While there’s some debate from researchers about Malcolm Gladwell’s claim that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert, there is some truth to the fact that it takes a lot of time, dedication, practice, trial and error, and studying.
No doubt it’s pretty easy to accumulate those hours if you’re spending a lot of time weeding through books that either don’t offer much value. There are few among us who haven’t gotten excited about the latest buzzworthy only to open its pages (or start listening on our commute) to find there’s not much new, except the author.
That doesn’t mean that every book out there isn’t worth the time, it’s just important to know which ones to read and with over a million books published each year, there may be a lot to weed through and the only thing you’d be an expert on is weeding through books.
We’ll save you the time. We’ve compiled a list below of 16 of the best books (and three podcasts) on topics that matter to you most!
Sales management isn’t easy. In fact, it’s several not so easy roles rolled into one and for that reason having some of the best resources at your fingertips is essential. We narrowed it down to 3.
Weinberg boasts a long history of assisting sales teams in meeting their goals. The essential piece for Weinberg is that sales management is more about the management part than the sales part. He hones in on how you build, encourage, and train your sales team. It focuses on how you lead and provides actionable information on everything from incentivizing goals to running effective meetings.
Speaking of those 10,000 hours...when we learn, we want to learn from the best. We want to learn from people who have walked in our shoes (for over 3 decades) and have led teams to success as a consultant. Treace is that man.
With that amount of experience, there’s little he hasn’t seen and he offers guidance on how to steady the ship (because it will get rocky out there), keep your team motivated, and hit your goals. Like a good captain or coach, he’ll help you get your team to perform.
Successful players in any sport have a team of coaches, each bringing something new to the table and providing insights, strategies, and the kind of coaching that makes them excel. Rosen is no different. He’s that kind of coach.
With Rosen, you get the playbook. He’s a literal coach who teaches you how to do the same, build on and with the assets you have, and propel your team to more sales.
We’re going to look at one crossover from the first grouping here (#2) because whether you’re part of the sales management (or aiming to get there), refining and strengthening your sales process is essential. These three books offer some of the best of the best.
Tracy lectures around the country to thousands of sales professionals every year. This book provides the goods, the strategies, the methods, tips and tricks, to simplify and speed up your sales process. However, Tracy goes one step further and delves into the mind game that sales can be, the toll it can take on one’s psyche, and how to overcome self-defeating thoughts.
Backed by research, Dixon and Adamson assert that the standard methods of relationship building may not be the most successful or effective when it comes to driving sales. In fact, the evidence suggests that the “challenger” salesperson profile is the one that consistently produces revenue results.
In the book, the authors offer strategies and methods to begin challenging customers, controlling the conversation, and closing the sale.
Modern businesses need agility, but so do salespeople. It’s no secret that the sales landscape can change fairly rapidly. Whether it’s learning a new business, industry, technology or product, Konrath breaks down the process that enables you to do so quickly and leverage that knowledge to build sales.
The best sales training books are, in many ways, also some of the best sales books out there. Even an experienced salesperson can glean valuable information and insights from a few of these books.
In asking most salespeople where to start, what books to buy, when trying to refine sales skills, this would make just about every list. Ziglar’s closing for 100 situations are akin to classic chess closing and his socratic style will pose questions that push you to understand both the process and the customer.
If you’re looking to learn the art of persuasion, the art of selling, then Ziglar’s book is where you start.
When starting out, many salespeople go into the role, or their industry, with a vision of what the job entails, what sales is like, and how the process works.
Pink takes those notions and sets them right. In a thorough analysis of what it takes to “move” people, Pink offers methods to introduce his strategies into your selling process and help you persuade the people you need to.
Veteran salespeople, successful ones, will tell the sales presentation is where you turn your leads into clients. Lofholm has a well-established reputation as a sales trainer and provides all the information you need to write everything from handling objections to writing the close.
He’ll give you sample scripts and the tips and tricks to own them in a way that makes them seem both natural and spontaneous. If you’re looking to master this skill, pick up Lofholm’s book (and check out his first book too).
Audiobooks are a great, though often underrated way, to get in reading, advice, and learning. Whether you’re on your commute, walking the dog, running, or mowing the lawn, you can actually multitask and improve your sales game by downloading either audiobooks or podcasts and, honestly, there’s no shortage of great material on how to be a good salesman out there.
The books listed below are free, but many others are available through a free trial of a service such as Audible or Libro.fm. Similarly, many titles are available through library audiobook apps such as OverDrive. That said, Ziglar’s book Secrets of Closing the Sale is also available for free.
