A friend asked me what books I would recommend for sales as in "How To Sell."
I would say my top two books are Spin Selling by Neil Rackham and Selling to the Very Important Top Officer (VITO) by Anthony Parinello.
I went to my library and pulled out the ones I still have and have the following list:
1. Spin Selling, Neil Rackham: This is a great outline of the complex selling process. It has been refined over the years and other processes may be better but I like its simplicity, its focus on asking questions and above all listening to your prospects.
2. Selling to VITO, Anthony Parinello: This is a terrific tactical book for getting you in the door. Cold calling is the biggest challenge for most salespeople and this is a good way to get to the top, ie "C" level targets.
3. The One Minute Salesperson, Spencer Johnson (also try One Minute Manager – a longtime favorite as well) – organization is key to selling; don’t waste time.
4. Solution Selling, Michael Bosworth: This one has been used by more sales managers to create process then most.
5. How to Master the Art of Selling, Tom Hopkins: My first sales book from my first training class. This is bare tactics selling – designed for those in competitive, small sale selling situations (Copiers and Office Supplies).
6. How to Win Friend and Influence People , Dale Carnegie: Another perennial favorite, relationships man, its all about relationship.
7. The 5 Great Rules of Selling, Percy Whiting: A text book approach to selling.
8. Changing The Game: The New Way To Sell, Larry Wilson: Pretty much another complex sales book focused on leadership and creativity
9. The End of Marketing As We Know It, Sergio Zyman: Its a marketing book but really shows that its all about selling. I worked for this guy for a while – its worth the read for the stories alone.
10. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, Roger Fisher and William Ury: The second hardest part – of big deals; not dropping your
pants to get the sale.
Motivation is also critical. Here are a few books to also consider – but better on tape, it sinks in more.
1. Being the Best, Dennis Waitley: The first book I read just out of college, got me to quit a dead-end job and get in the game! Other great Waitley books
are Seeds of Greatness and Psychology of Winning. Again – on tape, get one of his live performances if you can.
2. The Magic of Thinking Big, David Schwartz: Refocus your head, pick a good target, don’t fear success, stay positive – its all in there.
3. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey: Everyone knows this one – it works.
4. See You at the Top, Zig Ziglar: A motivator focused on sales success.
