The Top 3 Sales Books Every Entrepreneur Needs to Read

Sales in business are essential.

Without sales, you won’t have a successful business. Sales equals money, and money equals freedom. It seems pretty self-explanatory, yet when I speak to business owners and salespeople, so many of them haven’t done their homework and own research to improve their sales skills.

This baffles me.

I don’t care how long you’ve been in the game as a “professional” in sales; there’s always room for improvement and growth.

Picture Lebron James for a moment. He’s one of the best basketball players to lace up shoes and arguably one of the best athletes ever. Lebron spends $1.5 million a year on his body, including food, chefs, supplements, equipment, trainers, and private coaches, to maintain his body and get 1% better yearly.

And you, as a business owner or salesperson, can’t re-invest in yourself to read some books to get better? Come on, bro.

Let’s break down my top three sales books in reverse that every entrepreneur and sales rep needs to read.

Plus, I’ll add a bonus for the serious individuals at the end.

Book #3

Jordan Belfort is one of the best sales pros in the world.

Yes, he may be a con man and a hot mess of a human (The Wolf of Wall Street film about his life is hysterical), but he knows how to sell.

In his book, The Way of the Wolf, He breaks down the “straight-line system.”

He teaches us how every sale is the same.

Sure, they might have different names or situations, but it’s discovering their problem, moving them down the line, and showing them how your product or service is the solution.

There’s a flow, a sequence that anyone can follow once they understand the straight line.

At one point, Jordan was straight-up taking guys off the street and teaching them how to sell over the phone! So he knows what he’s doing and what he’s talking about.

This strategic sales book will give you a structure to follow in the sales process.

I highly recommend it.

Book #2

The second book is less strategic but more thematic. It’s less one-on-one sales, but the principles taught in this book are invaluable and need immediate implementation.

The book is Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff.

Now, Oren pitches business ideas and concepts to people. Think of it like how they do it on Shark Tank.

That’s what he specializes in.

The principle that you need to learn about, which he teaches in the book, is the concept of framing—specifically, the Prize Frame.

In every interaction or conversation, people have different “frames,” or states of being, that they bring to the table. Whoever has the strongest frame in the negotiation wins.

The frame you always want to have in sales is the Prize Frame.

An example of the Prize Frame in action:

Think of the President of the United States. He has the Prize Frame anywhere he goes and any room he enters.

That is until he goes to the doctor. The doctor in this scenario has the prize frame. In fact, most doctors hold the prize frame regardless of who you are. Why? They control the conversation with questions and have the solution to a patient’s ailment.

Pro Tip/Hack: Whoever is asking the questions has control of the conversation. As a salesperson, you want to maintain the Prize Frame by asking the prospect the questions.

Make sure the prospect does 80% of the talking, telling you about their pain and problems from the 20% of your talking, which should be question-based.

Book #1

I personally think that How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie is the best book of all time. It’s also my favorite book ever.

It should be required reading in school. It’s an older book, but its concepts and principles are timeless.

As a salesperson or entrepreneur, people are the lifeline of your business and income. It would benefit you exponentially if you knew how to win them over and get them to like you.

People buy from those they like, know, trust, and feel can get them results.

If you can’t get them to like you, they won’t bother trying to get to know you. So, no trust will ever be gained, and no sale either.

Carnegie gives us lessons that not only help us win friends but also make our lives better.

A big theme he urges us to do is to use everyone’s favorite word as much as we can: Their name.

Everyone loves to hear the sound of their name.

So, if you’re on a sales call, edit out calling the prospect “Bro, Man, Friend,” or “Bud,” and splice their name in its place.

Example: “What happens if nothing changes, bro?”

Change that to: “What happens if nothing changes, Brian?”

Using their name adds connection, and it’s less informal. Plus, it brings their attention back to you and what you’re saying.

Carnegie also tells us, as salespeople and as humans, to avoid the “Three C’s.”

Never:

• Condemn

• Criticize

• Complain

This type of etiquette is repulsive. It does the opposite of what you want by repelling people. These behaviors are unattractive, and no one likes anyone who engages in these practices.

Being acutely aware of these traps will not only help you live a more positive life, but you’ll be able to persuade more people and make more sales.

This book is TEN out of TEN from me.

Christmas Bonus

Influence by Robert Cialdini. I listen to this book once a month on audio.

Cialdini is an American psychologist who has studied human behavior his entire life and career.

In the book, he breaks down the six principles of persuasion that businesses and salespeople use to influence others.

I’m not going to go through all of those. Buy the book. You’ll thank me later.

The BMM Takeaway

You can’t say you’re a sales professional if you aren’t actively improving your skills daily.

To me, you’re a fake, posing as the real deal.

And you can “say” whatever you want. The results don’t lie.

So, if your bottom line or commission isn’t at the level you want, I’ll leave you with one final tactic that has helped me sell to thousands of people and make millions of dollars in the process.

It’s called immersion.

Back in 2019, I needed to make money quickly. I knew I needed to sell and couldn’t afford to shoot shots and miss.

I devoted every waking minute to sales.

I was either on sales calls or studying the craft, listening to sales books and podcasts. No music. No free time. Nothing.

I listened to sales books while working out and in Uber, and I even got waterproof headphones to wear in the shower so I could still download the content directly into my brain.

Then, I hit my financial goals.

That’s what I mean by immersion. It’s straight-up hard work and time utilization.

Sales have got to be “in you,” not just on you. To succeed in this game, you’ve got to live it.

Get those books, immerse yourself in them, improve your craft, and you’ll also hit your goals like I did.