The 25 Best Sales Books of All Time to Help You Close Any Deal

The 25 Best Sales Books of All Time to Help You Close Any Deal Cover

According to legendary investor Naval Ravikant, every business needs a “builder” and a “seller.” At Apple, for example, Steve Wozniak came up with the tech, and Steve Jobs sold both the vision and the product. While you probably have a stronger natural tendency towards one side or the other, both can be learned. That said, most people would argue selling is the easier skill to pick up, and that’s where sales books come in!

Some people ooze charisma. Think about George Clooney or Penélope Cruz. They could sell you a fridge in the Arctic with nothing more than a smile. But even if you didn’t win the genetic lottery, you can still learn to make convincing arguments, because the process of selling is always the same, no matter how good (or bad) the seller may look. While you’ll need lots of real-world practice, at the end of the day, selling is psychology, and that’s an area we can learn a ton about from books!

So, after summarizing over 1,000 books here at Four Minute Books, today, we’d like to share the 25 best titles about sales with you. They will help you get more comfortable with selling, show you how to network properly, make you a better negotiator, explain the psychology behind why we buy stuff, and teach you how to close any deal.

 

To help you find the exact book you need right now as quickly as possible, we’ve sorted this list into various categories. We’ll start with the best books on sales overall, then go into the psychology of selling and becoming more comfortable with sales. We’ll also cover networking, negotiations, pitching, the value-based approach, and even advertising.

For each book on our list, we’ve included our favorite quote, a one-sentence-summary of the book, why you might want to read it, and three key takeaways. We’ve also added some snazzy buttons so you can instantly read their free summaries on our site or buy a copy for yourself on Amazon (affiliate links).

Simply use the clickable table of contents below to jump to any book or category, and start learning more about sales right away!

Alright, let’s get on board the sales train! Here are the best books about sales!


Best Sales Books Overall

1. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Best Sales Books #1: How to Win Friends & Influence People

Favorite Quote

“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” — Dale Carnegie

The Book in One Sentence

How to Win Friends & Influence People will teach you countless principles to become a likable person, handle your relationships well, win others over, and help them change their behavior without being intrusive.

Why should you read it?

This book is both a cliché and a classic, but it gets both labels because it works. Rather than drown you in science-speak, it is a practical book full of everyday tips. The books core message falls along the lines of, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Whether you want to make more friends, build better relationships, or form professional connections without effort, I would recommend this book to almost anyone! For more advice from Carnegie specifically around sales, you can also read The Sales Advantage.

Key Takeaways

  1. You can make a great first impression just by smiling.
  2. To be interesting to others, talk about their favorite topic: themselves.
  3. If you want to convince people, get them to say “Yes” a lot.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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2. Influence by Robert Cialdini

Best Sales Books #2: Influence

Favorite Quote

“Our best evidence of what people truly feel and believe comes less from their words than from their deeds.” — Robert Cialdini

The Book in One Sentence

Influence has been the go-to book for marketers since its release in 1984, delivering six key principles behind human influence and explaining them with countless practical examples.

Why should you read it?

This is the more scientific version of Carnegie’s book, if you will. However, it still offers a simple acronym, CLASSR, which you can use to remember the six principles, and it is packed with real-world examples. If you’re a marketer or salesperson, this is a must-read. Think of it as your onboarding manual — except it’ll be a lot more fun to read than any dry documentation. If you’re looking for a follow-up or slightly more up to date version, check out Pre-Suasion, also written by Cialdini.

Key Takeaways

  1. You can use the reciprocity bias to build up a massive good-karma account.
  2. The scarcity bias works because we hate to miss opportunities.
  3. Make a small commitment to trigger your consistency bias and reach your goal.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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3. The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes

Best Sales Books #3: The Ultimate Sales Machine

Favorite Quote

“Mastery isn’t about doing 4,000 things. It’s about doing 12 things 4.000 times.” — Chet Holmes

The Book in One Sentence

The Ultimate Sales Machine is Chet Holmes’ legacy and gift to salespeople all over the world, teaching them 12 key strategies to relentlessly focus and execute on in order to double their sales and more.

Why should you read it?

Becoming good at sales is one thing, scaling the process at your company is another. This book offers advice on both, so if you want to learn how to train a sales team to succeed, this is your go-to guide.

