Times change, technology changes, marketing, and sales techniques evolve. Competition has reached an all-time high when it comes to brutality, and the ability to crush businesses, at lightning speed.
Adapt and evolve or disappear.
To do that you definitely need the latest and greatest approaches and methods in sales.
But as any good director knows, all of them are based on the teachings and systems of the old school gods of sales. Tracey, Dale, Bob…
What’s a car without its wheels? Useless piece of metal scrap and that’s what we would be if we didn’t study the best and the greatest when it comes to sales.
Enough shit chat. Here’s the list of the 20 must-reads, must reread, bedtime books, the bibles, that you should start devouring now. Or would you rather let your competitor do it first?
We don’t usually write about business, because we don’t work, we just travel, eat good food and enjoy life. But, why not?
The Psychology of Selling – Brian Tracy
The purpose of this book is to give you a series of ideas, methods, strategies, and techniques that you can use immediately to make more sales, faster and easier than ever before.
It’s a promise of prosperity that sales guru Brian Tracy has seen fulfilled again and again. More sales people have become millionaires as a result of listening to and applying his ideas than from any other sales training process ever developed.
Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill examines the psychological power of thought and the brain in the process of furthering your career for both monetary and personal satisfaction. Originally published in 1937, this is one of the all-time self-help classics and a must read for directors, investors and anybody that has even remotely thought of doing sales.
Endless Referrals – Bob Burg
You know how experts say that referrals are an inconsistent way of growing your business? That’s because they haven’t read Endless Referrals. This book will teach you how to attract those who are interested in what you are selling with his proven relationship-building principles. It’s an excellent read for any entrepreneur, and it is full of great content.
Booked – Josh Turner
Booked is a 5-step process that helps you quickly position yourself as an expert in your industry, directly connect you with an unlimited supply of prospects, and work them through processes that will generate a predictable number of leads and appointments. When you have that predictable number of appointments, you’ll have a predictable stream of new clients. The only question is, how many clients do you want to have in the next 6 months?
Advanced Sales Strategies – Brian Tracy
Yes, him again. And he will be again in the next book too. It’s simple – when god gives you lessons in sales, buy them all!
Advanced Selling Strategies provides you with the techniques and tools used by top salespeople in every industry—methods that net immediate and spectacular results. This book explains how to develop the self-image to give you the edge in every sales situation and teaches how to concentrate on the customer’s emotional factors to ensure better sales results.
The Art of Closing The Sale – Brian Tracy
Let me get back to you.
I will talk with my cofounder.
We will definitely include your package in our next quarter.
Want to avoid getting these responses? Here’s the book to that.
How to Win Friends And Influence People – Dale Carnegie
Treat your leads like your potential best friends.
This is one of the first best-selling self-help books ever published. It teaches you how to make people like you, how to win new clients and customers, and become a better salesman. It is a great personal development book, as well as a must for any salesperson.
Secrets of Closing The Sale – Zig Ziglar
Ah Ziggie… What else can you say about him?
In this book, he explains how everyone has to “sell” their ideas and themselves to be successful. He goes over 100 closes for every kind of persuasion and professional tips from many successful salespeople.
The Ultimate Sales Letter – Dan Kennedy
Kennedy is the most successful, highly paid direct-response copywriter in the world. In this book, he shares his step-by-step formula so everyone can write letters that will nail the sale.
Emotional Intelligence – Daniel Goleman
Easily applicable to work, relationships, and well-being, this book provides a new look at how our minds work. Goleman’s advice works in decision-making as well as catering your life towards success.
Leaders Eat Last – Simon Sinek
Sinek combines historical and current events, anthropology and neurochemistry to teach great leadership qualities. Leaders should take action to protect their people, not just treat them well.
Great for current and aspiring sales directors.
