A compilation of the top books on sales & marketing
Contagious: Why Things Catch On
Authors: Jonah Berger,
There is something that makes some products stand out while others don’t — but what is it? What is it that makes some advertisements become a global hit, while others are barely watched? Jonah Berger gives you 6 basic principles that will make your product or idea contagious and shows you how you can answer those questions for yourself.
Ogilvy on Advertising
Authors: David Ogilvy,
How can I get a job in advertising? What are the secrets to effective advertising? How can I choose the best agency for advertising? Internationally acclaimed advertising expert, David Ogilvy, shares some highly insightful answers to these commonly asked questions and more. Ogilvy on Advertising is a treasure for everyone who works or deals in advertising.
The Essential Drucker
Authors: Peter F. Drucker,
Often called the father of modern management, Peter F. Drucker puts his sixty years of experience into words in The Essential Drucker. This book contains everything, from start to finish, regarding management and how it affects an organization. In simple words, it prepares a leader who is able to thrive in today’s and tomorrow’s environments.
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing: Violate Them at Your Own Risk
Authors: Al Ries,Jack Trout
There are laws of physics, chemistry and biology. Why then can’t there be laws of marketing? Al Ries reveals twenty-two ways that will guarantee the success of your product on the market — local and international. This book gives the reader a birds-eye view of the marketplace and the best way to enter it.
Principles of Marketing
Authors: Philip Kotler,Gary Armstrong
Establishing meaningful relationships with customers is now more important than ever before. But how can you effectively achieve this in a market that is overcrowded with brands? Unveil this answer and a lot more in Philip Kotler’s Principles of Marketing. With case studies and improved strategies, this book has all the information you need regarding every aspect of marketing.
Marketing Management
Authors: Philip Kotler,Kevin Lane Keller
Marketing Management is a single book that reflects every aspect of marketing. It one of the most important books that have been written about marketing and a de-facto text book in business schools globally. With up-to-date content, marketing expert Philip Kotler has answers to all your questions regarding the theories and strategies of effective marketing.
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High
Authors: Kerry Patterson,Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler, Stephen R. Covey
The power of your conversations determines the direction your life takes. Kerry Patterson gives you the tools to master this power in his bestselling book Crucial Conversations. In it, he teaches you how to hone your persuasion skills, the ability to speak your mind and to convert words of anger into words that will help you achieve relationships that are real, productive, and that will enrich your life and career.
You Can Negotiate Anything: The World’s Best Negotiator Tells You How To Get What You Want
Authors: Herb Cohen,
Every conversation in your life carries a negotiation with it — whether you are conversing with your best friend or your boss. Your ability to negotiate has the power to determine the successes and failures of your life. Henry Cohen argues that this skill can be acquired, and in You Can Negotiate Anything, he coaches you on how to perfect it.
The 10x Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure
Authors: Grant Cardone,
The 10x rule isn’t for the ordinary. This is because you can’t be ordinary and expect extraordinary results. Cardone teaches you the 4th degree of action — a mindblowing approach to life that guarantees success. His 10x Rule gives you step-by-step guidance to achieving groundbreaking results and breaking free from the chains of mediocrity.
Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World
Authors: Gary Vaynerchuk,
Social media expert, Gary Vaynerchuk, teaches you how to create excellent content that complements your business’s social media platform — a strategy that will easily knock out competitors. He believes consumer awareness is essential. His advice will rebuild and solidify your customer relationships, helping your social media initiatives a roaring success.
Trump: The Art of the Deal
Authors: Donald J. Trump,Tony Schwartz
Have you ever wondered who Donald Trump really is, how he handles his affairs — personal and professional — and what made him one of the most influential entrepreneurs of the world? Here is the answer to your questions, from Donald Trump himself. In The Art of Deal, Trump discloses his trade tricks and strategies and how he made his success a reality by dreaming big.
The Thank You Economy
Authors: Gary Vaynerchuk,
The market isn’t how it used to be. Social media changed it completely. Now, its essential that businesses know their customers personally, or at least attempt to do so. Without this connection, no business will last today. Using data and related evidence, Gary Vaynerchuk, acclaimed social media marketing expert, shares his wisdom on how businesses can reap immense rewards from the new market climate and maintain customer loyalty.
The Sales Bible: The Ultimate Sales Resource
Authors: Jeffrey Gitomer,
Making sales in the real world is not the same as it is in textbooks. That’s why The Sales Bible is a book every salesperson has to read. Gitomer helps you reach your full potential by teaching you how to make sales in half the time it would usually take, amongst other game-changing tactics.