Key Takeaways

  1. Offer recurring trainings for your sales staff.
  2. Don’t just sell your product, sell the whole store.
  3. Shoot for the moon by targeting decision-makers in big companies.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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4. The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino

Best Sales Books #4: The Greatest Salesman in the World

Favorite Quote

“Do not aspire for wealth and labor not only to be rich. Strive instead for happiness, to be loved and to love, and most important to acquire peace of mind and serenity.” — Og Mandino

The Book in One Sentence

The Greatest Salesman in the World is a business classic that will help you become better at sales by becoming a better person all around.

Why should you read it?

If you want a humble, noble approach to selling, this is the book for you. Inspired by Christian ideals, you’ll find it to be a great manual for being a good person all around — and sell more in the process. The book was written over 50 years ago, so you’ll have to forgive it some of its tone and language, but if you do, you’ll learn a lot!

Key Takeaways

  1. The most productive thing you can do to sell stuff is to love other people.
  2. Never give up, but never proceed unprepared.
  3. Whatever you’re trying to accomplish, do your best to control your emotions.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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5. SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham

Best Sales Books #5: SPIN Selling

Favorite Quote

“My objective is not to close the sale but to open a relationship.” — Neil Rackham

The Book in One Sentence

SPIN Selling is a four-part sales framework, distilled from over 35,000 sales calls and 12 years of research on the topic, which will help you become a sales expert in no time.

Why should you read it?

When you’re just starting out in sales, you can’t handle too much information. You need a simple model you can apply instantly in cold calls, pitches, and other everyday sales activities. This book will provide that model. With four simple mindset shifts, you’ll assess customer’s situations much better and be able to tailor your offerings to their needs.

Key Takeaways

  1. To get more sales, use the SPIN method: situation, problem, implication, and need-payoff.
  2. Know the difference between features and benefits and when to use each.
  3. The only way to become a better salesperson is to practice.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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6. Hooked by Nir Eyal

Best Sales Books #6: Hooked

Favorite Quote

“All humans are motivated to seek pleasure and avoid pain, to seek hope and avoid fear, and finally, to seek social acceptance and avoid rejection.” — Nir Eyal

The Book in One Sentence

Hooked shows you how some of the world’s most successful products, like smartphones, make us form habits around them, why that’s crucial to their success, and how you too can use the four-step framework they rely on to make your product a success.

Why should you read it?

This book feels like it belongs in the forbidden section of the Hogwarts library, but in today’s social-media-heavy environment, it is also required reading. If you’ve ever wondered what makes social media so addictive, you have to read this book. It’ll also help you make your products more sticky, but remember: Knowledge is power, and we must do our best to use our power for good.

Key Takeaways

  1. The most successful products in the world make us form habits around them.
  2. One of the key ingredients of a habit-forming product is having variable rewards.
  3. Ask yourself 2 questions to find out whether your product should be habit-forming in the first place.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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7. Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely

Best Sales Books #7: Predictably Irrational

Favorite Quote

“The danger of expecting nothing is that, in the end, it might be all we’ll get.” — Dan Ariely

The Book in One Sentence

Predictably Irrational explains the hidden processes behind how we make decisions, which are far less rational than we think but can help us stay on top of our finances, interact better with others, and live happier lives.

Why should you read it?

This is a book I would recommend whether or not you’re in sales. As an individual, it’ll help you make better decisions and fight some of the biases in your brain. As a marketer, it’ll help you frame and price your offerings more efficiently. We’re wired to pick an option as soon as we’re presented with more than one, and this idea alone will forever change how you try to convince potential customers.

Key Takeaways

  1. We compare whatever we can, so give people comparisons that make it easy to pick you.
  2. Free is really just another price — but a powerful one.
  3. You overvalue what you own.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Sales Books About the Psychology of Buying & Selling

8. Buyology by Martin Lindstrom

Best Books About Sales #8: Buyology

Favorite Quote

“When we brand things, our brains perceive them as more special and valuable than they actually are.” — Martin Lindstrom

The Book in One Sentence

Buyology will help you spend less money on stuff you don’t need, thanks to revealing the psychological traps companies use to get you to purchase their products without even realizing what’s going on.

Why should you read it?

This book will improve your own money-spending decisions as a consumer, but it’ll also help you see into the minds of your customers. What makes them tick? What do they think before buying? Learn how to resist tempting items on the shelves, and you’ll also learn how to address your customers’ objections.