Coaching Salespeople Into Sales Champions – Keith Rosen
Coaching is key. With Rosen’s help you can create a coaching culture and build the best team possible. You’ll turn around under-performers, build deeper trust, and communicate better.This book shows you how to motivate and develop your team to reach business objectives faster. Includes case studies, a 30-day Turnaround Strategy for under-performers, a library of coaching templates and scripts, and coaching questions to apply in any situation.
Success Is a Choice – Rick Pitino
We only disagree with the headline because it goes without saying that directors are and will be sucesfull.
University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino writes a ten-step plan of attack to become a winner in anything you want to achieve. From mastering the art of communication to remaining persistent and keeping a positive mind, this book shows you how to go above and beyond in any situation.
How I Raised Myself From Failure To Success – Frank Bettger
Bettger shares his insight on how he turned his life from defeat to success. With anecdotes and personal experience, he provides step-by-step guidelines on how to become a winning salesperson.
The 10x Rule – Grant Cardone
Don’t settle for mediocrity. The 10x Rule tells you how to reach your goals by putting in the extra effort. You must go above and beyond to operate at a fourth level of operation: Massive Action. The 10x Rule will teach you how to reach and set achievable goals, use fear as fuel, and to become a role model for success.
To Sell Is Human – Daniel H. Pink
Our favorite author in the office, Daniel H. Pink. Author of many legendary books such as When, only this time he focuses his writing and analytical attention to sales. Thank god!
The fact of the matter is that despite what your profession may be, you are a salesperson in one way or another. However, not everyone knows how to be one. Daniel H. Pink’s book shows the tools and the tips to improve the way we sell our products, our ideas and ourselves.
Take The Cold Out of Cold Calling
We hate cold calls. We hate the word cold and calls separate. But some books have this ability to change your most archaic beliefs and this one does exactly that.
Richter’s book focuses on the research aspect of cold calling. He dives into accessing online information, how to find it and how to use it. There are step-by-step instructions and examples on everything from how to use Google like a pro to accessing highly qualified lead lists for free.
Big Magic – Elizabeth Gilbert
Love is the ultimate sales weapon. Who knew? Well Elizabeth Gilbert did and you better believe it.
Gilbert believes any passion must be fully backed by love instead of an addiction to the idea of success. The book is divided into six sections: Courage, Enchantment, Permission, Persistence, Trust, and Divinity and each explores succeeding in your field because of passion (versus the need of money or recognition).
Strategy: How To Crush Competition – Martin Anderson
A quick read that includes tactics for jumping ahead of your competitors, ones that are clear, entertaining, and involve simple life examples. Whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned vet, you need to learn how to stand out from the competition in order to succeed. Strategy offers insights like applying customer feedback and redirecting your business.
Talent is Overrated – Geoff Colvin
Finnaly someone supports our cause and our lack of talent!
Talent is Overrated does an excellent job of explaining what fuels success for the world’s elite performers – whether they’re musicians, doctors, or salespeople. Rooted in scientific research, the book identifies the specific approach of “deliberate practice” that high achievers share and how it affects performance.
Closing Thoughts
You might wonder, why are there self help books? Where’s the sale in that?
If you can’t conquer yourself, you can’t conquer anyone else.
We try to curate a mix of books so that when you do start working on your sales strategy for 2020, you will inadvertently work on yourself as well. Win win for both you and your potential clients.
Now go and create a killer sales strategy!
Cheers,
P.S. Special thanks goes to the Co-author Filip Koku, without whom this list would not be done.
P.P.S. If you need some help creating a sales strategy, and dont have the time to read through these books, check out this guy here. He’s the reason our website has been growing and rising throughout the years.
Arben G. and Will Do. – Friends since they met on Work on Travel in the States, they have been writing exhaustively about how not to do business and still make tons of money and every aspect of business for Direktorium.
When they’re not writing about business, they don’t know what to do and go back to writing about business. True friendship lasts even in business! (Arben is in yellow, and Will in purple shirt. Nobody knows who the douche on the left is).