Schiffman’s the author of many books on sales and sales strategies while leading his own international sales and consulting firm. Coming in at just under 4 hours, this audiobook packs in tips and tactics you can employ in your next sales meeting.
Furthermore, he discusses the strategies that enable you to have your customers see you as more than a salesperson, but also a consultant and trusted partner. Those are the relationship building drinks that drive your sales.
Two amazing researchers and writers about the business world share their thoughts and strategies about navigating the world of sales. Both are astute observers who offer insights on the qualities found in successful salespeople and leaders, the kind of characteristics you can build on or develop.
Additionally, those powers of observation are useful in your learning to read your customers, clients, and leads, in ways that will help you meet their needs, sometimes before they’ve communicated them verbally. Short and powerful at just over an hour.
Link is for a 45-minute excerpt. Full audiobook available via multiple sources.
Covey is known across the world for revolutionizing the way we do things and the way we view things.
While not focused on sales specifically, the book offers strategies and tips on how to balance business and personal effectiveness in a way that helps you realize success in both arenas. Touching on time management, productivity, positive-thinking, taking initiative and more, Covey’s strategies can be applied to much of the work you do in the sales world, streamline your work, and energize your pitches.
Link is for a 36-minute excerpt. Full audiobook available via multiple sources.
Learning how to negotiate, to solve conflicts, and remove friction points is an invaluable skill in the sales world.
Based on the work of the Harvard Negotiation Project, this book offers you strategies and techniques for working with difficult people, difficult situations, or both, and still getting to “yes.”
If you’re new to the podcast world, welcome, but even if you’ve been browsing and listening, we hope there’s a few “new to you” podcasts included here. There is so much amazing content available through any number of podcast applications.
From interviews and conversations with industry thought leaders to tips, strategies, and tactics, these podcasts are designed to improve everything from lead generation to closing.
With two different weekly “casts,” host Sam Jacobs offers a 5-minute fast and furious Friday tips as well as longer episodes weekly that dive into actionable B2B sales tactics and strategies coming to you right from sales leaders, experts, strategists, investors, entrepreneurs, and more. Their guest list is a veritable who’s who among sales and executive leadership.
While not necessarily sales focused, The Tim Ferriss show is the #1 business podcast on Apple and has won “best of…” 3 years in a row. It’s highly entertaining with guests from the business world and beyond.
The show focuses on the tools and routines of these highly successful individuals and discusses how you can include those in your day, week, life to foster the same success. He looks at everything from your morning routine to time management, mindset and attitude to the role of exercise and well-being. Also, check out his book Tools of Titans.
If you’re not already familiar with the name Gary Vaynerchuk, you’ll be glad you are now. Much like The Tim Ferriss Show, you’ll get a variety of guests on a wide variety of topics, but Vaynerchuk is most well-known for his ability to push his listeners/followers beyond their comfort zone.
With episodes that cover everything from marketing to goal setting and workplace success, this just may be the motivational podcast you’re looking for.
Whether you’re new to medical sales or looking to refresh your approach, you may want to look at some of the best sales books for the medical industry.
As the cover boasts, Rackham offers tried and tested methods for selling based on 12 years of research with the top sales forces across the world. Spin Selling provides simple and practical techniques (in a step-by-step format) for you to boost your sales performance and sales volume. Rackham’s technique has been particularly successful for both IBM and Honeywell and is a great resource for those moving from smaller clients to larger ones.
If physician’s consider the Physician’s Desk Reference (AKA Prescriber’s Desk Reference) as the guide to pharmaceuticals, then MSDR is your guide to medical and pharma sales.
While plenty of books on the market can offer you tips and techniques on sales in general, this one hones in on the medical industry specifically offering advice on how to conquer that market.
Don’t let the title fool you as this isn’t just a book for rookies. What differentiates you, or has the potential to, in the medical and pharma sales market is your understanding of what your customers do. In this book, Neenan provides you with information on everything from anatomy to knowing your client which can put you several steps ahead of your competition.
With years of experience in the industry across four states, Neenan walks you through the basics, and more, and offers insights on courses to get more information to improve your strategy. If knowing the game makes you better at it, this is a great place to start.
While these resources are a great place to start, and certainly a way to continue educating yourself or your sales team, if you’re struggling in the medical sales market, let the Axxelus team help. In the same way that doctors specialize in their field, we specialize in medical industry sales and are here to help!
Get in touch with our team today to talk about how our contract sales service can assist.
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