Key Takeaways

  1. When products are advertised as status-increasing, we are biologically wired to buy them.
  2. If watching an ad makes you scared, it increases the chances you’ll buy whatever it’s selling.
  3. One way that companies get us to buy more is through subliminal messages.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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9. Brainfluence by Roger Dooley

Best Books About Sales #9: Brainfluence

Favorite Quote

“What people really want is the ability to connect to each other, not to companies.” — Roger Dooley

The Book in One Sentence

Brainfluence will help you get more sales by revealing people’s subconscious thinking patterns as well as what motivates them to make buying decisions.

Why should you read it?

We’re all biased. We have a soft spot for babies, cats, and dogs. When we process numbers, we do so in certain ways. Our brains want to cut corners. This book will show you many of those corners and, as a result, you’ll be able to present your products in more persuasive ways.

Key Takeaways

  1. Putting a baby on your ad will make it more effective.
  2. If you’re trying to talk someone into making a purchase, meet in person and speak into their right ear.
  3. The element of surprise is one of the best ways of getting people’s attention.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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10. Brandwashed by Martin Lindstrom 

Best Books About Sales #10: Brandwashed

Favorite Quote

“The fear of failure drives consumers far more than the promise of success.” — Martin Lindstrom

The Book in One Sentence

Brandwashed will reveal the psychological tricks and tactics giant corporations use to hardcode their brands into our brains and thus get us to buy their products without any longer questioning their value.

Why should you read it?

When I say “electric car,” you think “Tesla.” This kind of association is priceless, and while it can’t exactly be bought, it can be manufactured. This book is both a guide to and a guard against branding in all its multi-faceted, powerful ways. Learn to build a great brand, and all of your sales activities will become a lot easier.

Key Takeaways

  1. Fear makes you irrational, and stores use this to get you to purchase things that you don’t really need.
  2. Companies design their products and marketing to prey on your addictive tendencies.
  3. Fake peer pressure is another way vendors trick you into buying.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Sales Books For Getting Comfortable With Selling

11. To Sell Is Human by Daniel Pink

Best Books About Sales #11: To Sell Is Human

Favorite Quote

“Anytime you’re tempted to upsell someone else, stop what you’re doing and upserve instead.” — Daniel Pink

The Book in One Sentence

To Sell Is Human shows you that selling is part of your life no matter what you do, and that you can be successful at it if you follow a few practical ideas that will help you convince others in more honest, natural, and sustainable ways.

Why should you read it?

If you feel uncomfortable promoting things, this book is for you. It’ll show you that we all sell, just in different capacities, and that it needn’t feel sleazy or inappropriate. Pink’s work will provide a new perspective on sales, helping you to navigate this world more calmly and effortlessly.

Key Takeaways

  1. Almost half of your time at work is spent in non-sales selling, which is really just trying to move others to action.
  2. Honesty and service are taking over sales because the internet has closed the information gap.
  3. Use “Yes, and…” when talking to customers to make sure they stay positive and engaged.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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12. The Psychology of Selling by Brian Tracy

Best Books About Sales #12: The Psychology of Selling

Favorite Quote

“Help yourself warm up and prepare mentally by repeating, ‘I feel happy! I feel healthy! I feel terrific!’ It is not possible for you to talk positively to yourself, using words like this, without immediately feeling happier and more confident.” — Brian Tracy

The Book in One Sentence

The Psychology of Selling will help you close more deals by working on a more positive self-image, teaching you a sales process that feels natural and flows from the inside out, using relationships and natural connections to sell without pressure.

Why should you read it?

If you believe in the power of the subconscious, perhaps approaching sales from that perspective will make sense. Tracy will show you that you don’t need a lot of complex vocabulary, just a relentless focus on what’s in it for the customer. Don’t think too business-y, try to help other humans, and your subconscious will do the rest.

Key Takeaways

  1. Use the power of your subconscious to become more successful.
  2. Learn from the right people to make sure your passion and motivation never run out.
  3. Questions are the holy grail of unearthing customers’ needs and addressing them to sell more.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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13. Agile Selling by Jill Konrath

Best Books About Sales #13: Agile Selling

Favorite Quote

“Eat your pride; ask for help earlier rather than later.” — Jill Konrath

The Book in One Sentence

Agile Selling will help you become a great salesperson by learning on the job and adapting quickly, showing you case studies of many successful people who thrive in unusual sales positions thanks to these same skills.

