“Reading is still the main way that I both learn new things and test my understanding.” – Bill Gates
What is a sales book?
It is one person’s subjective perspective on how to achieve a goal.
It is a single view of a success story. It is not the definitive answer nor the only way to accomplish a goal.
It is what the author believes to be a methodology or process that has worked for them. They are sharing it with you.
Each of us is unique even though there are some similarities and trends in our desires, processes, and behaviors. Each book, or approach, may present a perspective that resonates with you more than another.
Some approaches will provide a clearer and more effective path. And there are some that are promoting either incorrect or outdated information.
I just typed “selling skills books” in the Amazon search bar and received “1-16 of over 20,000 results”.
You would be hard-pressed to read and absorb even a small percentage of these – in a lifetime!
Don’t be misled by believing that by reading one sales book you have all the knowledge you need.
Yes, each book will increase your knowledge and capabilities but not by the same amount for each book.
Times change, research changes, the way a story is told changes. There are differences in selling skills appropriate for different market types.
A B2B approach will not be as effective in a B2C market.
A transactional sales model is very different from an enterprise model.
Some markets accept high-pressure “Always be closing” methods, whereas others require a longer-term consultative style.
You also need to understand yourself and your selling style before you can determine the appropriate books.
To clarify, books are not the only source of valuable selling information. If reading is not your preferred method of obtaining knowledge, try videos or spoken books.
Just think, if you spent just two hours reading the sales book and gleaned one new idea that helped you be more successful, wouldn’t that be worth your time and energy?
