The most recommended sales books

Who picked these books? Meet our 67 experts.

67 authors created a book list connected to sales, and here are their favorite sales books.
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Book cover of The Yes Syndrome: A Complete Guide to Selling Professionally

Wayne Moloney Author Of The Wentworth Prospect: A novel guide to success in B2B sales

From my list on B2B salespeople to stay relevant and successful.

Why am I passionate about this?

Everyone survives by selling something whether we wear the title or not. Selling has been my career, even before I was a salesperson. I started my career in engineering but quickly realised my passion was in developing business, not designing industrial ventilation systems. Helped by a boss who also saw I was better suited to roles other than engineering (he wasn’t so polite) I went on to enjoy a successful career spanning 4 decades working in Australian, Asian, and European markets that embraced all facets of sales and business development. Helped by great mentors and learning from the experience of others, I have endeavoured to give back by mentoring business owners, salespeople, and writing.

Wayne's book list on B2B salespeople to stay relevant and successful

Wayne Moloney Why did Wayne love this book?

The YES Syndrome could have been written yesterday.

But it was first published in 1982. Proof that the basics of good selling are not new, but have been the foundation of successful, ethical selling for decades, if not longer.

Combine the timeless customer-focused sales skills that Beveridge shares with the emerging technologies of the 21st century and salespeople will not only remain relevant, but indispensable and invaluable to buyers.

By Don Beveridge,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Yes Syndrome as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'The YES Syndrome' is much more than simplistic selling techniques or more "HOW-TO." It is a unique, complete system, from the initial "customer needs analysis" through to the sophisticated 'customer focused proposal.' These systems work. They have been proven and Don Beveridge's concepts have been embraced by corporated America.


Book cover of The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Business Relationships

Ilise Benun Author Of The Creative Professional's Guide to Money: How to Think About It, How to Talk About it, How to Manage It

From my list on business books for creative professionals.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have made it my business to teach basic business skills to creative professionals who should have learned them in school but, alas, did not because it’s not taught in school. This has for years perpetuated a “starving artist” mentality amongst creative professionals, who are naturally talented and could easily bring their creativity to the business side of their business, if only they knew how. That’s the mission I’m on with all of my work through marketing-mentor.com

Ilise's book list on business books for creative professionals

Ilise Benun Why did Ilise love this book?

Essential Skill #5 for Creatives: Connecting

Business is all about relationships and people do business with people they know, like, and trust. But if you hate networking, as many creatives do, it’s hard to build those essential relationships. That’s why this book is perfect for you. McPherson provides a simple framework for the much more useful skill of connecting with others. She makes learning it palatable and doable for introverts and makes an especially strong argument for why, in the 21st century, connecting is so essential to succeed in business.

By Susan McPherson, Jackie Ashton,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Lost Art of Connecting as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Uncover a new way to network and build relationships that last!

Networking is often considered a necessary evil for all working professionals. With social media platforms like Linkedin, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at our disposal, reaching potential investors or employers is much easier. Yet, these connections often feel transactional, agenda-driven, and dehumanizing, leaving professionals feeling burnt out and stressed out.

Instead, we should connect on a human level and build authentic relationships beyond securing a new job or a new investor for your next big idea. To build real and meaningful networking contacts, we need to go back to basics,…


Book cover of New Sales. Simplified.: The Essential Handbook for Prospecting and New Business Development

Dave Kurlan Author Of Baseline Selling: How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball

From my list on to become a sales superstar.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've been selling professionally since 1973, and in the sales training and development business for more than 36 years. I founded Objective Management Group, the world’s leading provider of sales force evaluations and sales candidate assessments, and we have data on 2.2 million salespeople. OMG measures 21 Sales Core Competencies, so that’s around 250 findings on 2.2 million salespeople or close to 500 million data points! I've personally trained and coached tens of thousands of salespeople, sales managers, and sales leaders and I have published nearly 2,000 articles on my multi-award-winning blog, Understanding the Sales Force. I was installed in the Sales & Marketing Hall of Fame in 2013. 

