to create a repeatable pipeline and goes through the sales development innovations of the last decade.
Goodreads rating: 4.2/5
The Little Red Book of Selling, by Jeffrey Gitomer, is best if you’re looking for something concise and right to the point (the title doesn’t lie). No matter what level of sales experience you have, it’s a classic.
All techniques and tips included in this piece are filled with value, and the tone of narration will hold your attention till the very end.
Importance for sales: explores better ways to sell.
Goodreads rating: 3.9/5
6. SPIN Selling (by Neil Rackham)
After his twelve-year-long research project that looked into compelling sales performances, Neil Rackham, author of SPIN Selling, introduced the SPIN (Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-Payoff) technique.
Besides covering this framework, this sales book goes through calling, classic closing techniques, and salesperson commitment to a buyer.
Importance for sales: simply explains complicated selling concepts.
Goodreads rating: 4/5
Besides implementing psychology principles in sales, The Psychology of Selling, by Brian Tracy, motivated a few generations of salespeople to evolve and succeed in every beginning.
“I’ve learned a lot of tips from this sales book. The author specifies the type of buyers down to their personality traits. He also identifies the different tactics to help you close more deals, schedule appointments (how to get a client to gain interest in the first fifteen seconds of a call), etc.” says Yasmine Philson, SDR at CIENCE.
Importance for sales: helps establish your work philosophy while teaching you how to move deals through the pipeline.
Goodreads rating: 4.2/5
Just like book number one on our list, Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, is an oldie but goodie. It provides instruction on how to apply any knowledge you get to real life. It’s also about changing how we think about success, setting a goal, and channeling a positive attitude.
Importance for sales: changes your thought process to ease your way up the career ladder.
Goodreads rating: 4.2/5
Professor Dumbledore once said (and the author of this book definitely agrees) that “words are, in my no-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic,” (Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling). Besides experience or talent, every sales conversation’s success depends on the words we choose, and Phil Jones, the author of this sales book, Exactly What to Say, knows what you have to say to succeed.
Importance for sales: shows how to steer sales conversations in a direction you want.
Audible rating: 4.4/5
Sales leaders aiming to scale their teams and earn multi-million profits should definitely pick up The Sales Acceleration Formula, by a former Hubspot CRO Mark Roberge.
Mr. Roberge walks us through his selling initiatives, frameworks, and the formulas that were the grounds of his success. And though our world is changing every second, the author claims to know something in sales that always stays predictable.
Importance for sales: offers a combination of selling and technology that can work for anyone in B2B sales.
Goodreads rating: 4.3/5
It’s a common misconception that only extroverted, outgoing people can succeed in selling. Does that mean all people in sales are extroverts? Of course not.
Every person is different and unique, and The Introvert’s Edge, by Matthew Owen Pollard and Derek Lewis, proves that anyone can make it to the top with the right attitude. It shows that you don’t have to change who you are to sell well—sincerity and the proper techniques will do it for you.
Importance for sales: aims to find your strengths and boost your confidence to enjoy being in sales.
Goodreads rating: 3.9/5
According to The Challenger Sale, by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson, every sales rep falls into one of the five categories, and only one delivers above the expectations—the Challenger. As a Challenger, you own the selling conversation, deliver the value, and make the sale.
The most important thing is that Challengers are made, not born. Based on a compelling study, this methodology will show you how to implement it into your sales.
Importance for sales: shows how to approach clients differently and offers a new solution for a high sales performance.
Goodreads rating: 4/5
Rejection is a part of a sales rep job; however, a good SDR can differentiate an objection from rejection. Was that a hard “no” or just the beginning of a deeper conversation?
The dialogues between the two main characters of Go for No, by Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz, show us what can happen if you take every opportunity you get.
Importance for sales: explores the psychology of rejection and shows how to be the best mentor for yourself.
Goodreads rating: 4.2/5
Twenty-five years of experience went into this book, The Only Sales Guide You’ll Ever Need, by Anthony Iannarino, compiling information on sales, self-discipline, and resources for a successful career in sales.
It’s a complete guide that has answers to most basic sales questions there are.
Importance for sales: has all the valuable tips (like forming a sales pitch to relate to a client) in one place.
Goodreads rating: 4.2/5
If you need a little distraction from sales, this sweet little read, The Go-Giver, Expanded Edition, by Bob Bury and John David Mann, will take your mind off it. It is about business ideas that matter, customer relationships, and the fulfillment that you get from your job.
Importance for sales: inspires and guides toward success and prosperity.
Goodreads rating: 4.3/5
The Perfect Close, by James Muir, unveils a technique to closing simply and authentically. This step-by-step guide for leading your sale to a close is a perfect resource for any sales executive.
