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Sales Books

Hand-curated list of the best sales books

Sales books are a great way to build and extend your knowledge in sales. We will help you find the right ones!

Updated: May 31, 2024, 1:39pm
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Staff Pick

Influence

The Psychology of Persuasion
By: Robert B. Cialdini
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4.7
MTS Reviews
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Audiobook
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Audiobook length: 20 hours and 43 minutes
Book length: 592 pages
Published: July 1905
Recommended for:
Psychologists, Business leaders, Sales Professionals, Marketers

About the book

Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion delves into the underlying mechanics of why people are persuaded by certain requests and how this knowledge can be ethically applied in various aspects of life, including business. Through compelling narratives and personal anecdotes, Dr. Cialdini illuminates the principles of persuasion that govern human behavior. This expanded edition offers fresh insights, including Dr. Cialdini's own experiences with influence, demonstrating the universal nature of persuasion and how it can be wielded effectively yet ethically.

What you will learn

  • The Core Principles of Influence: Understanding the key drivers such as reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, authority, liking, and scarcity
  • Real-World Applications: How these principles play out in daily decisions, sales, marketing, and leadership
  • Self-Awareness and Defense: Recognizing influence tactics in use around you, so you can make more autonomous decisions
  • Ethical Persuasion: How to apply these principles ethically and responsibly in business and personal interactions
  • Behavioral Insights: Deep insights into human psychology and behavior, supported by extensive scientific research

Why we like it

Dr. Cialdini's "Influence" stands out for its profound insights backed by rigorous scientific research, presented in a manner that is both engaging and relatable. The expanded content adds even greater depth, making it an invaluable resource for anyone looking to understand or apply the principles of persuasion in their professional or personal lives. The book's emphasis on ethical application is particularly commendable, reflecting Dr. Cialdini's commitment to positive influence. Whether you're a marketer seeking to refine your approach, a business leader aiming to enhance your persuasive skills, or simply curious about the psychology behind decision-making, this book offers essential guidance.

Staff Pick

$ 100M Offers

How To Make Offers So Good People Feel Stupid Saying No
By: Alex Hormozi
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5
MTS Reviews
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Audiobook
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Audiobook length: 3 hours and 48 minutes
Book length: 210 pages
Published: July 2021
Recommended for:
Entrepreneurs

About the book

100M Offers: How To Make Offers So Good People Feel Stupid Saying No by Alex Hormozi is a strategic guide for entrepreneurs aiming to elevate their sales and marketing game. The book dives into the art of crafting irresistible offers, leveraging the psychology of value perception, and implementing strategies that compel potential customers to act immediately. Hormozi emphasizes the importance of creating value that far exceeds the cost, ensuring that the offers are so compelling that prospects feel they're missing out if they decline.

What you will learn

  • The Value Equation: Understand how to maximize the perceived value of your offers by aligning with the dreams and desires of your prospects, increasing the likelihood of purchase while minimizing perceived effort and time delay​​.
  • Creating and Enhancing Offers: Learn to craft offers using a step-by-step process that involves identifying the dream outcome for customers, overcoming obstacles with solutions, and tactically determining what to include in your offers to make them irresistible​​​​.
  • The Trim & Stack Hack: Discover the method of trimming down offerings to those that provide the highest value at the lowest cost and stacking them to configure the ultimate high-value deliverable​​.
  • Psychological Triggers: Master the use of scarcity, urgency, bonuses, and guarantees to enhance the attractiveness of your offers and compel action from prospects​​​​.
  • Strategic Naming and Marketing: Gain insights into selecting powerful names for your offers and employing strategic marketing techniques to maximize response rates and conversion rates​​.

Why we like it

We love "100M Offers" for its revolutionary approach to creating compelling offers that ensure business success. Its practical, step-by-step guidance simplifies complex marketing concepts, making them accessible to all entrepreneurs. The book not only emphasizes the strategic importance of establishing preeminence in one's niche but also inspires readers to expand their vision and achieve professional growth. Through real-world examples, Hormozi demonstrates how to implement these strategies effectively, making this book a transformative resource for achieving unparalleled profitability and personal development. It's a must-read for anyone looking to elevate their business strategy and mindset.