Dave's book list on to become a sales superstar

Dave Kurlan Why did Dave love this book?

Everyone needs a handbook and New Sales. Simplified. is a good choice! I like Mike Weinberg’s book for several reasons, the first being his emphasis on Prospecting. While most sales experts have caved to the mob that runs the online marketing platforms that promised to replace salespeople, Mike flies in the face of the “prospecting is dead” crowd and shows you how to do it and how to get results. A must-have in any salesperson’s library!

By Mike Weinberg,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked New Sales. Simplified. as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

No matter how much repeat business you get from loyal customers, the lifeblood of your business is a constant flow of new accounts. Packed with tested strategies and anecdotes, New Sales. Simplified. offers a proven formula for prospecting, developing, and closing deals.

With refreshing honesty and some much-needed humor, sales expert Mike Weinberg examines the critical mistakes made by most salespeople and executives, then provides tips to help you achieve the opposite results.

In New Sales. Simplified., you will learn how to:

Identify a strategic list of genuine prospects Draft a compelling, customer focused "sales story" Perfect the proactive telephone…


Book cover of Pitch the Perfect Investment: The Essential Guide to Winning on Wall Street

Michael Samonas Author Of Financial Forecasting, Analysis and Modelling: A Framework for Long-Term Forecasting

From my list on financial modelling and valuation.

Why am I passionate about this?

I come from an engineering background and early in my career I discover financial modelling as I had to assess the viability of business plans. I deal with financial models the last 20 years of my professional carrier as a Group Financial Officer of SIDMA STEEL SA. Moreover, I am teaching financial modelling in the American College of Greece, Deree, at University of Nicosia in collaboration with Globaltraing and many other places abroad. I am a numbers person, and I am fascinated by financial modelling as it provides you a tool to support effective decision-making. 

Michael's book list on financial modelling and valuation

Michael Samonas Why did Michael love this book?

Very good book covering the full investment process from the valuation of a business, to identifying a mispricing, to recognizing potential biases, and finally adding a business into a portfolio.

The concepts the book is dealing with, are derived from the Value Investing School at Columbia University where both the authors teach. The main raison d'être somebody would like to build a financial model is to use it to value an asset or a company.

I highly recommend it for the practical tips it provides on the valuation process.

By Paul D. Sonkin, Paul Johnson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Pitch the Perfect Investment as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Learn the overlooked skill that is essential to Wall Street success Pitch the Perfect Investment combines investment analysis with persuasion and sales to teach you the "soft skill" so crucial to success in the financial markets. Written by the leading authorities in investment pitching, this book shows you how to develop and exploit the essential, career-advancing skill of pitching value-creating ideas to win over clients and investors. You'll gain world-class insight into search strategy, data collection and research, securities analysis, and risk assessment and management to help you uncover the perfect opportunity; you'll then strengthen your critical thinking skills and…


Book cover of PyroMarketing: The Four-Step Strategy to Ignite Customer Evangelists and Keep Them for Life

Scott Lorenz Author Of Book Title Generator: A Proven System in Naming Your Book

From my list on how to market and promote a book.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a book publicist and President of Westwind Book Marketing, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. I work with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it's their first book or their 15th book. I’ve handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers, and Adventurers. My clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman's World, and Howard Stern. 

Scott's book list on how to market and promote a book

Scott Lorenz Why did Scott love this book?

Sales of Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life and Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ were driven in part by techniques outlined in PyroMarketing by Greg Stielstra. The essence of the book is to get small groups of people to buy and read your book and tell their friends. You start this by going to the people most likely to want to read your book and expand from there.

This book covers the essential elements of how to motivate people to buy a book and start word-of-mouth marketing. I’ve listened to the audiobook several times as it's just as packed with solid information authors can use.

