Yesterday’s post, Get Out There and Sell, linked to a podcast called “5 Tips on Selling During a Recession, by Gavan Ingham. Ingham’s third tip is to sharpen your sales skills.
Most of us in sales are confident in our ability to make a sale. And, the longer we’re in the business, the more confident we become, and with good reason. Experience in any business usually translated into improved performance.
But, sometimes confidence may not be such a good thing. Confidence can sometimes cause us to get away from the basics. Inspired by Ingham’s list, here’s a list of some of MYOB’s favorite sales training books and web sites.
Since it was his post that inspired the list, I suppose it’s only fair to list Gavan Ingham first. According to the site, “Gavin Ingham .com contains enough free sales training and personal development material to keep you busy and it is constantly being added to.”
Tom Hopkins is a personal favorite. His web site has a ton of free resources and his books and audio/video materials are among the best. His classic book, “How to Master the Art of Selling” has recently been updated and revised.
Brian Tracy is another veteran sales trainer and motivator. Among the free resources on his web site, there are several free newsletters, a blog, and a podcast. His books and other training material are always excellent.
Here’s an oldie but a goodie. Zig Ziglar has been at the top of the motivational field for decades. If a Ziglar audio program doesn’t get you motivated, you might want to have someone check your pulse. Zig’s more of a motivator than a sales trainer, and more of a speaker than a writer. But, if you ever have a chance to see him in person, don’t miss him. The Zig Ziglar Vault is a unique program. For $14.95 per month you can have on-line access to over 100 hours of audio and video material.
Harvey Mackay has written not one, but two NY Times #1 best sellers: Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive and Beware the Naked Man Who Offers You His Shirt. Both are excellent business books, well worth the read. His web site offers a number of free resources including a blog and a podcast.
Since there’s nothing new under the sun, two classic sales trainers’ work is still worth a look, even if you’ve read/heard them before. Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” and Earl Nightingale’s The Strangest Secret are still excellent.
If you don’t see anything here that you like, you can always go to Amazon.com. Search under “books” for “salesmanship”. Sort the results by “Bestselling” and you have your own list of top selling sales books.
If there are any sales books that you have found especially helpful, please let us know.
Filed under: Sales and Salesmanship