Staff Pick

They Ask You Answer

A Revolutionary Approach to Inbound Sales, Content Marketing, and Today's Digital Consumer
By: Marcus Sheridan
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4.5
MTS Reviews
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Audiobook
Details:
Audiobook length: 9 hours and 32 minutes
Book length: 352 pages
Published: August 2019
Recommended for:
Business Owners, Marketers, Sales Professionals, Entrepreneurs, Small to Medium Business Owners

About the book

They Ask, You Answer by Marcus Sheridan is a revolutionary guide focusing on inbound sales, content marketing, and addressing the needs of the digital consumer. The core philosophy is simple yet transformative: educate your prospects by answering their questions honestly and comprehensively. This approach challenges traditional sales and marketing tactics, advocating for a strategy where understanding and addressing customer queries is the key to effective marketing and sales success. The book illustrates how this strategy can drive significant business growth, as seen in Sheridan's own experience with his company, River Pools, during the 2008 economic crash.

What you will learn

  • Answering Customer Questions: Understand the importance of addressing customer queries directly to build trust and authority
  • The Impact of Inbound Marketing: Learn how effective inbound marketing can significantly increase website traffic, lead conversion, and sales
  • Virtual Selling Techniques: Discover how to adapt to the rising demand for virtual sales processes, especially in the post-pandemic business landscape
  • The Power of Self-Service Tools: Gain insights into how self-service tools can enhance customer experience and lead qualification
  • Aligning Sales and Marketing: Learn the importance of sales and marketing alignment for successful content strategy implementation
  • Adopting Marketing Technologies and CRM: Understand the role of technology in tracking and enhancing the effectiveness of inbound marketing efforts

Why we like it

We are impressed by "They Ask, You Answer" for its insightful and revolutionary approach to inbound sales and content marketing. Marcus Sheridan's practical advice, drawn from his own experiences, is relatable and easy to implement. The book excels in illustrating how to gain trust by educating customers, a strategy crucial in today's information-rich yet trust-deficient digital marketplace. It's inspiring to see how addressing customer queries head-on can transform the sales process, making it more efficient and consumer-friendly. Furthermore, the emphasis on video content is particularly pertinent, considering the growing dominance of visual media in digital marketing. This book is not just theoretical; it provides actionable steps for businesses of all sizes to adapt and succeed. Sheridan's engaging writing and inclusion of diverse case studies make it an enjoyable and educational read.

Staff Pick

Pre-Suasion

A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade
By: Robert B. Cialdini
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4.5
MTS Reviews
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Details:
Audiobook length: 9 hours and 24 minutes
Book length: 432 pages
Published: June 2018
Recommended for:
Marketers, Sales Professionals, Business leaders

About the book

Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade by Robert Cialdini delves into the process of influencing an audience by capitalizing on the moments before a message is delivered. These moments, Cialdini argues, are critical in shaping the outcome of a persuasive effort. The book builds on Cialdini's earlier work on influence by introducing the concept of 'pre-suasion,' which involves strategically guiding preliminary attention to make recipients more receptive to a message before they even encounter it. This book explores how communicators can use key windows of opportunity to prime their audience with certain cues that make them more likely to say yes to a subsequent request.

What you will learn

  • The Power of Attention: Learn how directing an audience's attention to specific elements before delivering a message can significantly influence their subsequent decisions.
  • Timing and Context: Understand the crucial role of timing and the context in which communication takes place, and how these can be optimized for maximum persuasive impact.
  • Psychological Triggers: Discover specific psychological triggers that can be activated to make audiences more amenable to persuasion, such as the principles of social proof, scarcity, and authority.
  • Ethical Considerations: Engage with the ethical implications of using pre-suasive techniques, including the responsibility of using influence ethically and maintaining trust.

Why we like it

Pre-Suasion is a thought-provoking read that challenges conventional ideas about persuasion and influence. Cialdini's insights are backed by extensive research and presented through compelling case studies that make the concepts accessible and practical. This book is particularly valuable for its deep dive into the subtle, often overlooked factors that trigger a favorable response to persuasive attempts. It extends beyond traditional marketing and sales strategies to address how these principles can be applied in personal interactions and broader communications.