By Greg Stielstra,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked PyroMarketing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The era of mass marketing is ending-replaced by the power of customer evangelists unleashed through a systematic approach to word-of-mouth called PyroMarketing. Learn how the system that sparked a revolution in the Christian marketplace can fuel the success of your business. Word-of-mouth is the biggest influence on consumer purchases and its influence is growing. How do you tap its power? The key is not some new technology or advertising fad. The best way to understand the marketing process, the way messages are sent, received, acted upon, and spread, is to think of fire. PyroMarketing simplifies word-of-mouth to a four-step system…


Book cover of Perennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work that Lasts

John Lamerton

From John's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Investor Long term thinker

John's 3 favorite reads in 2023

John Lamerton Why did John love this book?

I had to double check that this was indeed a Ryan Holiday book, as it's very different from his usual stoicism topics; instead, he explains how Iron Maiden sell millions of records without being played on the radio, how Kevin Hart became world-famous one business card at a time, and why Louis CK throws out his entire set every year.

As a small business owner and investor, I love evergreen assets, creating work (such as books, podcasts, and blogs) once, yet reaping the rewards again and again. The ultimate evergreen asset is a perennial seller.

By Ryan Holiday,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Perennial Seller as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Bestselling author and marketing strategist Ryan Holiday reveals to creatives of all stripes-authors, entrepreneurs, musicians, filmmakers, fine artists-how a classic work is made and marketed.

Classic. Evergreen. Cult. Backlist. We can all identify with products that seem to last forever and just keep selling. But how can we create things that can and should last, especially in an environment where short-term gain and flash-in-the-pan success are so often the benchmark, where Hollywood movies are written off after a weekend or Silicon Valley start-ups are considered to have failed if they don't go viral?

Enter Ryan Holiday and his concept of…


Book cover of Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You

Dave Kerpen Author Of The Art of People: 11 Simple People Skills That Will Get You Everything You Want

From my list on entrepreneurs who want to go further faster.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love building businesses. I’ve built several businesses, ranging from a one person consultancy to a venture-backed tech company to an 8-figure marketing agency to a managed HR marketplace to a virtual memorial services company. The only thing I love more than building businesses is building and helping create new entrepreneurs. These books have helped me tremendously in my journey and I hope they help you as well!

Dave's book list on entrepreneurs who want to go further faster

Dave Kerpen Why did Dave love this book?

Built to Sell is the perfect parable that taught me how to build a scalable business with processes and predictable revenue. I read it, I shared it with our leadership team, who all read it, and then we built and sold a company for 8 figures. Whether or not you plan to sell your company, this is the most important book for all entrepreneurs to read.

By John Warrillow,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Built to Sell as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Run your company. Don’t let it run you.

Most business owners started their company because they wanted more freedom—to work on their own schedules, make the kind of money they deserve, and eventually retire on the fruits of their labor.

Unfortunately, according to John Warrillow, most owners find that stepping out of the picture is extremely difficult because their business relies too heavily on their personal involvement. Without them, their company—no matter how big or profitable—is essentially worthless.

But the good news is that entrepreneurs can take specific steps—no matter what stage a business is in—to create a valuable, sellable…


Book cover of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

Scott Greenberg Author Of Stop the Shift Show: How to Turn Your Struggling Hourly Workers Into a Top-Performing Team

From my list on managing employees and building teams.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m fascinated with the relationship between personal growth and professional performance. Why is it in the same environment, doing the same work, some people can excel while others struggle? Most chalk it up to external circumstances that can’t be controlled. Others focus on tactics. But I’ve learned top-performers are masters at the human side of their work–the way they think, lead and serve–and that’s what gives them their edge. All of my work centers around infusing hard skills with improved soft skills, and getting better results in the process. That’s the stuff I find delicious, and it’s what I speak and write about.

Scott's book list on managing employees and building teams

Scott Greenberg Why did Scott love this book?

Finally, someone has revealed the truth about what really motivates people.

