11 Best Sales Books for Beginners: Master the Art of Selling

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If you’re new to sales, or you feel like you could be doing a better job, then read one of these best sales books for beginners.

Whether your function is in sales or starting your own business, these 11 books will teach you the basics (and beyond) of selling and give you the insights you need to succeed.

Each book is packed with information and advice that will help you close more deals. So, if you’re ready to learn, then keep reading our list of the best sales books for beginners.

1. Sell or Be Sold – Grant Cardone

Grant Cordone’s 2011 book, Sell or Be Sold is a must-read for any sales beginner.

Grant Cardone is a sales expert who has closed over $1 billion in sales. The book covers topics such as finding your target market, identifying your customer’s needs, and how to close the sale.

“Sell or Be Sold” gives tips on how to handle the time after the sale, like following up with the customer and upselling. The goal of the book is to help you become better at selling so you can achieve success in business (and in life).

My favorite quote: ”To the degree that you aren’t proud of the job you’re doing, you won’t be successful; and the degree to which you are successful will determine how proud you are of your career. The career you are in is not the problem—your commitment is the problem!”

2. Little Red Book Of Selling – Jeffrey Gitomer

Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Red Book Of Selling is a classic sales guide. It has helped professionals close deals and build relationships with clients.

The book is packed with useful advice. From the basics of prospecting and cold calling to more advanced topics like negotiating and closing. Gitomer’s writing style is clear and concise, so it is easy to read.

The book is full of real-world examples and case studies that illustrate the points Gitomer is making. From beginner to seasoned sales veteran, “The Little Red Book of Selling” is helpful for understanding the sales process.

My favorite quote: “In order for you to be the BEST you can be for others, first you must be BEST for yourself.”

3. How to Win Friends & Influence People – Dale Carnegie

In this classic, Dale Carnegie offers a guide to becoming more likable and successful in personal and professional lives. How to Win Friends is full of tips on everything. Starting with how to make a favorable first impression, all they way down to handling difficult conversations. All you can account to sales success.

Carnegie’s advice is based on common sense and psychology, and it is presented in an easy-to-understand format. If you’re looking to improve your social skills or want to get better at sales, this book should be on your list.

My favorite quote: “Success in dealing with people depends on a sympathetic grasp of the other person’s viewpoint.”

4. Influence: The Power of Persuasion – Robert Cialdini

In Robert Cialdini’s book, “Influence: The Power of Persuasion“, he explores the six principles of persuasion. And how to ethically use them in various situations.

I found the book insightful, providing concrete examples of how these principles can be employed.

For instance, in the chapter on social proof, Cialdini describes how businesses can increase sales by using customer testimonials. There are also great examples of social selling.

He also discusses the dangers of conformity, and how easy it is to go along with the crowd without realizing it.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about sales. It is well-written and provides valuable insights that can be applied in both personal and professional contexts.

My favorite quote: “A well-known principle of human behavior says that when we ask someone to do us a favor we will be more successful if we provide a reason. People simply like to have reasons for what they do.”

5. Way of the Wolf: Straight Line Selling – Jordan Belfort

Jordan Belfort’s “Way of the Wolf: Straight Line Selling” is a candid and insightful look at the world of sales. Belfort draws on his own experience in the industry. He gives a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to be a successful sales professional.

He covers topics like building rapport, understanding customer needs, and closing with powerful calls to action. While some of Belfort’s methods may be controversial, there is no denying that he is an expert in the field of sales.

My favorite quote: “…amplify that pain by asking the following questions: “How long has this been going on?” “Do you see this getting better or worse?” “How do you see yourself in two years?” “How has it affected your health or your family?” In essence, you want to make sure that you make your prospect talk about their pain. These types of questions will have a powerful impact on opening the prospect’s mind to receiving information, which they will now measure against their pain.”

Related: Read about Jordan Befort’s career and net worth

6. To Sell Is Human – Daniel Pink

To Sell Is Human is a book about the modern world of sales by Daniel Pink. The book was published in 2012 and has since become a New York Times bestseller. Sales people will find it an insightful read.

In To Sell Is Human, Pink argues that selling is no longer just for salespeople. It’s now a fundamental part of everyone’s job. He draws on psychology, sociology, and economics to support that we are all in the business of selling.

Pink offers readers helpful strategies for a successful sales career. He advocates understanding the customer’s point of view, using positive reinforcement, and reframing rejections as opportunities.