Sell or Be Sold: How to Get Your Way in Business and in Life
Authors: Grant Cardone,
Whether you are selling a product on the market or a good diet plan for yourself, Sell and Be Sold is sure to unleash your full sales potential. You also learn how to make sales despite the economy, to fill the pipeline with prospects and most importantly — to accept rejection, positively.
The Psychology of Selling: Increase Your Sales Faster and Easier Than You Ever Thought Possible
Authors: Brian Tracy,
He has produced millionaires. Now he shares his secrets and strategies with you as well. Brian Tracy is a sales genius, and his book The Psychology of Selling is a masterpiece for anyone who is even remotely related to the sales field. His techniques are sure to multiply sales in any market.
Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us
Authors: Seth Godin,
Humans move in tribes, and tribes require a leader. If you are under the misconception that leadership is not for you, think again. The most influential leaders were once nothing more than you are right now. Seth Godin gives you all the tools you need to become the next leader.
Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust
Authors: Chris Brogan,Julien Smith
Social media is at the centre of today’s market. If you can use it correctly and influence your customers, your business is sure to succeed. Chris Brogan and Julien Smith share theoretical and practical that will train you to exercise your influence on social media and change the course of your business forever.
#AskGaryVee: One Entrepreneur’s Take on Leadership, Social Media, and Self-Awareness
Authors: Gary Vaynerchuk,
In his bestselling book Crush It!, renowned marketing consultant Gary Vaynerchuk showed you how you can become successful — but he didn’t stop there. In #AskGaryVee, Vaynerchuk answers some of the most useful questions he has been asked and shows you how he made it out of the traditional market and established one of his own.
Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping
Authors: Paco Underhill,
Have you ever wondered why people lose their minds at a sale? Paco Underhill uses his expertise and thousand hours of field research to illustrate the complex consumer culture of the modern day. He unravels some of the challenges faced by even the most experienced marketers against consumers who are becoming increasingly knowledgeable.
Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World
Authors: Michael Hyatt,
Before globalization, quality guaranteed sales. Nowadays, there is something that holds greater power — marketing, especially social media marketing. Michael Hyatt uses his own experiences along with tried and tested strategies and guides you toward making a name for yourself on social media. It’s free, it’s easy, and it can reach millions in no time.
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It
Authors: Chris Voss,Tahl Raz
Chris Voss gives you 9 negotiating guidelines you can follow to strike the best deal in your professional and personal life. His years working at the FBI, combating terrorists and bank robbers, taught him everything he needed to know about emotional intelligence and the art of negotiation. In this book, he unveils the skills that saved his life, as well as the vital art of persuasion.
Zig Ziglar’s Secrets of Closing the Sale
Authors: Zig Ziglar,
A good salesman is someone who has exceptional persuasion skills. Zig Ziglar teaches you how you can master this skill and become the next best salesman in the world. He also shares tips from America’s best salesmen, as well as over 700 questions that will open your eyes to opportunities you may have missed.
To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others
Authors: Daniel H. Pink,
You are always attempting to sell something — an idea, an understanding, your advice, for example. Daniel Pink shows you the science of doing so while bearing your audience’s perspective in mind. He also teaches you to improve the clarity and persuasiveness of your message and that being extroverted alone may not always guarantee the best sales.
The One Minute Sales Person: The Quickest Way to Sell People on Yourself, Your Services, Products, or Ideas–at Work and in Life
Authors: Spencer Johnson,Larry Wilson
He gave you the bestselling book Who Moved My Cheese? This time, Spencer Johnson gives you an entire guide on mastering sales in The One Minute Sales Person. His advice, tips and strategies will make you go from “just another sales guy” to “the industry’s most effective and confident one” in no time.
The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs
Authors: Carmine Gallo,
How did Steve Jobs communicate with his audience in such a way that his name is more popular than most presidents’ names? Carmine Gallo, a communication-skills coach, breaks down Jobs’ presentation skills into strategies and put it together comprehensively for you. With these tactics, you are sure to deliver your best presentations yet.
Confessions of an Advertising Man
Authors: David Ogilvy,Alan Parker
“Father of advertising” David Ogilvy’s Confessions of an Advertising Man was translated into 14 languages and became an international bestseller. This book is everything a business needs — from ethics to advertising and even the politics involved in running a business that is truly efficient.
