9 Sales Books Well Worth Reading During Summer
As Summer approaches, for sales leaders and managers this can be a time to recharge, re-think and re-tool knowledge and strategies for the rest of the year to come. If you are taking a holiday, or this is traditionally going to be a quieter time of year for your business, in the weeks and months ahead, now is the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in useful new knowledge, new ideas and new approaches.
Here are 9 books we recommend for sales leaders wanting to refresh their knowledge and approach as we gear towards hitting targets or launching new sales campaigns - depending on where your organization is within its financial year.
9 sales books well worth reading
#1: Chris Lytle: The Accidental Sales Manager: How to Take Control and Lead Your Sales Team to Record Profits
Most sales managers are promoted into these roles when they prove they’re good at sales. But this doesn’t mean they’re good at managing sales people. These are two very different skills. It is one of the main reasons many new managers struggle to adapt to the role and can therefore struggle to deliver as a manager and someone who should still hit sales targets.
This book is a practical deep dive for managers wanting to understand how to get out of the “sales management trap.” Find more effective ways to manage a team and hit your own targets.
Available: Kindle, Audiobook, Print.
#2: Jason Jordan and Michelle Vazzana: Cracking the Sales Management Code: The Secrets to Measuring and Managing Sales Performance
Best-selling author of Spin Selling, Neil Rackham, says in the Foreword that “There’s an acute shortage of good books on the specifics of sales management. Cracking the Sales Management Code is about the practical specifics of sales management in the new era, and it fills a void.”
This book focuses on the 5 fundamental sales processes that can be managed to create desired business outcomes. It is full of useful information, formulas and practical approaches that sales managers need to take to manage their sales teams effectively.
Available: Kindle, Audiobook, Print.
#3: Keith Rosen: Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions: A Tactical Playbook for Managers and Executives
One of the biggest challenging surrounding coaching is to make the lessons stick. Whether managers coach sales teams, or external trainers are brought in, the long-term results are often the same. After 30 days, most sales professionals forget or discard 87% of what they learned during coaching.
In this book, it uses Keith Rosen’s coaching methodology and proven L.E.A.D.S. Coaching Framework™. It is a proven way to improve the outcomes of coaching and therefore the performance of sales teams.
Available: Kindle, Audiobook, Print.
#4: David Brock: Sales Manager Survival Guide: Lessons From Sales’ Front Lines
For new sales managers, the first few months are often challenging. Fortunately, the author - Brock, an experienced sales professionals - learned what he put into this book the hard way, so you don’t have to. Often, new sales managers have no one to show them how to operate as a manager.
In this book are clear strategies for the first 30, 60 and 90 days, and realistic yardsticks for what you should be aiming for and progress you should expect. It is an invaluable guide for new managers.
Available: Kindle, Print.
#5: Aaron Ross and Marylou Tyler: Predictable Revenue
Process, process, process! It is probably the least fun, least sexy part of sales, but the one most likely to help you produce predictable results. Sales managers who can deliver predictable revenue growth are worth their weight in gold. Before investing in technology solutions or training, get the processes in your team right, then look at how to optimize them so that everyone is performing as efficiently as possible.
Available: Kindle, Audiobook, Print.
#6: Jonathan Whistman: The Sales Boss: The Real Secret to Hiring, Training and Managing a Sales Team
Who you hire can make a huge difference to whether you hit or miss targets. Good sales people can make a big impact. Mediocre or downright poor performers can drag your whole team down, and the challenge many sales managers face is that even mediocre sales people are usually good at selling themselves. So it can be difficult to know who’s going to consistently perform well, and who’s going to waste time and miss opportunities.
To solve these problems, you need to know how to hire the right people for the right role, and then you need to deliver what your team needs to be successful. This is the book for you if these represent some of the challenges faced this year so far, and in previous years and roles.
Available: Kindle, Audiobook, Print.
#7: Trish Bertuzzi: The Sales Development Playbook: Build Repeatable Pipeline and Accelerate Growth with Inside Sales
Is one of the challenges you are facing that you need more customers? If the answer is yes, then Trish Bertuzzi, with three decades of sales experience, is well worth reading. This book provides six strategies your team can focus on and use, putting her ideas into practice and using it to increase revenues and profitability.
One review from the CRO of HubSpot sums up the value of this book: “The Sales Development Playbook asks and answers the right questions. If you’re looking to increase qualified pipeline, read this book.” Mark Roberge, Chief Revenue Officer, HubSpot.
Available: Kindle, Audiobook, Print.
#8: Michael Bungay Stanier: The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever
Coaching isn’t something a sales manager does everyday. Many managers aren’t trained to provide coaching. Instead, you are expected to give younger or newer team members the value of your experience, best practices, and knowledge.
Michael is an award-winning coach and sought after speaker, author of several books, and through his company - Box of Crayons - he provides coaching to clients such as the United Nations, University Health Network and USAA. His book, The Coaching Habit, provides seven essential coaching questions for managers who want to improve how they go about coaching their team.
Available: Kindle, Audiobook, Print.
#9: Daniel H. Pink: To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others
Although only published in 2013, this is already one of the classics for those in the sales profession. His work often ends up on the New York Times bestsellers’ list, and Pink is a former Vice Presidential chief speech writer and TV host and co-producer.
For sales leaders, this book outlines some valuable ABCs of how to move prospects from a maybe to a yes. He also offers ways to make a message clearer and sell in a more persuasive. Well worth reading and sharing with your team.
Available: Kindle, Audiobook, Print.
Of course, there are numerous others well worth reading out there. Start exploring. Find books that speak to your needs and aims. You will be amazed at the results of a few hours of reading and then putting the learnings into practice.