The 11 Best Sales Books Every Leader Needs to Read

To be a success in business takes much more than being the best at what you do. To bring in those customers and sales, you have to continually improve your products, your service, yourself and your team. And one of the best ways to get these smarts is through nonfiction books. They’re a great tool for learning. In fact at Dave’s company, reading is held in such high regard that each new team member is given a required reading list on day one to complete in the first 90 days on the job.

The only problem? There are so many books out there, especially on selling, it’s overwhelming. On Amazon, for example, there are nearly a half-million titles on sales. Barnes and Noble lists 100,000-plus. So how do you know what will be the best title to buy? To find out, we asked fellow small-business owners via Twitter and Facebook for their top picks. Here are their favorites and why they like them.

1. Closing the Deal by Zig Ziglar. I’m finding it fascinating. I never thought of myself as a salesperson before! —@PamelaK49477586

2. I believe sales is all about friendships and simply being there to connect and serve others, so my favorite sales books aren't sales books per se. They include How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie and The Success Principles by Jack Canfield. —Jamie Brodersen

3. I love Daniel H. Pink's To Sell is Human. It breaks down selling simply, and it's a super fun read. —@le_rifkinator

4. My favorite is an oldie but a goodie: How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success in Selling by Frank Bettger. —@tech24rva

5. I recently read Permission Marketing by Seth Godin. Applying the concepts of the book, I was able to accomplish some cool stuff. I also love it because I never want to seem spammy, so it's helpful for learning how to sell without being annoying. —Jillian Ryan

6. My favorite book is The Go-Getter by Peter B. Kyne. It reminds me to always go the extra step. —@SpeakerJonRoy

7. How to Sell Your Way Through Life by Napoleon Hill. Your sales presentation must have a motive for the person to buy. —@BennyIts

8. Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People is my favorite. No other book carries over into your entire life more. —@muftiofficial

9. It’s not technically a "sales" book, but I love the The Millionaire Next Door by Tom Stanley. It drives home the understanding that you can't judge a book by its cover. And, as Dave says, "If you want to be rich, do rich people stuff". —Karlton Press

10. Jeff Gitomer’s Little Red Book of Selling is a fun, quick read that gets you pumped up! —Angila Hartzheim

11. Chicken Little sells courage and acts as a warning not to believe everything you are told. —@rjb021080

An essential characteristic of any great leader is a willingness to learn. And one of the easiest ways to gain knowledge is with our EntreLeadership Podcast. Each week, we share tools, tips and great conversation with some of the top business and leadership experts in the country, as well as interviews with fellow EntreLeaders. Listen now.