Triggers

30 Sales Tools You Can Use to Control the Mind of Your Prospect to Motivate, Influence, and Persuade
By: Joseph Sugarman
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4.3
MTS Reviews
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Hardcover
Kindle
Details:
Book length: 233 pages
Published: September 2014
Recommended for:
Marketers, Sales Professionals, Business Owners

About the book

Triggers by Joseph Sugarman offers a compelling look into the psychological tools that can turn prospects into buyers. Written by a renowned figure in direct marketing, the book unpacks 30 powerful sales techniques, each described as a 'trigger' that can influence consumer behavior. These triggers range from employing a sense of urgency to harnessing the power of storytelling, all aimed at enhancing persuasive efforts. Sugarman combines his rich experience with actionable insights to demonstrate how each trigger can be effectively implemented in marketing and sales strategies.

What you will learn

  • Understanding Psychological Triggers: Learn the core psychological triggers that motivate, influence, and persuade customers.
  • Application in Sales: Practical applications of each trigger in various sales scenarios, helping you to convert prospects into customers.
  • Building Trust and Credibility: Techniques for establishing trust and credibility with your audience, crucial for long-term customer relationships.
  • Enhancing Advertising Strategies: How to integrate these triggers into your advertising efforts to increase effectiveness and customer response.
  • Continuous Improvement: Methods to review and refine the use of triggers based on performance and feedback.

Why we like it

We appreciate "Triggers" for its straightforward and practical approach to sales psychology. Joseph Sugarman's expertise shines through in his engaging explanations and relevant examples, making complex psychological tactics accessible and applicable. The book is not just theoretical but provides a hands-on guide to transforming marketing strategies with proven psychological techniques. It's a valuable resource for marketers, sales professionals, and entrepreneurs seeking to deepen their understanding of consumer behavior and improve their persuasive efforts.

Email Marketing for Complex Sales Cycles

Proven Ways to Produce a Continuous Flow of Prospects and Profits with Effective Spam-Free Email System
By: Winton Churchill
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3.3
MTS Reviews
Availability:
Paperback
Details:
Book length: 160 pages
Published: July 2008
Recommended for:
Sales Professionals, Email Marketers

About the book

Email Marketing for Complex Sales Cycles: Proven Ways to Produce a Continuous Flow of Prospects and Profits with Effective Spam-Free Email System by Winton Churchill is an essential guide for professionals navigating the intricate world of B2B email marketing. Drawing from over 25 years of experience in sales and marketing, Churchill offers valuable insights into handling complex sales cycles through effective email strategies. This book stands out for its ability to demystify complex sales concepts and present them in a relatable, engaging manner. It’s tailored for businesses that face prolonged decision-making processes in their sales, providing strategies to accelerate these cycles and enhance decision-making confidence in prospects. With a focus on spam-free and effective email marketing, the book is a key resource for sales managers, marketing professionals, and business owners.

What you will learn

  • Navigating Complex Sales Cycles: Understand the dynamics of complex B2B sales and how to effectively engage prospects
  • Effective Email Marketing Strategies: Learn how to create email campaigns that resonate with B2B clients and drive sales
  • Accelerating Decision-Making: Strategies for speeding up the sales process and facilitating quicker decision-making among prospects
  • Spam-Free Email Techniques: Learn how to craft email content that is impactful yet avoids being flagged as spam
  • Real-World Applications: Gain insights from practical, straightforward advice applicable to real business scenarios

Why we like it

We value "Email Marketing for Complex Sales Cycles" for its expert approach to a challenging aspect of sales and marketing. Winton Churchill's extensive experience lends credibility and depth to the content, making it a reliable guide for anyone looking to improve their B2B email marketing strategies. The book is particularly notable for its engaging style, making complex topics accessible and understandable. We appreciate the emphasis on practical, actionable advice, which allows readers to apply the concepts directly to their own business scenarios.