The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Customer Development: A Cheat Sheet to the Four Steps to the Epiphany
Authors: Brant Cooper,Patrick Vlaskovits
This is a book that is used by Stanford University, Boston University and the likes — it is everything you will need to ensure your product becomes a success in the market. It is your ultimate guide to adopting lean strategies and nurturing customer relationships that really last.
Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even If You Hate Marketing and Selling
Authors: Michael Port,Tim Sanders
Unlike other manual-like books, Book Yourself Solid is a practical and life-changing guide on promotional strategies. Highly recognized professional speaker, Michael Port, trains you to acquire the unique trait of self-promotion along with other techniques that are sure to attract more clients and more profit for your organization.
Selling the Invisible: A Field Guide to Modern Marketing
Authors: Harry Beckwith,
Harry Beckwith, in his own genial way reveals everything you need to know about service-marketing and building consumer loyalty. In Selling the Invisible, he addresses the concerns of businesses that sell services regardless of their size. With language that can be understood by anyone and practical steps, Beckwith gives the reader everything one needs to know regarding selling services.
Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions
Authors: Guy Kawasaki,
Business guru, Guy Kawasaki, reveals the art of enchantment — not the manipulation of a person’s thinking but rather the genuine transformation of relationships and circumstances. Kawasaki also teaches you how you can change the heart, mind and actions of your customer by simple being trustworthy and likeable. This book is the embodiment of customer loyalty.
Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy and the New Science of Desire
Authors: Martin Lindstrom,
If you have ever wanted to know why you buy what you buy, Martin Lindstrom’s Buyology has the answer to your question. Based on a three-year neuromarketing study with 2000 volunteers from around the world, Lindstrom was able to dissect the science behind our buying habits. His findings will shock you, while providing valuable insights into how to market to potential customers.
Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers Into Friends And Friends Into Customers
Authors: Seth Godin,
In the past, advertisements were made to distract consumers. But this no longer works. “The Ultimate Entrepreneur for the Information Age”, Seth Godin introduces a new concept of marketing — permission marketing. His book teaches businesses the art of advertising in a way that customers will be willing to accept the message without feeling like their time is being wasted.
All Marketers Are Liars
Authors: Seth Godin,
Marketers don’t only tell you the pros and cons of a product or service. They tell you a story about the product and why your life is incomplete without it. However, when this story is manipulated with lies for selfish gains, companies lose their market forever. Seth Godin’s All Marketers Are Liars is an everything-you-need-to-know-about marketing and perfecting this art of storytelling.
Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind: How to Be Seen and Heard in the Overcrowded Marketplace
Authors: Al Ries,Jack Trout
Al Ries and Jack Trout demonstrate the need for positioning in a dynamic market such as today’s. Positioning is an all-encompassing book that discusses how a business can position itself and acquire the biggest market share from start to finish. This book is a must read for anyone who wishes to know how to position themselves and their business in a crowded marketplace.
Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered
Authors: Austin Kleon,
An entrepreneur or even an artist must show their work — this is what New York Times’ bestseller, Austin Kleon, explains in his book Show Your Work! This book encourages readers to be more generous in sharing their work while highlighting the lines to be drawn while sharing, apart from other useful tips for creative people to suceed in today’s Information age.
The Design of Everyday Things
Authors: Donald A. Norman,
The former director of the Institute of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Donald Norman, gives you the reason why some product designs make customers purchase them instantly, while some others create immediate dissatisfaction. Norman illustrates the science of product quality and how it can be tailor-made to suit every customer’s requirements.
Scientific Advertising
Authors: Claude C. Hopkins,
In Scientific Advertising, Hopkins covers important topics, such as the most effective strategies a business can implement when advertising and the psychology behind them. But that isn’t all. Hopkins also explains how budgets should be made and how a marketer can test their campaign along with all other essential aspects of the advertising field.
The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding: How to Build a Product or Service Into a World-Class Brand
Authors: Al Ries,Laura Ries
Marketing gurus Al and Laura Ries combine their wisdom on marketing and illustrate to the reader the power of branding. They argue that branding is the only way to establish a product or a service in today’s versatile marketplace. A special bonus book (22 immutable laws of internet branding) is included to help you tackle the biggest challenge facing most businesses today – branding on the internet.
The Brand Gap
Authors: Marty Neumeier,
Often, branding is approached either strategically or creatively. For the first time, Marty Neumeier combines the two approaches into one concise and straightforward book that can be understood by just about anyone. In a short and concise manner, he covers every aspect of branding and shares five important branding laws. The Brand Gap is a treasure every business must hold on to.
