01
To Sell Is Human
Looks at how persuasion and helping others make decisions show up far beyond traditional sales roles. Connects selling with perspective-taking and serving a real need.
Best forDeveloping a more human approach to persuasion.
The reading library
SALES · 25 BOOKS
Listen well. Sell with purpose.
Build confidence in customer conversations, ask useful questions and understand what people actually need.
Showing books and podcasts
Choose one useful next read.
Start with the first three picks if you’re new to this topic, or use “Best for” to find the book that fits your goal. Read one idea, then try one small action.
25 curated picks per topic, selected for relevance and an Amazon UK average of at least 4 stars with at least 400 total ratings. Checked 4 October 2026; ratings can change and Amazon may combine formats or editions. This is not a bestseller ranking or a count of five-star reviews. Some books appear in more than one topic. Links are ordinary Amazon links, not affiliate links. Prices and availability are set by Amazon.
02
SPIN Selling
A structured approach to customer questions, built around understanding situations, problems, implications and needs. Especially relevant to more involved sales conversations.
Best forPlanning questions for complex or higher-value sales.
03
The Mom Test
A concise guide to talking to potential customers without steering them towards compliments. Focuses on learning from real experiences instead of hypothetical approval.
Best forTesting a business idea and discovering customer needs.
04
The Science of Selling
Connects sales conversations with ideas from decision-making research. Explores how buyers consider options and how sellers can communicate more clearly.
Best forReflecting on your sales approach and buyer decisions.
05
Fanatical Prospecting
Focuses on finding opportunities through regular outreach across different channels. Useful for salespeople who need a clearer pipeline-building process.
Best forBuilding a consistent prospecting routine.
06
Sales EQ
Examines relationships, buyer emotions and adapting a conversation. Connects sales technique with awareness of the people involved.
Best forHandling the emotional side of sales conversations.
07
Objections
Explores common objections across the sales process and ways to respond. Encourages preparation and understanding rather than treating every refusal identically.
Best forPreparing for hesitation and disagreement.
08
The Ultimate Sales Machine
Discusses disciplined execution across sales, marketing and business operations. A broad practical framework for improving a commercial team.
Best forDeveloping repeatable sales and business processes.
09
The Challenger Sale
Presents a model for helping customers rethink problems and understand value. Most relevant to complex business sales.
Best forExploring a teaching-led B2B sales approach.
10
Gap Selling
Organises sales discovery around the gap between a current situation and a desired outcome. Encourages diagnosing before presenting a solution.
Best forUnderstanding the customer’s current problem.
11
MEDDICC
A framework for examining customer value, decision processes and buying criteria. Most useful for salespeople managing larger business deals.
Best forQualifying complex B2B opportunities.
12
The Lean Startup
Introduces experiments, feedback and learning loops for new ventures. Helps connect product decisions with evidence from customers.
Best forTesting a business idea before scaling it.
13
Zero to One
Essays about creating new value, competition and startup strategy. A perspective for examining your business assumptions rather than a universal formula.
Best forQuestioning what makes a business distinctive.
14
Obviously Awesome
A practical framework for product positioning, alternatives and customer fit. Useful when your offer is good but hard to describe.
Best forExplaining why the right customer should care.
15
Inspired
Explores product discovery and the work of effective product teams. Relevant to sellers and founders who want to understand how solutions are created.
Best forConnecting customer problems with product value.
16
Continuous Discovery Habits
Describes ongoing interviews and experiments to discover customer needs. Useful for building a feedback habit rather than relying on one launch survey.
Best forLearning regularly from customers.
17
The Personal MBA
An accessible overview of value creation, marketing, sales and business systems. Helps place sales activity within the economics of a business.
Best forUnderstanding the wider business around a sale.
18
Cold Calling Sucks (And That’s Why It Works)
A tactical guide to opening calls, earning attention and handling responses. Particularly relevant to outbound business sales.
Best forPreparing for practical cold-call conversations.
19
New Sales. Simplified.
Focuses on targeting customers, a clear sales story and proactive outreach. Useful for building a straightforward new-business process.
Best forFinding and pursuing new business.
20
The Art of Negotiation
A practical introduction to preparing for negotiation, understanding the other side and asking for what you need. Useful for approaching a discussion with clearer goals.
Best forBuilding confidence in everyday negotiations.
21
The 1-Page Marketing Plan
A compact framework for choosing a market, communicating an offer and following up. Useful for small businesses developing a clearer marketing process.
Best forConnecting marketing with customer acquisition.
22
This Is Marketing
Encourages choosing a specific audience and creating value for them. A thoughtful starting point for trust, positioning and communication.
Best forUnderstanding who your offer serves.
23
Building a StoryBrand 2.0
Uses a storytelling framework to clarify an offer and the customer’s next step. Useful when website or sales copy feels confusing.
Best forMaking your customer message easier to understand.
24
Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth
Surveys growth channels and a process for testing what works. Helps founders look beyond one familiar marketing tactic.
Best forTesting different customer-acquisition channels.
25
Never Split the Difference
Uses negotiation stories to introduce tactical empathy, labelling and calibrated questions. Useful for preparing a difficult conversation while keeping the other person’s perspective in view.
Best forPractising listening and questions in negotiation.
A FRESH PERSPECTIVE, ON THE GO
Five different perspectives.
Listen on a walk, on your commute
or when you have a moment to yourself.
sales
Sales Gravy
With Jeb Blount
Practical sales conversations covering prospecting, customer relationships and developing your skills.
Explore the podcastsales
Make It Happen Mondays
With John Barrows
Sales interviews and practical discussions about prospecting, discovery and developing a sales career.
Explore the podcastsales
The Sales Evangelist
With Donald C. Kelly
Advice and conversations for sellers who want clearer processes and stronger customer relationships.
Explore the podcastsales
The Salesman Podcast
With Will Barron
B2B sales conversations about finding buyers, asking questions and communicating value.
Explore the podcastsales
30 Minutes to President’s Club
With Nick Cegelski and Armand Farrokh
Specific tactics for prospecting, discovery calls and negotiating in a business sales role.
Explore the podcastLinks go to creator websites or official podcast feeds. These are editorial suggestions, not paid placements or endorsements by the hosts.
KEEP EXPLORING
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