Why should you read it?

This is a book about learning as much as it is about selling, and this is yet another lens we can use to make sales less intimidating. If your goal is to learn and adapt, you won’t worry as much about botched pitches or sales calls where people hang up on you. A wonderful approach to selling that’ll make you less inclined to give up too soon!

Key Takeaways

  1. Let go of your negative attitude and look at things in a new way, even when you fail.
  2. Whenever you start a new job, try to get a confidence-building win as quickly as possible.
  3. Personalize your pitch by improving your communication skills.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Sales Books For Networking & Connecting With People 

14. Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi

Best Books for Sales #14: Never Eat Alone

Favorite Quote

“Success in any field, but especially in business, is about working with people, not against them.” — Keith Ferrazzi

The Book in One Sentence

Never Eat Alone is a modern classic explaining the art of networking, full of actionable advice on how you can harness the power of good relationships, become a great networker, and build a career you love.

Why should you read it?

Networking should be as easy as 1-2-3. Most people overthink it. If you do too, this book is for you. Learn how to build more connections in a relaxed, non-forced way, and begin to see coworkers as friends. This looks like a business book, but it’s actually a “life book,” and the result is wonderful: better relationships with much less strain and stress.

Key Takeaways

  1. Relationships aren’t like cake — they’re like muscles.
  2. You must build your network long before you need it.
  3. How you spend time with people is much more important than how much time you spend with them.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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15. How to Talk to Anyone by Leil Lowndes

Best Books for Sales #15: How to Talk to Anyone

Favorite Quote

“When you act as though you like someone, you start to really like them.” — Leil Lowndes

The Book in One Sentence

How to Talk to Anyone is a collection of actionable tips to help you master the art of human communication, leave great first impressions, and make people feel comfortable around you in all walks of life.

Why should you read it?

Are you the one quietly standing at the bar grabbing canapé after canapé while everyone else is engrossed in conversation? Then this one’s for you. Use Leil’s icebreakers and dozens of tips and tactics to warm up to and with people, and have better, more smoothly flowing conversations — not just in sales but any setting!

Key Takeaways

  1. A seamless introduction will almost always lead to a smooth chat.
  2. Emulating and empathizing with people makes it easy for them to become your friend.
  3. Praise is useful, but reserve your most specific compliments for family and close friends.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Sales Books For Negotiations

16. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss

Best Books for Sales #16: Never Split the Difference

Favorite Quote

“He who has learned to disagree without being disagreeable has discovered the most valuable secret of negotiation.” ― Chris Voss

The Book in One Sentence

Never Split the Difference is one of the best negotiation manuals ever written, explaining why you should never compromise, and how to negotiate like a pro in your everyday life as well as high-stakes situations.

Why should you read it?

Once you find yourself in an important negotiation, it is too late to learn how to negotiate. Better do it while you don’t need it — and there’s no one better to learn it from than Chris Voss, a former FBI, high-stakes negotiator. If you feel like you’re often getting the short end of the stick, this book is for you.

Key Takeaways

  1. Build trust through mirroring and using the right tone of voice.
  2. Label the emotions of the other person to position yourself well in a negotiation.
  3. Take things slowly, don’t accept demands, and do not compromise.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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17. Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher, William Ury & Bruce Patton

Top Sales Books #17: Getting to Yes

Favorite Quote

“People listen better if they feel that you have understood them. They tend to think that those who understand them are intelligent and sympathetic people whose own opinions may be worth listening to. So if you want the other side to appreciate your interests, begin by demonstrating that you appreciate theirs.” — Roger Fisher, William Ury & Bruce Patton

The Book in One Sentence

Getting to Yes is a handbook for successful negotiations, showing how to resolve conflicts of all kinds and reach win-win solutions without either giving up or making the other party unhappy.

Why should you read it?

Would you like to stop viewing negotiating like a competition? Then read this book. It’ll help you create true winners on all sides without compromising what’s most important to you. From big roundtable discussions to deciding what movie to watch, this book will help you reach better agreements with others.