Pink challenges traditional motivational techniques and sheds light on the key drivers of high performance. My clients complain a lot about their employees, and often it’s because they don’t understand them as well as they think they do. I’m grateful to have people like Daniel Pink out their sharing the insights people need to become better bosses who can lead better teams.

Really good read. 

By Daniel H. Pink,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Drive as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The New York Times bestseller that gives readers a paradigm-shattering new way to think about motivation from the author of When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing

Most people believe that the best way to motivate is with rewards like money—the carrot-and-stick approach. That's a mistake, says Daniel H. Pink (author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Motivating Others). In this provocative and persuasive new book, he asserts that the secret to high performance and satisfaction-at work, at school, and at home—is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things,…


Book cover of Unleashing the Ideavirus: Stop Marketing AT People! Turn Your Ideas into Epidemics by Helping Your Customers Do the Marketing thing for You

Jonah Berger Author Of Contagious: Why Things Catch on

From my list on make anything catch on.

Why am I passionate about this?

Jonah Berger is a Wharton School professor and internationally bestselling author of Magic Words, Contagious, Invisible Influence, and The Catalyst. Dr. Berger is a world-renowned expert on natural language processing, change, word of mouth, influence, consumer behavior, and why things catch on. He has published over 80 articles in top‐tier academic journals, teaches one of the world’s most popular online courses, and popular outlets like The New York Times and Harvard Business Review often cover his work. Berger has keynoted hundreds of major conferences and events like SXSW and Cannes Lions, advises various early-stage companies, and consults for organizations like Apple, Google, Nike, Amazon, GE, Moderna, and The Gates Foundation.

Jonah's book list on make anything catch on

Jonah Berger Why did Jonah love this book?

Many of the books by Seth Godin are amazing, but this is a personal favorite.

Great ideas aren't just ideas; they're like viruses. They spread from person to person in powerful, unexpected ways. The book explores this idea and talks about some of the factors that lead ideas to spread and some of the consequences of their diffusion.

By Seth Godin,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Unleashing the Ideavirus as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Seth Godin examines how companies like Napster and Hotmail have successfully launched idea viruses - a customer-to-customer dialogue. He offers a recipe to creating your own idea virus and shows how businesses can use idea virus marketing to succeed in a world that doesn't want to hear from traditional marketeers anymore.


Book cover of The Sensational Salesman: A Second Chance Story: Providing a Simple Path to Improving Your Relationships, Career, and Life

Dionne Mejer Author Of The Stepped Approach: Onboard Better, Systemize Smarter, and Bring Out the Best in Your Sales Team

From my list on learning how to sell with soul.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m passionate about Sales with Soul because being sold to is awful. I’m passionate about leaders, by title, actually leading and it bugs me when the balance between getting work done and caring for the human is out of balance. There’s an elegant way to do both, and as someone who struggles with that concept, I have embraced my struggle and put frameworks and systems around the concept and teach it. We host clients, colleagues, and peers on our Rev Shots show to bring our content and discussions to life and share with our audience. I hope you enjoy the books and content as much as I have!

Dionne's book list on learning how to sell with soul

Dionne Mejer Why did Dionne love this book?

I like this book because of the main character! I couldn’t put it down and finished it nearly in a day to follow the character through his transformation; it was exhilarating.

Reading this book helped me overcome my hang-up about asking for help and asking for the business because it helped me see that selling is helping, and people sometimes want to help me, too. It’s still a book I read from time to time when I need a boost. 

By Duane Cummings,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Sensational Salesman as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Lots of books claim they will change your life, but they rarely give you a map to follow. If you have been searching for answers about how to improve your current situation, look no further. The Sensational Salesman serves as a must-have manual for achieving success in business and life. The insights in this story are rarely taught in formal education settings or the workplace, but they are fundamental to achieving lifelong happiness and fulfillment. This is the inspiring parable of Thomas Frickle, a young salesman whose life quickly unravels, only to be put back on course thanks to the…