Sales book

Submitted by Tobin Robeck
in
Our (and Your) Favorite Books

I know this is a little off topice, but I am sales manager and I am looking for a good business to busienss sales book. Gitomer just isn't cutting it.

 

Thanks

Submitted by Greg Fenton on Wednesday November 9th, 2011 3:47 pm

Hi Tarobeck - perhaps take a look at Conceptual Selling and Strategic Selling, both by Miller Heiman.
Best regards,
Greg
Chicago, IL

Submitted by Michael Alan on Thursday November 10th, 2011 9:26 am

Hello Tarobeck,
Here are 4 I recommend.

  1. Selling to VITO by Anthony Prinello - Classic book on getting into and selling the C-Suite
  2. Getting into your customer's head by Kevin Davis.  Late 90's book, but good solution selling book focused on selling based on how your customer buys and where they are in the decision making process.
  3. How to become a rainmaker by Jefferey J Fox.  I have this on CD, it is a good book to listen to in the car.  Simple and concise. 
  4. The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Shwartz.  This is not really a sales book, but I recommend it for any executive, including a sales manager.  It is on how to balance your life and maintain focus to perform at the highest level possible. 

Hope these help.  It is hard to find good actionable sales books. 

Submitted by Darrell Norton on Friday November 11th, 2011 8:59 am

The best actionable sales books I've read are:

  1. SPIN Selling - Neil Rackham
  2. Major Account Sales Strategy - Neil Rackham 

Avoid:

  1. Escaping the price-driven sale (from Rackham's company, but decidedly not actionable, way too much fluff)
  2. Most books with the words "New" and "Selling" in the title
  3. Books by anyone that sold "little stuff" - e.g., Gitomer, Blount, Holmes, the mechanics for small sales are not the same as for larger B2B sales

Sounds promising based on the analysis performed:

  1. The Challenger Sale - see http://www.executiveboard.com/challenger/
Submitted by Jerel Bonner on Friday November 11th, 2011 11:17 pm

Totally agree that if you can apply what you learn from SPIN Selling - your sales will improve.
I also recommend that you read Harvey McKay's earlier book, How to Swim with the Sharks. There are lots of good things in there too.
JHB  "00"

Submitted by Jerel Bonner on Friday November 11th, 2011 11:28 pm

Totally agree that if you can apply what you learn from SPIN Selling - your sales will improve.
I also recommend that you read Harvey McKay's earlier book, How to Swim with the Sharks. There are lots of good things in there too.
JHB  "00"

Submitted by Mark Horstman on Sunday November 13th, 2011 10:17 am

Are Rackham and Strategic Selling.
I've always been a little confounded by Gitomer's books successes.  Always felt they were a little light.
Mark 

Submitted by Robert Hernandez on Wednesday March 28th, 2012 12:38 pm

I've had success with Rackham. I wrote to Gitomer once to point out why I thought an example of his was off-base, and I got a relatively unfriendly reply from "Mr. Positivity." We went back and forth for a minute, and he wound up next-day airing me some of his stuff, most signed.
Does anyone want it?
Take care,
Robert Hernandez 

Submitted by Shane MacQuarrie on Wednesday March 28th, 2012 9:50 pm

 Anyone in sales would probably be interested in something like this. I know I am. I am interested to hear how the rest of your correspondence turned out. 
 
Mac

Submitted by Tom Lin on Tuesday October 15th, 2013 7:26 pm

a little off subject.  I'm planning to start to ask my team to read business books.  Team is composed of 7 people, is it too much to ask each one to read a different book and share its content?  or is the best approach to get the same book for all 7 people?