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A career in inside sales starts by picking up the phone. Repeat the process a few thousand times, and you will get the gist of it.
However, it doesn’t mean you can’t cut corners!
We picked these books for you to learn quicker about inside sales and “steal” a career’s worth experience in only a few months!
The books are sorted so you can know exactly when to read and make use of each one.
Inside sales job demands you stay educated, read, learn and improve yourself every day.
That’s why we assembled this list of inside sales books enriched with some unusual, but still valuable knowledge that will help you not only sell more, but to become strong, determined and independent person that keeps everything in order.
From motivational classics and hostage situations to bold and blunt elevator pitch tactics; for the hungry and the overstuffed, beginners and experts – pick your own and enjoy the reading!
Table of Contents
Just starting out in Inside Sales? Try these out!
Sales rookies, welcome aboard!
It is time for you to start reading, in addition to making the calls around the clock.
The books we picked for your level will help you:
- establish an efficient routine;
- keep the right mindset;
- prepare for many different scenarios on the phone;
- try out some timeless sales techniques.
There’s a lot of things for you to learn – these enjoyable books are a good start.
1. How to win friends and influence people
Image source: Amazon
- Author: Dale Carnegie
- Published: 1936.
- Best for: Beginners
If you’re on a self-improvement kick right now, this book will be your most valuable asset!
This is one of those bestsellers everybody should read, but it will be especially useful to salespeople who often find themselves completely discouraged after a bad workday.
How to Win Friends & Influence People will show you how to remain positive, make an impact on people and be more likable – things all industry professionals need like the desert needs the rain. The advice you find here are applicable in everyday life too!
2. Ziglar on Selling: The Ultimate Handbook for the Complete Sales Professional
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- Author: Zig Ziglar
- Published: 2003.
- Best for: Beginners
Zig Ziglar was, and still is, one of the biggest names in the sales industry. His motivational speeches lifted the spirits of the people worldwide since the seventies until 2010, and his books are still highly sought-after, years later.
From the 30 books he wrote on personal development, success, sales, and leadership, Ziglar on Selling is the one we picked for the timeless principles he teaches, useful not only for sales professionals but for working people in general.
Positive attitude, delivering value, helping others and staying ethical – Ziglar deems these skills necessary for a good, long-lasting career in sales, and a fulfilled life in addition to that.
This book will make you laugh, feel refreshed, learn how to prospect and stay sane in times of stress – and so much more!
3. Fanatical Prospecting: The Ultimate Guide to Opening Sales Conversations and Filling the Pipeline by Leveraging Social Selling, Telephone, Email, Text, and Cold Calling
Image source: Amazon
- Author: Jeb Blount
- Published: 2015.
- Best for: Professionals and Entrepreneurs
This book will teach you the art of keeping the pipeline full at all times!
Fanatical Prospecting is an honest book that focuses on practical techniques and tools that are proven to be efficient; from voicemail to social selling, The 30-Day Rule and The Law of Replacement, to the exact ways to handle different kinds of prospects.
Most importantly – it will show you how to perfect the prospecting process, so you never have to second guess your choices.
So, you think you’re an expert in Inside Sales?
You have spent countless hours on the phone and have quite a few tricks up your sleeve, but still think you can improve?
That’s fantastic! The real growth is slow, but steady – and doesn’t happen overnight. The pros know all about it and keep learning new things even as the old dogs.
Build your career day by day, and include some of these books in your routine if you want to:
- try out some new selling tactics;
- look into behavior studies and find out more about people;
- level-up your career.
4. The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation
Image source: Amazon
- Authors: Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson
- Published: 2011.
- Best for: Professionals and Psychology Enthusiasts
Dixon and Adamson challenge the traditional sales rule that relationship building is the most important thing to achieve success.
They conducted a thorough study of thousands of sales reps from different industries and countries by examining their behavior, attitude, knowledge and skills.
According to their study, they managed to divide all the sales reps into the five categories – out of them, only The Challengers consistently deliver the best results.
The Challengers are described as assertive and well-informed about the specific wants and needs of their potential customers – and tailor their sales pitch accordingly.
This book offers a new perspective by focusing on the salespeople more, and slightly less on the customers – and how to know make the customers think in a new way.
5. SNAP Selling: Speed Up Sales and Win More Business with Today’s Frazzled Customers
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- Author: Jill Konrath
- Published: 2010.
- Best for: Professionals
Jill Konrath is a well-known sales strategist, author, and speaker with a long, successful career that speaks for her: her clients include IBM, Hilton, and GE.
This book does an amazing job when it comes to describing today’s consumers and their attitude towards salespeople; Jill Konrath also teaches you how to stop wasting time – both yours and clients’ time, how to grab the attention and create a pitch that works in B2B inside sales.
In this book, she offers four key principles that will help you overcome these difficulties and close the sales – SNAP Rules, as she calls them, are:
- Keep it Simple
- Be Invaluable
- Always Align
- Raise Priorities
Not many inside sales books offer such concrete advice; learn these rules, apply them and watch your sales grow!
6. The Sales Development Playbook: Build Repeatable Pipeline and Accelerate Growth with Inside Sales
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- Author: Trish Bertuzzi
- Published: 2016.
- Best for: Ambitious Salespeople, Professionals
Listening to practical, real-life examples of established industry veterans will provide you with the most valuable lessons you can acquire.
Trish Bertuzzi’s experience is more than a mere lesson
The Sales Development Playbook focuses on company growth by applying a strategy that’s highly customer-oriented, efficient prospecting, leadership and recruiting. This will be especially useful for salespeople who want to take the initiative and learn from three decades of real-life sales experience.
The elements of raising the sales through the roof include tips on:
- Strategy
- Specialization
- Recruiting
- Retention
- Execution
- Leadership
Let us surprise you!
There is more to life than work.
Sometimes, you need to step back and read something that will freshen up your perspective and mentality – not only to have a rest from the good ole 9-to-5, but to make those working hours count for something. You can’t pour from an empty cup!
That’s the reason why we wanted to include these books, and make you think of something unorthodox.
7. Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It
Image source: Amazon
- Author: Christopher Voss
- Published: 2016.
- Best for: the ones that don’t take no for an answer
Chris Voss knows what to do when things go south – and by that we mean when they go straight to Hell. He spent his career resolving the hostage situations in the FBI and decided to share his knowledge and experience with the world.
The emotional intelligence and intuition are the key components of a successful negotiator, no matter the goal; buying a new car, negotiating a higher salary, or dealing with a client – exceptional persuasion skills will get you far in life – not to mention the sales!
8. The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months
Image source: Amazon
- Author: Brian P. Moran
- Published: 2013.
- Best for: the ones who think that 24-hour day just doesn’t do it
If you dream of a day that lasts long enough for you to do the work, have fun and rest well – this is just the book you need!
In The 12 Week Year, you will learn how to condense one month to a single week, by employing a crazy-effective schedule that focuses on your top priorities.
You might think that switching the traditional Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 for this way of time organization is impossible, but if you try it out, you’ll notice that this mindset creates a sense of urgency that leaves no time for procrastination and stalling.
12-week execution cycles put the focus on execution: this just might be the cure for serial perfectionists who somehow never seem to be satisfied with the outcome. The philosophy behind this is simple: just stay focused and do the best you can, and amazing results will follow.
Time is an illusion anyway – make it work in your favor!
You have already read some of these inside sales books? Tell us what you think! If you’re more of a podcast type of person, check out these sales podcasts to stay in the zone.
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