Key Takeaways

  1. When you’re negotiating, always remember you’re doing so with human beings who are just like you in many ways.
  2. Don’t start a discussion with the solution you want; consider all options to reach a win-win outcome instead.
  3. If you are well-prepared, your negotiations will go well too.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Sales Books For Persuasion, Pitching, and Closing the Deal

18. Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff

Top Sales Books #18: Pitch Anything

Favorite Quote

“There are limits to the human attention span, which is why a pitch must be brief, concise, and interesting.” — Oren Klaff

The Book in One Sentence

Pitch Anything outlines tactics and strategies from a field called neuroeconomics to give you an entirely new way of presenting, pitching, and convincing other people of your ideas and offers.

Why should you read it?

If you present a lot, you’ll love this one. Be it for pitch decks, project slides, or telling a friend about a new restaurant they have to try, this book will provide you with new terminology and better ways of showcasing your ideas to other people. Some of it is a bit manipulative, so be sure to only use its lessons in the right context, but this is a great sales book all around!

Key Takeaways

  1. Your pitch must speak to your audience’s neanderthal brain.
  2. Make yourself the prize.
  3. Use multiple so-called “frames” to trigger a gut decision in your favor.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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19. Doesn’t Hurt to Ask by Trey Gowdy

Top Sales Books #19: Doesn't Hurt to Ask

Favorite Quote

“You own every declarative comment that comes out of your mouth, but with questions you have an out. Because of that, questions are perhaps first and foremost the safest route in the art of persuasion.” — Trey Gowdy

The Book in One Sentence

Doesn’t Hurt to Ask teaches persuasion via asking the right questions, explaining that intentional questions are the key to sharing your ideas, connecting with your audience, and convincing people both in the office and at home.

Why should you read it?

If you’re looking for an incredibly detailed read on the power of questions, this is it. Questions make sales a casual affair. You’re not pushing. You’re inquiring. And with this book, you’ll never run out of things to ask!

Key Takeaways

  1. Asking questions is the key to the subtle art of persuasion. 
  2. You can strengthen your argument by measuring your words, repeating yourself, and repackaging your opponent’s claims. 
  3. If you need to cut your losses in an argument, divert, deconstruct, double-down, and play the victim.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Sales Books For a Giver Mentality & Value-Based Approach

20. Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk

Top Sales Books #20: Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook

Favorite Quote

“While it’s true that you can’t land a solid right hook if you don’t set up the punch with a series of good jabs, it’s also true that no fight has ever been won on jabs alone. Eventually, you have to take your shot.” — Gary Vaynerchuk

The Book in One Sentence

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook is a call to tell your story on social media and do it right, giving three times as much as you ask for and, therefore, actually being heard when you speak up.

Why should you read it?

If you like Gary Vee, this book is a fun, different format of getting the gist of one of his most important ideas. If not, then it might be a better way to sample his work than his high-energy talks and videos on Youtube. “Give three times as much as you ask for,” is a simple but powerful idea, and in this book, Gary drives it home. Especially great for social media power users!

Key Takeaways

  1. If you’re not on social media, you’re going to lose in the game of sales.
  2. Constantly deliver great content that’s custom-tailored to each platform before asking for something in return.
  3. Instagram is your best bet for massive engagement among the masses.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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21. The Go-Giver by Bob Burg

Best Sales Books #21: The Go-Giver

Favorite Quote

“Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.” — Bob Burg

The Book in One Sentence

The Go-Giver paves a path to success in business and at work via being authentic, improving as a person, and delivering as much value to others as possible.

Why should you read it?

This book looks at entrepreneurship from a “go and serve your community” perspective. It’s a powerful read that has the power to transform not just your work and sales relationships, but your personal ones too. Become a go-giver, and it’ll be a lot easier to close deals whenever you really need to.

Key Takeaways

  1. Develop a go-giver mentality to begin your journey to success and find joy in what you do.
  2. Product improvements have limits, but the power of improving customer experience is infinite.
  3. Make authenticity the foundation of your business so that customers will have positive, memorable experiences with it.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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22. Free: The Future of a Radical Price by Chris Anderson

Best Sales Books #22: Free: The Future of a Radical Price

Favorite Quote

“If something used to cost money and now doesn’t, we tend to correlate that with a decline in quality. But if something never cost money, we don’t feel the same way.” — Chris Anderson

The Book in One Sentence

Free: The Future of a Radical Price tells the history of “free” as a price, showing it to now be more than a marketing gimmick thanks to the internet, a truly sustainable business strategy that is already changing how we sell things through free and freemium models.