This is an insightful and thought-provoking book sure to appeal to anyone who works with people or sells products.

My favorite quote: “Sales and theater have much in common. Both take guts. Salespeople pick up the phone and call strangers; actors walk onto the stage in front of them. Both invite rejection—for salespeople, slammed doors, ignored calls, and a pile of nos; for actors, a failed audition, an unresponsive audience, a scathing review. And both have evolved along comparable trajectories.”

7. Presentation Zen – Garr Reynolds

In Presentation Zen, Garr Reynolds gives readers a blueprint for successful presentations. while it’s not exactly a sales book, good presentations are key to closing sales.

Drawing on his experience as an advertising executive, Reynolds shows the importance of simplicity and clarity in the design of presentations. He also offers helpful tips on how to use visual aids, avoid common pitfalls, and engage the audience.

Reynolds offers enough fresh perspective to make the book worth reading, for beginners and otherwise. Presentation Zen is a well-organized and practical guide for readers to improve their presentation and sales skills.

My favorite quote: “If you need to put eight-point or ten-point fonts up there, it’s because you do not know your material. If you start reading your material because you do not know your material, the audience is very quickly going to think that you are a bozo. They are going to say to themselves ‘This bozo is reading his slides. I can read faster than this bozo can speak. I will just read ahead.”

8. Hacking Sales – Max Altschuler

Hacking Sales is a great book for professionals and sales teams looking to improve their performance. Max Altschuler gives insights into the sales process. And his tips and tricks are sure to help any sales team close more deals.

His advice is practical and easy to put in place, it’s clear that he knows what he’s talking about. If you’re looking for a sales book that will help you improve your results, Hacking Sales is definitely worth checking out.

My favorite quote: “At the end of the day, all selling starts with leads, which is why outbound selling, along with a good lead generation and prospecting process, is so important.”

9. Fanatical Prospecting – Jeb Blount

Fanatical Prospecting is a comprehensive guide to generating more leads and closing more sales. Author Jeb Blount provides a step-by-step system for increasing sales volume and conversion rates.

The book covers topics like goal setting, lead generation, appointment setting, and objection handling. Most of the book is dedicated to providing scripts and templates for cold calling, emailing, and social media prospecting. You’ll learn how to leverage sales technology tools.

The book is full of valuable information for sales professionals of all levels. Fanatical Prospecting is an essential resource for anyone looking to improve their sales skills.

My favorite quote: “Here is the brutal reality. If you don’t have a plan, you will become a part of someone else’s plan. You can either take control of your life or someone else will use you to enhance theirs. It’s your choice.”

10. The Sales Bible: The Ultimate Sales Resource – Jeffrey Gitomer

The Sales Bible is a must-have resource for sales reps. Jeffrey Gitomer offers useful information on how to close deals and increase sales.

The book is well organized and easy to read. With plenty of real-world examples to illustrate the concepts. Gitomer provides a wealth of resources for further study, covering many important sales cycle topics.

My favorite quote: “If they turn you down because of “price,” whose fault is that? If they don’t return your phone call, whose fault is that? If they decided to buy from the competition, whose fault is that? Yours – you couldn’t get the prospect to lean forward. Don’t blame yourself – Take responsibility for it. Learn from it. And then do something about it!”

11. The Sales Development Playbook – Trish Bertuzzi

The Sales Development Playbook is a precise guide for sales development representatives (SDRs).

It covers best practices for every stage of the sales process, from prospecting to nurturing leads to closing deals. Bertuzzi’s experience in sales and business development is evident. She gives clear and actionable advice. Which makes this book an essential resource for anyone working in sales development, and sales management.

The book also includes templates and case studies to illustrate key concepts.

My favorite quote: “The moral of the story: promote only those you would hire. Put your SDRs through the same hiring and evaluation process you would for external candidates. No one benefits—not you, your company, sales leadership, or the SDRs themselves—when a promotion sets reps up to fail.”

Conclusion

The journey to sales greatness begins with learning. And with these 11 sales books, you’ll be well on your way to closing deals and winning customers. The principles are the same whether you’re selling online or in person.

The best books will show you how to improve your sales techniques and master the art of selling. If you’re new to sales and want to become the ultimate sales machine, these books are a great place to start.

Looking to start your own business? Check out our top 10 book recommendations for starting a business.