It also proves that you don’t have to change who you are to close effectively; you just need some new approaches to make it stress-free.
Importance for sales: teaches you how to upgrade and upscale closing deals.
Goodreads rating: 4.2/5
This sales book was the first one to suggest a sales specialization principle that kicked off the SDR craft. Defined as “the bible” of sales development, Predictable Revenue, by Aaron Ross and Marylou Tyler, includes best practices that once added one hundred million dollars revenue for Salesforce.
“When I joined CIENCE, our CEO, John Girard, recommended that I read this book. I did, and I recommend everyone in sales does too. Also, I think it helps to understand better what we do at CIENCE and why we do it,” says Tomek Duda, product and growth manager at CIENCE.
Importance for sales: explores the sales specialization system.
Goodreads rating: 4/5
In one of their latest books, From Impossible to Inevitable, Aaron Ross and Jason Lemkin are still talking about predictable revenue. This time, the sales book digs deeper into what makes companies multiply their income. It answers the most common business questions and provides a template for growing faster and more robust.
Importance for sales: shows how to get your sales numbers growing.
Goodreads rating: 4/5
This sales book was written a long time ago, yet the truths speak to us as if it was created yesterday. In The Greatest Salesman in the World, author Og Mandino teaches us a lesson through a story of a poor camel boy who achieved abundance in life.
This book is not just for salespeople; it’s for anyone who wants to change their habits to shape a better reality for themselves.
Importance for sales: serves as a guide of a salesmanship philosophy.
Goodreads rating: 4.2/5
Most SDRs have to spend a few hours a day calling prospects, and most of them hate it. The reason behind it is fear of failure and rejection. Smart Calling, by Art Sobczak, is meant to help you eliminate those fears, take control of the conversation, and avoid making common mistakes in the first ten seconds of your cold call.
Importance for sales: offers tips on cold calling and methods to turn fear of calling into better prospecting.
Goodreads rating: 3.9/5
Don’t let the title of this book, Whale Hunting, throw you; authors Tom Searcy and Barbara Weaver found inspiration in the ancient Inuit whale hunt and used it as a metaphor for big sales.
If you want to land big enterprises and global accounts that can dramatically enhance your business, this sales book is perfect for you.
“Whale” hunting in sales is no longer about the dangerous endeavor; it’s about a good strategy.
Importance for sales: offers a nine-step model for finding and landing big sales accounts.
Goodreads rating: 3.6/5
Whether you call prospects up or create content for the cold emailing, coming up with creative ideas is essential. This New York Times bestseller, Steal Like an Artist, by Austin Kleon, shows that creativity is for everyone. Besides examples and advice, it also includes lots of illustrations and exercises to boost your creativity to the top.
Importance for sales: brings a breath of fresh air to sales as we know it.
Goodreads rating: 3.9/5
From Martin Luther King Jr. to the Wright brothers, any great leader you admire had something in common in the way they thought and came up with their concepts and beliefs. They all wondered why people do what they do.
In Start with Why, author Simone Sinek takes inspiration from these great people to outline a framework that can build companies, lead movements, and inspire people.
Importance for sales: shows that people won’t buy a product or service if they don’t get the “why” behind it.
Goodreads rating: 4.1/5
The New Solution of Selling, by Keith M. Eades, is an update to the earlier classic by Michael Bosworth, Solution Selling. It presents a sales methodology, remodeled with new rules that allow you to plan your work ahead of time. It uses the formula PPVVC=S (Pain x Power x Vision x Value x Control = Sale) to help salespeople count the possibility of closing a deal.
Importance for sales: offers a new methodology that changes the way people sell.
Goodreads rating: 3.9/5
Robert B. Cialdini, the author of The Psychology of Persuasion, uses his experience as a salesperson, advertiser, and fundraiser to create and outline six psychological principles that cause people to say “yes.” It delves into the psychology of buying and how this can be used to succeed in your field.
Importance for sales: teaches how to influence people ethically to get the outcome you want.
Goodreads rating: 4.2/5
A new book by Frank Cespedes, Sales Management That Works: How to Sell in a World that Never Stops Changing, is based on in-depth research of key elements of a B2B go-to-market, including sales management.
The author noticed that changing sales environment confuses sales management in many companies: New trends are introduced all the time, hype overpowers real links between buying and selling, and companies underperform. Frank Cespedes shows how these mistakes can be avoided.
We've had a few B2B talks with Frank about his book, the inspiration behind it, and changes in modern sales.
Importance for sales: differentiates sales trends from actual facts
Goodreads rating: 4.1/5
Our top 25 list includes recommendations for some of the best sales books for B2B professionals out there, and we hope you’ll find inspiration behind these great reads to boost your spirit and selling prowess.
Contact or tag us on social media if you find some other book that should’ve made the cut!