5 Sales Books to Sharpen Your Sales Skills

I was recently called "the crazy book lady" at a conference! I'm owning my new title with pride!   

I often get asked to share my favourite books, which I struggle with, as it's kind of like picking your favourite child (maybe that's why I only have one child!).   

I've picked the ones which I think will help most in the current environment.  

I'm a massive believer in reading even just a couple of pages a day to constantly keep learning!  

If you're looking for your next sales read, here are a few of my favourites.  

1. "Sales EQ: How Ultra High Performers Leverage Sales-Specific Emotional Intelligence to Close the Complex Deal" by Jeb Blount   

Jeb Blount's "Sales EQ" is a masterclass in Sales-Specific Emotional Intelligence (Sales EQ). Blount breaks down how understanding and managing emotions can give you the edge in building rapport and closing deals. With a focus on the four pillars—self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management—you'll learn how to connect more deeply with clients and drive better results.  

Why I love it?   

Historically we never focused on EQ in sales and now it's one of the skill most new hiring managers are looking for! It's safe to say it's no longer a "nice to have" soft skill.   

2. "The Ultimate LinkedIn Sales Guide: How to Use Digital and Social Selling to Turn LinkedIn Into a Lead, Sales and Revenue Generating Machine" by Daniel Disney

 Daniel Disney's "The Ultimate LinkedIn Sales Guide" uncovers the untapped potential of LinkedIn for sales prospecting and lead generation. Disney offers actionable tips for optimising your profile, engaging prospects, and leveraging social selling. By fully utilising LinkedIn's tools, you can expand your network, build credibility, and discover new business opportunities.  

Why I love it?   

I've personally managed to get some of the most amazing relationships, partnerships and customers from following Daniel's advice. Most ironically, his approach helped me build my own relationship with LinkedIn.   

3. "Emotional Intelligence for Sales Success: Connect with Customers and Get Results" by Colleen Stanley, CEO   

Colleen Stanley's "Emotional Intelligence for Sales Success" highlights the power of emotional intelligence (EI) in sales. Stanley provides practical techniques for developing EI skills like self-awareness, empathy, and relationship management. Mastering these skills will help you build stronger relationships with customers, anticipate their needs, and achieve outstanding results.  

Why I love it?   

More of the above, I love bringing psychology and emotional intelligence more heavily into sales; after all, we buy emotionally, and as humans, we act emotionally! I really enjoyed Colleen's writing style and taking scientific well researched concepts and making them easy to read for folks like me!  

4. "The Ultimate Sales Machine: Turbocharge Your Business with Relentless Focus on 12 Key Strategies" by Chet Holmes with Amanda Holmes

Chet Holmes' "The Ultimate Sales Machine" is a comprehensive guide to driving business growth through a focus on 12 key strategies. From time management to strategic planning and effective management systems, Holmes offers invaluable insights for boosting sales performance. By adopting a disciplined approach, you can achieve breakthrough results and outperform your competition.  

Why I love it?  

This is the sales book I revisit most frequently, a minimum of once a year! Chet really unpacks the brutal truth of what it really takes to be successful in sales, pigheaded discipline and has proven prospecting approaches that I've embraced myself and with clients.   

5. "Fanatical Prospecting: The Ultimate Guide to Opening Sales Conversations and Filling the Pipeline by Leveraging Social Selling, Telephone, Email, Text, and Cold Calling" by Jeb Blount   

Jeb Blount's "Fanatical Prospecting" is the ultimate playbook for filling your sales pipeline with qualified leads. Blount stresses the importance of consistency and persistence, using a multi-channel approach that includes social selling, cold calling, and email outreach. With a fanatical approach to prospecting, you'll uncover new opportunities, drive revenue growth, and excel in sales.  

Why I love it?  

Prospecting is one of the top topics of conversation I am hearing in my circles, so I feel this one is very timely and relevant for a lot of people. I like that Jeb focuses on the multi-channel and multi-touch approach to prospecting, which I likewise agree with.   

There are so many more that I love, from Larry Levine's Selling with Heart to The Jolt Effect (which I'm currently reading), but these five books spoke to me this week based on client conversations.   

I'm curious: What sales books would you add to my list?   

P.S. If your FY25 Sales Kick Off is on the horizon, I'd love to help ignite and upskill your sales team for the year ahead. You can book a call with me here!