The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing, & Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly
Authors: David Meerman Scott,
Marketing and PR are the keys to success in the modern-day market. David Meerman Scott, a marketing strategist, gives the reader a full package of marketing tactics that will guarantee sales. He also shares riveting success stories and examples of established firms who engage in cheaper marketing strategies for less than half of the cost of conventional methods.
Unmarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging.
Authors: Scott Stratten,
Conventional advertising has no impact anymore. If you want to reel your customers in, you have to foster meaningful, trust-based relationships. Not only does this generate an impact, but it also increases customer loyalty. In Unmarketing, Stratten reveals secrets of effective marketing that will make you your customer’s first choice and keep them coming back for more!
Getting Past No: Negotiating in Difficult Situations
Authors: William Ury,
“No” — one word that has the power to shatter dreams. Getting Past No teaches you how to convert this “No” into an opportunity and to cope with negative situations. With the right tools to work under pressure, you will be able to satisfy your own needs without compromising the needs of others.
Secrets of Power Negotiating: Inside Secrets from a Master Negotiator
Authors: Roger Dawson,
Roger Dawson makes that “win-win” situation a reality for you. He shows you how you can get your way and convince the other party that they did too. He also unveils the secrets of deciphering body language, reading between the lines and engaging in effective communication with people from around the world.
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
Authors: Roger Fisher,William Ury, Bruce Patton
When conflict arises, anger often destroys even the smallest opportunities. Roger Fisher teaches you how to deal with anger and negotiate in every conflict. His practical guide shows you that it is possible to come to terms that can satisfy all the parties involved. His book will change the relationships in your life, whether they are professional or personal.
Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People
Authors: G. Richard Shell,
He taught some of the world’s best leaders and professionals. Now, he teaches you how to handle the situations in life that are not going in your favor. Richard Shell’s negotiation tactics will show you how to analyze the circumstances before you speak and will help you discover your own strengths and weaknesses, to allow you to negotiate from a position of strength.
Ultimate Sales Machine
Authors: Chet Holmes,
Working on hundreds of strategies with the aim to improve your business is good. But focusing on the essential strategies and perfecting them is smart. Chet Holmes shows you how you can work fewer hours and yield greater results by applying the most important concept: focus. His simple techniques will eradicate competition and ease the way for your business’s success.
Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal
Authors: Oren Klaff,
Working hard could give you the desired results. But working smart guarantees those results. Oren Klaff teaches you how to act smart, as well as the science of sharing ideas with the world in a manner that grabs the audience’s attention. His pragmatic advice and case studies will change your career and open the doors of success in your life.
SPIN Selling: Situation Problem Implication Need-payoff
Authors: Neil Rackham,
If you’re still using traditional methods of selling in today’s market, you are setting your business up for failure. Neil Rackham teaches you the real methods of achieving success in today’s global market. Using effective theories and strategies, along with real-life case studies and research data, he prepares your business for a performance like never before.
How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success in Selling
Authors: Frank Bettger,
If you are tired of learning from the successful, Bettger’s How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling is the best book for you. At 29, he was a failed insurance salesman. By 40, he was one of America’s most successful salesmen. Find out how he did it and the life-changing insights he has to share with you.
Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to Mainstream Customers
Authors: Geoffrey A. Moore,Regis McKenna
Hi-tech industries produce some of today’s leading companies, yet marketing in this important area requires a lot of effort and is often porrly understood. In Crossing the Chasm, Moore takes you through specific skills you need for marketing hi-tech products and teaches you on how to use the internet to your advantage. This book is an all-you-need for marketers of the high-tech field.
Go for No! Yes is the Destination, No is How You Get There
Authors: Richard Fenton,Andrea Waltz
Eric James Bratton was a 28-year-old salesman. Within a weekend, he learns that in order to reach success he must first accept the failures he faces on the way and that sometimes a “No” can create more opportunities than a “Yes” ever can. This attitude changed his life. And his story will change yours too.
You, Inc.: The Art of Selling Yourself
Authors: Harry Beckwith,Christine Clifford Beckwith
During a sale, the only thing that is more important than the product is you. The founder of Beckwith Advertising and Marketing, Henry Beckwith, gives you everything you need to perfect the art of selling yourself. With a great sense of humor and revolutionary advice, this book is sure to make you the next success story.
Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion
Authors: Jay Heinrichs,
From Winston Churchill to Cicero (Rome’s greatest politician), persuasion was the skill that distinguished them from the rest. Heinrichs coaches you on honing your persuasion skills so that you will always get your way in the future. You will also learn some life-changing persuasion techniques such as the Yoda Technique, Stalin’s Timing Secret and many more.
Yes! 50 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion
Authors: Noah J. Goldstein,Robert B. Cialdini, Steve J. Martin
This book teaches you that how to make someone say “Yes” by pulling the right strings. Based on extensive research on the psychology of persuasion and influence, Noah Goldstein shares the reasons why people say “Yes” to some and “No” to others. Learn to get your own way, using the science of persuasion.
Fanatical Prospecting: The Ultimate Guide to Opening Sales Conversations and Filling the Pipeline by Leveraging Social Selling, Telephone, Email, Text, and Cold Calling
Authors: Jeb Blount,Mike Weinberg
In simple and easy-to-understand language, Jeb Blount reveals some of the best strategies and tactics to fill your pipeline and make your prospecting more effective than ever before. In Fanatical Prospecting, he shares the 4-step Email Prospecting Framework, the 30-Day pipeline rule, the Law of Replacement, the 5C’s of Social selling and many more practical steps that will guarantee results in improving your sales funnel.
The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation
Authors: Matthew Dixon,Brent Adamson
Find out the five categories of salespeople in the world and why the Challengers (the best among them) are the ones who make the biggest impact. From assertive to not giving into the customer’s every demand, the challengers stand out in their approach. The good news is that with the right tools, you can become a challenger too.
Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness
Authors: Jeffrey Gitomer,
Salespeople don’t always want hundreds of pages of marketing theories and concepts. Jeffrey Gitomer knows this. So he provides you with a handy little book that is filled with all the information you seek in concise and easy-to-read sentences. With his entertaining style of writing and examples of practical scenarios, this book will make your dream sales figure a reality.
If You’re Not First, You’re Last: Sales Strategies to Dominate Your Market and Beat Your Competition
Authors: Grant Cardone,
The economy is uncertain, and mistakes are very costly. This is why Grant Cardone gives you a strategy to make sales regardless of the economic conditions. His ways will set you apart from the excuse-makers, open the doors of creativity and guarantee higher market share. Bid your competitors farewell.
Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts into Sales
Authors: Bob Burg,
Your relationship with the customer is the key to making a sale. Bob Burg gives you his tried and tested principles that will build lasting and stable relationships with your customers, both online and offline. If you are passionate about your sales career, then hold on to this book. His techniques guarantee success.
Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs
Authors: Brian Halligan,Dharmesh Shah, David Meerman Scott
Conventional marketing strategies aren’t effective anymore. Nowadays, customers choose their products based on what social media has to say about them. Brian Halligan shares everything you need to know, to make sure you can be found on social media. From growing a customer base on Twitter to improving your ranking on Google, Inbound Marketing prepares you for today’s global market.
Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade
Authors: Robert B. Cialdini,
If you want your message to influence the person you are addressing, you don’t have to analyse their credentials or demographics. According to best-selling author, Robert Cialdini, all you need is excellent communication skills. Specifically, the ability to capture your listener’s attention before you even start speaking. This is what he calls “pre-suasion.”
We Are Not Alone: The Writer’s Guide to Social Media
Authors: Kristen Lamb,
Today, there are more opportunities for authors than ever before. However, social media has changed this field and introduced new concepts such as “branding” and “marketing.” If you’re a writer or you’ve got the potential to become one, Kristen Lamb’s We Are Not Alone is a must-read. Her insights will guide you through every aspect of writing in the 21st century.
Other Blog Posts on Sales & Marketing
Top 7 Books on Persuasion
Persuasion, is as much a science, as it is an art. These 7 books help decipher the secrets behind persuasion, and how you can use specific tips and techniques to persuade people towards your desired outcome.
Top 5 Books that are Essential Reads for any Marketing Professional
These 5 books are considered to be amongst the most influential texts on Marketing written to date – each is a must read for any student of the marketing field.
5 Great Books on building a Lasting Brand
A brand that resonates with your customers is one of the biggest competitive advantages of a business. Discover how to go about building a brand that lasts via these 5 great books on branding.
Top 7 Books that teach you how to Negotiate Better
7 books that will train you in the art of negotiation, to help ensure that you never leave another negotiation dissatisfied.