Why should you read it?

If you’re a hesitant salesperson or marketer, this one’s for you. Perhaps you can take the path of “free!” Learn to attract an audience with free yet awesome work, then begin charging for whatever else they might need. A good book to read for its visionary predictions alone (it was published in 2009), but also a helpful guide to navigating the complex implications of “$0” products.

Key Takeaways

  1. There is no free lunch – free things were originally given away to get you to buy something else instead.
  2. In the gift economy, attention is what we use to value things.
  3. Build an audience with a free product, then figure out what to charge them for.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Sales Books For Advertising

23. Confessions of an Advertising Man by David Ogilvy

Best Sales Books #23: Confessions of an Advertising Man

Favorite Quote

“Where people aren’t having any fun, they seldom produce good work.” — David Ogilvy

The Book in One Sentence

Confessions of an Advertising Man is the marketing bible of the 60s, written by “the father of advertising,” David Ogilvy, to inspire a philosophy of honesty, hard work, and ethical behavior in this industry.

Why should you read it?

If you need a pick-me-up that’ll make you feel more hopeful, maybe even proud to be a marketer or salesperson, this is it. Even in a time when bad mass marketing was only beginning, Ogilvy already spoke out against it and tried to reverse the trend. An inspiring read with some great tips on how to make great ads to boot!

Key Takeaways

  1. Only market things you believe in.
  2. Advertising is meant to sell, not to entertain.
  3. Use facts, mystery, and the latest research to create good advertisements.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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24. Facebook Ads Manual by Mojca Mars

Best Sales Books #24: Facebook Ads Manual

Favorite Quote

“The guys with the big bucks don’t always win. The smart ones do, no matter the budget.” — Mojca Mars

The Book in One Sentence

Facebook Ads Manual gives you an exact, step-by-step tutorial to create and run your first Facebook ads campaign, allowing you to market your product, page, or yourself to a massive audience for next to no money.

Why should you read it?

If you want to run your first Facebook ads campaign or are running them as part of your job already, this book will serve you well. It is a great start-to-finish guide, simple in its language and instructions, and the rules it suggests are all based on common sense. Get the answers others often don’t provide, like how much to spend on your ads when, and learn to kick ass at Facebook ads!

Key Takeaways

  1. Go through the GRAB² model before every single campaign you create.
  2. Use the 20/30/50 rule to spend your budget most effectively.
  3. Narrow down your target audience to 300,000 people or less, if you can.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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25. Cashvertising by Drew Eric Whitman

Best Sales Books #25: Cashvertising

Favorite Quote

“To understand why people buy, we should know people and have a keen sense of human nature. We should know how people think, how people live, and be acquainted with the standards and customs affecting their everyday lives.” — Drew Eric Whitman

The Book in One Sentence

Cashvertising will turn you into an expert at crafting compelling ads thanks to humans’ eight basic desires, the three parts of a great headline, and plenty of other actionable techniques and advertising strategies.

Why should you read it?

Are you a visual person? Would you like to know why our eyes are glued to some ads but not others? Then this book is for you. Learn to compose masterful ads that keep your customers’ attention with a mix of words and images. Needs some updates here and there, but overall still a solid read about advertising principles.

Key Takeaways

  1. Humans have 8 core desires that you must appeal to for marketing success.
  2. Follow 3 steps to craft a persuasive headline that gets people to click and read.
  3. Writing longer articles won’t scare people away; actually, it is proven to draw them in more than shorter copy does.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Conclusion

The builder. The seller. “The ultimate is when one individual can do both,” Naval says. Case in point? Elon Musk. Musk has enough technical aptitude to judge the ins and outs of what makes a good rocket or car, but his main job is selling the vision of SpaceX and the cars Tesla makes.

Whether you’re a builder hoping to learn how to sell or a seller who wants to get even better at their craft, we hope our list of the best sales books will help you get the job done. Even if you’re a beginner, you’ll find some gradual introduction titles. Pick whichever one most resonates with you, and get started!

Final fun fact: Akira the Don turned Naval’s riff on building and selling into a song, and it’s a great tune to listen to while you pick your next sales read! “Learn to sell. Learn to build. If you can do both, you will be unstoppable.”


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Last Updated on February 20, 2023